Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media, Author at Big Sioux Media Sports Network

Quarrier Football Ends at West Central

October 30, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

For the second year in a row, the Dell Rapids Quarrier football team had their season come to an end at the hands of the West Central Trojans in the quarterfinals of the 11A playoffs. Dell Rapids traveled to Hartford to play the Trojans on Thursday, October 29th, and West Central advanced to the semifinals with a 16-14 victory over the Quarriers.

West Central started the game with a fury. After receiving the kickoff, the Trojans scored in two plays taking a total of 38 seconds and covering 68 yards. Justin Zirpel had a run of 49 yards, and Ryan Healy scored on a 19-yard run to give West Central a 7-0 lead. The Dell Rapids defense was able to contain the Trojans after that opening drive.

The Quarriers got on the board late in the second quarter. The Quarriers had an eight-play, 47-yard drive that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Coby Maeschen. Aiden Boechler kicked the extra point to tie the game 7-7 with 3:03 to play in the first half. The Trojans were able to get one more score on the board before halftime. Derek Eidsness made a 20-yard field goal with :09 to play in the second quarter for a 10-7 lead heading into halftime.

Dell Rapids put together an impressive drive to start the third quarter. After receiving the kickoff and starting on their own 20-yard line, the Quarriers marched down the field 80 yards on 13 plays taking almost seven minutes off the clock. Maeschen found the endzone again, this time on a 15-yard run with 5:02 to play in third quarter. Another extra point by Boechler gave the Quarriers a 14-10 lead. Both defenses continued to play strong, and the score remained 14-10 in favor of Dell Rapids at the end of the third quarter.

The Quarriers seemed to be gaining momentum. The defense forced a punt, and the offense took over on their own 33-yard line with 9:36 to go in the game. Landon Ruesink had a 27-yard run on the first play of the drive to the Trojan 40-yard line. The Quarriers were then faced with a fourth down and two yards to go on the West Central 32-yard line, and the Trojan defense was able to stop the Quarriers and take over the ball with 7:24 to play.

That defensive stop seemed to give West Central momentum. They put together a 10 play, 66-yard drive that took five minutes and 35 seconds. Zirpel scored on a quarterback sneak from the one-yard line with 1:49 to play in the game. The extra point was no good, but the Trojans took a 16-14 lead. The Quarriers were able to get the ball to their own 39 yard line with just over a minute to play, but the drive stopped there and the Trojans held on for the win.

The Quarriers finished with 227 yards of total offense, 143 rushing yards and 84 passing yards. West Central had 231 yards of total offense, all of those rushing yards. Both teams had a total of 11 first downs, and each team committed three penalties and punted four times.

Austin Henry finished the game 3-10 passing for 66 yards. Colin Rentz was 1-1 passing for 18 yards. Ruesink had two catches for 52 yards, Henry had a catch for 18 yards, and Rentz had a catch for 14 yards. Ruesink also had 12 carries for 47 yards. Maeschen finished with 12 carries for 37 yards and two touchdowns. Brayden Gee had seven carries for 30 yards, and Henry had four carries for 25 yards. Ruesink led the team with nine tackles in the game. Gee had eight tackles. Maeschen and Landon VonHoltum both had seven tackles each, and Carter Nelson and Victory Knuppe both had six tackles each.

Dell Rapids has their 2020 season come to an end with an overall record of 5-4.

	1	2	3	4	Final
Dell Rapids	0	7	7	0	14
West Central	7	3	0	6	16

West Central Scores Late over Quarriers in Playoffs Again

October 30, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

For the second year in a row the West Central Trojans and the Dell Rapids Quarriers met in the quarterfinals of the 11A playoffs. Last year the Trojans traveled to Dell Rapids, but this year, the Trojans hosted the Quarriers on Thursday, October 29th.

Derek Eidsness hit the game-winning field goal in 2019 with a second left on the clock to help advance the Trojans to the semifinals. It was another late score for West Central that gave the Trojans a 16-14 win over Dell Rapids and send them to semifinals again this year.

West Central defeated the Quarriers 34-0 less than two weeks ago on October 16th, but the Trojans didn’t plan on this game being anything like the one earlier this year.

“We knew it was not going to be like the first time we played Dells. They are such a well-coached team, and their kids play so hard all the time. I have nothing but respect for their players, coaches, and program,” said head coach Vincent Benedetto.

The Trojans electrified the home crowd on the opening drive of the game. After getting the kickoff to start the game, West Central was in the endzone two plays later. Justin Zirpel had a 49-yard run, and Ryan Healy followed with a 19-yard touchdown run to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead just thirty-eight seconds into the game. The offense didn’t come quite as easily the rest of the game. After Dell Rapids tied the game with 3:03 to play in the second quarter, the Trojans were able to get a scoring drive together prior to halftime. Eidsness made a 20-yard field goal with :09 to go in the second quarter to give the Trojans a 10-7 lead heading into halftime.

Dell Rapids seemed to find some momentum in the second half. The Quarriers got the ball to start the third quarter and had an almost seven-minute opening drive that resulted in touchdown to give them a 14-10 lead. Both defenses continued to play strong in the second half, but the Quarriers looked to be making a move in the fourth quarter. They had the ball on the Trojan 40 yard-line with just over eight minutes to go in the game after a big run by Landon Ruesink. The Trojan defense, however, did not break. West Central was able to force a turnover on downs and took possession with 7:24 to play in the game.

“It was battle against a really good opponent. When we needed to, we made plays. We had not made those plays in previous games this season in our close losses to Dakota Valley and Canton,” said Benedetto.

The Trojan offense put together a 10-play, 66-yard drive that lasted five minutes and thirty-five seconds. Zirpel scored on a quarterback sneak from the Quarrier one-yard line with 1:49 to play. The extra point was no good, but West Central regained the lead 16-14. The last drive by the Quarriers was another turnover on downs as the West Central defense held strong for the win.

“This win is a testament to the character of our players- the hard work they put in during the off-season and season showed on the field tonight. I am very proud to be a part of this team, we have a special group of kids,” added Benedetto.

The two teams ended with nearly identical stats for the game. West Central had 231 yards of total offense, while the Quarriers had 227 yards. Neither team had a turnover in the game. Both teams punted four times, committed three penalties, had 11 first downs, and finished with a sack.

Zirpel had 20 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown in the game. Healy finished with 14 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown. Healy and Carter Sandholm both had eight tackles in the game. Brayden Traub-Jensen and Logan Maras both finished with seven tackles each.

West Central (6-4) will travel to play Canton in the semifinals on Friday, November 6th with a trip to the championship game on the line.

Ruth Merry

October 30, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Ruth Merry, 93, of Dell Rapids, passed away on Sunday, October 25, 2020 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center. A private family service will be held. Funeral arrangements were under the care of Kahler-Brende Funeral Home. www.kahlerfh.com

Ruth Marie Hines was born on a farm near Hawarden, IA on November 6, 1926, the daughter of Phil and Gladys (Ingalls) Hines. She moved to the Dell Rapids area at age 10. She attended country school and Dell Rapids High School. She graduated in 1945. She married James Merry on April 27, 1947at the First Baptist Church in Dell Rapids. The couple made their home on the farm until 1969 when they moved into town. Ruth went to work as a cook for the Dell Rapids School District, retiring in 1988. Jim passed away in 1999. In march of 2007 she moved to Friendship Village until becoming a resident of Dells Nursing and Rehab in 2012.

Ruth was a member of First Baptist Church, a Sunday school teacher, American Baptist Women where she held many state offices, the Legion Auxillary since 1958 and Jolly Workers Extension Club.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her daughter, Janet, two brothers and one sister.

Ruth is survived by her son, Earl (Sandie) Merry of Cumberland, WI; her daughter, Joyce (Jim) Norby of Dell Rapids; her son-in-law, Richard Kock of Madison; her sister-in-law, Faye Hines of Morton, IL; her 8 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Betty Tiesen

October 30, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Betty Tiesen, 85, of Dell Rapids, passed away on Monday, October 26, 2020 at the Tieszen Memorial Home in Marion. Public visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2020 at Kahler-Brende Funeral Home. A private family funeral service will be held on Friday. www.kahlerfh.com.

Betty Joyce Johnson was born on August 13, 1935 the daughter of Herman and Petra (Brovald) Johnson. She grew up and attended school in Wallace, South Dakota. After school she moved with her sister and her brother-in-law to Sioux Falls. She started working at the Villa Marie Bar where she met her husband, Don Tiesen. The couple was married on April 26, 1957 in Luverne, MN. They moved to Dell Rapids where Betty worked for Tiesen Locker, drove truck with her husband, worked for the Dell Rapids School District, True Value and cleaned at Friendship Village. Don passed away in 1990. Betty sold her home in 2015 and moved to the Tieszen Memorial Home in Marion.

She enjoyed gardening, Elvis music, her grandchildren and her various pets.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Don, son, Randy, sisters, Jeanette, Edna and Phyllis and her brothers, Jack and Arnold.

She is survived by her children, Ron (Lori) Tiesen of Baltic, Linda (Alan) Mousel of Colman and Craig (Kerri) Tiesen of Dell Rapids; her three grandchildren, Heather (Joel Mock) Mousel of Sioux Falls, Alex Tiesen of Dell Rapids, Alicia Tiesen of Sioux Falls; her great-grandchild, Bodhi and her brother, Howard (Mila) Johnson of Sioux Falls.

Cardinals Split Last Two Home Matches of Season

October 27, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley, Dells City Journal

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals played their final two regular season home matches on Monday, October 26th and Tuesday, October 27th. The Cardinals earned a split in those two matches.

Colman-Egan came to Dell Rapids St Mary High School on Monday and went home with a four set win. The Hawks took the first set with ease by a score of 25-11. The Cardinals regrouped and led for most of the second set. Colman-Egan finally tied the set late, but St Mary took the win 28-26 to even the match. Colman-Egan, again, was able to get to a sizeable lead in the third set and won 25-13. The two teams battled tough in the fourth set, but the Hawks ultimately took the fourth set 25-20 to win the match.

Courtney Brown helped lead the Cardinals with 10 kills and 18 digs. Ella Heinitz had 21 digs, 11 set assists, and seven kills. Maya Heinitz finished with 14 digs, and Macie Brown had 11 digs and two ace serves. Jaycee Tebay finished with five kills, five digs, and two blocks. Ella Griffin added 11 set assists, four digs, and three kills.

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley, Dells City Journal

Twenty-four hours later, the Cardinals hosted the Canistota Hawks on Tuesday. St Mary was able to put Monday behind them and took the match over Canistota in straight sets.

The first two sets were played very close. In the opening set, the two teams were tied multiple times. The Cardinals broke a 10-10 tie and scored four points in a row for a 14-10 lead. The lead grew to 17-12. The Hawks pulled within a couple of points a couple of times, but the Cardinals never lost the lead and won the first set 25-19. The second set played out much like the first. The Cardinals got out to a 13-7. That lead grew to eight points at 18-10, and the Cardinals held on for a 25-21 win. St Mary then completely cruised through the third set winning 25-5 to take the match.

C. Brown finished with 10 kills, 13 digs, and four ace serves. E. Heinitz had 16 digs, 14 set assists, seven kills, and four ace serves. M. Heinitz finished with eight digs and five kills. Griffin added 10 set assists and seven kills. M. Brown and Whitney Warwick both had six digs each.

The Cardinals (9-7) will end the regular season in Garretson on Friday, October 30th.

West Central Volleyball Finishes Regular Season

October 27, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The 2020 regular season came to an end for the West Central Trojans at home against the Parker Pheasants on Tuesday, October 27th. The Pheasants, however, were victorious winning in straight sets by scores of 25-14, 25-20, and 25-17.

Brooke Opitz finished the night with 17 set assists and an ace serve. Rachel Bucher had five kills. Jenna Lueth led the team with 14 digs, and Cassidy Siemonsma had two blocks on the night.

The Trojans end the regular season with a 6-14 record. West Central will be the #5 seed in the Region 3A tournament and will play at Tri-Valley High School on Tuesday, November 3rd.

Mustangs Beat Trojans for Second Time this Season

October 27, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Playing against each other for the second time in less than 10 days, the Tri-Valley Mustang and the West Central Trojan volleyball teams clashed on Monday, October 26th at Tri-Valley High School.

The Mustangs took the match in straight sets again, this time by scores of 25-18, 27-25, and 25-15.

Tri-Valley got things rolling early as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead. The lead quickly grew to eight at 13-5. The Trojans battled to within two points at 17-15. The Mustangs responded to push the lead back to five points at 22-17 and eventually winning the set 25-18.

The Mustangs again got to an early lead in the second set. Tri-Valley led 11-5. West Central then went on a 12-1 run to take a 17-12 lead. Tri-Valley pulled within a point a couple of times, but West Central was able to keep the lead and held a 23-20 advantage. The Trojans were at set point at 24-22, but Tri-Valley tied the score at 24-24. West Central got the next point for a 25-24 lead to force set point again. Tri-Valley then scored the next three points to get the come-from-behind 27-25 win.

The momentum of that win propelled Tri-Valley to another early lead at 10-5. West Central scored four in a row to pull within a point at 10-9. The Trojans tied the set at 11-11. The Mustangs then scored the next five points for a 16-11 lead. Tri-Valley then closed out the set on a 9-4 run for the 25-15 win.

The Trojans were led by Brooke Opitz with 23 set assists, 10 digs, three blocks, and two ace serves. Cassidy Siemonsma had nine kills and five blocks. Jenna Lueth finished with 14 digs. Grace Harden had five kills.

Blayne Gacke had 13 digs, six kills, and five ace serves for the Mustangs. Kaitlyn Mohnen had 13 digs, eight kills and six blocks. Hannah West also finished with 13 digs. Tabor Teel had nine blocks. Grace Schildhauer had a team-high 18 set assists, and Brookelyn Stieben had eight set assists.

This was the final regular season match for the Mustangs. Tri-Valley finishes their regular season with a record of 9-10. West Central will finish their regular season at home on Tuesday, October 27th against Parker.

The two teams look to be headed for another match against one another in the opening round of the Region 3A tournament.

Quarrier Volleyball Finishes Regular Season after Weeks Away

October 27, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Playing a match for the first time since October 3rd, the Dell Rapids Quarrier volleyball team played in their final regular season match on Monday, October 26th, in Beresford. The Quarriers won their third match in a row after a five-set victory over the Watchdogs by set scores of 25-22, 25-20, 19-25, 21-25, and 16-14.

Beresford held an early 11-7 before the Quarriers went on a 10-1 run for a 17-12 lead. Beresford pulled within two points a couple of times, but Dell Rapids took the first set 25-22. The second set remained close in the early stages. Dell Rapids held a slim 11-10 lead and then went on a 5-0 run for a 16-10 advantage. The Watchdogs again pulled within a couple of points at 20-18, but the Quarriers closed out the set 5-2 for the 25-20 win.

Trailing by two sets, Beresford made a run in the third set. They were able to get themselves a 14-8 lead about halfway through the set. That lead grew to 20-13 before the Watchdogs closed out the set 25-19. The Watchdogs continued the momentum and built a big 10-4 lead early in the fourth set. Dell Rapids was only able to get within three points late at 24-21, but Beresford took the fourth set 25-21 to force the fifth and final set.

The fifth set was back and forth. Neither team was able to get ahead by more than two points until late in the set. The score was tied 9-9 when Dell Rapids scored the next two points for an 11-9 lead. Beresford scored the next four points for a 13-11 advantage. The Watchdogs were at match point leading 14-12, but Dell Rapids scored the next four points in a row to steal the set 16-14 and win the match.

Emma VanRegenmorter led the team with 17 kills. Kenzie Garry had 12 kills, and Maddie Kringen had nine kills. VanRegenmorter and Garry both had two blocks each. Sophi Randall finished with 42 set assists and 15 digs. Sam Price had a team-high 31 digs. Emma Molskness had 11 digs, and Lexi Ingalls had nine digs.

Dell Rapids will now wait for the Region 3A tournament to begin. The Quarriers finish the regular season with a 5-12 record.

Mustang Football Season Ends at Dakota Valley

October 26, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustang football team had their 2020 season come to an end on the road at Dakota Valley High School on Thursday, October 22nd. The Panthers defeated the Mustangs 31-6.

The Mustangs finished the game with a total of 207 yards of offense, 185 of those yards on the ground. Dakota Valley had a total of 303 yards of offense, 249 rushing yards and 54 passing yards.

Owen Besmer had 12 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Siemonsma had four carries for 55 yards. Levi Hanson had seven carries for 40 yards, and Porter Jensen had seven carries for 35 yards. Besmer was also 2-6 passing for 22 yards. Hansen had a catch for 21 yards.

Tri-Valley finished their season with a record of 2-6.

Cardinal Volleyball Splits Pair of Matches

October 24, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal volleyball team hosted a pair of matches on Thursday, October 22nd and Saturday, October 24th.

The Centerville Tornadoes came to St Mary High School on Thursday afternoond, and the Cardinals earned a straight-set match win by scores of 25-15, 25-19, and 25-14.

Courtney Brown had nine kills, eight digs, and five ace serves. Ella Heinitz finished with 13 digs, eight set assists, seven kills and two ace serves. Ella Griffin had seven set assists, four kills, three blocks, three digs, and three ace serves. Maya Heinitz had five kills and three digs.

The Cardinals then hosted the Castlewood Warriors on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors won in straight sets by scores of 25-15, 25-16, and 25-19.

Brown had a team-high 13 kills along with seven digs and two blocks. E. Heinitz finished with nine digs, eight set assists, and four kills. M. Heinitz had seven digs in the match. Griffin added 10 set assists and seven digs. Addy Gilbert finished with three digs and two kills.

St Mary (8-6) will host matches on back-to-back nights. The Cardinals will host Colman-Egan on Monday, October 26th, and will then host Canistota on Tuesday, October 27th. Both matches will be on Big Sioux Media.

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