Reflections on the 2011 Prep FB Season

After the prep season ended last fall, I had the intention of posting something about all the great performances by  the players and coaches during the memorable 2011 prep football season in South Dakota. 

However, I didn't get it completed. So, forgive the Genz for being a little late to the party. However, as others contemplate the closing of the spring sports season, I offer readers and fans a little prep spring football, albeit retrospective on action from last fall. 

Enjoy the look back at one of the outstanding seasons in South Dakota prep history. 

Class AA

As the fall opened, media projections, including yours truly (through KSFY’s Gridrion Blitz and KSFY Pigskin Preview), focused on Washington and O’Gorman as the top teams in Class AA. While both schools again enjoyed success, the biggest story in 2011 was Sioux Falls Roosevelt, a team most observers projected as the fourth-best team in Sioux Falls. In fact, some (me included) thought Mitchell was the fourth-best team in the class followed by Roosevelt and Yankton. Oh - wrong Dano. 

While those projecting likely playoff scenarios missed badly; Roosevelt stepped up, rolling to an 11-1 season and winning a title, led by head coach Kim Nelson. The Rough Riders unleashed a devastating spread offense orchestrated by Scott Tyler, a shutdown defense and special teams groups that found a way to make a difference at the right moment.

It was a team that overcame a 34-21 deficit and kicked a game-winning field in the closing moments of a quarterfinal playoff game against a hot and talented Brandon Valley team . The Rough Riders defeated Washington in the championship after the Warriors had dealt the Rough Riders a defeat in the season finale. That 34-29 loss to WHS cost Roosevelt the top seed in AA, but it didn't stop the Rough Riders from grabbing glory.

For the third time in school history (2006, 2007, 2011), the Rough Riders won a football title with its 31-17 win over two-time defending champion Washington.

Before reviewing the title encounter, let's rewind. Roosevelt's early season 19-14 conquest of arch-rival and long-time nemesis Sioux Falls O’Gorman was a good start. The next week, #2 Roosevelt took over the top rung in the AA rankings with a dominating 45-29 win over then #1 Sioux Falls Lincoln. From that 3-0 start, Roosevelt remained #1 and ran its record to 8-0 by outscoring the next five opponents, 219-27.

Roosevelt suffered its only loss of the season, 34-29, to a resurgent SF Washington squad in the regular season finale. Washington, which opened the season as the two-time defending champions, had losses in two of its first three games and then developed into one of the AA's hottest teams. Washington grabbed an early double digit lead on Roosevelt and hung for the win while giving the Rough Riders a loss costing Roosevelt the top seed in AA.

Seeded second in the playoffs, Roosevelt grabbed a 14-0 lead in its quarterfinal game with BV. The Rough Riders were moving for a 21-0 lead when a turnover changed the course of the game. The momentum swung toward Brandon Valley, who began to take control of the game, one that will be long-remembered in SD playoff lore. Behind the play of quarterback Chase Marso (366 yards passing, 5 TDs) and wide receiver Matt Vandeberg (202 yards receiving, three TDs), they cut the Roosevelt lead to 21-13 at halftime. Then, BV exploded in the third quarter, taking a 34-21 lead. It was the largest deficit that the Rough Riders faced all season.

Roosevelt closed the gap but still trailed, 37-28, in the fourth. A TD run by Andrew Smith, who scored three on the day, trimmed the lead to 37-35. Then, Smith forced a fumble by Vandeberg with just over four minutes left to give Roosevelt faithful hope. Led by Tyler, the Rough Riders moved the ball down the field on the ground, setting up Derek Granum's game-winning 22-yard field goal in the closing seconds.  In the close call first round playoff affair, Tyler threw for 289 yards and had two combined TDs. Josh Angulo had six catches for 107 yards.  

A week later, Roosevelt defeated O’Gorman, 23-16, taking down its city rivals for a second time in the 2011 season.

In the title game, Roosevelt, led by the performance of Angulo, the Joe Robbie Award Winner, defeated Washington http://sports.sdpb.org/boys/football/11aa/11AA%20-%20SFR%20vs%20SFW.html, 31-14 at the DakotaDome. 

Angulo, who was the SD HS Football Coaches Association Back of the Game, finished with nine catches for 191 yards and two TDs. Roosevelt lineman Tom Nugteren was the SD HS Football Coaches Association Lineman of the Game. In his final prep game, Tyler completed 17-of-28 passes for a school-record 337 yards and three TDs. 

Roosevelt opened the game with on a 17-0 start, keyed by the Tyler to Angulo connection. However, the Warriors rebounded to tie the game in the second quarter on a field goal and a pair of Jon Hander TD runs. Washington, trying to become the first AA school to win three-straight titles, was aided by two plays from junior WR Nate Gerry, who had an unbelievable 42-yard one-handed reception to set up the first score. Later his 40-yard punt return set up the second Hander TD run.

After a field goal by Washington tied the game, Roosevelt had an opportunity to take the lead but the Warriors blocked the attempt in the closing moments of the first half. After both teams had a possession in the third quarter, Angulo stepped up with a game-changing play. Earlier Tyler had a 29-yard TD pass to Angulo, who caught the eventual game-winner midway through the third quarter. The 41-yard pitch and catch from Tyler to Angula gave Roosevelt a 24-17 lead. Later in the quarter, Tyler hit Jacarai Christion on an 80-yard scoring strike that set a AA record and for all purposes put the game away. This time, Washington didn't have an answer.

The title game victory was the second for Roosevelt when meeting a two-time defending champion in the title tilt. They also stopped O’Gorman’s title run in 2006.

The Warriors were just the third team to make it to the title game in a bid for a third title. It was Washington’s fifth straight appearance in the title game (2 wins, 3 losses).

Awards --

Coach of the Year – Kim Nelson, Roosevelt, who led the Rough Riders to its third title and his first in three title game tries (SF Washington, 2002; Milbank, 1983). One of the state’s most innovative offensive minds, Nelson took the Rough Rider to glory with a an explosive offense, a shutdown defense and dynamic special teams.  

MVP – Senior Scott Tyler of Roosevelt directed the Rough Riders explosive spread offense with efficiency and effectiveness. For the season,  he completed 168-of-250 passes (67.5 percent) for 2,437 yards and 25 TDs (just five interceptions). Tyler also had 99 carries for 272 yards and five TDs this season.

Offensive Player of the Year – Senior Alex Schultz of Sioux Falls Lincoln. In the 2011 season, Schultz had 195 completions in 329 attempts (59.3 percent) for 2,991 yards and 36 TDs (just eight interceptions). I believe he is the second quarterback in state history with back-back-back season of 2,900 passing or more. Brandon Valley's Austin Sumner, now the SDSU starting quarterback, is the only SD prep QB ever to have consecutive 3,000 yard passing campaigns. A year ago, Schultz threw for 2,950 for a two-year two of 5,941 yards. In 2011, Schultz had four TDs or more six times and four games over 300 yards, including a season-high 393 against Sioux Falls Washington in a 37-36 week 2 win. Schultz was a prime time performer, helping Lincoln end Washington’s 27-game winning streak. Later, he made big plays at the end of regulation as the Patriots rallied for a 29-28 win over O’Gorman to earn the top seed in AA. Schultz, who averaged 271.9 passing yards per game, directed a Patriots offense that averaged an AA-best  44.18 points per game.

Defensive Player of the Year – Sioux Falls Roosevelt D. The Rough Riders defense was one of the real stories of AA this year. They were fast, quick and dominating, especially late in games, including two wins over O’Gorman and the championship win over Washington. Some of the pieces of that defense included Tom Nugteren, who finished with 64 tackles (17 solo), 12 TFLs and 10.5 sacks. He had three sacks in the title game. Linebacker Mike Anderson had 103 tackles (22 solo) with 4.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Linebacker John Wessel had 83 tackles (29 solo) with one interception and three TFLs along with a defensive score (TD). Shea DeJong had 67 stops (32 solo) with five TFLs and 3.5 sacks. Also Angulo was also dynamic on defense as he had 56 tackles (22 solo) with six interceptions, two returns for TDS, 1 TFL, 10 passes defended and a fumble recovery.

Top Performances –

~Junior Matt Vandeberg of Brandon Valley had 67 receptions for 1,081 yards and 16 TDs.

~Senior Josh Kunzman of SF Lincoln had 66 receptions for 1,200 yards and 16 total TDs.

~ Trey Naasz of SF Lincoln had 60 receptions for 669 yards and 10 TDs in a season when he broke the AA all-time receiving mark, finishing with 199 receptions.

~ Chase Marso of Brandon Valley completed 175 of 318 passes for 2,415 yards and 31 TDs. He had five TDs in the heart-breaking loss to Roosevelt in the quarterfinals.

~ Jason Greenway of Mitchell had 204 carries for 1,483 yards, 11 TDs rushing and 17 total TDs. He had seven games over 100 yards and two over 200 (130, 244, 145, 104, 203, 143, 168) with 244 vs. Brookings a season best (also 203 vs. Lincoln. He ended the season with five returns for TDs (two punt returns, 40, 73), two kickoff returns (80.82) plus a 32-yard fumble recovery. He also had 10 receptions for 130 yards and TD. On defense Greenway accumulated 31 tackles with three interceptions. He had 15 punt returns for 346 yards and eight kickoff returns for 263 yards.

~ Justin Greenway of Mitchell finished with 11 combined TDs. He had 67 rushes for 532 yards and seven rushing TDs along with 20 receptions for 271 yards and two TDs. Greenway added 40 tackles, two interceptions, two blocked punts and two return TDs, all after injuring his ACL in preseason. Together, the Greenways produced 28 total TDs and 2,015 rushing yards for the Kernels.

~ Davonte Clay of SF Washington rushed 225 times for 1,407 yards and 20 total TDs. He had a career-best 282 yards rushing and five TDs in the 42-7 win over Sioux Falls Lincoln in the playoff semifinals, one of the greatest ever postseason performances in state history.

~ Caden Quintanilla of SF Lincoln had 12 combined TDs (10 by rush) along with 697 yards rushing on 90 carries and 17 receptions for 237 yards. He also had a 26.10 kick return average and had a KO return TD.

~ Kevin Diaz of SF Lincoln had 13 total TDs and rushed for 374 yards while also garnering 120 receiving yards.

~ Nate Gerry of SF Washington had 35 receptions for 67 yards and nine TDs total. He also had 70 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks and a fumble recovery as well as a punt return TD.

~Keyen Lage, a senior from SF Washington, had 28 receptions for 453 yards and eight TDs. He also had 59 tackles and a fumble recovery.

~Trevor Naasz and Matt Vanderwoude of SF Lincoln led the Pats defense. Naasz had 80 tackles, two interceptions and a TD. He had 16 tackles in the playoff loss to Washington. Vanderwoude, who averaged nearly 14 yards per punt return, had 75 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery.

~Dylan Hart of Mitchell had 112 tackles, including 80 solo stops, along with seven sacks and three interceptions as the leader of the Mitchell defense.

~Junior Jon Hander of SF Washington completed 121-of-194 passes for 1,761 yards and 17 TDs. Hander had 10 rushing TDs.

~Dalton Wangerin of Mitchell had 49 tackles and seven sacks.

~ Devon O'Farrell of SF Washington was one of the candidates for defensive player of the year along with Gerry. He finished a stellar senior campaign with 89 tackles, 2.5 sacks and also had two rushing TDs as a fullback.

~Austin Benson of SF Washington had 70 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions, a fumble recovery, and had a defensive TD.

~Senior Sam Steffl of Sioux Falls O’Gorman finished the 2011 season with 204 carries for 1,240 yards and 14 TDs. It was his second straight 1,000 yard season.

~Flynn Donelan of Sioux Falls O’Gorman had 115 carries for 973 yards and 12 TDs with five receptions for 117 yards and a TD before he was injured in the final game of the regular season. In his career he had 179 carries for 1,417 yards and 23 TDs.

~Connor Fitzsimmons of Yankton finished with 119 carries for 852 yards and 12 TDs along with 29 receptions for 526 yards and five TDs.

~Michael Rucker of Yankton completed 118-of-217 passes for 1,620 yards and 10 TDs. He also had three TDs rushing.

~Brent Havlik of Mitchell completed 64-of-131 passes for 1,005 yards and 11 TDs and had 128 carries for 422 yards and 10 TDs.

~Senior Brycen Nelson of Brookings had 289 carries for 1,430 yards and 13 TDs and reached 1,000 yards for the second straight season. In his past two seasons, he has had 2,726 yards rushing and 24 TDs, including an 11AA record 325 yards rushing in a win over Aberdeen Central last year.

~Weston Bednar of O'Gorman had 59 tackles, two fumble recovery and three interceptions.

~Austin Ridl of O'Gorman had 72 tackles, 13 sacks and a fumble recovery.

~Others with solid seasons included Daquan Brooks of Washington; Roosevelt offensive tackle Max Koehn and center Zach Ferdinand, Mitchell senior offensive guard Trevor Siemonsma, Brandon Valley's standout running back Trevor Crow, Yankton's Ty Soulek, Rapid City Central linebacker Jake Weber, Antonio Burks of Lincoln, and Zach Shaw of O'Gorman.  In addition, kickers Alex Millard of O'Gorman, Alex Aesoph of Washington, Derek Granum of Roosevelt  and Adam Belhaj of Lincoln all had solid campaigns.

Channing Barber Leads Dell Rapids to a Repeat Championship in 11A

As the season opened, Dell Rapids was the consensus choice to not only repeat as champion but perhaps go unbeaten in 11A.

While the Quarriers lost four all-state performers, Steve Hansen's crew returned a multitude of talented skill performers. And, as the rest of 11A found out, Dell Rapids effectively replaced those graduating lineman and unleashed a devastating offensive attack, primed by speed. They opened the season by outscoring its first three opponents, 103 to 31, including a 35-18 win over nemesis West Central.

The Quarriers nearly pulled off a second straight undefeated season, losing only a week four, 21-14 decision to Tri-Valley, which won the 11B title. The Tri-Valley game was not decided until the last tick came off the clock. A 54-yard scoring run by Channing Barber was called back due to penalty and his throw into the end zone was ruled an interception rather than dual possession which would have tied the game (with the extra point). From the loss onward, Dell Rapids won eight straight games and a title.

Clearly, they were a dominant squad, holding a 179 to 42 scoring advantage over its playoff foes, including 76-13 in the final two games.

In the title game 35-0 win over nemesis West Central, quarterback Channing Barber was a one-man wrecking crew, scoring a five combined TDs (four by rush and one by pass), with 227 yards rushing on 11 carries and a TD pass to his brother Zachary. It was the only pass he threw in the win http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/BoxScores/BoxScores.aspx?association=12&sg=MFB&sea=SDAMFB_2011&compID=31317&gameDay=11/10/2011

Barber was named the Joe Robbie Award winner and was the Football Coaches Association Back of the Game. The Quarriers' Bryce Koch was the lineman honoree.

The win provided the Quarriers with its second straight and  third overall title. The loss was just West Central second in 13 championship appearances.

Dell Rapids used its powerful running attack to roll up an 11-1 record and follow-up on a 12-0 campaign of 2010. This past season, Dell Rapids rushed 451 times for 4,218 yards with 51 TDs, while holding opponents to 1,868 yards and 14 TDs. Breaking it down, Dell Rapids averaged 9.3 per rush and allowed just 3.8 per carry. Dell Rapids permitted just 21 total TDs in 12 games and registered two shutouts both in the playoffs. In the final six games, they scored at least 35 points and five times scored 40 or more. They were dominant, explosive and as fans saw in the DakotaDome, electrifying and fast.

Awards --

MVP – Channing Barber of Dell Rapids. The senior quarterback, quick and elusive, finished his season with 93 carries for 907 yards and 12 TDs (13 overall) and also completed 31-of-60 passes for 528 yards with eight TDs and three interceptions. He was the key to the Quarriers' championship drive.

Offensive Player of the Year – Nick Mears of Milbank. It isn’t very often that a player rushes for a 1,000 yards and also throws for a 1,000 yards. Mears is a special talent, who, as a sophomore, led the Bulldogs to a state title. In his final two seasons, Milbank has struggled but not Mears. He has had a 1,000-yard passing and rushing double two straight years. I don’t know of any player in SD prep history that can match that dual run/pass combo. Matt Thorson of Groton Area also had the 1,000-1,000 double in Class 11B but not two straight seasons.

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 and 90-yard run as he totaled 27 combined TDs this season. 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).  

Defensive Player of the Year – Tanner Munk of Dell Rapids was a force defensively for the state champions with 70 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, one sack, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, including a 58-yard scoring TD return.

Coach of the Year – Steve Hansen of Dell Rapids led the Quarriers to their third title in four years (2011, 2010, 2008), including back-to-back championships. Dell Rapids is 23-1 last two years and defeated perennial power West Central four straight times.

Top Performances

~Zachary Barber of Dell Rapids could have been MVP or even Offensive Player of the Year. All he did was rushed for 1,209 yards on 90 carries with 22 total TDs (17 by rush). He also had 11 receptions for 251 yards and four TDs.

~Nate Rotert of Spearfish rushed for 1,027 yards on 119 carries with 12 TDs. He had five games over 100 yards and a season-best 223 yards vs. Belle Fourche (60-10 win) on Oct. 14.

~Dalton Kuehl of West Central finished with 169 carries for 1,055 yards and 18 TDs, He had four games over 100 yards rushing, including a high of 182.

~Devon Blaine of West Central had 202 carries for 1,320 yards and 16 TDs. He also caught 27 passes for 162 yards. Blaine had six games over 100 yards, including a season-high of 183.

~Tanner Lambert of Dakota Valley rushed for 1,103 and 11 TDs.  

~Doug Stenberg of Todd County had 134 carries for 679 yards and 10 total TDs. He also had 62 tackles, five interceptions and two sacks as Todd County finished the regular season undefeated - first time in school history - before falling in the playoffs.

~Other Class A standouts included wide receivers Mitchell Nissen of Tea Area and Andy Buchele of Milbank; quarterback Cooper Hansen of Tea Area; tight end Jay Darling of Spearfish; offensive tackles Derek Tuttle of Harrisburg and Luke Johnson of Spearfish; offensive guard Jacob Hertel of Harrisburg and center Chad Munk of Dell Rapids. In addition, other 2011 stars were defensive end Mitchell Brockhaus of West Central, defensive lineman Aaron Welch of West Central, defensive lineman T.J. Heinert of Todd County, linebacker Brady Harkless of Hot Springs, linebacker Cole Langer of Dell Rapids, linebacker/fullback Thomas Hudson of Harrisburg, linebacker Hunter White of Dell Rapids and defensive back/running back D'Andre Fore of Vermillion.

Tri-Valley Rallies Past MC/M to Finish Unbeaten in 11B

Tri-Valley began the season as one of the teams to look out for and they handled the spotlight with an unbeaten season en route to a state 11B title.

 The Mustangs opened the season with three straight wins in which they outscored foes, 136 to 13. After being challenged by defending champion Flandreau, the Mustangs came up big in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and win 29-13. The following week 11B #1 Tri-Valley upset 11A #1 Dell Rapids, 21-14, in a heart-stopping finish which included an interception in the end zone.

From that point, they rolled through the next six opponents by a 250 to 66 margin, scoring at least 34 points in every game.

Heavily favored against a tough McCook Central/Montrose team, that had allowed just 55 points all year, Tri-Valley had its hands full in the state title game. After taking a quick 12-0 lead, the game changed early in the third quarter on a Tri-Valley turnover as MC/M scored 14 unanswered points, and held onto the two-point lead deep into the fourth quarter. Then, the Mustangs blocked a punt, setting up the winning score on a TD pass from Brett Page to Andrew Buchmann with less than two minutes to play. Tri-Valley won its third title since 2007 (2011, 2008, 2007) with an 18-14 win http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/BoxScores/BoxScores.aspx?association=12&sg=MFB&sea=SDAMFB_2011&compID=31316&gameDay=11/10/2011.

McCook Central/Montrose was led by Joe Robbie Award recipient Andy Kappenman, who had 196 yards rushing and a TD in a losing effort. Cooper Hausman of Tri-Valley was the SD Football Coaches Association Back of the Game with 109 yards rushing and a pair of TDs. Tri-Valley's Thad Johnson was the SDHSFC Lineman of the Game.

Tri-Valley completed an unbeaten season on the strength of a powerful rushing attack which produced 3,357 yards on 684 carries. They had four backs that rushed for  400 yards or more, including Hausman with 148 carries for 918 yards and 12 TDs. Logan Koopman had 86 carries for 754 yards and six scores while Kyle Erickson had 110 carries for 562 yards and 10 TDs. Andrew Buchman added 56 carries for 440 yards and 10 combined TDs. The Mustangs, which outscored opponents 454 to 120, was directed by standout junior QB Brett Page.

Coach of the Year – Brad McDonald of Tri-Valley led the school to its third title in five seasons.

MVP – Brett Page of Tri-Valley. He was the key cog in the team’s attack, completing 31-of-51 passes for 653 yards with 14 TDs. In addition he rushed for 156 yards on 47 carries and 10 TDs. Page, who threw just one interception this season, saved his biggest play for the championship game, when he connected on a TD throw to Buchman in the final minutes.

Offensive Player of the Year – Andy Kappenman, McCook Central/Montrose had 196 attempts for 1,678 yards and 25 TDs. He finished with 2,798 yards rushing and 38 TDs in his career.  In the championship game, Kappenman, named the Joe Robbie MVP, was a dominating presence and nearly carried the Fighting Cougars to its first-ever title, falling 18-14.

Defensive Player of the Year – Kenton Welbig and Thadd Johnson of Tri Valley. These two standouts anchored one of the best defenses 11B has seen in awhile. Welbig finished with 92 tackles, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He had 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and a QB sack in the title game. He also caught 15 passes for 273 yards and seven TDs this year. As for Johnson, he finished with 76 tackles, five sacks and two fumble recoveries. In the title game he had nine tackles and a QB sack.   

Top Performers

~Kyle Bertram of Winner  rushed for 936 yards on 94 carries with nine TDs as the Warriors rolled to a 10-1 record. He also had 64 tackles and a fumble recovery on a defense that recorded five shutouts and allowed just 84 total points.

~Ben Connot of Winner had 18 total TDs (15 by rush) with 750 yards rushing and 131 receiving yards. He also starred on defense with 51 tackles with six interceptions and a fumble recovery.

~Taylor Haley and Austin Richey of Winner both finished with 91 tackles while Haley had 10 sacks  

~Logan Dolen of Canton finished with 1,315 yards on 197 carries with 13 TDs. He had the state’s best performance of 351 yards (also three TDs) in a 53-24 win over Elk Point.

~Jake Sullivan of St. Thomas More. He led the Cavaliers to a 9-2 record, which ended in a 48-19 loss to Tri-Valley. Sullivan completed 86-of-145 passes for 1,704 yards with 20 TDs and two interceptions. He also rushed for 650 yards and six TDs.

~Brock Zeller of Elk Point/Jefferson finished the season completing 132-of-255 passes for 2,004 yards and 20 TDs.

~Brady Bonte of Garretson had 1,001 yards on 179 carries and 12 TDs.

~Jeremy Henderson of St. Thomas More had 32 receptions for 836 yards and nine TDs.

~Joe Parsley of Flandreau rushed for 531 yards and 10 TDs, and he threw for 305 yards and eight TDs. On defense, Parsley had 76 tackles and two fumbles recoveries.

~J.J. Hollibaugh of St. Thomas More had 73 tackles and 13.5 sacks

~Garretson junior Brady Mudder had 57 tackles and five sacks.

~Custer senior Tyler Schultz had 18 rushing TDs, 96 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and two defensive TDs.

~Jordan Wolf of McCook Central/Montrose had 10 receptions for 120 yards and three TDs. Used primarily as a blocker, he helped an offensive front lead a rushing attack that generated 3,055 yards. He was also a force at defensive end. 

~Blake Donnelly of Elk Point/Jefferson had 57 receptions for 995 yards and 12 TDs.

~Groton Area's Matt Thorson was a candidate for player of the year after going both ways and producing big-time. He joined Nick Mears of Milbank (11A) as quarterbacks to have the 1,000 yards passing and running double. He had 180 carries for 1,054 yards and threw for 1,107 yards. He had nine TD passes and nine TD runs. On defense, he had 65 tackles, including five for loss of yards, and one sack. He also picked off a pass and returned it for a TD and recovered a fumble

~Aberdeen Roncalli defensive end Ross Barton had 50 tackles and seven QB sacks this past season. He also blocked a punt and recovered a fumble
~Dominic Blindert of McCook Central/Montrose had 836 yards rushing on 138 carries with eight TDs. He also recorded 107 tackles, five sacks and 9.5 TFLs.
~Groton Area defensive tackle Bryce Raap set a single season school record with 13 sacks last fall. He had 78 total tackles, including 19 for loss of yards. He also recovered two fumbles, one of which he returned 19 yards for a touchdown
 

Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan Wins Second Straight 9AA Title

Jeff Van Leur's Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan's Seahawks defended its title with a 36-24 win over surprising Kimball/White Lake in the 9AA title game at the DakotaDome.

The Seahawks were a dominant team in 2011, rolling up a 548 to 158 scoring advantage or 45.7 ppg to 13.2 ppg for opponents. They opened with a 1-1 record, including a tight 34-26 loss to 9A state champion Canistota as part of the FCA Bowl in Sioux Falls. In that matchup of 9-man powers, Canistota took a 20-10 halftime lead but had to hold off the Seahawks late. BEE running back Kendall Lindemann opened some eyes with 203 yards rushing a pair of TDs.

After the loss, BEE rolled through the regular season with five straight wins and a scoring edge of 268 to 70. Among the wins were a 26-8 win over defending A champion Hanson and a 42-14 win over Kimball/White Lake, who they would face in the championships.

The Seahawks opened the playoffs with a 68-14 dismantling of Gregory, defeated Howard, 46-6, and then rolled past 3rd-ranked Leola/Frederick, 50-0, in the semifinals. In the championship game, BEE opened up a 30-8 lead at halftime and then held off Dale Taylor's Kimball/White Lake squad

http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=12&sg=MFB&compID=31314&sea=SDAMFB_2011.

Jace Connor was named the Joe Robbie MVP after rushing for a career-best 127 yards and a TD while also throwing for 62 yards and a score. Lindeman, who had 11 carries for 123 yards and two TD, picked up the South Dakota High School Football Coaches Association Back of the Game honors. Adrien Heiter of BEE was the SDHSFCA's lineman of the game.

The win was BEE's second straight title and fifth overall in 9AA. KWL finished 9-3 and was led by Seth Carsten with 84 yards rushing and Jess Taylor with 79. Taylor also completed 12-of-18 passes for 145 yards and two TDs. Trevor Reinesch had 71 yards rushing and a TD while catching three passes for 56 yards and two scores. KWL was hurt by an injury in the semifinals to Jacob Hirsch, who along with Reinesch, were 1,000 yard rushers in 2011.

MVP – Kendall Lindeman of Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan. He rushed 197 times for 1,913 yards and 28 total TDs, including 27 by rush. Lindeman averaged 9.7 yards per carry and scored 194 points.

Offensive Player of the Year -- Wyatt Krogman of White River, who completed 50-of-88 passes for 1,101 yards and 15 TDs (just two picks) while rushing for 996 yards on 114 carries and 13 TDs. He was in charge of the offense of White River, the only SD team to crack 80 points twice.

Defensive Player of the Year -- Seth Wethor of BEE had 128 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions and two fumbles recoveries. Wethor, who had four return TDs this season (three by kickoff and one by punt return, averaged 15.1 yards on punt returns and nearly 38 yards per kickoff return for the state champions. He barely edged out teammate Anthony Huber, who had 142 tackles.

Coach of the Year – Jeff Van Leuer of BEE, who led his Seahawks to back-to-back titles in 9A. Overall the school has five titles. This season Van Leuer surpassed 200 wins for his career.

Top Performers

~Anthony Huber of Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan had 168 rushes for 1,312 yards and 18 total TDs (17 by rush). He also had 142 tackles on defense.

~Trevor Reinesch of Kimball/White Lake had 161 carries for 1,118 yards and 21 combined TDs. He also had 14 receptions for 239 yards. On defense Reinesch had 87 tackles and three interceptions.

~Jacob Kirsch of Kimball/White Lake had 165 carries for 1,077 yards and 16 combined TDs. He also had 80 tackles and an interception.

~Jess Taylor of Kimball/White Lake finished 64-of-12- for 1,019 yards passing and 16 TDs while had 288 yards rushing and four TDs.

~Dylan Schwartz of Deubrook Area had 134 carries for 986 yards and 14 total TDs. He caught 15 passes for 179 yards for the Dolphins. He set a school record with a single game total of 272 vs. Arlington.

~Ryan Knudson of Deubrook Area totaled 809 yards rushing and seven TDs. Teammate Dusty Trooien had 20 catches for 456 yards and eight scores while Riley Hansen had 26 catches for 572 and four TDs.

~Mitch Waltman of Leola Frederick had 103 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

~Baltic's Greg Hansen had 128 tackles (16 per game) with nine sacks.

~Nick Lindwurm of Great Plains Lutheran had 44 receptions for 551 yards and seven TDs.

~Koby Jackson of Tri State completed 61-of-127 passes for 911 yards and eight TDs while adding 507 yards on the ground on 103  carries and 10 TDs. He also had 65 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery.

~Mark Moeller of Tri State rushed 103 times for 744 yards and 12 TDs with 13 receptions for 259 yards and two TDs.

~Trevor Petersen of Deubrook Area completed 75-of-168 passes for 1,321 yards and 14 TDs. He also had eight rushing scores.

~Austin Lopour of Stanley County had 121 carries for 930 yards and eight total TDs (six by rush). He also had 80 tackles. His teammate Cody LaCompte had 81 carries for 812 yards rushing and 13 combined TDs (12 by rush). He also had 62 tackles on defense.

~Gus Gran of Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central completed 40-of-84 passes for 659 yards and nine TDs with 93 carries for 673 yards and five TDs. His teammate Trevor Kenobbie had 10 combined TDs (seven by rush) along with 563 rushing yards. Both Grann and Kenobbie, who averaged 10 tackles per game on defense, had two games of 100 yards rushing or better.

~Tate Nafziger of Gettysburg/Hoven had 56 completions in 117 attempts for 1,193 yards and 15 TDs with only three interceptions. He also rushed 86 times for 499 yards and eight scores. His main target was Jerrid Schmidt, who had 24 receptions for 537 yards and eight TDs.

~Lee Sivertsen of Miller had a standout season as a dual threat. He completed 86-of-133 passes for 1,224 yards and 16 TDs. He also rushed 147 times for 931 yards and 15 TDs. He narrowly missed joining Mears in the 1,000-1,000 club. Sivertsen had six games of 100 yards rushing or better, including a season-best 167 vs. Herreid/Selby. Sivertsen's main target was Joey Vrooman, who had 42 receptions for 642 yards and six TDs.

Canistota Wins 2nd Straight Title, Win Streak Reaches 24

Top-ranked Canistota won its 24th straight game and defeated #3 Wall, 66-6, in the 9A SD HS Football Championships at the DakotaDome http://www.dakstats.com/Websync/Pages/WebcastPlayByPlay/WebcastPBP.aspx?association=12&sg=MFB&compID=31315&sea=SDAMFB_2011.

It was the Hawks second straight title in two different classes (9B last year, 9A this year). Interestingly, Canistota scored 66 points (66-0) in both of its championship wins.

Junior quarterback Cody Bunger was named the Joe Robbie Award recipient and the SD FB Coaches Association Back of the Game. Trevor Schroeder received the SDFBCA's Lineman of the Game. Bunger had 161 yards and two TDs and threw for 174 yards and three TDs. Schroeder set a 9A receiving record with three catches for 174 yards and three TDs, including a record 81-yard TD catch.

In the 2011 playoffs, Canistota outscored opponents 216-6 and over the past two seasons have six shutouts in eight games and a 446-14 scoring advantage over its playoff opponents.

In reality, Canistota was the most dominant 9-man team over the past two seasons, winning two different classes. In 2011, they opened with three shutouts in four games, when they outscored foes, 180-26. The 26 points were all scored by Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan in week two, the only game in which the Hawks were in a close game. After week four, Canistota went on a scoring rampage with six straight games over 50 points, including a 58-21 verdict against Viborg/Hurley, ranked in Class B.

From week four until a 42-0 semifinal playoff win over Hansen, the Hawks had a seven-week run in which they outscored opponents, 382-29, including five shutouts. Canistota won every game, except BEE, by at least 37 points. In fact, 10-of-12 games the Hawks had a margin of 42 or more; and won by 50 or better in six games.

All of these numbers beg the question about which Canistota team was more dominant, 2010 or 2011? The 2010 squad outscored opponents 627-to-38 while the 2011 team had a 620-to-61 margin. Not much difference, right? Over a two-year span, the Hawks outscored teams, 1,247 to 99.

In 2011, Canistota had 11 games of 40 points or more, eight of 50 or more and two of 60 or more. In 2010 they had 11 of 40 or more points with nine of 50 or more and three of 60 or more. In two seasons, they had 22-of-24 games over 40 points, 17 of 50 or more points and five with 60 or more points. In 2010, they scored 50 or more points in its final five games. In 2011, they hit 50 or more in eight of their final nine games. In addition, the 2011 squad had a string of 25 straight quarters of holding a team without a point broken by Wall in the 4^th quarter of the title game (with Canistota’s #1 defense on the sideline). One more point, the Hawks lost seven seniors but return Cody Bunger, Alex Robertson and a cast that could again reign over 9A. 36 in a row? I wouldn’t bet against Coach Lenny Schroeder’s crew.

MVP – Cody Bunger completed 52-of-89 passes for 948 yards and 19 TDs (1 int.) with 82 carries for 1,192 yards and 16 TDs rushing in his first season as a starting quarterback. He averaged 14.54 yards per carry and had five games over 100 yards rushing, including a career-best 256 yards.

Offensive Player of the Year – It would be easy to tap Bunger or fellow Hawk Troy Hofer as the offensive player of the year. Reid Smith of Hanson, too, had a fine year but it is rare when a running back has the kind of season that Chavis Shull of Wall produced in 2011. He was South Dakota's only 2,000-yard rusher, finishing with 2,050 yards on 250 carries and 29 combined TDs (22 by rush). While he was checked in the Canistota loss in the title game, he finished with 2,329 (rushing and receiving) total yards. Shull finished with 10 games over 100 yards rushing and had five over 200. His totals for those games include 178, 188, 218, 220, 189, 226, 221, 203, 180 and 130.  He led Wall to the state title game for the first time since 1994.

Defensive Player of the Year – Troy Hofer and Eric Tieszen of Canistota. Together, the pair combined for 232 tackles, including 130 solo stops. Hofer had 108 tackles, 65 solo stops, plus an interception, fumble recovery and a blocked punt as the captain of the defense. He also was a force offensively with 877 rushing yards on 121 carries and 16 total TDs (15 by rush). Tieszen had 124 tackles with 55 solo stops.

Coach of the Year – Lenny Schroeder of Canistota led the school to its second straight title in which the Hawks extended their winning streak to a South Dakota-best 24 games. He also went over 100 wins for his career.

Top Performances --

~Alex Robertson of Canistota rushed 144 times for 1,022 yards with 18 total TDs (12 by rush). He had two games over 100 yards, including a career-best 235 yards and four TDs against Viborg/Hurley on Sept. 30.

~Tyson Rosenboom of Colman/Egan had 99 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack.

~Brandon Knutson of Wilmot had 159 carries for 867 yards and 12 TDs, plus 113 yards receiving.

~Ryne Johnson of Wolsey/Wessington had 129 carries for 1,025 yards and 15 TDs.

~Reid Smith of Hanson had 166 carries for 1,151 yards and 12 total TDs and 104 total points. 
~Jordan Craig of Hanson had 126 carries for 905 yards and 15 TDs (led Hanson). He added 144 receiving yards and score 98 points.

~Dalton Hannasch of Colman/Egan completed 46-of-106 passes for 695 yards and 14 TDs.

~Michael Bennett of Colman Egan had 178 carries for 1,097 rushing yards and nine TDs.

~Trevor Schroeder of Canistota had 30 catches for 591 yards and 14 total TDs (11 by reception). He also rushed for 43 yards and two scores. Schroeder, who had 74 tackles, including 48 solo stops, had seven sacks on defense along with four fumble recoveries.

~Tyler Taschner of Hamlin had 61 completions in 121 attempts for 1,254 yards and 17 TDs. He also had 87 rushing attempts for 616 yards and eight TDs while also adding 57 tackles. In his final game as a high school player, Taschner completed 10-of-15 passes for 321 yards and six TDs. He also had three games over 100 yards rushing, including 190 vs. Tri-State in a game he also had 204 yards and a TD.

A special note on Taschner:: after the football season ended, he was hurt and paralyzed in a hunting accident.  

~Dylan Brugman of Hamlin had 28 receptions for 664 yards and 12 TDs. Brugman had five catches for 258 yards and five TDs in a win over Great Plains Lutheran. 

~Mason Leiseth of Hamlin had 25 receptions for 460 yards and five TDs. He also threw a TD pass (one attempt for 36 yards) and had a TD rushing and 37 total yards. Leiseth excelled on defense with 52 tackles and six sacks.

~Jess Williams of Wall had 127 tackles, two sacks and five fumble recoveries. His teammate Jesse Willis had 49 tackles and a fumble recovery while Lake McLaughlin was a key cog in the offensive line that paved the way for Chavis Shull's 2,000-yard season. He also had 15 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.

~Other standouts included Clay Rozell of Warner, Adam Weizhaar of Eureka/Bowdle, Tyler Anderson of Wilmot, and Bo Mutchelknaus of Wolsey/Wessington.

Waverly/South Shore Goes 12-0 and Wins First 9B Title

A championship was the only thing on the minds of twins Tyson and Taylor Zemlicka as they approached the 2011 season. A year before, the Zemlickas were part of a Waverly/South Shore team that had cruised through the regular season, only to fall to Faulkton, 28-8 in the opening round of the playoffs. It was a season when they had scored 30 or more points seven times and had a 347-to-167 overall scoring edge. Entering that playoff loss game against Faulkton, they had outscored three opponents, 138-to-48.

To say, they answered the bell in 2011 is an understatement. Not only did they finish the regular season unbeaten for the second straight year, they went the full distance, finishing a 12-0 campaign with a dominating 58-24 win over #2 Avon at the DakotaDome.


In 2011, Waverly/South Shore was one of the most dominant teams in South Dakota.
In rolling up 668 (55.7 ppg avg.) to 142 points advantage over opponents, they built a margin of victory of at least 26 points in every game, which was unmatched by any team in any class.


After a 40-14 win over Hamlin in game 1, W/SS beat every opponent by a minimum of 34 points. In a 12-0 campaign, they had a stretch of scoring 60 points or better for four straight weeks when they had a scoring advantage of 258-50. This is a team that broke the 50-point mark nine times. In its last nine games, they totaled 50 points or more eight times and scored 46 in the other. During its dominant playoff run, WSS outscored opponents,  216-to-47. In wins over ranked teams in the playoffs - Viborg/Hurley (52-17) and Avon (58-24) - they totaled 110 points and allowed two explosive teams just 41.

In the past two years, W/SS scored 1,015 points and allowed just 309 in 21 games. While it doesn't reach Canistota's blistering numbers of 1,247 in 24 games, it is still impressive. WSS averaged 48.33 points during that span while Canistota was at 51.95 ppg.

In winning its first-ever championship with a 58-24 win over #2 Avon http://www.dakstats.com/WebSync/Pages/BoxScores/BoxScores.aspx?association=12&sg=MFB&sea=SDAMFB_2011&team=12318&compID=31312, the Coyotes copped all of the game awards. Taylor Zemlicka was named the Joe Robbie MVP and SD Football Coaches Association Back of the Game. Ridge Lindberg was the SD FB Coaches Association Lineman of the Game.

In the title game, Zemlicka finished with five combined TDs along with 21 carries for 196 yards rushing and three TDs. He also completed 6-of-11 passes for 170 yards and two TD passes. His twin brother Tyson had three receptions for 101 yards and returned a kickoff 74 yards with three combined TDs. Brent Zemlicka, cousin of Tyson and Taylor, had 14 carries for 145 yards and two TDs. He had his eighth 100-yard rush game of the season.

Avon was led by Jackson Powers with 15 carries for 105 yards. Nick Poppe had 74 yards rushing and four combined TDs, including three TDs pass (two to Luke VanGerpen, who had 56 yards receiving). Tom Culver's Avon squad finished the season 10-2.

4-2-4: It is interesting that Taylor Zemlicka wears #4 and his twin brother Tyson - #24. In essence, it is a passing combination of 4 – 2 – 4.  Taylor finished his season 122-of-186 for 2,176 yards and 32 TDs. For his career, he finished with 115 combined TDs, including 74 passing, which ranks first all-time in 9-man (72 for Austin Brown of Harding County). He had 87 carries for 711 yards and 19 TDs or a total of 51 combined TDs this season.

In his career, he completed 353-of-605 passes for 5,664 yards (Austin Brown, Harding County, 5,377 yards). Zemlicka passed for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, and had 919 as a freshman. He also had 345 carries for 1,599 yards rushing with 41 TDs. His brother Tyson finished his career with 143 receptions for 2,508 yards (Jace Jensen, Harding County, 2,147) and 36 TDs, all records in 9-man in South Dakota. He had 44 catches for 789 yards and 16 TDs in 2011 and 22 TDs combined (six by kick return or interception return). Cousin Brent had 180 carries for 1,713 rushing yards and 26 TDs (32 overall). He also had 21 catches for 286 yards and five TDs, accounting for 1,999 yards in total offense.

MVP – Taylor Zemlicka/Tyson Zemlicka. The twins have performed at a high level all season and get this award together because they form a pass connection that is one of the best in South Dakota prep history and they also played the ends on defense. Aside from the offensive number Tyson Z. had 107 tackles, 67 solos to go with 6.5 sacks, two interceptions, five fumble recoveries, seven forced fumbles and seven pass deflections. Taylor, who played the other outside backer or end, had 69 tackles, 38 solo, with five fumble recoveries and eight sacks.  

Offensive Player of the Year – Taylor Zemlicka. 51 combined TDs plus the aforementioned stats make this choice not rocket science, although Brent Zemlicka would have been worthy as would Chek Giannonatti of Harding County, Herman Kleinsasser of Sully Buttes and Jackson Powers of Avon.

Defensive Player of the Year – Jackson Powers of Avon.  While the Zemlickas or Matt Jensen of Viborg/Hurley could have fit here, Powers led Avon to the title game with 114 tackles, including 74 solo stops. He had three fumble recoveries and an interception to go with 14 tackles for loss in a dominant season for the Pirates. Powers also rushed 142 times for 1,143 yards and 18 TDs.

Coach of the Year – Billy Kirch of Waverly-South Shore. It wasn't hard to select the former assistant who was 12-0 in his first season leading the Coyotes.

Top Performances

~Chek Giannonatti of Harding County had 125 carries for 1,651 yards rushing and 22 TDs while catching 26 passes for 503 yards and six TDs. He had nine games of 100 yards or more and a high of 232 vs. Wall. For his career, he had 130 carries for 1,682 yards and 24 TDs with 70 receptions for 1,326 yards and 21 TDs.  

~Ridge Lindberg of Waverly/South Shore was a key blocking performer for the unbeaten Coyotes. He was the Lineman of the Game for the state title game.

~Chris Lee of Dell Rapids St. Mary had 1,100 yards rushing and 16 TDs, finishing with 2,812 yards and 52 total TDs in his career. His teammate Lee Hoffman also starred for Dell Rapids St. Mary.

~Trevor Gerdes of Viborg/Hurley had 81 carries for 798 yards and 20 total TDs (16 by rush).

~Herman Kleinsasser of Sully Buttes  rushed for 1,306 yards, 16 TDs and 11 conversions despite missing two games. He had four special teams TDs.

~Jalen Lamb of Sully Buttes had 58 solo tackles and 35 assisted stops.  

~Dennis DeNeui of Viborg/Hurley had 37 receptions for 817 yards and 10 TDs (26 in past two seasons). He also had seven carries for 38 yards and a TD. On defense, DeNeui had 94 tackles, including 69 solos with three sacks and an interception return for a TD (89 yards).

~Carver Ching of Castlewood was named the Dakota Valley MVP. He set a state record with 11 TD passes in his first two games and finished with 23 on the season as well as over 1,200 yards throwing. In his last two seasons, Ching, who played offensive center as a sophomore, had 40 TDs passing and over 2,400 yards passing.  Ching's teammate Jordan Feyereisen also had a big season for Castlewood.

~Matt Jensen of Viborg/Hurley had 84 carries for 591 yards and 17 total TDs (14 by rush). He caught eight passes for 144 yards. On defense, he totaled 91 tackles, including 71 solo stops along with 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

~Jess Feist of Harding County completed 81-of-144 passes for 1,300 yards and 13 TDs. A dual threat, he also had 66 carries for 817 yards and 13 TDs.

~Ryne Baier of Harding County had 103 tackles, including 56 solos, and added five sacks and one fumble recovery.

~Duffy Ducheneaux of Avon had 94 carries for 711 rushing yards and 14 TDs.

~Nick Poppe of Avon directed Avon's triple threat attack and had 32 carries for 379 yards and four TDs while completing 31-of-71 passes for 397 yards and nine TDs (three in state title game).

~Luke Van Gerpen of Avon had 18 receptions for 260 yards and eight TDs.

~Ryan Auch of Scotland finished with 148 carries for 1,108 yards and 12 TDs. He also had 85 tackles with two sacks, an interception and three fumble recoveries on defense.

~Others who had standout seasons include Lane Meyer and Hunter Wood of Northwestern; Ben Fischer of Menno; Dillon Fruedenthal of Estelline; Nick Alberts, Michael Erickson and Damen Long of Langford; Taylor Mudder of Avon; Robbie Aesoph and Wes Kalkman of Faulkton; and Jared Barrie and Dylan Koester of Hitchcock/Tulare.

Memorable Playoff Performance

Harding County's Jess Feist had a memorable playoff performance in a win over Colome in the first round of the playoffs. He had 19 carrries for 209 yards and seven combined TDs (six by rush). He scored on runs of 58. 15, 14, 3, 7, and 25 yards while also throwing a 31-yard TD pass to Chek Giannonati. Don't forget about Chris Lee who had 237 yards rushing and three TDs in a win by Dell Rapids St. Mary over Castlewood, 30-24. Matt Vandeberg of Brandon Valley had four combined TDs, three interceptions and 82 yards receiving in an opening round 42-14 win over Rapid City Stevens in AA. He had both a 95-yard kickoff return and an interception return. In addition, DaVonte Clay had 38 carries for 282 yards rushing and five TDs in the playoffs, which is another all-time great performances as was Channing Barber's 227 yards and five combined TDs in the Class 11A title game victory.