Scoggins: New London-Spicer's 'Fallen Heroes' game is one to copy across Minnesota

Braden Long will remove his last name from the back of his New London-Spicer football jersey and wear a different name for Friday’s home game against Glencoe-Silver Lake. Teammate Matthew Gehrke will do the same.

They are honored to do so.

Long will represent the Essler family on his uniform. Gehrke will wear the last name Slinden on his back.

In all, 10 New-London Spicer players will have different names on their jerseys as a tribute to veterans and first responders from their community who have died in the line of duty.

Glencoe-Silver Lake was invited to participate as well, with 10 players exchanging their last name for the name of a fallen service member from their community.

Friday’s game marks the third season that New-London Spicer has hosted their Minnesota Fallen Heroes Game. The event was founded by Tracy and Rick Clark, parents of Ryane Clark, a New London-Spicer athlete who died while deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.

“He’s a hometown boy and probably 10 years after the fact, new people [in town] didn’t know who he was,” Rick Clark said. “What a cool way of honoring all the soldiers and first responders in our area.”

The game is only part of the program. A ceremony is held before the game to share background information on each service member. Players learn the story of those they are honoring.