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The Tri-Valley Mustang girls and boys basketball teams had four players honor with Dak-12 All-Conference selections for the 2021-2022 season.
Paige Jewett was a second team all-conference selection. Lauren Grinde and Ava Pearson were honorable mentions. Cory McDonald was also an honorable mention for the boys team.
The West Central Trojan basketball teams had a total of seven players get Dak-12 All-Conference mentions for the 2021-2022 season.
Four players from the girls team were honored. Rylee Haldeman and Addy Kramer were both first team all-conference selections. Tabor Teel was second team all-conference, and Jossin Jarding was a third team all-conference selection.
For the boys Dillon Jackson and Grafton Sttoup wre second team all-conference selections. Jacob Krempges was an all-conference honorable mention.
Five Quarrier basketball players, three from the boys team and two from the girls team, were recognized as Dak-12 All-Conference selections for the 2021-2022 season.
Haileigh Barnhart and Claire Wynja were honorable mentions this year. Brayden Pankonen was a first team all-conference selection. Jack Henry was a third team all-conference selection, and Landon Ruesink was an honorable mention.
Photo taken and used with permission by Sara Stadem
The West Central Trojan girls basketball team took home third place at the 2022 South Dakota Class A Girls State Basketball Tournament held in Brookings Thursday, March 10th through Saturday, March 12th.
The Trojans faced a familiar Dak-12 opponent in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday. West Central, the #2 seed, played #7 Dakota Valley. The Panthers had an early 6-3 lead after a two-point basket by Jorja Van Den Hul, but that lead was short lived. The Trojans went on a 6-0 run and led 9-6 with 5:31 to play in the opening quarter. The Panthers pulled within one point, 12-11, with 2:03, but that was as close as they would get.
West Central finished the first quarter on a 6-2 run for an 18-13 lead. The Trojans were able to push the lead to 11 points, 32-21, after a three pointer by Addy Kramer with 1:59 to go in the first half. West Central led 35-23 at halftime. The Panthers were only able to get within seven points, 47-40, with 1:13 in the third quarter. The Trojans won the opening-round game 65-52.
Tabor Teel had 18 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Addy Kramer also had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Rylee Haldeman finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. Cambell Fischer had six points and four rebounds.
West Central then faced #3 Hamlin in the semifinals on Friday. The game was back and forth through three quarters of play. The Chargers had the an 11-9 advantage after the first quarter. The Trojans outscored Hamlin 13-9 in the second quarter for a 22-20 halftime lead. Hamlin had the scoring advantage in the third quarter. The Chargers led 33-32 heading into the fourth quarter.
Haldeman scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to give West Central a 34-33 lead with 6:02 to go in the game. That’s when things completely went the way of the Chargers. Hamlin went on a 16-0 run for a 49-36 lead with 1:15 to go in the game. The Chargers took the win 52-38.
Haldeman led the Trojans with 14 points and three rebounds. Teel added 10 points and seven rebounds. Kramer finished with seven points and seven rebounds. Josslin Jarding also finished with seven points.
The Trojans met up with #1 seed Wagner Red Raiders in the third/fourth place game on Saturday evening. The two teams played to a 9-9 tie after the first quarter. Wagner had a three-point advantage, 24-21, at halftime.
West Central made their run in the second half. The Trojans opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run for a 27-24 lead just :57 into the half. Wagner eventually tied the game, 31-31, with 3:57 to go in the third quarter. West Central responded with a 7-0 run and led 38-31 after a three pointer by Fischer with 2:16 to go in the quarter. Wagner cut the lead to 40-38 heading into the fourth quarter.
The game was tied 40-40 and 42-42 early in the fourth quarter. West Central was leading 49-48 with 4:44 to play and then went on another run. The Trojans went on a 9-0 run and led 58-48 with 2:30 to go in the game. Wagner cut the lead to four points, 58-54, but the Trojans ended the game on a 6-0 run for the 62-54 win.
Kramer had 20 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Haldeman finished with 16 points and three assists. Teel had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Fischer had seven points and two rebounds. Jarding added six points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Besides taking home the third place trophy, West Central had some more tournament awards. The Trojan cheerleaders were awarded the “Spirit of Six” winners. Kramer and Haldeman were also All-Tournament selections.
Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley
The #2 Dell Rapids Quarriers fell to the #3 Sioux Falls Christian Chargers in the Region 3A tournament at the Elmen Center on Friday, March 4th. The Chargers led at each quarter break, though each team held a lead in the second half, and won 62-57.
Dell Rapids struck first and led 9-3 with 2:15 to play in the opening quarter. The Chargers ended the quarter on an 8-0 run for an 11-9 lead. Sioux Falls Christian made the first three points in the second quarter to extend their run to 11-0 for a 14-9 advantage. The second quarter ended with Sioux Falls Christian leading 32-28.
The Quarriers got the game tied 35-35 with 3:25 to play in the third quarter. Dell Rapids regained the lead after a three pointer by Landon Ruesink with 2:25 to play in the quarter. The Quarriers lead 41-39 with 1:00 left, but the Chargers ended the quarter on a 5-0 run for a 44-41 lead. The Chargers were able to extend their lad to eight points, 57-49, with 3:15 left in the game. Dell Rapids got within a point, 58-57, after another Ruesink three pointer with :50 left. The Chargers made a free throw to lead 59-57 with :35 to go. Dell Rapids had an opportunity to tie the game, but the shot was no good with :14 to play. Sioux Falls Chrisitan made three free throws in the closing seconds to hang on for the win.
The Quarriers shot 40% (21-52) from the field, 39% (7-18) from three-point area, and 67% (8-12) from the free-throw line. The Chargers were 48% (21-44) from the field, 33% (5-15) from three-point area, and 63% (15-24) from the free-throw line.
Brayden Pankonen had 16 points to lead Dell Rapids in scoring. Ruesink had 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Jack Henry also had 14 points with four rebounds and two assists. Shane Stone added four points and five rebounds.
The Quarrier season ends with a record of 15-7.
The #5 seed Madison Bulldogs upset the #1 West Central Trojans in the Region 3A tournament on Friday, March 4th at the Elmen Center. The Bulldogs led for most of the game in a 75-69 win to advance to the SoDak 16.
The Bulldogs built a 17-8 lead in the first quarter and ended the quarter leading 20-13. That lead doubled to 30-16 with 5:30 to play in the half. West Central then finished the quarter on a 17-9 run to cut the lead to 39-33 by halftime.
Madison was able to keep the lead in the six-to-10 point lead throughout the third quarter. The Bulldogs ended the third quarter leading 60-52. Braden Dierickx hit a three pointer for the Trojans to cut the Bulldog lead to 61-55 with 6:36 to go. West Central pulled within three points, 72-69, after two free throws by Dillon Jackson with :44 left in the game. The Bulldogs, however, made three free throws to seal the victory.
West Central shot 34% (22-64) from the field, just 18% (5-28) from three-point area, and 83% (20-24) from the free-throw line. Madison finished the game shooting 55% (24-44), 47% (9-19) on three pointers, and 69% (18-26) from the free-throw line.
Four players finished in double figures. Grafton Stroup had 20 points and four rebounds. Jackson had 14 points, seven rebounds, seven steals, and three assists. Jacob Krempges had 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Wilson Droge finished with 11 points and three rebounds. Dierickx added eight points, five rebounds, and three steals.
The Trojans season ends a record of 17-5.
It was a big night for the West Central Trojan girls basketball team on Thursday, March 3rd. The Trojans played the Crow Creek Chieftains in Madison in the SoDak 16 with the winner advancing to the state tournament. Not only did the Trojans punch their ticket to the state tournament with a 54-40 win, but Rylee Haldeman hit her 1,000 career point in the game.
It was clear from the start the Trojans were on a mission. West Central wasted no time on the offensive end of the court and started the game on a 10-0 run. That lead grew to 14 points, 24-10, at the end of the first quarter. Their defensive pressure caused problems for Crow Creek in the second quarter, and West Central built a 35-14 lead by halftime.
Things continued to go in the favor of the Trojans throughout much of the third quarter. West Central had a game-high 23 point lead, 41-18, with 2:39 to play in the quarter. Crow Creek, however, started to make a run from that point. The Chieftains ended the quarter on an 8-2 run and cut the lead to 43-26 heading into the fourth quarter. They were able to get the lead down to 13 points, 48-35, but Haldeman’s 1,000 point with 1:17 to play in the game on a layup ended the Crow Creek run and sealed the victory for the Trojans.
West Central shot 39% (19-49) from the field, 20% (5-25) on three-point shots, and 42% (11-26) from the free-throw line. Crow Creek was 25% (13-53) shooting overall, 16% (3-19) from beyond the arc, and 61% (11-18) from the free-throw line.
Two players had a double-double for the Trojans. Tabor Teel had 17 points and 12 rebounds along with four blocked shots. Addy Kramer finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Haldeman’s night ended with 10 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals.
The Trojans will enter the 2022 South Dakota High School Class A Girls State Tournament as the #2 seed. They will play #6 Dakota Valley in the opening round at Frost Arena in Brookings on Thursday, March 10th, at 6:00 p.m.
Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley
At moments it looked like the #2 seed Dell Rapids Quarriers were going to blow the game wide open against the #7 seed Tri-Valley Mustangs. The Mustangs threw everything they could at the Quarriers, but the Quarriers took the 75-67 win on Tuesday, March 1st.
The first half was a low-scoring battle. Dell Rapids held a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. They were able to push the lead to 10 points in the second, but the Mustangs battled back to cut the lead down to 27-24 by halftime.
Tri-Valley scored the first four points of the third quarter and led 28-27 with 7:20 left in the quarter. The lead was short lived, however, as Dell Rapids went on a 12-2 run for a 39-30 lead with 4:45. That lead grew to 17 points, 54-37, with just :35 left in the quarter. At this point it seemed the Quarriers were going to be able to cruise to victory. The Mustangs, however, drained a half-court shot at the buzzer to make the score 54-40 heading into the final quarter. That shot gave Tri-Valley new life. They slowly chipped away at the Quarrier lead in the fourth quarter and got it down to 63-59 with 2:10 to play in the game. Dell Rapids was able to shut down the rally and outscored the Mustangs 12-8 over the final two minutes to secure the win.
Shane Stone had a huge game for the Quarriers. Stone finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Brayden Pankonen had 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and three assists. Jack Henry added 18 points. Landon Ruesink had 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Aiden Boechler had four points, five rebounds, and four assists, and Camden Justice also had four points.
Dell Rapids shot 42% (26-62) from the field, 33% (6-18) on three pointers, and 74% (17-23) from the free-throw line. Tri-Valley was also 42% (25-59) from the field, 44% (7-16) from three-point area, and 56% (10-18) from the free-throw line.
The Quarriers will play #3 seed Sioux Falls Christian on Friday, March 4th at 8:00 p.m. at the Elmen Center. The winner will advance to the SoDak 16.
Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley
Bridgewater-Emery defeated Dell Rapids St Mary for the second time in five days, however, this time it ended the Cardinal season. The #7 seed Huskies beat the #2 seed Cardinals 61-47 in the second round of the Region 4B tournament on Tuesday, March 1st at Dell Rapids St Mary High School.
In a hot, packed gym, the Cardinals got out to a fast start. St Mary led 12-2 with 2:15 to play in the opening quarter. The Cardinals finished the first quarter with a 14-7 lead. Things then got quiet for the St Mary offense in the middle two quarters. The Huskies held St Mary to just four points in the second quarter, which allowed them to build a 24-18 halftime lead.
The third quarter was a defensive battle. The two teams combined for just 17 total points. Bridgewater-Emery still held a 32-27 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Huskies took advantage of 23 trips to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, converting on 19 of them. The difference at the free-throw line proved to be the biggest factor in the game as the Huskies took the win.
The Cardinals shot 33% (17-52) overall, 22% (5-23) from three-point area, and 8-9 from the free-throw line. Bridgewater-Emery was 40% (18-45) from the field, 33% (4-12) from three-point area, and 81% (21-26) from the free-throw line. The 13 more made free throws was the biggest stat difference in the game.
Dylan Mathis finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Nic Gaspar had 13 points and four rebounds. John Pica added seven points, four rebounds, and two assists. Ty Brown had four points, two rebounds, and five assists. CJ Smith also had four points along with five rebounds.
St Mary’s season ends with an overall record of 15-6.
Photo taken and used with permission by Sara Stadem
The #7 seed Tri-Valley Mustangs gave the #2 seed Dell Rapids Quarriers all they could handle in the opening round of the Region 3A tournament on Tuesday, March 1st. The Mustangs cut a 17-point deficit down to four points late in the fourth quarter, but the Quarriers held for a 75-67 win.
The first half was a low-scoring battle. Dell Rapids held a 10-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. They were able to push the lead to 10 points in the second, but the Mustangs battled back to cut the lead down to 27-24 by halftime.
Tri-Valley scored the first four points of the third quarter and led 28-27 with 7:20 left in the quarter. The lead was short lived, however, as Dell Rapids went on a 12-2 run for a 39-30 lead with 4:45. That lead grew to 17 points, 54-37, with just :35 left in the quarter. Noah Haynes drained a half-court three pointer at the buzzer to make the score 54-40 heading into the final quarter. The Mustangs kept chipping away at the lead all quarter long. They had the deficit cut to 63-59 with 2:10 to go in the game, but unfortunately, that was as close as they could get.
Tri-Valley shot 42% (25-59) from the field, 44% (7-16) from three-point area, and 56% (10-18) from the free-throw line. Dell Rapids was 42% (26-62) overall, 33% (6-18) on three pointers, and 74% (17-23) from the free-throw line. Both teams had 12 total assists and six steals.
Connor Christensen had 15 points, 18 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Cory McDonald finished with 19 points and seven rebounds. Haynes added 18 points and six rebounds. Brayden Oyen had seven points, and Lance DeWitt had six points.
The Mustangs season ends with an overall record of 5-16.