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

Titans Take Doubleheader Against Mustangs

January 10, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustangs hosted the Mt Vernon/Plankinton Titans in a doubleheader on Thursday, January 6th. The Titans got a win in both games. They won the girls game 64-37, and the Titan boys won 40-31.

Mt Vernon/Plankinton 64, Tri-Valley 37 – Girls

With about three minutes to go in the first quarter, the game was tied at 13-13. Mt Vernon/Plankinton then went on a 23-0 run over the next eight minutes. The Titans finished the first quarter leading 24-13. The run continued into the second quarter and was finally snapped with three minutes to go in the half. The Titans led 38-19 at halftime. Mt Vernon/Plankinton continued to shoot the ball well in the second half and played strong defense. The Titans grew their lead to 56-28 by the end of the third quarter.

Tri-Valley shot 35% (16-46) in the game, 16% (3-19) on three pointers, and was 2-6 from the free-throw line. The Titans, meanwhile, shot 48% (26-54), 7-10 from three-point area, and 5-10 from the free-throw line.

Paige Jewett had 14 points and three assists. Ava Pearson finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots. Lauren Grinde added six points, four rebounds, and two assists. Stephanie Buchmann had five points, three rebounds, and two assists.

Mt Vernon/Plankinton 40, Tri-Valley 31 – Boys

The boys game was very physical throughout the entire contest. The physical play caused problems for both offenses as the two teams both finished shooting under 30% in the game. The Mustangs held the lead through three quarters of play. Tri-Valley led 11-8 at the end of the first quarter and then 22-18 at halftime. The Titans tied the game 25-25 with 4:00 to go in the third quarter, but Tri-Valley held a 29-28 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, that’s when the Mustangs went cold offensively. They made only one field goal in the last quarter, which came with just :50 to play.

The Mustangs shot 23% (12-52) from the field, 25% (5-20) from three-point area, and just 2-5 from the free-throw line. The Titans took advantage of their trips to the free-throw line as almost half of their points in the game were scored from there. Mt Vernon/Plankinton finished the game shooting 28% (11-40) from the field, did not make a three-pointer, but went 18-31 from the free-throw line.

Lance DeWitt had eight points, four rebounds, and four assists. Riley Carlson finished with eight points and two steals. Cole Focken also tied for the team-high eight points and also had a steal. Owen Besmer had four points, five rebounds, and two blocks. Brayden Oyen had three points and seven rebounds. Connor Christensen had a team-high 11 rebounds.

Dell Rapids Bowling Drops Match to Brandon Valley

January 10, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

After taking a break for a couple of weeks during the Christmas holiday, the Dell Rapids high school club bowling team was back in action on Friday, January 7th at Eastway Bowl. Dell Rapids lost 0-3 to Brandon Valley. The Lynx won by scores of 840-780, 872-720, and 987-713.

Ashton Schaaf had the high three-game score of 546 (182, 187, 177). Caden Bitzer had a 386 series (140, 137, 109). Ryder VanZee finished with a 360 (114, 124, 122). Zander Heathcote had a 354 (140, 108, 106). OScar Anderson had a 301 series (103, 85, 113), and Noah Larson finished with a 266 (101, 79, 86).

Adaya Penning was the lone varsity girls bowler for Dell Rapids. She finished with game scores of 80, 83, and 112.

Dell Rapids will host West Central at Pinz on Friday, January 14th for their next match.

Lower Brule Has Near Perfect Fourth Quarter in Win over West Central

January 10, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

In one of the marquee match-ups at the Sacred Hoops Classic in Mitchell on Saturday, January 8th, the #3 ranked team in class B, Lower Brule, had a near perfect fourth quarter for a 67-59 win over the fifth-ranked West Central Trojans.

Lower Brule held the lead for most of the game. After a 9-9 tie with 1:45 to go in the first quarter, Lower Brule outscored West Central 7-2 for a 16-11 lead at the end of the quarter. Lower Brule maintained that lead in the second quarter. The Trojans pulled within two points, 23-21 with 3:45 to play in the half, but again Lower Brule went on a run to lead 29-23 at halftime.

Lower Brule pushed the lead to nine points in the third quarter, but the Trojans cut it down to five points, 42-37, by the end of the quarter. West Central got the lead down to three points, 47-44, with 5:20 to play, but Lower Brule went on a 7-0 run for a 54-44 lead with 4:00 to play. They were able to maintain the lead while shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field and 7-9 from the free-throw line in the quarter.

The Trojans finished the game shooting 33% (23-69) from the field, 21% (8-38) from three-point area, and 5-10 from the free-throw line. Lower Brule was 50% (27-54) from the field, 21% (4-19) from three-point area, and 9-12 from the free-throw line.

Wilson Droge had 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Grafton Stroup had 11 points and two rebounds. Dillon Jackson, who was named player of the game for the Trojans, had eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Braden Dierickx finished with eight points, five rebounds, and two assists. Jacob Krempges added seven points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

West Central will be at Dakota Valley on Tuesday, January 11th.

Trojan Girls Surge Past White River

January 10, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The third-ranked West Central Trojan girls took on the #3 team in class B, the White River Tigers, at the Sacred Hoops Classic in Mitchell on Saturday, January 8th. In a highly anticipated game, the Trojans used a second have surge for a 59-34 win.

The Trojans enjoyed a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 17-7. The Tigers cut the lead down to seven points, 22-15, with 3:00 to play in the second quarter. West Central ended the half on a 6-2 run for a 28-17 halftime lead. West Central really took control of the game in the third quarter. The Trojan defense held White River to just six points, while the offense scored 23 to build a 51-23 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Trojan lead grew to 30 points early in the fourth quarter.

West Central shot 42% (22-52) from the field, 25% (5-20) on three pointers, and 59% (10-17) from the free-throw line. White River was held to 24% (11-46) shooting, 23% (3-13) from three-point area, and 53% (9-17) from the free-throw line. White River also turned the ball over 14 times, 11 of those on steals, while West Central only had four turnovers.

Rylee Haldeman, who was named the player of the game for the Trojans, had 23 points, four steals, two rebounds, and two assists. Tabor Teel had 10 points, nine rebounds, one steal, and one assist. Addy Kramer finished with seven points. Jazelle Jarding and Cambell Fischer both had six points and three rebounds each.

West Central will travel to Dakota Valley on Tuesday, January 11th.

West Central Wrestling Finishes Second in Brandon

January 9, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The West Central Trojan wrestling team had a second place finish at the Dan Pansch Invitational at Brandon Valley High School on Saturday, January 7th. Thirteen of the wrestlers placed in the tournament including one champion. The Trojans finished with 175 team points. Brandon Valley was first with 259.5 points.

Justin Zirpel came home with the 152-pound class title finishing 3-0. Karson Vessells (106-pound), Jesse Jost (132-pound), Wyatt Nielsen (160-pound), and Gabe Gebhard (195-pound) all had second place finishes with 2-1 records. Orlando Whiting (113-pound), Chandler Carda (126-pound), and Chet Carda (170-pound) each had third place finishes with 3-1 records.

Hayden Whiting (106-pound, 1-2), Rayce Whiting (120-pound, 2-2), Jude Jarding (132-pound, 2-2), and Abram Maras (220-pound, 2-2) had fourth place finishes. Keaton Vessells placed fifth in the 138-pound class with a 2-2 record. Gavin Pischke (285-pound) finished sixth with a 1-3 record. Levi Anderson (113-pound) finished 0-2.

In the girls brackets, Allison Foote won the 285G with a pin over Jenessa Skyberg (Brandon Valley). Hailey Fortney placed second in the 142G with a 2-1 record. Alexa Bryant was third in the 126G with a 3-1 record. Ana Martinex was sixth in the 120G division with an 0-3 record.

West Central will host a Dak-12 quadrangular on Tuesday, January 11th.

Quarrier Wrestlers 8th at Dan Pansch Invite

January 9, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier wrestling team placed eighth at the Dan Pansch Invitational on Saturday, January 8th in Brandon. Dell Rapids finished with 63.5 points. Brandon Valley won the team title with 259.5 points. West Central was second, and Tea placed third.

In the girls brackets, Hannah Jensen won the 106G division with a 3-0 record. Mikayla Hight finished second in the 132G with a 2-1 record. Bailey Credeur was fourth at 132G with an 0-3 record. Janessa Nelson finished sixth in the 142G with 1-3 record. Rylee Bird (126G) finished 0-2, and Bella Bietz (142G) also finished 0-2.

Quinn Carr had a third place finish in the 182-weight class finishing with a 3-1 record on the day. Aiden Geraets also had a third place finish in the 195-pound class with a 3-1 record. Hunter Nelson was fifth in the 152-pound class with a 2-2 record. Mason Stubbe placed fifth in the 170-pound weight class with a 2-2 record. John Mortrude placed sixth in the 126-pound class with a 1-3 record. Kaiden Lowman (145-pound) finished 0-2 on the day.

The Quarriers will be in Madison on Tuesday, January 11th.

St Mary Boys Stop Redhawk Fourth Quarter Rally

January 9, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal boys basketball team stopped the Estelline/Hendricks Redhawks from completing a fourth quarter comeback. The Cardinals held their ground for a 53-47 win on Friday, January 7th.

After a close first quarter that ended with the Cardinals leading 9-8, St Mary was able to grow their lead in the second quarter. The Cardinals took an eight-point lead into the locker room at halftime, 23-15. St Mary continued to add to the lead in the third quarter as well. The Cardinals had a double digit, 38-26 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Redhawks chipped away at the lead in the fourth quarter getting it down to four points, 47-43, with 1:29 to play. Nic Gaspar and Dylan Mathis made back-to-back layups for the Cardinals to push the lead to 51-43 and put the game away.

The Cardinals finished the game shooting 40% (19-47) from the field, 25% (4-16) from three-point area, and 46% (11-23) from the free-throw line. Estelline/Hendricks shot 34% (17-50) in the game, 20% (4-20) on three pointers, and 9-10 from the free-throw line.

Mathis had 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and two assists. John Pica finished with nine points, 12 rebounds, and two steals. Ty Brown also had nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Gaspar added eight points, five rebounds, and three steals. CJ Smith had seven points, two rebounds, and two assists.

St Mary (5-2) will host Elkton/Lake Benton on Monday, January 10th.

Third Quarter Boost Gives Cardinal Girls Win over Redhawks

January 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

A third quarter run helped the Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals to a 55-39 win over the Estelline/Hendricks Redhawks in Hendricks, MN on Thursday, January 6th.

The Cardinals got out to a quick 16-10 lead after the first quarter of play. St Mary pushed the lead to 27-14 with 4:15 to play in the second quarter, but the Redhawks scored the final seven points of the half to cut the lead to 27-21 at halftime.

Estelline/Hendricks also got the first basket of the third quarter to make the score 27-23, but that was as close as they would get. St Mary went on a 12-0 run for a 39-23 lead with 1:40 to play in the third quarter. The quarter ended with the Cardinals leading 41-28. St Mary continued to build on their lead and had it up to 19 points, 47-28, with 5:20 to go in the game. The Redhawks got it back down to 12 points, 47-35, but St Mary ended the game on an 8-4 run.

St Mary shot 51% (24-47) in the game, 21% (4-19) from three-point area, and 3-4 from the free-throw line. The Cardinals also had 26 team rebounds, 16 assists, and 12 steals.

Addyson Gilbert finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Madala Hanson had 11 points and three rebounds. Courtney Brown added nine points, five rebounds, and three steals. Sydney Klein also had nine points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Ella Griffin had seven points, six assists, and three rebounds. Whitney Warwick finished with six points and two assists.

St Mary (4-3) will host Elkton-Lake Benton on Tuesday, January 11th.

Free Throws Key to Quarrier Win in Canton

January 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

The game came down to the free throw line in Canton Thursday, January 6th between the Dell Rapids Quarriers and Canton C-Hawks. Dell Rapids made 13 of their 19 attempts, while Canton was just 4-15 in the game. The Quarriers also made enough free-throws in the closing minute of the game for a 69-66 win.

The Quarriers were able to build a lead in the first half. They ended the first quarter leading 22-16 and grew that lead to 39-30 by halftime. Dell Rapids, however, went cold in the third quarter. Canton took advantage and tied the game 44-44 with 3:25 left in the quarter. They then took the lead moments later. The C-Hawks still lead 50-48 heading into the fourth quarter. The Quarriers were able to put the third quarter behind them and scored 21 points in the final quarter to come away with the win.

Four players finished in double figures for Dell Rapids. Brayden Pankonen had 19 points, six steals, four rebounds, and three assists. Landon Ruesink had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Jack Henry added 14 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Shane Stone also had 14 points along with four rebounds and two steals. Aiden Boechler had a team-high eight rebounds.

Dell Rapids (4-2) will host Sioux Falls Christian on Tuesday, January 11th.

Dell Rapids Girls Shut Down by Tough Canton Defense

January 7, 2022 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

The constant pressure defense by the Canton C-Hawks made things difficult for the Dell Rapids Quarriers on Thursday, January 6th. Canton forced 32 turnovers, 17 of those on steals, on their way to a 69-46 win over the Quarriers.

The pressure defense got to the Quarriers early in the ball game. Canton built an 18-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, and that lead grew to 23 points by halftime, 46-23. The quick steals and fast breaks led to more of the same in the third quarter as the C-Hawks extended the lead to 63-36.

Dell Rapids did shoot 41% (16-39) in the game, 37% (7-19) on three pointers, but just 39% (7-18) from the free-throw line. Canton finished the game shooting 44% (22-50), 55% (6-11) on three pointers, and 73% (19-26) from the free-throw line.

Liz Prize had nine points, two rebounds, and two assists. Mady VanOverebeke also had nine points and a steal. Claire Wynja finished with seven points, two rebounds, a steal, and an assist. Alli De Stigter had six points, and Zoey Hilmoe had four points and seven rebounds.

Dell Rapids (1-8) will host Lennox on Monday, January 10th.

JV Results

The below zero temperatures outside Canton High School seemed to have followed the Quarrier JV shooters into the gym as they fell to the C-Hawks JV team 24-46. Struggles shooting from the floorr along with too many turnovers resulted in the young Quarriers loss after having won three games in a row.

Shelby Welbig finished with eight points and four rebounds. Elly Olson had seven points, two steals, and two assists. Jenna Miller also had seven points, two steals, and two assists. Clara Justice had six rebounds and a point, and Tori Malsam also had a point.

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