By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The three-day College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival wrapped up with its annual parade, FanFest and dinner on Saturday.
The parade kicked off the final day of the festival through downtown South Bend.
There were 75 units in the parade, which included floats from Miss Dowagiac Pageant and the Niles Apple Festival. There was even a hearse from the Niles Haunted House.
Dowagiac and the Apple Festival floats both received awards for their entries. Dowagiac's float carrying its Miss Dowagiac court, brought home the National Championship Award, while the Apple Festival float won the Pigskin Award.
FanFest kicked off with the annual Hall of Fame Flag Football Game held on the Gridiron Plaza's 45-yard field.
The 2006 enshrinees were divided into two teams and played a game of 5-on-5 flag football.
With Gridiron Plaza surrounded by hundreds of football fans, the West squad defeated the East, 20-16.
The West team was led by former Penn State standout Keith Dorney, who caught a pair of touchdown passes.
The West team consisted of Cornelius Bennett (Alabama), Kevin Dent (Jackson State), Jim Houston (Ohio State), John Huarte (Notre Dame), Roosevelt Leaks (Texas), Joe Washington (Oklahoma) and David Williams (Illinois).
The team was coached by Don Nehlen (Bowling Green, West Virginia) and Dick Farley (Williams).
Despite the victory by the West squad, the fans gathered around the plaza on the game's final play when Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State) leaped high into the air and grabbed a touchdown pass against double coverage from John Friesz (Idaho).
Also on the East roster were Tom Curtis (Michigan), Anthony Davis (USC), Ronnie Mallett (Central Arkansas), Mark May (Pittsburgh) and Paul Wiggin (Stanford). The team was coached by Pat Dye (East Carolina, Wyoming, Auburn) and John Gagliardi (Carroll, St. John's).
The win was the fourth straight for the West team, which won 31-22 in 2005. The West is now 6-2 in the game.
The flag football game was followed by the youth clinic, which was run by area coaches and the enshrinees.
The weekend concluded with the awards dinner and show held at the Century Center. ESPN's Rece Davis hosted the event.