When Sisseton stunned top-ranked and unbeaten Hartford West Central, 48-47, during a first-round South Dakota Class A state playoff game, nobody realized that junior quarterback Ryan Toelle had passed for a state-record 606 yards.
Courtesy photo by Lifetouch
Ryan Toelle, Sisseton
Coach Scott Hagen recalled his reaction when he heard a sportswriter talking about Toelle’s statistics in a post-game interview.
“I just spun around and said, wow, I’ve got to get home. At 1 a.m. I was watching tape with my assistants. It’s unbelievable. It’s the most memorable game I’ve ever been a part of," Hagen said.
Toelle, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, completed 28 of 45 passes, five of them for touchdowns. His total of 606 yards is believed to be a national high this year and also ranks No. 9 in high school history. He could have approached the record of 764 had an 80-yard touchdown pass been nullified by a penalty.
“I was speechless after the game,” Toelle said. “I’m still speechless (a week later)."
Adding icing to his victory cake, Toelle also ran for two touchdowns plus the winning two-point conversion on a draw play with 1:42 remaining.
“I was more excited than nervous,” Toelle said of his winning PAT run. "There was a huge hole. I went in untouched and ran all the way to the back of the end zone.”
“We expect our quarterback to run the ball,” Hagen said. “We play a ‘fun n gun’ offense, like Texas Tech. We go five wide and Ryan is the only one in the backfield.”
The Redmen, who are dominated by underclassmen, entered the road game with a 4-4 record and a distinct underdog role against a team which had won 10 of the last 13 state tournaments. Making the stunning upset even more improbable, they trailed, 47-32, with just 4:37 left.
“They were man-pressing us with a deep safety and he took advantage of it," Hagen said. "We tell Ryan if the receiver has one step (throw it). He’s really a competitor. He has a lot of patience in the pocket and doesn’t panic. It was one of those nights where everything clicked for us.”
West Central coach Kent Mueller, who suffered only his third loss in the past six years, readily agrees.
“They did everything right that night," Mueller said. "They were able to find favorable matchups against our guys and used all five receivers. One guy even caught the ball behind one of our kid’s helmet. It was a remarkable display.”
A pair of juniors did the bulk of the receiving damage. Wide receiver Devin Tohm (5-10, 150) snared 12 passes for 202 yards, while tight end Wade Youngblom (6-3, 215) pulled down seven passes for 203 yards and four touchdowns.
"Even the throws he missed were right there," Mueller said of Toelle. "He has nice athleticism and is a tough kid. He certainly was very composed. He played the game of his life against us.”
Toelle finished his breakout junior year with school records for most passing attempts (319), completions (190) and yards (2,932). His 23 touchdowns were 12 short of the school record. He also ran 129 times for 353 yards and six touchdowns.
Ironically, Toelle lives in Browns Valley, Minn., about 15 miles from Sisseton High, which houses 350 students in grades 9-12.
“Minnesota schools (in his area) play nine-man and are running teams," Toelle said. "I wanted to pass the ball. I want to win the state next year. It’s all about team.”
The Redmen finished with a 5-5 record, but their future looks bright because they will lose just four seniors to graduation.