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

West Central Boys Cruise to Region 3A Win

March 2, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The #1 seed West Central Trojans cruised to a 70-45 win over #8 seed Baltic Bulldogs in the opening round of the Region 3A tournament on Tuesday, March 1st.

The Bulldogs had an early lead, 9-7, with 3:17 in the first quarter, but the Trojans finished the quarter on a 10-2 run for a 17-11 lead. West Central cruised from there. The Trojans outscored Baltic 22-15 in the second quarter for a 39-26 halftime lead. The Trojan defense held the Bulldogs to just seven points in the third quarter while building a 66-33 advantage heading into the final quarter.

West Central shot 41% (25-61) from the field, 28% (10-36) on three pointers, and a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line. The Bulldogs finished the game shooting 40% (17-42) overall, 58% (7-12) from three-point area, and 4-6 from the free-throw line. The big difference in the game came down to turnovers. Baltic committed 21 turnovers while the Trojans committed just four.

Grafton Stroup had 25 points, two rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Jack Linneman finished with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Jacob Krempges added nine points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Wilson Droge had seven points, and Dillon Jackson had six points.

The Trojans will play the #5 seed Madison Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 4th at the Elmen Center. The winner will advance to the SoDak 16.

Regular Season Ends for Mustang Boys

February 28, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustang boys basketball team played their final regular season game of the year at Sioux Falls Christian on Friday, February 25th. The Mustangs fell to the Chargers 62-34.

The Chargers started the game on a 10-2 run and led 15-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Mustangs pulled within six points, 17-11, with 6:20 to go in the second quarter, but that was as close as they would get in the game. Sioux Falls Christian led 33-15 at halftime. The Chargers then outscored the Mustangs 29-19 in the second half.

Tri-Valley shot 27% (12-44) overall, 2-16 on three pointers, and 47% (8-17) from the free-throw line. Sioux Falls Christian finished 34% (21-61) from the field, 19% (4-21) from three-point area, and 80% (16-20) from the free-throw line.

Cory McDonald had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Connor Christensen had seven points and eight rebounds. Logan Ellison finished with five points, and Noah Haynes had four points and four rebounds.

The Mustangs finish the regular season with a record of 5-15. They will play at Dell Rapids on Tuesday, March 1st in the opening round of the Region 3A tournament.

Huskies Stun Cardinal Boys on Senior Night

February 26, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

Playing in the final regular season game of the year, the Bridgewater-Emery Huskies stunned the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals on Friday, February 25th. The Huskies led for almost the entire game and took the 54-48 victory on the Cardinal senior night.

The opening quarter was a defensive battle as both offenses struggled to find anything. The two teams combined for 10 total points, and the Huskies led 6-4 at the break. The Huskies built a nine-point lead, 16-7, with 4:48 to play in the second quarter. The Cardinals cut the lead to one point at 16-15 and then again at 19-18 with :05 to play in the quarter. Bridgewater-Emery hit a three-pointer with just seconds left to give them a 22-18 lead at halftime.

The Huskies were able to push their four-point halftime lead to seven, 33-26, with 3:25 to play in the third quarter. St Mary went on a 7-0 run to tie the game, 33-33, which was the first tie since 4-4 early in the first quarter. Bridgewater-Emery ended the third quarter, however, leading 37-35. Another run by the Huskies gave them a 47-39 lead with 3:20 to go in the game. The Cardinals were only able to get within three points, 51-48, after a three pointer by Nic Gaspar with :17 to go. The Huskies made three of four free throws in the closing seconds to get the win.

St Mary finished the game shooting 38% (18-48) from the field, just 4-17 from three-point area, and 53% (8-13) from the free-throw line. The Huskies were 44% (21-48) shooting overall, 3-14 on three pointers, and 9-16 from the free-throw line. Bridgewater-Emery out rebounded St Mary 34-24 in the game.

John Pica had 13 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three assists to lead the Cardinals. Gaspar had 11 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Ty Brown also had 11 points along with four rebounds. Dylan Mathis finished with 10 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two assists.

The Cardinals finish the regular season with a 15-5 record and the #2 seed in the Region 4B tournament. St Mary will host a Region 4B game on Tuesday, March 1st and will play the winner of Bridgewater-Emery and Sioux Falls Luthrean.

Eight seniors for the Cardinals were recognized prior to the game. This year’s seniors are Noah Reiff, Aiden Geraets, Brandon Cook, Ty Brown, Gabe Lamb, Luke Geraets, John Pica, and Seth Roemen.

Three Wrestlers Find Podium for Mustangs at State

February 26, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Three Tri-Valley Mustang wrestlers finished in the top eight of their weight class at the 2022 South Dakota Class B State Wrestling Tournament in Sioux Falls on Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th.

Brody Dybvig placed fifth in the 126-weight class. Dybvig had a 4-2 record in the tournament with two pins and two decision wins. In the 5th/6th place match, Dybvig pinned Hadley Tobin of Mt Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney at the 5:53 mark.

Isaac Nehlich placed sixth in the 220-pound class. Nehlich finished 3-3 with all three wins coming by decision. In the 5th/6th place match, Aiden Schoenhard of Mobridge-Pollock defeated Nehlich by a 6-3 decision.

Cole Hendrixson was eighth in the 106-pound class. Hendrixson had a 2-3 record with one pin and one decision win. Hendrixson was defeated by major decision by Tukker Boe of Philip Area in the 7th/8th place match.

Mason Hendrixson finished 1-2 in the tournament in the 170-pound class. Treyson Richter (113-pound) and Lawson Loiseau (138-pound) both finished 0-2 in their two matches.

Trojan Wrestling Team has Six Place at State

February 26, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Six wrestlers for the West Central Trojans placed at the 2022 South Dakota Class A State Wrestling Tournament in Sioux Falls Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th.

Alexis Bryant placed third in the G-132 class. Bryant finished 4-1 in the tournament with a pin and three decision wins. Bryant defeated Carly Ballinger of Canton in the 3rd/4th place match by a 5-4 decision.

Chet Carda went 4-2 and placed fifth. Carda had two major decision wins and a pin. The the 5th/6th place match, Carda defeated Carson Holt of O’Gorman by a 3-0 decision.

Karson Vessells placed sixth in the 106-pound class. Vessells finished 2-3 with a major decision win and a 4-2 decision win in his first two matches. Justin Zirpel also placed sixth in the 152-pound class also with a 2-3 record. Zirpel had a pin and a decision win. Orlando Whiting placed eighth in the 113-pound class finishing 2-3 with a 12-9 decision win and and a pin. Allison Foote was also eighth in the G-285 class. Foote finished 1-3 with a pin.

Chandler Carda (126-pound) and Jesse Jost (132-pound) both finished 1-2. Jude Jarding was 0-2 in thee 145-pound division. Gabe Gebhard (195-pound) and Abram Maras (220-pound) also finished 0-2. Hailey Fortney (G-142) finished 1-2 in the tournament.

Two Place Winners at State for Quarrier Wrestling

February 26, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier wrestling team had two place winners at the 2022 South Dakota Class A State Wrestling Tournament held in Sioux Falls on Thursday, February 24th and Friday, February 25th.

Weston Mason had a sixth place finish in the 160-pound weight class. Mason had an opening round win by technical fall (15-0). Barrett Schneck of Milbank pinned Mason in thee quarterfinal round. Mason bounced back with a major decision win (14-3) and a 7-5 decision win in his next two matches. In the consolation semifinals, Tyson Brand of Brookings beat Mason by a 2-1 decision. Mason was then pinned in the 5th/6th match.

Rylee Bird had an eighth place finish in the G-126 division. Bird lost her opening round match, but picked up two pins in a row in the first two rounds of the consolation bracket. Bird was then pinned in her next two matches to finish eighth.

John Mortrude finished 1-2 with a pin in the 126-pound class. Aiden Geraets was 0-2 in the 195-pound division. Bailey Credeur was also 1-2 with a pin in the G-132 class. Mikayla Hight finished 0-2 in the G-142 class at the tournament.

Tri-Valley Girls Season Ends, West Central Advances

February 25, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustangs and West Central Trojans met in a SoDak 16 qualifying game for the second year in a row on Thursday, February 24th. Last season saw the Mustangs advance to the SoDak 16, but this year, West Central will be advancing after a 68-39 win at Harrisburg High School.

The atmosphere was electric, and the two teams put on a show in the first quarter. After an early run by the Trojans, the Mustangs get settled into their offense. Trailing 13-12, Tri-Valley went on an 8-0 run to finish the quarter capped off by a blocked shot by Paige Jewett and a half-court buzzer-beater by Lauren Grinde. The Mustangs led 20-13 after the first quarter.

The West Central Trojan defense then locked down the Mustangs the remainder of the game. West Central held Tri-Valley to just two points, a layup by Grinde that gave the Mustangs a 22-21 lead. The Trojans finished the half on a 14-0 run to lead 35-22 at halftime. West Central scored another 23 points in the third quarter while holding Tri-Valley to just six points, and the Trojans led 58-28 going into the final quarter.

The Mustangs shot 32% (15-47) from the field, 29% (6-21) from three-point area, and 3-4 from the free-throw line. Grinde finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Mattie Huwe had six points. Stephanie Buchmann added five points, two rebounds, and two steals. Hillary Hastings had three points. Jewett finished with two points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Ava Pearson added two points and six rebounds.

West Central finished the game shooting 41% (27-66) overall, 30% (9-30) from three-point area, and 50% (5-10) from the free-throw line. Rylee Haldeman led all scorers with 26 points and also had six rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Addy Kramer had 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Tabor Teel finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Cambell Fischer added six points and four rebounds, and Grace Harden had five points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Tri-Valley’s season ends with an overall record of 12-10. West Central (20-2) will advance to the SoDak 16 which will be held on Thursday, March 3rd.

West Central Baseball Association Press Release

February 25, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

West Central Baseball Association has been the overseer of baseball in our community since our inception in 2014 and provides opportunity for our youth to play baseball from three years old to nineteen years old. As an association we strive for continued growth numerically as well as improvements to facilities with hundreds of thousands spent including the most recent, installing field turf on the adult sized baseball field in Humboldt. Our goal is to grow baseball in the West Central community, which undeniably includes baseball being played in Humboldt and Hartford, however a separate baseball organization is not the solution and only creates division in our growing community. Collectively WCBA feels the only way to grow is to communicate and we have been transparent in our decisions at monthly board meetings where public input is strongly encouraged. Hartford Baseball Organization was formed to attempt at providing a solution to a problem that simply does not exist. Traveling to Humboldt for baseball has long been accepted because of the structure of both our communities; Humboldt hosting baseball and Hartford hosting softball. As our communities continue to grow and expand WCBA strongly encourages open lines of communication among all local groups and active involvement as we strive to provide the best opportunity for our children to play baseball locally.

Rob Lind
West Central Baseball Association President

Tri-Valley Girls Advance in Region 3A with Exciting Win over Cougars

February 23, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Sara Stadem

The #4 seed Tri-Vally Mustangs got a come-from-behind win in the opening round of the Region 3A tournament at home on Tuesday, February 22nd. The McCook Central/Montrose Fighting Cougars led for a lot of the game, but the Mustangs got the win 55-52 to advance to the next round.

The Cougars started the game on an 8-0 run in the first minute and a half. The Mustangs responded with a 9-2 run and trailed 10-9 with 1:15 to play in the opening quarter. The Cougars got the final four points of the quarter and lead 14-9 at the break. McCook Central/Montrose led 25-17 late in the second quarter, but the Mustangs scored the final six points, including a buzzer-beater by Paige Jewett to cut the lead to 25-23 at halftime.

The run continued for Tri-Valley into the third quarter. They scored the first four points to lead 27-25 with 6:45 to play in the quarter. The Cougars, however, went on a 5-0 run in 35 seconds to regain the lead 30-27. The two teams battled back-and-forth the remainder of the quarter, and the Cougars led 37-35 going into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter was full of excitement. Lauren Grinde made a three pointer with 6:00 to go in the game to give Tri-Valley a 40-39 lead. For the next five minutes, the two teams traded baskets and the game went back and forth. Jewett made two free throws with :33 on the clock to give the Mustangs a 51-47 lead. The lead remained four points until a McCook Central/Montrose made a three point shot with :06 to make the score 53-52. Grinde made two free throws with :02 to go to seal the victory for Tri-Valley.

The Mustangs shot 38% (19-50) in the game, 22% (4-18) on three pointers, and 62% (13-21) from the free-throw line. McCook Central/Montrose finished the game shooting 39% (18-46) from the field, 29% (4-14) from three-point area, and 57% (12-21) from the free-throw line.

Grinde had a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. Jewett finished with 15 points, three assists, and two rebounds. Ava Pearson added 10 points and six rebounds. Stephanie Buchmann and Hillary Hastings both had six points each. Buchmann also had five assists and three rebounds.

Tri-Valley will get to play West Central in a SoDak 16 Qualifying game on Thursday, February 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Harrisburg High School.

West Central Advances in Region 3A with Big Win over Dell Rapids

February 23, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Sara Stadem

The #1 seed West Central Trojans advanced in Region 3A tournament after a 69-16 win over the Dell Rapids Quarriers at home on Tuesday, February 22nd.

It took most of the first quarter for the Trojan offense and defense to get going, but once they did, they cruised to the win. West Central only lead 9-6 with 2:45 to play in the first quarter. They then went on an 8-0 run to lead 17-6 with a minute left in the opening quarter. The first quarter ended with the Trojans leading 20-10. Dell Rapids made a three pointer to start the second quarter and pulled within seven points, 20-13, with 7:45 in the first half.

The Trojans took over the game from that point. West Central ended the second quarter on a 33-0 run to lead 53-13 at halftime. The run continued into the third quarter, and the score was 58-13 before Dell Rapids was able to make a free throw with 4:02 to play in the quarter. The Trojans outscored the Quarriers 11-3 the rest of the game.

West Central finished the game shooting 44% (27-62) overall, 38% (9-24) from three-point area, and 6-10 from the free-throw line. Dell Rapids was held to just 18% (6-33) shooting, 2-12 from three-point area, and 2-4 from the free-throw line. The Trojans also forced 28 Quarrier turnovers, 20 of those on steals.

Rylee Haldeman had 23 points, five rebounds, four steals, and two assists. Addy Kramer finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three assists. Tabor Teel added 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Cambell Fischer had six points, three steals, three assists, and two rebounds.

West Central will get a rematch with Tri-Valley in a SoDak 16 Qualifying game on Thursday, February 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Harrisburg High School.

« Previous Page