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

Tri-Valley’s Season Ends in Quarterfinals

November 2, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustang football had their 2021 season come to an end in the quarterfinals on Thursday, October 28th. The Mustangs fell to the Vermillion Tanagers 21-7.

Vermillion scored on the first drive of the game. The Tanagers had a nine-play, 79-yard drive that lasted 4:04 giving them a 7-0 lead with 7:56 in the opening quarter. The scored remained 7-0 at the quarter break. The Tanagers scored again in the second quarter with 7:35 in the half after a 49-yard drive. Vermillion led 14-0 at halftime.

Tri-Valley scored on their first drive of the second half. They had a seven-play, 64-yard drive that ended on a six-yard touchdown run by Jaden Siemonsma. Reese Smith made the extra point to make the score 14-7 with 8:29 to play in third quarter. The score was still 14-7 heading into the final quarter.

Vermillion got a big score just thirty seconds into the fourth quarter. A big pass play followed by a four-yard touchdown run with 11:28 to go in the game put the Tanagers ahead 21-7. Tri-Valley only had one possession in the fourth quarter, which ended in a turnover on downs. Vermillion was able to run out the clock over the last final 8:54 of the game.

Siemonsma had five carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Isaac McFarland had five carries for 21 yards, and Eli McFarland finished with a 13-yard carry. Owen Besmer was 4-8 passing for 40 yards and an interception. Austin McNulty had a 32-yard catch, and Siemonsma had three catches for eight yards.

Siemonsma led the team with seven tackles. Tyson VanDerVliet had six tackles. Besmer had five tackles and an interception. Logan Ellison, Colby Carruthers, and Caden Reuter all had five tackles each. I. McFarland, Mason Hendrixson, Connor Christensen, and Zach Powell all had four tackles. Lawson Loiseau also had an interception.

Tri-Valley finished the season with a 5-5 record.

High School Singers Take Part in All-State Chorus

November 2, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Twelve local high school students took part in the 2021 South Dakota All-State Chorus and Orchestra performance in Rapid City on Saturday, October 30th. The event returned after last year’s concert was cancelled due to Covid pandemic.

Eight students from Dell Rapids and four students from Dell Rapids St Mary made the trip to Rapid City. The Dell Rapids students were Halle Uphoff, Josie Geraets, Grady Lamer, Noah Larson, Olivia Gill, Cariss Montgomery, Gunnar Chamley, and Andrew Jaycox. The St Mary students were Megan Geraets, Emma Adams, Noah Olund, and John Pica.

The students rehearsed on Friday and Saturday, and the performance was held Saturday evening in the new Summit Arena at The Monument civic center in Rapid City.

Photo taken and used with permission by Joni Smith

Dell Rapids Chamber Downtown Trick-or-Treat Event a Big Success

November 1, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce held their annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat event on Friday, October 29th after having a drive-thru event last year. The weather was absolutely perfect for the event as over a thousand people walked the streets of downtown Dell Rapids during the three-hour event.

Not only were trick-or-treaters able to get candy from lots of different businesses, the event also included Mr. Twister balloon twisting, games, photo area, train rides, and more.

West Central Edged by Quarriers in Playoffs

November 1, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

TFor the third straight year, the Dell Rapids Quarriers and West Central Trojans played one another in the opening round of the 11A playoffs. The Trojans had won the last two meetings, but the Quarriers won this battle 19-15 at home on Thursday, October 28th.

Dell Rapids got on the board first with a touchdown on their opening drive. They had 15-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 7:28. Austin Henry threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Braden Fersdahl to give the Quarriers a 6-0 lead. That was the only score of the half, and Dell Rapids led 6-0 at halftime.

After forcing Dell Rapids into a punt just 1:30 into the third quarter, West Central had a three-play, 33-yard drive that took only 1:03 for the tying score. Gavin Koch threw a 40-yard pass to Mason Berens with 9:24 to go in the third quarter. The extra point was good to give the Trojans a 7-6 lead. The score remained 7-6 in favor of West Central heading into the final quarter.

Dell Rapids got the lead back with 6:48 to go in the game on a 29-yard touchdown pass from Henry to Brayden Pankonen. The two-point conversion failed, but Dell Rapids led 12-7. The Trojans responded with a score just a minute and 28 seconds later when Koch found Owen Heath for a 33-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion pass from Koch to Logan Maras was good to give West Central a 15-12 lead.

The Quarriers would put together one more drive. Dell Rapids went 65 yards in six plays. Henry threw his second touchdown pass to Fersdahl, this time from eight yards away with 1:52 to go in the game. Aiden Boechler made the extra point to make the score 19-15 in favor of Dell Rapids. West Central got the ball to the Dell Rapids 37-yard line, but a holding penalty sent them back to midfield. The Trojans had four chances from there to score, but turned the ball over on downs with just five seconds left in the game.

The Trojans had 219 yards of total offense, 185 passing yards and 34 rushing yards. The Quarriers finished with 230 yards of offense, 146 passing yards and 84 rushing yards. West Central finished with 11 first downs and were also 4-12 on third down conversions. Dell Rapids had a total of 13 first downs and were 4-12 on third down conversions.

Koch was 14-26 for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Braden Diericks had six catches for 57 yards. Heath had three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Berens had a catch for 40 yards for a touchdown. Jacob Krempges had three receptions for 14 yards. Koch had six carries for 10 yards. Berens finished with 10 rushes for nine yards. Heath also had a carry for nine yards. Logan Maras had a game-high 12 tackles. Dylan Stromer finished with seven tackles. Tommy Berg had six tackles, and Zach Madsen and Caden Hall both had five tackles. Hall also had an interception.

West Central finishes the 2021 season with a 4-6 overall record.

Quarriers Get by West Central in Playoffs

November 1, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

For the third straight year, the Dell Rapids Quarriers and West Central Trojans played one another in the opening round of the 11A playoffs. The Trojans had won the last two meetings, but the Quarriers won this battle 19-15 at home on Thursday, October 28th.

The Quarriers finished with 230 yards of offense, 146 passing yards and 84 rushing yards. The Trojans had 219 yards of total offense, 185 passing yards and 34 rushing yards. Dell Rapids had a total of 13 first downs and were 4-12 on third down conversions. West Central finished with 11 first downs and were also 4-12 on third down conversions.

Henry was 9-18 passing for 146 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Pankonen had five catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. Fersdahl had two catches for 15 yards and two touchdowns. Boechler had two catches for 22 yards. Landon Ruesink finished with 19 carries for 40 yards. Landon VonHoltum had five carries for 19 yards, and Pankonen had three carries for 15 yards. Aiden Geraets had a team-high nine tackles. Mason Stubbe and Will Jaton both had four tackles each. Treyse Eastman and Pankonen both finished with three tackles.

Dell Rapids will travel Madison to play the #1 Bulldogs in the semifinals on Friday, November 5th.

Cardinals March into Semifinals

October 30, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

The 2021 Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal football team is taking a similar path as the 2020 team through this year’s playoffs with big road victories. After a 40-0 win at home in the opening round, the Cardinals earned a 42-22 win on the road against the Gayville-Volin Raiders on Thursday, October 28th.

The Cardinals appeared to come into the quarterfinal game with a mission, and that mission was to run the ball up and down the field on the Raiders. Mission accomplished as St Mary racked up 464 rushing yards in the game, along with 40 passing yards, for a total of 504 yards of offense. Two players nearly had 200 yards of rushing.

St Mary set the tone in the opening drive of the game. The drove the ball 70 yards in just over three minutes. Noah Olund scored on a three-yard touchdown run with 8:41 to go in the opening quarter. That was the only score of the first quarter. The Raiders did hold a brief lead in the game. Nate Quatier scored on a 36-yard run with 5:44 to play in the second quarter. Gayville-Volin made the two-point conversion to take an 8-6 lead.

It wasn’t long before the Cardinals took the lead back. Ty Brown scored on a two-yard run with 2:46 to give the Cardinals a 12-8 lead. The St Mary defense then forced the Raiders to punt on their next drive, and the Cardinals got the ball back with just over two minutes in the half. That was enough time for one more score. Nic Gaspar had a six-yard touchdown run with :43 left in the half, after a 40-yard run by Brown put the Cardinals in the red zone. St Mary took an 18-6 lead into halftime.

The Cardinals kicked off to start the second half, but executed an onside kick to get the ball. St Mary drove the ball down the field, and Olund scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. The Cardinals added another score late in the third quarter. Gaspar had a four-yard run for a touchdown with 1:37 in the third quarter to give the Cardinals a 30-8 lead.

The Raiders weren’t quite ready to go away quietly. Quatier threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Hirsch with :33 to go in the quarter to cut the lead to 30-14. Gayville-Volin then executed their own successful onside kick to get the back. They scored about a minute later. With 11:26 to play in the game, Andrew Gustand had a 22-yard touchdown run followed by a two-point conversion. The Raiders trailed by just eight points, 30-22.

The Cardinals responded. Gaspar broke loose for a 48-yard touchdown run with 8:51 to go to push the lead to 36-22. After a fourth down stop by the defense, the Cardinal offense got one more touchdown. Olund had a one-yard score with 4:15 left in the game to seal the victory.

Brown finished with 21 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown. Gaspar had 21 carries for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Olund added 14 carries for 64 yards and three touchdowns. CJ Smith was 2-2 passing for 40 yards. Gaspar had both catches. Brown also led the team in tackles with eight and also had an interception. John Pica had six tackles. Gaspar finished with four tackles, and Olund had three tackles. Gabe Lindeman and Kyle Bares each had 2.5 tackles.

“The boys played hard. They got after it from start to finish. I felt our defensive unit played a great game all the way around. Our offensive line cleared the way. It was a great team win tonight!” said head coach Ross Flemmer.

St Mary will travel to Avon on Friday, November 5th for the semifinal game. The winner will play in the championship game on Thursday, November 11th.

Sacred Hoops Podcast – Culture

October 28, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Dell Rapids Free Rubble Site Days Announced for Fall

October 27, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids City Council approved three “Free Rubble Site Days” for the upcoming fall season. The three days will be October 30th (Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM), November 4th (Thursday, 1 PM to 6 PM), and November 6th (Saturday 9AM to 4PM).

A free technology drop off day will not be held this fall. A technology drop off day is being planned for the spring of 2022.

There is still a $10.00 fee for appliances.

As a reminder the rubble site is licensed by the State of South Dakota and is restricted to trees, branches, untreated wood, construction and demolition debris, sheet rock, plaster, concrete, carpet, furniture, mattresses, grass, yard and garden waste and leaves, and large household appliances. Fees are enforced by volume and type of material. This is for Dell Rapids residents only that live within city limits.

Unaccepted items include household waste, cardboard, plastic (of any kind), small electric appliances (TVs, stereo equipment, microwaves), toys, bikes with tires, shingles, asbestos, tires, hazardous materials, and fiberglass.

Please visit the Rubble Site page for a list of accepted materials.

Quarrier Volleyball Wins on Senior Night over Watchdogs

October 27, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

The Dell Rapids Quarrier volleyball team played their final regular season match and recognized their seniors at home on Tuesday, October 26th. The Quarriers hosted the Beresford Watchdogs and won by set scores of 25-17, 25-17, and 25-21.

Beresford scored the first four points of the first set, but the Quarriers then went on a 14-3 run for a 14-7 lead and never looked back. Dell Rapids cruised from there to a 25-17 win. The Watchdogs again scored four in a row early in the second set for a 4-1 lead. The Quarriers took the lead 8-7 and extended it to 10-7. Dell Rapids kept a three-point lead until before pulling ahead farther at 22-15. The Quarriers won the second set 25-17.

The Watchdogs had the lead for most of the third set. They kept a three-point lead until Dell Rapids was able to tie the score 16-16. The two teams traded points over the next five points, and the score was tied 21-21. The Quarriers scored the final four points for the 25-21 set and match win.

JoJo Henry finished with 10 kills. Kenzie Garry had eight kills, and Sophi Randall had seven. Lauryn Kloth and Riley Hill both had five kills on the night. Henry also had a team-high four ace serves. Randall finished with two. Lexi Ingalls had Garry finished with 11 digs each. Emma Molskness and Hill each had seven. Randall added 19 set assists, and Hill had 17.

Three seniors were recognized before the match. Players Kenzie Garry and Riley Hill, along with statistician Makayla Duinkerken.

Dell Rapids finished the regular season with a 16-13 record. The Quarriers will begin Region 3A tournament play on Tuesday, November 2nd.

Mustang Volleyball Gets First Win on Final Match of Regular Season

October 27, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustangs got their first win of the season on the final regular season match on Monday, October 25th. Tri-Valley traveled to West Central and earned a four-set win over the Trojans by scores of 25-20, 25-19, 19-25, and 25-21.

Erica Bicknase had a team-high 13 kills. Hillary Hastings, Lauren Grinde, and Madelyn Wenzel all had five kills each. Jenna Hanson added four kills. Nevaeh Grann and Brookelyn Stieben both had three ace serves. Grann also had 16 set assists, while Stieben had 14. Four players had double-figure digs in the match. Jenna Hanson had a team-high 18 digs, Allyson Haga had 17, and Stieben and Hannah West both had 10 digs.

Head coach Justin Nihart said, “A lot of credit for the win can go to my two senior defensive specialists Ally Haga and Jenna Hanson for the tremendous effort and grit they showed in the back row by constantly being on the floor and diving for balls. Also, Erica Bicknase led the charge for our offense.”

The Mustangs finished the regular season with a record of 1-22. Tri-Valley will begin Region 3A tournament play on Tuesday, November 2nd.

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