Submitted photo: The 'Beisser Bowl' trophy will go to the winner of Fort Dodge’s game at Dallas Center-Grimes this Friday night.

There will be more than just the final score of a game on the line when the Fort Dodge football team faces Dallas Center-Grimes for the first time ever this Friday night at DC-G Stadium.

The Dodgers and Mustangs will kick off a new rivalry with the Beisser Lumber Company traveling trophy going to the winner. Thanks to the persistence of FDSH head coach Nik Moser, his relationship with Beisser Lumber president Dave Ling and the family friendship with veteran DC-G coach Scott Heitland, everything came together in time to make this scheduled Class 4A non-district contest an evening of celebration for the company and the communities it supports.

“We’re really looking forward to this,” said Ling, who became the Beisser Lumber president in 2022. “This is a big year for us; our company started in Fort Dodge in 1953, so we’re celebrating our 70th anniversary. Philanthropy is such a big part of who we are, and we truly want to make this about our people and the communities we serve, which includes (locations in) Fort Dodge, Grimes and Coralville.

“Our (Beisser) team will be volunteering and serving in a lot of different capacities (around the stadium). We want it to be a great night of fun and football with the Dodgers and Mustangs.”

Ling confirmed that in addition to a number of youth activities being offered, Beisser Lumber is also donating $1,000 to both the Fort Dodge Senior High and DC-G Athletic Booster Clubs afterward in honor of a “player of the game” from both teams.

“Coach Moser came up with the idea (of a travel trophy) initially, given his familiarity with our company in Fort Dodge and his friendship with Coach Heitland,” Ling said. “When this game was confirmed (last spring), we started working on the logistics to turn this into an added bonus for the programs involved…and the travel trophy came into play.”

Beisser Lumber Information Technology Director PJ Phillips, who has been with the company for 18 years and serves all three locations, built the trophy from scratch. It took him 35 to 40 hours to complete.

“The gameday trophy is made of wenge — pronounced WHEN-ghay — and maple hardwoods,” Phillips said. “Both species were chosen for their natural strength. The wenge has subtle red and yellow hues, complemented by the maple. The lettering on the maple was laser engraved, representing both schools. A quarter-inch recess in the wenge and epoxy secures each tier.

“The forklift (displayed at the top of the trophy) was a remote-controlled toy that was taken apart, holes from the buttons filled and painted gold. The bottom of the forklift was modified for the one inch dowel and secured to the upper tier. The wood on the forks is 2×6 to scale with the forklift and carries a resin-printed, hand-painted football.”

There is a space for a plaque at the base, which “holds two magnets for the steel and aluminum plate and shows the year and winner of the game,” Phillips said. “Two plaques were made: one for each school so that the winner can take their trophy home after the game (until the next season). Subsequent games will be added to the plaque.

“The entire trophy is protected with multiple coats of finish for the years to come.”

Phillips also created a commemorative coin to be used beforehand when the officials and captains flip for opening possession.

“The design was created in 3D software to allow for three separate layers of depth,” Phillips said. “Each side of the coin is imprinted with ‘Beisser Bowl’ and the state of Iowa proudly in the middle.

“One side of the coin has ‘FD’ in the middle of the state, and the other has a ‘DCG.’ The coin is 1.5 inches in diameter and made of brass.”

Heitland, who is originally from Algona, has known Moser for years. Heitland’s father, Brad, coached the Bulldogs for over 20 seasons, stepping down in 2005. Moser’s dad, Sam, was the Dodgers’ leader during that same period of time, and the coaches have been close friends for decades.

Heitland has served as DC-G’s head coach since 2004.

Beisser Lumber was recently recognized as one of the 100 largest lumber companies in the United States. The first expansion from its original Fort Dodge location came in 1979, to Des Moines. The company, which employs nearly 200 people, opened its Grimes office in 1999, and Coralville in 2001.

Fred and Marian Beisser began the business in Fort Dodge in 1953. Their son, Kim, became president in 1973, and served until Ling — who is married to Kim and Sally Beisser’s daughter, Dr. Sarah (Beisser) Ling — took over last year.

The Beissers and their two sons, Kim and the late William “Nick” Beisser, are all Fort Dodge Senior High graduates.

“This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the family relationship we’ve always preached, both within our company and the pride we take in where it all began,” Ling said. “We’re thankful to have called Fort Dodge home for all 70 of these years.”