High Championships Wrap Up in Vermillion
Vermillion was host to the 42nd annual state football championship games this past weekend from Nov. 9-11.
On Nov. 9 the 9-man football championship games took place with 9B, 9A and 9AA.
In the 9B championship game No. 1 Avon Pirates defeated the No. 2 Faulkton Area Trojans 32-30.
The Trojans were driving late in the fourth quarter when the Pirates were able to get a stop with less than 1:15 seconds from their own 19-yard line to secure the victory.
This was Avons’ first championship since 2013 and third overall championship coming after 2005.
Junior running back Aziah Meyer led the Pirates in running with 24 carries for 177 yards and a touchdown.
Senior tight end Landon Thury only caught one pass on the day for Avon going for 24 yards.
Thury was awarded the Most Outstanding Lineman of the game and Meyer was awarded both the Most Outstanding Back and Joe Robbie MVP.
The next game was the 9A championship game between No. 1 Warner Monarchs and No. 7 Deubrook Area Dolphins.
Warner defeated Deubrook Area in which a South Dakota scoring record was broken. The Monarchs and Dolphins broke the record for most combined points between two teams in a championship game as the two teams combined for 130 points, the previous record being 104.
The record was broken in the third quarter as both teams had almost 900 yards of offense and over 800 kickoff yards.
Warner claimed victory 76-54 also tying the scoring record for a single team in a championship game.
Senior quarterback Hunter Cramer finished with 19 carries for 211 yards and four touchdowns as well as 15 for 21 passing for 188 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Junior offensive lineman Preston Cavalier was awarded the Most Outstanding Lineman. Cramer was awarded both the Most Outstanding Back and MVP for the game for Warner.
In the final game of the day, No. 1 Parkston Trojans defeated the No. 3 Howard Tigers 12-7.
The Tigers held a 7-0 lead over the Trojans at halftime with a rushing touchdown from the 1-yard line by senior quarterback Taiden Hoyer. That drive was 12 plays for 83 yards while the Tigers would only get 125 yards all game.
The Trojans came back in the second half with two rushing touchdowns from senior running back Luke Bormann. Both scores failed to convert on the two point conversions.
Howard was unable to score in the end which allowed for Parkston to win their first ever championship.
Bormann finished with 21 carries for 167 yards as well as the two touchdowns.
Bormann would be awarded the Most Outstanding Back and MVP of the game, while senior offensive lineman Will Jodozi was awarded the Most Outstanding Lineman for the Trojans.
Action would resume on Nov. 10 with 11B, 11A and 11AA.
In the 11B title game, No. 4 Elk-Point Jefferson Huskies missed out on two straight titles after losing to No. 6 Hot Springs Bison 13-7.
The Bison claimed their first title in their first appearance in the DakotaDome since 2003.
The Huskies scored the first with a touchdown coming from senior running back Jacob Gale in the first quarter.
The Bison responded near the end of the first quarter with a touchdown from senior running back Camron Maciejewski.
The Bison took the lead in the second quarter with a 79-yard passing touchdown from senior quarterback Colin Iverson to senior running back Braden Peterson.
Maciejewski finished with 17 carries for 99 yards and a touchdown as well as a catch for 11 yards.
Peterson finished with 13 carries for 71 yards as well as the catch for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Maciejewski earned the MVP marks with Peterson garnering Most Outstanding Back. Senior offensive lineman Caleb Rickenbach was awarded Most Outstanding Lineman for Hot Springs.
Next was the 11A game where No. 1 Dell Rapids Quarriers faced off against No. 2 West Central Trojans in a rematch of the 2022 championship game where Dell Rapids won 24-7.
Both teams combined for 26 title game appearances and 18 titles between all divisions.
Dell Rapids claimed victory for a second straight year over West Central winning 42-6.
Senior quarterback Jack Henry led the way for the Quarriers as he went nine for 13 passing for 144 yards and five touchdown passes as well as two carries for 12 yards.
Senior running back Mason Stubbe finished with 21 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown as well as a catch for 14 yards and a touchdown.
Henry claimed the MVP and Most Outstanding Back, while senior offensive lineman Kale Evans was awarded the Most Outstanding Lineman for the Quarriers.
The final game of the day was No. 1 Pierre T.F. Riggs Governors against the No. 2 Yankton Bucks.
The Bucks in their first Dome appearance since 2015 lost to the Governors 35-7 as Pierre won its record setting seventh straight title.
The Governors were led by a group of seniors with running back Trey Lewis finishing with 23 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns and being awarded the MVP of the game.
Pierre’s quarterback Cade Kaiser finished with 10 carries for 63 yards as well as seven for 12 passing with 78 yards and two touchdowns. Kaiser would claim Most Outstanding Back of the game.
Pierre’s tight end Jett Zabel finished with two carries for three yards as well as two for two passing with 107 yards and a touchdown and with three catches for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Senior offensive lineman Matthew Brewer would claim Most Outstanding Lineman for the Governors as well.
The final championship game came on Nov. 11 with the 11AAA game between No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots and the No. 3 Sioux Falls O’Gorman Knights.
The Patriots defeated the Knights 31-7 to claim their third 11AAA title and first since 2014.
Senior quarterback Tate Schafer led the way for the Patriots finishing 23 for 34 for 187 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Schafer would be awarded MVP for the game.
Senior running back Sawyer Tolk finished with one carry for ten yards and a touchdown for the Patriots earning Most Outstanding Back. Tolk also had eight tackles and an interception in his last game for Lincoln.
Photo Credit: Trevan Rychlik | The Volante
