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

Trojan and Mustang Cross Country Teams End Season at State Meet

October 24, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The conditions for 2020 South Dakota Class A Cross Country meet were anything but ideal. The runners had to battle bitter cold temperatures and snow in Rapid City on Saturday, October 24th.

The West Central Trojan cross country team had four members that ran in the state meet, while the Tri-Valley Mustang team had two running in the event.

For Tri-Valley, Nate Hargreaves placed 21st with a time of 18:01.46. Brie Peters had a 48th place finish with a time of 21:32.41.

Abbie Cain and Regan Stallman finished back-to-back for the Trojans in the girls race. Cain was 82nd in a time of 22:37.39, and Stallman placed 83rd with a time of 22:43.91. Justin Schumacher and Ben Strunk also finished back-to-back in the boys reace. Schumacher was 73rd in 19:17.79, and Strunk was 74th with a time of 19:19.14.

State Runners Battle Cold and Snow in Rapid City, Vogel Finishes 6th

October 24, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Sara Stadem

The runners at the 2020 South Dakota Cross Country state meet had to battle bitter cold temperatures and snow in Rapid City on Saturday, October 24th. Despite the weather challenges, all the runners ran very well.

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal boys team consisting of Jacob Vogel, Thomas Eining, Seth Roemen, Noah Reiff, and Owen Vargas, along with the lone Dell Rapids runner, Logan Anderson, ran at the state meet.

The Cardinals boys team finished 14th overall with a total of 108 points.

Jacob Vogel had a sixth place finish with a time of 17:39.08. Thomas Eining was 78th with a time of 20:08.45. Seth Roemen was 81st at 20:21.38. Noah Reiff had a time of 21:52.35, and Owen Vargas finished in 23:13.81.

Logan Anderson placed 64th in the Class A race with a time of 19:05.12.

Quarriers and Cardinals Attend State Cheer – Quarriers Place 3rd

October 24, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

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

The Dell Rapids Quarrier and Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals made the trip to Rapid City to compete in the 2020 Class A South Dakota Competitive Cheer meet.

Dell Rapids finished second in the large group and placed third overall with a total of 206.0 points. Sioux Valley was the grand champion with 283.0 points. Wolsey-Wessington placed second with 230.5 points.

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

Five girls, two from St Mary and three from Dell Rapids, were selected as 2020 All-State Award winners. Courtney Brown and Maggie Klein were selected from Dell Rapids St Mary. Caidyn Jones, Olivia Godwin, and Katy Pulscher were selected from Dell Rapids.

Cardinals Advance to Quarterfinals Despite No Games in Weeks

October 23, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The 2020 Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal football season has not gone according to play to say the least. The Cardinals currently have a 4-2 season record and have advanced to the quarterfinals of the 9B playoffs, but they have not played a down of football since Friday, October 2nd.

The Cardinals were one of the first team to have their scheduled altered due to the Covid pandemic. St Mary was scheduled to open the season in Estelline against Estelline/Hendricks on Friday, August 21st, but the Redhawks had to cancel that game due to Covid. In less than 24 hours after that announcement, the Cardinals found a new season-opener opponent in Florence/Henry.

St Mary started their season with a 1-2 record in their first three games. They were able to turn things around at home against Alcester-Hudson with a 52-38 victory on Friday, September 11th. They followed that win with two big road wins over Avon on September 18th and Centerville on October 2nd.

Things then went sideways for the Cardinals. Their final two regular season games had to be cancelled due to Covid. St Mary was scheduled to play Colman-Egan on October 9th. That game was then moved to Monday, October 12th, but ultimately cancelled when St Mary closed the school during Homecoming week October 12th through the 16th. That also meant the Homecoming game against Elkton-Lake Benton was also cancelled.

Despite having the last two games cancelled, St Mary qualified for the 9B playoffs as the #1 seed in Region 2. School was back in session, and the team was back on the practice field. Everything was set for the Cardinals to host the Bison Cardinals on Thursday, October 22nd in the opening round of the playoffs.

Then the team received the news on the evening of Wednesday, October 21st. Bison was forfeiting the playoff game and will not be making the trip to Dell Rapids. This news coming less than 24 hours before the scheduled kickoff.

“It’s very disappointing for the team. The team, as well as the coaches and our administration, have already put a lot of time into this game, and then to have to find out they are backing out from a third party is ridiculous. How Bison handled the situation from start to finish was just absurd. I feel bad for the kids missing out on a game because another team who had plenty of time to figure things out decided to pull out less than 24 hours before kickoff,” said head coach Ross Flemmer.

St Mary will not move their focus to the quarterfinals. The Cardinals will travel to Faith and play the Faith Longhorns on Thursday, October 29th.

Quarriers Fall in Double Overtime to Tea

October 23, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier football team played in their final regular season game in Tea on Thursday, October 22nd . The Quarriers and Titans put on a show for the fans who braved the cold and wind. The two teams went to double overtime with the Titans getting the 26-20 win.

The Quarriers scored first after taking advantage of a fumble and punt. Landon Von Holtum scored on a one-yard run with 1:44 to go in the quarter. The extra point was good by Aiden Boechler to give Dell Rapids a 7-0 lead. Neither team scored the remainder of the first half, and the Quarriers maintained a 7-0 lead at halftime.

The Titans scored on their first possession of the first half to tie the game. Austin Lake threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Kade Schentzel with 8:28 to play in the third quarter. Tea then scored on their second possession to take the lead. Garret Kolbeck scored on a 14-yard run with 11:52 to play in the fourth quarter for a 14-7 lead.

Dell Rapids responded with a six-play scoring drive that lasted 3:35. Austin Henry connected with Landon Ruesink on a 30-yard pass with 8:17 to play in the game to tie the game 14-14.

Tea’s next drive lasted just over seven minutes on 11 plays, but the drive ended in an interception inside the 10-yard line with 1:09 to play in the game. The Quarriers’ drive ended in a punt after four plays following the interception. The Titans also had one more possession in regulation, but did not score.

Each time had an opportunity on offense in the overtime period. Dell Rapids scored on their first possession. Henry scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. The extra point was no good, and the Quarriers led 20-14. Tea also scored on their overtime possession when Lake also scored on a quarterback sneak. Tea’s extra point to win the game was also missed, leaving the game tied at 20-20. The Titans got the ball first in the second overtime, and Kaden Johnson scored on a one-yard touchdown run. The extra point was missed again, and the Titans led 26-20. Dell Rapids’ second overtime possession ended on a turnover on downs, giving the Titans a the 26-20 victory.

Dell Rapids finished the game with 198 yards of total offense, 133 rushing yards and 65 passing yards. The Titans had 290 yards of offense, 211 rushing yards and 79 passing yards.

Ruesink finished with 16 carries for 44 yards. Ruesink also had three catches for 65 yard and a touchdown. Von Holtum had 10 carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. Brayden Gee had eight carries for 36 yards, and Henry had five carries for 17 yards and a touchdown. Henry was also 3-14 passing with one touchdown and one interception. Gee, Ruesink, and Coby Maeschen all finished with eight tackles each. Cody Schultz finished with six tackles, and Victor Knuppe had five tackles. Colin Rentz and Ruesink had fumble recoveries.

Dell Rapids finishes the regular season with a 5-3 record. The Quarriers will be the #6 seed in the 11A playoffs and will travel to Hartford to play the #3 West Central Trojans on Thursday, October 29th. The game can be seen on Big Sioux Media.

	1	2	3	4	OT1	OT2	Final
Dell Rapids	7	0	0	7	6	0	20
Tea Area	0	0	7	7	6	6	26

Canton Ends West Central Winning Streak in Final Regular Season Game

October 23, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The West Central Trojan football team had their three-game winning streak come to an end in the final regular season game on Thursday, October 22nd. The Trojans lost on the road to the Canton C-Hawks 12-7.

Canton scored on their opening possession of the game that lasted four and a half minutes. Seth Peterson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Payton Eben with 7:38 to play in the opening quarter. The extra point was no good, and Canton led 6-0.

The Trojans took a small lead in the second quarter. Justin Zirpel scored on a four-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good, and West Central led 7-6. The score remained 7-6 at halftime. Neither team would score in the third quarter as well, and the Trojans maintained a 7-6 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Trojans looked as if they were going to put the game out of reach as they had the ball inside the Canton 10-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Canton’s defense was able to make a goal-line stand and forced a turnover on downs on their own one-yard line with about two minutes to go in the game. The C-Hawks were able to convert on a fourth down on the ensuing offensive drive to keep hopes alive. With :19 to go in the game, Peterson and Eben connected again on a touchdown pass to get the come-from-behind win.

Zirpel was 2-2 passing for 53 yards. Derek Eidsness had both of those catches. Zirpel also had 20 carries for 91 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Healy had 21 carries for 81 yards. Eidsness also had nine carries for 53 yards.

West Central finishes the regular season with a 5-4 record. The Trojans will be the #3 seed in the 11A playoffs and will host the #6 Dell Rapids Quarriers on Thursday, October 29th.

West Central Volleyball Drops Home Match to Garretson

October 21, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The West Central Trojan volleyball team hosted Region 3A foe, the Garretson Blue Dragons, on Tuesday, October 20th. The Trojans were looking for a big Region 3A victory, but the Blue Dragons took the match in four sets.

Garretson won by scores of 25-19, 25-22, 17-25, and 25-15.

Grace Harden led the team with 11 kills in the match. Cassidy Siemonsma had four ace serves and two blocks. Jenna Lueth finished with a team-high 14 digs. Brooke Opitz ended the night with 32 set assists.

West Central (6-12) will look to get back into the win column when they play the Tri-Valley Mustangs at Tri-Valley High School on Monday, October 26th. The Trojans will end the regular season with a home match against Parker on Tuesday, October 27th.

Mustangs Drop Five-Set Match to Titans

October 21, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustang volleyball team hosted one of their final home matches of the season on Tuesday, October 20th. The Mustangs entertained Mt. Vernon/Plankinton and lost a five-set match to the Titans.

The first set was back-and-forth early. Tri-Valley held a slim 7-6 lead before extending the lead to 11-7. The Titans were able to eventually tie the set at 16-16. Mt. Vernon/Plankinton then went on a 6-2 run for a 22-16 lead. The Titans took the first set 25-18.

The Mustangs held an early lead in the second set at 6-3. The Titans went on a 7-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. Tri-Valley rebounded and tied the set at 11-11 and then take a 16-13 lead. The set was tied again at 20-20. The Mustangs finished the set on a 5-1 run to win 25-21 and tie the match at one set apiece.

The third set started the same as the first with neither team getting much of an advantage. The Mustangs started to make a run midway through the set. With the score tied 11-11, Tri-Valley scored four in a row for a 15-11 lead. The Mustangs extended the lead to 19-13 and went on to take the third set by a score of 25-17.

Trailing two sets to one, the Titans came out on fire in the fourth set. Mt. Vernon/Plankinton jumped out to an 9-2 lead. The Titans were able to maintain a sizeable lead throughout most of the set and led 23-13. The Mustangs scored six in a row and pulled within four points at 23-19. The Titans, however, ended the rally and won 25-19 to force a fifth and final set.

The fifth set was once again close to start. The two teams were tied 4-4 when the Titans made a run for an 8-5 lead. The lead extended to 11-6 for Mt. Vernon/Plankinton. Tri-Valley pulled within three at 11-8, but the Titans closed out the match on a 4-0 run to win the set 15-8 and take the match.

Tri-Valley (8-9) will travel to Tea on Friday, October 23rd and then host the West Central Trojans on Monday, October 26th to finish the regular season.

Cardinal Volleyball Back in Action, Fall to Elks

October 20, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

It had been twelve days since the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals last played a volleyball match due to the Covid pandemic. They were able to get back to action on Tuesday, October 20th. St Mary hit the road to Elkton to play the Elkton-Lake Benton Elks, who received votes in the latest South Dakota media volleyball polls.

The Elks won the Dakota Valley Conference match-up in straight sets by scores of 25-20, 25-14, and 25-21.

Courtney Brown had eight kills and six digs in the match. Ella Heinitz, Maya Heinitz, and Addy Gilbert all had four kills each. Whitney Warwick had three ace serves and eight digs. E. Heinitz also had 10 set assists, 12 digs, and two ace serves. Ella Griffin had a team-high 14 set assists, two ace serves, two kills and four digs. M. Heinitz had seven digs as well.

St Mary (7-5) will host Centerville in an varsity-only match on Thursday, October 22nd at 4:00 p.m. prior to the playoff football game. The Cardinals will also host Castlewood on Saturday, October 24th.

West Central Girls Soccer – Champs Again!

October 20, 2020 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The 2020 West Central Trojan girls soccer team captured the 2020 South Dakota Class A state title with a 2-0 win over the Tea Area Titans on Saturday, October 17th at Tiger Stadium in Huron.

Neither team was able to get many shots on goal in the first half, and the score remained 0-0 at halftime. West Central was able to break the tie in the 18th minute on a goal made by Rylee Haldeman. The Trojan defense held strong against the Titans, and with under ten minutes to play, Keighlor Nolz scored another goal for West Central to secure the victory.

This is the fourth championship for West Central in the last five years, and also the third championship game win for the Trojans over the Titans. The Trojans and Titans have met in the championship match the last three years and four of the last five years.

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