By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
There’s a new team on top of the heap in
South Dakota’s large school football hierarchy. The Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots became the champions of Class 11-AA football Saturday night with a 27-20 victory over
Sioux Falls Washington at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
The win came in the Patriots’ first trip to the state finals since the playoff system started in 1981. For Washington, it was the second straight year the Warriors finished as a runner-up instead of a champion.
The championship game also marked the third straight time that two schools from Sioux Falls played each other in the final contest. Both teams finished the season with 11-2 records.
Gannon Moore, senior running back for Lincoln, was named the winner of the Joe Robbie MVP award.
11-A Championship: Dell Rapids Claims First Championship
Dell Rapids was also the winner of its first state football championship, defeating Winner 34-6 in the Class 11-A championship game in the DakotaDome. Senior running back Tate Bankers scored three touchdowns in the game to win the Joe Robbie MVP award for the contest.
The Quarriers took the title by winning three playoff games on the road and defeating a Winner team that was on a 10-game winning streak and had eliminated Western power St. Thomas More in the semifinals to reach the championship contest.
Both teams finished the season with 10-2 records.
11-B Championship: Tri-Valley Goes Back-to-Back
Tri-Valley’s Mustangs took the Class 11-B title at the DakotaDome with a 41-3 victory over Groton Area in the championship tilt. It was Tri-Valley’s second consecutive state championship, joining Aberdeen Roncalli, Bon Homme and Hamlin as teams to win consecutive back-to-back championships in Class 11-B.
Tri-Valley finished the season with an 11-1 record, and the finals victory was due in part to a stifling defense that held Groton Area to just 89 yards of offense. Nate Kirby took home the Joe Robbie MVP award for scoring three touchdowns and running for 115 yards for the victorious Mustangs.
9-AA Championship: Marion-Hurley Upsets Ipswich
In nine-man football, Marion-Hurley claimed the 9-AA state championship with a 42-28 victory over previously-unbeaten and top-ranked Ipswich on Thursday night.
Brad Tunge rushed for 229 yards and three touchdowns for the victorious Cobras, winning the Joe Robbie MVP award in the process.
Marion-Hurley finished with a 10-2 record, while Ipswich ended the year with an 11-1 mark.
9-A Championship: Avon Wins With Soldier-Coach Back Home
The 9-A state championship game was a special one for Avon coach Tom Culver in a number of ways. Culver returned to Avon in October from a one-year tour of duty in Iraq with the South Dakota National Guard.
He re-joined the team in time for a playoff run that ended with a 37-8 victory by the Pirates over Gettysburg in the finals, and his 100th career coaching victory at the same time. It was the Pirates’ first state title since 2005.
The win was emotional in another way for Avon, as superintendent Tom Oster took over as coach for the program while Culver was away. The game was Oster’s last one for Avon, as he was leaving the school district for his new job as the head of the state’s Department of Education.
In the Class 9-B finals, Hanson defeated Hitchcock-Tulare 50-24 to complete an undefeated season.
Cross Country: Roosevelt Qualifies for Nike Nationals
Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s girls cross country team finished second in the Nike Heartland Regional Championships Saturday in Sioux Falls, qualifying for the Nike Nationals in Portland, Oregon on Dec. 6.
The South Dakota state champions lost to Minnesota's Eden Prairie 45-96 in the team race.
Roosevelt outpointed West Des Moines Dowling (Iowa) by two points to take the runner-up spot and qualify for the national meet. It’s the third time the RoughRiders had qualified for the nationals.
The top South Dakota girls finisher was Seanna Kautz of Roosevelt, who finished in seventh place overall (18:36.02), followed by teammate Erin Hargens in eighth place (18:37.07).
On the boys side, Alex Muntefering of Parkston finished in ninth place (16:00.24) and Jared Ailts of Yankton was 14th (16:06.18).
Girls Basketball: Augustana Adds Pair
Two South Dakota girls basketball players have signed with Augustana College of Sioux Falls. They are Emily Schulte of Sioux Falls and Lydia Nelson of Lake Preston.
Schulte comes from O’Gorman High School, where as a junior she averaged 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game to go along with 41 steals. In addition, she was named to the Class AA All-State first team as well as the All-Greater Dakota Conference and all-city teams.
Nelson is a 5-11 forward at Lake Preston High School. Last season as a junior, Nelson averaged 17.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. She was named to the Class B All-State second team and the All-Dakota Valley Conference Team.
