KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, SportsGridiron Blitz #10

As the South Dakota prep playoffs unfolded last week, the butterflies fluttered a bit faster and anxious moments become more frequent for players, coaches and fans across the Mt. Rushmore State. Win and advance, lose and your done was the order of the opening night of playoffs. The finality of the playoffs can be both exhilarating (for winning teams) and heartbreaking (for those suffering losses).

Every year the same scenario plays out on fields across South Dakota in which one team from each class finishes the season a winner. The finality of it all means that some of the state's best players see their seasons and careers conclude. These athletes must turn the page to their careers a bit earlier then they have hoped. Players like Joe Parsley of defending 11B champion Flandreau, who is now on the sideline after a first round playoff loss. A year ago Parsley, led the Fliers to through an incredible season that culminated in a championship, the first in school history. Parsley, who had 531 yards rushing and 10 TDs rushing and threw for eight TDs this season, led his team to a 6-3 finish but his team lost two in a row to end the season. His prep career will be memorable to all those who watched him up close in Flandreau and afar. Such is the case with hundreds of athletes who comprised prep teams who make high school football a weekly must-see event. They enable all of us to know that the price of admission and time was indeed worth it.

Herman Kleinsasser, the standout running back for #5 Sully Buttes, who has over 1,000 yards rushing and multiple special teams TDs had his prep career ended in a 26-12 first round playoff loss to Hitchcock/Tulare. A spectacular passing and receiving combination at Elk Point/Jefferson did not make the playoffs. Yet, Brock Zeller and Blake Donnelly provided plenty of highlights this season. Zeller completed 132-of-255 passes for 2,004 yards and 20 TDs. EPJ's Donnelly had the most catches receiving in his class with 57 receptions for 995 yards and 12 TDs. 9A #2 Colman/Egan's quarterback Dalton Hannasch had 39-of-85 completions for 651 yards and 13 TDs while his teammate Michael Bennett had 1,007 rushing yards (regular season totals) in a season that ended too soon.  There are many other teams and individuals who have had outstanding seasons in which the results didn't end in their favor.

As the next round of the playoffs hits, more of the spectacular and winning will be part of the gridiron action…and so will be the other side and the end of the road for some. No matter, it is the second season of football where win and advance is the objective but excitement and breathtaking moments define the game.

Mears finishes career with 2^nd straight 1,000-1,000

Another of South Dakota's best all-time performers, Nick Mears of Milbank, also played his final prep game, a loss to top-ranked and top seed Dell Rapids. While his Bulldogs finished just 4-5, they had their moments, staying with Dell Rapids until late in the second quarter of the playoff game. Mears ends his season as one of the all-time greats. As a sophomore, he led Milbank to a state title.  As a junior, Mears had 1,653 passing yards and 21 TDs and 1,090 rushing yards and nine TDs. He also was all-state as punter with a 36.1 yards average. This season he completed 86-of-154 passes for 1,289 yards with 14 TDs and five interceptions. Mears rushed 143 times for 1,149 yards and 12 TDs. Mears had both a 94-yard run and 90-yard run as he totaled 27 combined TDs this season. A two-way starter, he had 30 tackles and four interceptions as a member of the Bulldogs' secondary. During his career, he averaged 250 yards in total offense over 30 career starts. He had 15 games in which he threw for 100 yards and rushing for 100 yards, including three in 2009, six in 2010 and six in 2011. For his career, Mears finished with 462 attempts for 3,003 yards and 34 TDs. He completed 306 of 548 passes for 4,595 yards and 58 TDs with 16 interceptions. He is one of the few players in SD history with 4,500 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. He had a combined 93 TDs (58 by pass, 34 by rush, 1 by interception return). In his career, he had 15, 100-yard rushing games, and four over 200. Mears finished with seven 200-yard passing games, including one over 300 and one over 400. In total offense, he had eight games of 300 or more yards and two of 400 or more yards. A two-way player, he had five career interceptions, 115 tackles and 75 punts for a 35.0 average.  

Canistota Looks to Extend Winning Streak to 21

Canistota, the 9A #1 ranked team, owns the state's longest winning streak at 21 games. The Hawks finished the season with a 50-0 win over Freeman and defeated Chester 56-0 in the first round of the playoffs. This season, they own a 450 to 55 scoring advantage over its opponents. After defeating 9AA #1 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, 34-26 in week two, Canistota has rolled up a 367 to 29 advantage on its next seven opponents. This season, the Hawks have scored 48 points or more eight times and broken the 50 points mark six times. In the past 21 games, Canistota has a 1,087 to 93 point differential with opponents. In that period, they have 19 games over 40 points, 15 of 50 or more and three over 60. 

Lincoln Ends Long Losing Skein to O'Gorman; Earns Top Seed in 11AA

In 1984, none of the current Lincoln Patriots were born or even a sparkle in their parents' eyes. On the final regular season game, the Patriots, directed by coach Aaron Beavers, ended a long losing skein to the O'Gorman Knights, with a come-from-behind 29-28 win. Quarterback Alex Schultz and wide receiver Trey Naasz, two of the all-time greats, played huge roles. After Lincoln opened up an early 21-7 lead, the Knights rallied with 21 unanswered points to take a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter. But, Lincoln didn't melt under pressure. For the third time this season they were involved in a game that tested the mettle of their fans and perhaps their coach and players. Earlier this season, the Patriots rallied past Washington to end the Warriors' 27-game winning streak, which was then the ninth longest in prep history in South Dakota. Two weeks ago, the Patriots saw a 13-point lead dissolve in a 50-49 loss to Mitchell. Down by seven against rival O'Gorman with six minutes to play didn't stop the Patriots from again showing the resiliency that seems to define this team. Schultz led the team down the field against an O'Gorman defense that had not allowed more than 19 points to an opponent all season. They converted a fourth down and goal when Schultz scrambled around and found a wide open Trey Naasz for a TD that pulled Lincoln to within 28-27. Beavers asked his players if they wanted to win it with two or go into overtime. They answer was to win. A quick out and strike from Schultz to Naasz and the greatest QB-WR combination in state history (arguably) made the game-winning play. With it, the Patriots ended a long losing streak against the Knights and earned the #1 seed in 11AA.

#1 W/SS's Taylor Zemlicka Cracks 5K Passing on way to 100 Career Combined TDs

Quarterback Taylor Zemlicka of 9B top-ranked Waverly/South Dakota has directed his team to 512 points or a gaudy, 56.0 per game. This season, Zemlicka has completed 100-of-150 passes for 1,744 yards for 26 TDs while rushing 32 times for 247 yards and 10 TDs. In his career, the senior quarterback has 331 completions on 572 attempts for 5,252 yards and 68 TDs. He also rushed for 1,135 yards on 340 carries and 32 TDs. As such he now has 100 combined TDs in his career, which is a significantly rare achievement by a prep player in South Dakota. His twin brother Tyson Zemlicka has 30 receptions for 504 ards and 11 TDs. In his career, the 9-man receptions all-time leader has 129 receptions for 2,223 yards and 31 TDs. It is interesting to note that Zemlicka, the leader in 9-man receiving, and Trey Naasz of Lincoln, the 11-man all-time leader, are separated by just four yards receiving -- 2,223 for Zemlicka and 2,227 for Naasz.

Brent Zemlicka has 118 carries for 1,357 yards for 22 TDs and 16 receptions for 192 yards and four TDs (27 combined TDs). In the season opener (40-14 win over Hamlin), he rushed for 287 yards, one of the top rushing performances of the season. He also had 228 rushing yards in the win over Great Plains Lutheran (three quarters) last Friday. In his career, he has 141 carries for 1,515 yards and 29 combined TDs. Sam Pond has 35 receptions for 686 yards and seven TDs this season, including seven receptions and 231 receiving yards in a 68-28 win over Clark/Willow Lake.

Sioux Falls Notes -- Schultz Passes 6,000; Clay Closes in on 1,000; Steffl Reaches 1K Rushing; Tyler Leads Roosevelt

Lincoln: Alex Schultz has completed 157-of-266 passes for 2,460 yards and 31 TDs with just four interceptions. For his career, he has 444 completions in 798 attempts for 6,186 yards and 60 TDs.  Josh Kunzman has a team-high 53 catches for 954 yards and 14 combined TDs (13 receiving). Trey Naasz has 50 catches for 559 yards and nine TDs while Nick Goeman has 29 catches for 584 yards and five TDs. In his career Naasz has 189 catches (most ever) for 2,227 yards and 28 TDs. Kunzman has 115 receptions for 2,064 yards and 22 TDs in his career. Also for Lincoln, Caden Quintanilla has 84 carries for 673 yards and nine TDs and 14 receptions for 206 yards and a TD. Kevin Diaz has nine combined TDs, 309 yards rushing. Lincoln has scored 418 points. For the first time in school history and perhaps in South Dakota, two receivers on one team reached 2,000 yards receiving in the same year and did it from throws by a 6,000 yard passer (Schultz). Amazing.

Washington: The Warriors have won seven straight games as the offense and defense has caught fire. Davonte Clay leads the ground game with 157 carries for 936 yards and 12 combined TDs. Quarterback Jon Hander has connected on 90 of 146 passes for 1,446 yards and 13 TDs with just five interceptions. He has also rushed for seven TDs and 114 yards. Nate Gerry has 23 receptions for 472 yards and nine combined TDs. Keyen Lage has 24 receptions for 430 yards and five TDs.

O'Gorman has a 334-103 advantage over its opponents. They gave up a season-high 29 points to Lincoln in the dramatic and heartbreaking regular season finale loss. Previously, the Knights had allowed a season-high 19 points in a close loss to Roosevelt (19-14 in the President's Bowl. Five times this season, O'Gorman has had at least 320 yards rushing and has two games over 450 (69-497; 44-155; 56-237; 45-284; 48-463; 49-321; 52-381; 54-336; 47-261). In terms of consistency, how about O'Gorman's carries per game they have had at least 44 rushes in every game. For the season Steffl has 177 carries for 1,071 yards and 12 TDs while raising his career marks to 426 carries for 2,494 yards and 30 TDs. Flynn Donelan, who was hurt early in the regular season finale, had 115 carries for 973 yards and 12 scores and now has 179 carries for 1,417 rushing yards with 23 TDs in his career. Quarterback Connor Schaefbauer has completed 28 of 49 passes for 514 yards and nine TDs.

Roosevelt, which lost the #1 seed with the 34-29 regular season final loss to Washington, received a buy and head into the playoffs seeded #2. The Rough Riders have outscored its opponents by a 358 to 104 margin. On the season, quarterback Scott Tyler has completed 117-of-177 passes for 1,583 yards and 18 TDs. Standout wide receiver Josh Angulo has 37 catches for 683 yards and 10 TDs.

Points Went Up at a Rapid Rate in the Regular Season

In South Dakota prep football, points continue to ring up. In the final week of the season, 16 teams scored at least 40 points, 18 had 50 or more, six broke the 60-point mark and one had 70 (Hamlin). Eleven teams were shutout in the last week of the regular season. During the regular season, a total of 286 teams have scored 40 or more points in a game. One-hundred twenty-two teams have surpassed 50 points and 43 have reached 60 or more. Seven teams have bettered 70 points while White River, has gone over 80, twice.  A total of 142 teams have been shut out.  

Number Notes

From available information, the state's top rusher is Chavis Shull of Wall, who has 180 carries for 1,733 yards and 28 combined TDs (21 by rush). Shull has rushed for rushed for 178 yards or better in eight of nine games (90 yards two years ago) and has five games of 200 yards or better (218, 220, 226, 221 and 203) for 9-0 Wall. He has scored four TDs rushing three times this season. Chek Giannonatti of Harding County has 106 carries for 1,472 yards with 25 combined TDs (20 by rush) and 21 catches for 406 yards and five TDs for the 8-1 Ranchers. Andy Kappenman of McCook Central/Montrose has rushed for 1,148 yards. Jason Greenway of Mitchell has 184 rushing attempts for 1,407 yards and 10 TDs and 10 catches for 130 yards and a TD. Cody Bunger of top-ranked 9A Canistota has made himself a candidate for player of the year with 43 completions for 75 yards for 717 yards and 14 TDs and one interception and 80 rushes for 843 yards and 12 TDs. Yankton's Connor Fitzsimmons has 106 carries for 790 yards and 11 TDs with 29 receptions for 526 yards and five TDs. BEE is the only team in South Dakota with two 1,000-yard rushers in Kendall Lindeman and Anthony Huber. Lindeman had 149 carries for 1,427 yards and 19 rushing TDs (20 overall) while Huber has 127 carries for 1,149 yards and 17 rushing TDs. Brycen Nelson of Brookings broke 1,000 yards for the second straight season. He has 230 carries for 1,058 yards and 11 TDs while Michael Bennett of Colman/Egan had 168 carries for 1,007 yards and nine TDs during the regular season.  Logen Dolen of Canton has led his team to the playoffs with 143 carries for 959 yards and 10 TDs and had the season's best rushing performance with 351 yards. Brandon Valley receiver Matt Vanderberg is enjoying a special season with 51 catches for 779 yards and 10 TDs and more to come.

Quarterbacks Surpass 2K in Passing

Three quarterbacks in 11-man football have surpassed 2,000 yards passing this year led by 11AA standout Alex Schultz of Sioux Falls Lincoln with 2,460 yards and 31 TDs.  He is 159-of-268 passing, or 59.3 percent completion rate. Another hot quarterback is 11AA Brandon Valley's Chase Marso, who has completed 151-of-277 passes for 2,049 yards and 26 TDs. Brock Zellar of 11B Elk/Point Jefferson is 132-of-255 for 2,004 yards and 20 TDs.

Feist, Lee, Nelson Provide Memorable Playoff Performances

Harding County's Jess Feist had 19 carries for 209 yards seven combined TDs (six rushing) to lead #4 Harding County (8-1) to a win over Colome in the first round of the playoffs. Feist scored on runs of 58, 15, 14, 3, 7 and 25 yards and also threw a 31-yard scoring strike to Chek Giannonatti. Another memorable moment last week was Chris Lee who had 237 yards rushing and three TDs for Dell Rapids St. Mary who defeated Castlewood, 30-24, in 9B. In 11AA, Brycen Nelson had 223 yards rushing to lead Brookings to a playoff win. Also, Brandon Valley's Matt Vandeberg had four combined TDs, three interceptions, 82 yards receiving to lead the Lynx to a opening round win. Vandeberg had two TDs receiving, a 95-yard kickoff return and interception return for TDs.

Playoff Highlights

11AA notes

Yankton defeated Pierre, 27-13. The Bucks rebounded from a regular season loss. Connor Fitzsimmons had 18 carries for 176 yards and four TDs for the Bucks who improved to 7-3. Michael Rucker had 84 yards passing for Yankton. The score was tied 6-6 at halftime. Jared Neilan had 27 carries for 155 yards and one TD for Pierre. (3-7).

Mitchell over Aberdeen Central, 42-14 – Brent Havlik accounted for four TDs to lead Mitchell. He rushed 16 times for 90 yards and scored on runs of two and 37 yards while throwing scoring passes to Jason Greenway for 16 years and Jade Miller for 10 yards. Greenway had 16 carries for 94 yards, including a 40-yard scoring run. Justin Greenway scored on an eight-yard run for Mitchell, which had a 21-7 lead at the halftime break. Roman Orr was 16 for 39 for 299 yards and two TD passes to lead Aberdeen Central. Reid Fust, had a 15-yard reception, while hauling in eight catches for 142 yards for AC, which had their season end at 2-8.

Brandon Valley over Rapid City Stevens, 42-14. Chase Marso completed 12 of 20 passes for 163 yards and three TDs to lead the Lynx. BV also received 102 yards rushing from Trevor Crow, who was hurt during the game and is questionable for the matchup with Roosevelt on Monday. Matt Vandeberg had five receptions for 82 yards and four total TDs, including two scoring pass receptions. He also had a 95-yard kickoff return and return an interception for a TD. He had three interceptions overall to lead the BV defense.  

Brookings over Rapid City Central, 37-22. Brycen Nelson rushed 33 times for 227 yards to lead Brookings to a first-round playoff win. Matt Thomas, who had 58 yards rushing, had a 37-yard TD run and a seven-yard TD run. Taylor Houchin had 157 yards rushing including a 71-yard scoring run for Rapid City Central.   

11A notes

#1 Dell Rapids over Milbank, 56-29. For the second time in less than a week, top-ranked Dell Rapids defeated Milbank, whose season ended at 4-5. The Quarriers, now 8-1, had 487 yards rushing, led by Zachery Barber, who had 158 yards on seven carries including four TD runs (31, 57, 42 and 28). Hunter White had nine carries for 124 yards, including a 75-yard scoring run. Cole Langer, who played offense for the first time since early in the season, had 76 yards on seven carries and a one-yard TD run. Channing Barber threw a 34-yard TD pass to Weston Hansen as the Quarriers threw just two passes. Milbank's Nick Mears concluded his career with TD runs of 1 and 44 yards and had TD throws of 1 and 48 yards as he accounted for four TDs. He rushed 22 times for 112 yards and completed 11-of-27 passes for 165 yards. 

#2 West Central over Sisseton, 28-0.  West Central racked up 319 yards rushing and opened up a 14-0 first half lead. Devon Blaine, who scored on a 27-yard TD pass from quarterback Connor Miles, rushed for 83 yards. The Trojans, who beat Sisseton 27-13 on Sept. 16, struck quickly with a 34-yard touchdown run from Dalton Kuehl with 9:48 to play in the first quarter, adding another on the connection from Miles to Blaine on the first play of the second quarter. They added an 11-yard run from Miles with 7:28 to play. Kuehl had 107 yards rushing.

#3 Todd County 42 Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 6. Chris Columbo had two TDs (17, 84) catches from Kellan Herman who threw for 121 yards to lead Todd County who won its ninth straight win.T.J. Whirlwind Soldier had two fumble TD returns for Todd County.

Dakota Valley over Harrisburg, 29-8. Tanner Lambert had 168 yards rushing on 28 carries with a TD (45-yard run) to lead the Panthers, which improved to 6-3. After a 3-0 start, Harrisburg finished with just one win in the last six games to end 4-5. Aaron Likness scored on a 4-yard fumble recovery, Michael Rennerfeldt added a 2-yard TD run and Brock Bergmann tossed a five-yard TD pass to Colin Gunderson. DV, which led 22-0 after three quarters, totaled 239 rushing yards while Bergmann completed 10-of-21 passes for 106 yards. Andrew McCuen hit Trevor DeSchepper on a 68-yard TD pass for Harrisburg, which finished with just 71 yards rushing and 147 through the air.  

Tea Area defeated Vermillion, 39-0. The Titans (6-3) were led by Corbin Lawler who had 33 yards rushing and 159 yards passing with two TDs (one by rush and one by pass) to defeat Vermillion, who finished 3-6.

Chamberlain 59, Little Wound 24. Traxton Priebe had 27 rushes for 161 yards and four TDs (1, 26, 5, 4) to lead Chamberlain, which won for just the second time this season. Russell Felicia had 18 carries for 108 yards and a 20-yard TD reception. Quarterback Colton Anderson had two completions for 30 yards and a TD pass. Anderson, who also had a one-yard TD run and a 101-yard interception return for a TD.            `

11B Notes

#1 Tri-Valley defeated Garretson, 34-14 . Tri-Valley ran the ball 50 times for 312 yards and scored five rushing TDs, including two by Kyle Erickson in the first round playoff win. Erickson had 18 carries for 100 yards and was one of seven players to tote the rock for the Mustangs. The Blue Dragons (5-4) took an early 6-0 lead on their opening drive on a 9-yard run by Brady Bonte. The Mustangs answered with a 16-yard TD run by Cooper Hausman and added TDs from Kyle Erickson and quarterback Brett Page for a 22-6 lead. The Mustangs scored twice in the fourth for a 34-6 lead.

#2 Winner 28, Wagner 13. Kyle Bertram had 11 carries for 114 yards and two TDs (27, 45) to lead Winner to its ninth straight win and a berth in the 11B quarterfinals. Winner, now 9-0, also received 15 carries for 80 yards and a two-yard TD from Ben Connot. Wagner's Jack Robinson was 14-of-32 passing for 175 yards, two TDs and one interception. He threw TD passes of 10 and 12 yards to David Kocer.

#3 Groton 23 Deuel 8. Matt Thorson rushed for 143 yards and had a one-yard run while Ryland Strom accounted for 108 yards rushing and two TDs (1, 34) for Groton, which improved to 9-0 with the 23-8 victory. Thorson also passed for 65 yards and had six tackles. The Groton defense held Deuel to just 68 total yards.

#4 St. Thomas More 57 Lead/Deadwood 7. St. Thomas More scored on all eight possessions Tuesday night to roll past Lead-Deadwood. More (8-1), which has only lost to #2 Winner (12-0), had six first-half scoring drives which did not last longer than five plays. The Cavaliers had 243 yards rushing led by Taton Bolton with 103 yards. Mason Morman added 71 and Jackson Truong provided 60 yard rushing. Junior quarterback Jake Sullivan completed 6­of-6 passes for 124 yards and three TDs. The Golddiggers (4-5) finished with 84 yards of total offense. This was the second time STM defeated Lead/Deadwood by 50 points or more this season and they have won the past 10 meetings by a combined score of 482-44. 

#5 McCook Central/Montrose 28 Flandreau 7. McCook Central/Montrose defeated rival Flandreau, 28-7, to avenge its only loss of the season. MC/M had 375 rushing yards, including 148 from Andy Kappenmen, who had scoring runs of 20 and three yards. Quarterback Gavin Gassman added 24 carries for 132 yards and 11 yard TD run while completing 5-of-13 passes for 94 yards. Dominic Blindert had 93 yards rushing on 15 carries and a 37-yard scoring run.  Flandreau's Jacob Patterson had 134 rushing yards on 34 carries, including a 78-yard scoring run. 

Mobridge/Pollock over Britton/Hecla, 23-15. Bailley Friesz had 28 carries for 180 yards and a TD plus 150 yards passing and a TD to lead Mobridge/Pollock to the win. Mobridge/Pollock is now 5-4 as they try to rebound from early season problems and make it back to the DakotaDome where they lost a heart-breaking finale to Flandreau a year ago.

9AA notes

#1 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 68, Gregory 16. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (8-1), the defending 9AA champion, recorded 401 rushing yards and rolled past Gregory, 68-16. Kendall Lindeman had six rushes for 157 yards and TD runs of 52 and 19 yards. The Seahawks' Anthony Huber had eight carries for 147 yards and TDs of one, 28 and 84 yards. BEE quarterback Jace Connor had three carries for 60 yards and a 39-yard scoring run. The Seahawks had a 25-yard punt return for a TD by Colton Bierle and an 86-yard kickoff return for a TD by Wade Miller, which ended the game in the third quarter due to the mercy rule.

#2 Kimball/White Lake 46, Andes Central 6. Kimball/White Lake collected 458 total yards in its win over Andes Central as Trevor Reinsch had 10 carries for 107 yards and three TDs, including 59-and three-yard runs and a 61-yard reception.  Jacob Kirsch added 72 yards on 13 carries while quarterback Jesse Taylor had four carries or 65 yards (65-yard run) while completing 8-of-12 passes for 194 yards and three TDs (61, 55, 5).  For the Eagles, Connor Florey had 11 carries for 115 yards, including an 82-yard run.

Howard defeated Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central, 37-36. In one of the top games of the night Howard rallied to defeated W/WS/SC in the final seconds. Cole Potter scored on a three-yard run as time as time expired and then converted a two-point conversion to lead Howard to the comeback win. Evan Donahue had 14 carries for 194 yards and a TD. Donovan Kullnat had two rushing TDs for Howard while Gus Gran had 19 carries for 139 yards and two TDs for W/WS/SC, which finished 5-4. Gran also threw for 92 yards and a TD.

Miller over #3 Clark/Willow Lake, 30-25. Miller quarterback Lee Sivertson, who had 14 rushes for 81 yards and completed 11-of-14 passes for 155 yards, connected on a 25-yard scoring play with Seth Rombough with 1:24 to play to lead the Rustlers to a 30-25 win over #4 Clark/Willow Lake. Joey Vrooman had five receptions for 77 yards. The Cyclones were led by Jeff McGraw with 11 carries for 112 yards while Garrett Schmidt had eight carries for 75 yards and Jed Hansen, 14 carries for 81 yards.

#5 Deubrook Area 59-0 over Great Plains Lutheran. Ryan Knudson had 124 yards and a TD while Dylan Schwartz rushed for 75 yards and three TDs to lead Deubrook, who improved to 7-2 on the season. Deubrook Area had 412 yards in offense.

Gettysburg/Hoven over Newell, 57-14. Jerrid Schmidt had two TDs to lead the Battlers (6-3). He scored on a 48-yard pass from Tate Nafziger, who also rushed for a one yard run. Schmidt also had a 64-yard punt return for Gettysburg/Hoven, which finished with 183 yards rushing and 82 yards passing.

9A notes

#1 Canistota 56, Chester Area 0. Canistota, the top-ranked 9A team, scored 56 points by the second quarter and rolled to its 21^st consecutive win with a first-round playoff win. Quarterback Cody Bunger had five carries for 75 yards and two TDs, including a 60-yard run and a three-yard run. He also completed 4-of-5 passes for 27 yards. Troy Hofer had nine carries for 71 yards and an 11-yard TD run. Alex Robertson added 65 yards and a three-yard TD run.

Hanson upset #2 Colman/Egan, 22-0. The Beavers, the defending 9A champions, scored three late TDs to win 22-0 over the second-ranked C/E Hawks. Reid Smith rushed for 115 yards and two TDs and Jordan Craig ran for 95 yards and a TD for Hanson (6-3). Hanson limited C/E to less than 100 yards of offense.

#3 Wilmot 26, Wolsey-Wessington 22. Brandon Knutson led Wilmot (8-1) to its eighth win in nine games with 19 carries for 102 yards and an eight-yard TD run. Also for the Wolves, Mike Argo had 16 carries for 87 yards and two TDs (2, 4) while Chase Bronson had 10 carries for 95 yards and a 50-yard scoring run.

#5 Irene-Wakonda 31, South Central 12. Dustin Livingston had 10 carries for 112 yards and two TDs to lead Irene-Wakonda (8-1) to the win. Garrett Anderson had six carries for 72 yards and a 54-yard scoring jaunt. For South Central, Turner Serr had 17 carries for 67 yards and Christian Schweigert had nine carries for 60 yards and a five-yard run.

Corsica/Stickney over Mount Vernon, 50-12. Gunner Baan Hofman scored four TDs (46, 72, 9, 40) on six carries and 171 rushing yards to lead Corsica-Stickney to a first-round playoff win over Mt. Vernon. Ryan Hongslo added 195 yards on 13 carries and scored three combined TDs for the Jaguars. He had TD runs of 57 and 67 yards and a 54-yard TD interception return to go with 14 tackles. Mount Vernon's Cole Hinker had 98 yards rushing on nine carries and Kody Weiss had 30 yards on nine carries.

9-B notes
#1 Waverly/South Shore over Grant-Deuel, 60-0.  Taylor Zemlicka threw for three TDs and completed 8-of-8 and threw for 117 yards to lead the top-ranked Class 9B Coyotes (9-0). Brent Zemlicka had five combined TDs for the Coyotes. He had 56 yards receiving and two TDs and 64 yards rushing and two TDs. The game ended at halftime because of the mercy rule.

#2 Avon beat Estelline, 48-6, second in the state in 9B power points, scored 22 second quarter points to roll to the win. Jackson Powers had 110 yards rushing and two TDs while Duffy Ducheneaux provided 103 yards and two TDs for Avon, which accumulated 344 yards on the ground. Devin Tolsma had scoring four in of 3 and 2 yards in the fourth quarter. Led by Powers, Avon held Estelline to 59 yards of total offense – 20 rushing and 39 passing.

Viborg/Hurley 54, Scotland 0. Viborg/Hurley moved to 7-2 on the season with a 54-0 win over Scotland. Dennis DeNeui had 66 yards receiving,  two TD receptions (20, 26), a 23-yard TD run and an 89-yard TD interception return. Tyler Gerdes had eight carries for 125 yards and TD runs of 41 and a 21-yard TD reception. Trevor Jacobsen was 5-of-8 passing for 113 yards and and four TDs for the Vikings. .

#4 Harding County 54, Colome 12. Jess Feist had 19 carries for 209 yards seven combined TDs (six rushing) to lead #4 Harding County (8-1) to a win over Colome in the first round of the playoffs. Feist scored on runs of 58, 15, 14, 3, 7 and 25 yards and also threw a 31-yard scoring strike to Chek Giannonatti, who had an eight yard run. Giannonatti had seven carries for 58 yards and a TD and 44 receiving yards and a TD. Colome's Terrance Kinzer scored on an 88-yard kickoff return to open the game and later had a 43-yard run.

#5 Sully Buttes dropped 26-12 decision to Hitchcock-Tulare. Hitchcock-Tulare defeated top-seed Sully Buttes, 28-12. The Patriots, who won the title two years ago and finished second last year, was led by Jerad Barrie with 14 carries for 118 yards rushing and 56 yards passing with two TDs combined.

Langford over Faulkton Area, 30-12. Nick Alberts passed for 186 yards and two TDs and had a TD run to lead Langford, which moved to 8-1 on the season. Dalton Lone caught both two passes and had 109 yards receiving. Drew Planteen had 114 yards rushing on 20 carries.

Dell Rapids St. Mary 30 Castlewood 24. Chris Lee rushed for 237 yards on 30 carries and scored three TDs for the Cardinals, which improved to 7-2. Cody Gannon added 85 yards and a TD. Jordan Feyereiasen had 107 yards receiving and a TD for Castlewood.

Playoff Scores

Class 11AA
Brookings 37, Rapid City Central 22
Mitchell 42, Aberdeen Central 14
Brandon Valley 42, Rapid City Stevens 14
Yankton 27, Pierre 13

Class 11A
Region1
Dell Rapids 56, Milbank 29
West Central 28, Sisseton 0
Region 2
Tea Area 39, Vermillion 0
Dakota Valley 29, Harrisburg 8
Region 3
Todd County 42, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 6
Chamberlain 59, Little Wound 24
Region 4
Belle Fourche 17, Hot Springs 6
Spearfish 45, Pine Ridge 0

Class 11B
Region 1
Groton 23, Deuel 8
Mobridge-Pollock 20, Britton-Hecla 15
Region 2
Tri-Valley 34, Garretson 14
McCook Central-Montrose 28, Flandreau 7
Region 3
Winner 28, Wagner 13
Canton 38, Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian 14
Region 4
St. Thomas More 57, Lead-Deadwood 7
Custer 44, Bennett County 8

Class 9AA
Region 1
Leola-Frederick 57, Tri-State 7
Miller 30, Clark-Willow Lake 25
Region 2
Deubrook 59, Great Plains Lutheran 0
Howard 37, Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central 36
Region 3
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 68, Gregory 16
Kimball/White Lake 46, Andes Central 6
Region 4
White River 43, Elkton-Lake Benton 22
Gettysburg-Hoven 57, Newell 14

Class 9A
Region 1
Wilmot 26, Wolsey-Wessington 22
Warner 31, Eureka-Bowdle 30
Region 2
Canistota 56, Chester Area 0
Hanson 22, Colman-Egan 0
Region 3
Corsica-Stickney 50, Mount Vernon 0
Irene/Wakonda 31, South Central 12
Region 4
Wall 34, Lyman 8
Herried/Selby 26, Faith 14

Class 9B
Region 1
Waverly-South Shore 60, Grant-Deule 0
Dell Rapids St. Mary 30, Castlewood 24
Region 2
Avon 48, Estelline 6
Viborg-Hurley 54, Scotland 0
Region 3
Hitchcock-Tulare 26, Sully Buttes 12
Langford 30, Faulkton 12
Region 4
Harding County 56, Colome 12
Dupree 32, Jones County 8