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

Cardinals Fall to Tough Garretson Team

October 5, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Tammy Chamley

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals hosted the #3 team in Class A, the Garretson Blue Dragons, on Tuesday, October 5th.

Garretson got on a roll early in the first set and continued it throughout the match. With the score tied 1-1 in the opening set, the Blue Dragons scored seven in a row for an 8-1 lead. They continued to roll from there winning the first set 25-9. The momentum stayed with Garretson the entire match as they won the next two 25-14 and 25-14.

Brianna Lindeman had four ace serves, five set assists, and five digs on the night. Courtney Brown had three kills, one ace, one block, and five digs. Ella Griffin added three kills, one ace serve, and one set assist. Madala Hanson had five digs and two set assists. Maya Heinitz finished with five digs, Josie Baumberger had four, and Whitney Warwick had three. Brianna Griffin had two kills.

St Mary will host Estelline/Hendricks on Thursday, October 7th.

Quarrier Cheer Team Competes at Brandon Valley

October 5, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier competitive cheer team competed at the Brandon Valley Invite on Tuesday, October 5th. Nineteen teams competed in the invite, six of those were Class A teams.

Dell Rapids finished 11th overall with a total score of 180.5. That score was third among the Class A teams. Sioux Valley finished fourth overall and first out of the A teams with 262.5 points. Platte-Geddes finished just ahead of Dell Rapids with 184 points. Bon Homme had 173 points, Parkston 172 points, and Dakota Valley finished with 164 points.

O’Gorman was first overall with 268 points. Sioux Falls Roosevelt had 265.5 points, and Harrisburg had 263 points.

Dell Rapids will travel to Platte on Saturday, October 16th for their next meet.

Quarriers Face #2 Dakota Valley

October 5, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids Quarrier volleyball team traveled to Dakota Valley to play the #2 Panthers on Monday, October 4th.

The Panthers won the first set 25-13. Dakota Valley held a 17-9 lead in the second set, but Dell Rapids cut the lead to 22-17. The Panthers closed out the second set on a 3-1 run for a 25-18 win. Dell Rapids got out to a 16-8 lead in the third set. Dakota Valley rallied to tie the set 21-21 and then scored the last four points for a 25-21 set and match win.

Kenzie Garry had seven kills, six digs, and two ace serves. Sophi Randall finished with six kills, two blocks, 11 digs, and six set assists. Lauryn Koth added three kills, 11 blocks, and three digs. Riley Hill had two ace serves, four blocks, 11 digs, and 11 set assists. JoJo Henry had two kills, two ace serves, and 11 digs. Kylee Fiddelke had three kills, and Emma Molskness had three digs.

Dell Rapids will host Vermillion on Tuesday, October 5th.

St Mary Falls to Castlewood in Road Volleyball Match

October 5, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal volleyball team fell to the Castlewood Warriors on the road on Monday, October 4th. The Warriors won in straight sets by scores of 25-21, 27-25, and 25-12. The Warriors rallied in the second set after trailing late to win and carried the momentum into the third set win.

Courtney Brown finished with nine kills and 19 digs. Maya Heinitz added four kills, 14 digs, and two ace serves. Ella Griffin also had four kills along with six set assists, two digs, and an ace serve. Addy Gilbert finished with three kills and three digs. Brianna Lindeman had five kills, seven set assists, and two ace serves. Jacey Tebay had six ace serves. Madala Hanson tallied seven set assists. Whitney Warwick finished with seven digs, and Josie Baumberger had five digs.

The Cardinals will host Garretson on Tuesday, October 5th and then Estelline/Hendricks on Thursday, October 7th.

LaDonna Christensen

October 4, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

LaDonna Christensen, 89, of Dell Rapids, passed away on Friday, October 1, 2021 at the Dells Nursing and Rehab Center. Her funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 in Quarry Rock Church, Dell Rapids. Visitation will begin on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. with the family present from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Kahler-Brende Funeral Home. www.kahlerfh.com

LaDonna Lou Andersen was born on March 17, 1932 at Madison, SD, the daughter of John and Sena (Nielsen) Anderson. She grew up on a farm near Colman. She attended school in Colman and graduated from Colman High School in 1950. She married Lauren Christensen on August 30, 1951 at the Trent Baptist Church. After their marriage the couple made their home on a farm near Dell Rapids and began farming together. They grew hybrid seed corn for 28 years. They fazed out of farming and moved into Dell Rapids in 1994.

She was active in the Trent Baptist Church and the ladies circle until retiring and moving to Dell Rapids. She was then an active member of Quarry Rock Church. LaDonna and Lauren entertained numerous groups from Lifescapes, School for the Deaf and Dakota Abilities on their acreage on the river near Trent.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one infant grandson, Jason John.

LaDonna is survived by her husband of 70 years, Lauren; her sons, Rob and Paul and her granddaughters, Cara and Dana; great-grandchildren , Brayden and Avery.

Memorials maybe directed to the Jason John Scholarship at the University of Sioux Falls.

Dell Rapids Softball Finishes Second at State Tournament

October 3, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

Photo taken and used with permission by Julie Wynja

The Dell Rapids high school club softball team finished as the 2021 South Dakota Class B Runner-Up after seven games on Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday, October 3rd in Sioux Falls.

West Central 11, Dell Rapids 0

Dell Rapids was the fourth seed in the tournament and opened the tournament against West Central on Saturday. West Central scored four times in the first inning and rolled from there scoring two more in the third inning and five more in the sixth. Dell Rapids was held to just four hits in the game. Lexi Ingalls, Claire Wynja, Kenzie Garry, and Jaycee Tebay all had singles in the game. Katie Kvigne pitched one inning allowing four runs, all unearned, on three hits with one walk and one strikeout. Kya Alderson pitched five innings allowing seven runs, all unearned, on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 18, Lennox 2

Having lost the opening game, Dell Rapids had to play through the loser’s bracket the rest of the tournament. That journey started with an 18-2 win over Lennox. Dell Rapids scored 10 times in the first inning, two in the second, and six in the third while belting 14 hits. Ingalls had four hits and an RBI. Wynja had two hits, a home run and double, and five RBIs. Katie Scherff had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs. Alderson had two hits and two RBIs. Rileigh Foster also had two hits and two RBIs. Tebay finished with a triple and single with an RBI. Garry also added an RBI. Alderson pitched three innings allowing two earned runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout.

Dell Rapids 14, Baltic 2

The first of five games on Sunday started with a 14-2 win over Baltic. Baltic had a 2-1 lead after the first inning. Dell Rapids tied the game top of the third on an RBI single by Garry. Dell Rapids then exploded for 12 runs in the fourth for the win. Garry had three hits, one a double, and three RBIs. Ingalls had three hits, one a home run, and two RBIs. Wynja had a double and single with two RBIs. Alderson also had a double and a single with two RBIs. Kylie Lebahn had a hit and an RBI. Foster and Scherff both had singles. Alderson pitched three innings allowing two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Kvigne pitched an inning striking out one batter.

Dell Rapids 15, Douglas 4

Dell Rapids scored 12 runs over the first two innings for an early 12-0 run on their way to a 15-4 win over Douglas in their second game on Sunday. Scherff finished with three singles and two RBIs. Foster had two hits and four RBIs. Haileigh Barnhart had two hits, one a home run, and three RBIs. Ingalls had two singles and two RBIs. Wynja had a double and single and an RBI. Garry added a single and two RBIs. Tebay and Alderson both had a hit. Kvigne pitched four innings allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 19, Sturgis 8

Dell Rapids and Sturgis combined for 27 runs and 29 hits in a 19-8 win for Dell Rapids. Strugis led 3-1 after the first inning, but Dell Rapids scored the next 14runs for a 15-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth. Sturgis scored four times in the fourth for a 15-7 score. Dell Rapids added four runs in the fifth, and Strugis scored once. Wynja had four hits, two home runs and two doubles, along with 10 RBIs. Ingalls had three hits, one a double. Garry finished with a home run and a single with three RBIs. Foster had two singles and two RBIs. Scherff had a double and single with two RBIs. Tebay had two hits, one double, with an RBI. Alderson had a single and RBI, and Barnhart had a single. Alderson pitched all five innings allowing eight runs, seven earned, on 12 hits with two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids 9, Tea 1

Dell Rapids scored nine straight runs over the first three innings in a 9-1 win over Tea to put them into the championship game. Tebay had a home run and triple with two RBIs. Wynja had a double and single with three RBIs. Scherff finished with two hits. Foster had a single and two RBIs. Ingalls added a double and an RBI. Lebahn had a single, and Barnhart had an RBI. Alderson earned the win pitching five innings allowing an unearned run on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

West Central 10, Dell Rapids 0

In the fifth game of the day, Dell Rapids met West Central for the second time in the tournament, this time for the championship. West Central scored six first inning runs and added four more in the next two innings. Dell Rapids was held to just three hits in the game. Wynja had two of the three hits, while Lebahn had the other. Alderson pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing nine runs, eight earned, on eight hits with a walk and strikeout. Kvigne pitched 1 2/3 innings allowing an earned run on three hits with two strikeouts.

Dell Rapids finished the season with a 13-4 overall record. All four losses on the season were to West Central, two in the regular season and two in the state tournament.

West Central Softball Wins Sixth Straight State Title

October 3, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The West Central high school club softball team won their sixth straight Class B state title on Sunday, October 3rd. The Trojans won all five of their games without allowing a single run all tournament long.

West Central 8, Dakota Valley 0

The first game was on Saturday, October 2nd. West Central earned an 8-0 win over Dakota Valley. The Trojans scored two runs in the first, four in the third, and two more in the fourth for the win. Dakota Valley was held to just two hits. Caitlyn Hoff had two home runs and four RBIs in the game. Emillee Stofferahn had two hits and two RBIs. Izzi Parsons also had two hits. Jocelyn Nilson finished with a double. McKenna Sichmeller had a hit and two RBIs, and Sammie Mallinger and Addy Kramer both had a single. Mallinger pitched five innings allowing two hits while striking out 14 batters.

West Central 11, Dell Rapids 0

The second game on Saturday was an 11-0 win over Dell Rapids. West Central scored four times in the top of the first and four more in the top of the third. They put the game away with a five-run sixth inning. The Trojans belted 11 hits and took advantage of seven Dell Rapids errors. Stofferahn had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI. Hanna Raeethz had two hits and four RBIs. Grace Harden and Sichmeller both had two hits. Hoff had a hit and an RBI, and Nilson had a hit. Mallinger pitched all six innings allowing just four hits with 13 strikeouts.

West Central 8, Sturgis 0

The final game on Saturday was against Sturgis. West Central scored again in the first inning, scoring two times. They added two more in the second for a 4-0 lead. The Trojans then had a two-run fifth inning and two-run sixth inning for an 8-0 win. Sturgis had just one hit in the game. Hoff had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs. Harden had two hits, one a double. Stofferahn had a double and two RBIs. Kramer finished with a hit and two RBIs, and Caitlyn Maa had a single. Mallinger pitched six more innings allowing just one hit with 17 more strikeouts.

West Central 7, Tea 0

West Central used a six-run first inning to defeat Tea 7-0 in the semifinals on Sunday, October 3rd. The final run came in the sixth inning for West Central. Mallinger again only allowed one hit while striking out 13 batters. Mallinger also had three hits in the game, including a home run, and two RBIs. Hoff had two hits and an RBI. Harden and Parsons both had two singles each. Nilson had a hit and RBI. Kramer finished with a single, and Sichmeller had an RBI.

West Central 10, Dell Rapids 0

The Trojans met Dell Rapids again in the championship game. Another six-run first inning set the tone for West Central. They added three more in the second and another run in the third as the game ended after four innings. Mallinger had three hits, two of those doubles, and an RBI. Stofferahn had a double and home run with three RBIs. Nilson had two doubles and two RBIs. Maa added two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Kramer also had a home run and two RBIs. Harden had a double, and Hoff had a single. Mallinger won her fifth game on the mound allowing only two hits while striking out nine.

Mustangs Fall to Wagner in Saturday Match

October 3, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Tri-Valley Mustang volleybal team hosted Wagner in a Saturday afternoon match on October 2nd. Wagner won the first two sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-18. Tri-Valley got a set win 25-21, but Wagner won the fourth set 25-19 to win the match.

Erica Bicknase finished with a team-high 11 kills. Lauren Grinde had nine kills and a block. Jenna Hanson finished with 15 digs and an ace serve. Hannah West added 14 digs. Ally Haga had three ace serves. Megan Wenzel led the team with three blocks. Nevaeh Grann tallied 18 set assists, and Brookelyn Stieben had 16 assists.

Tri-Valley will travel to Chester on Tuesday, October 5th.

Cardinals Strong in All Phases in Win over Redhawks

October 3, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinals was strong in all aspects of the game in a 52-0 over the Estelline/Hendricks Redhawks on Saturday, October 2nd. The Cardinals scored on every offensive possession, and the defense held the Redhawks to just 15 yards of total offense.

St Mary scored two times in the first quarter. Nic Gaspar scored on an 18-yard run with 6:20 to go in the quarter. CJ Smith had a 52-yard touchdown pass to Ty Brown with 3:56 in the quarter, and the Cardinals led 14-0 at the first quarter break.

The Cardinals then scored four more touchdowns in the second quarter. Gaspar had a 37-yard touchdown run with 10:56 to go. Brown followed with a 22 yard touchdown run at the midway point of the second quarter. Lucas Flemmer added a touchdown at thee 2:36 mark on a 32-yard run. Anthony Geraets got a three-yard touchdown run with only :36 left in the half. St Mary converted on all four two-point conversion attempts as well for a 46-0 halftime lead.

The game came to an end after the first St Mary offense possession of the second half. Camden Gilbert got the final score of the game on a one-yard run with 4:41 left in the third quarter.

St Mary finished with 346 yards of total offense, 279 rushing yards and 67 passing yards. Flemmer had 11 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. Gaspar had five carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Brown finished with six carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. Gilbert had 29 rushing yards with a touchdown, and Geraets had 17 yards and a touchdown.

Smith was 1-2 passing for 52 yards and a touchdown. Owen Vargas was 1-1 passing for 16 yards. Brown had the 52-yard touchdown catch. Gilbert had the 16-yard reception from Vargas.

Noah Olund led the team in tackles with 6.5. Gabe Lindeman and John Pica both had three tackles. Brown also had three tackles and an interception. Gaspar had a sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery.

Head coach Ross Flemmer said, “I felt our offensive line did a good job opening holes, and our backs did a good job hitting them. We passed the ball efficiently which led to some big plays. Defensively our defensive line did a great job, and our defense as a whole did a great job the whole game. The kids played hard and took care of business.”

The Cardinals will have a bye week next week. Their next game will be Homecoming on Friday, October 15th.

Vermillion Snaps Quarrier Four-Game Winning Streak

October 2, 2021 by Matt Larson, Big Sioux Media

The Vermillion Tanagers pulled off an upset over the Dell Rapids Quarriers in Dell Rapids on Friday, October 1st. The Tanagers took the lead on the last play of the first quarter and held on for a 33-28 victory.

Dell Rapids struck first when Will Jaton intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown from 17 yards away with 9:10 to play in the opening quarter. Vermillion fumbled the ball away on their next possession. The Quarriers were unable to capitalize on the second turnover, and that’s about when the momentum shifted to Vermillion.

The Tanagers tied the game, 7-7, after a one yard touchdown run with 2:22 to go in the first quarter. After a Dell Rapids punt, Vermillion scored on an 85-yard touchdown pass as time expired on the first quarter giving the Tanagers a 14-7 lead. The Quarries tied the game with 2:00 left in the second half when Austin Henry connected with Landon Ruesink for a 45-yard touchdown pass. Vermillion, however, scored again with :13 to go in the half on a 50-yard pass. The extra point was no good, and the Tangers led 20-14 at halftime.

Dell Rapids took the kickoff to start the second half, but fumbled on the first offensive play of the third quarter. The Tanagers turned that into another touchdown and led 26-14 with 11:28 to play in the third quarter. The Vermillion defense got the ball back on a turnover on downs and then scored again with 6:01 remaining in the quarter for a 33-14 lead.

The Quarriers put together a fourth-quarter rally. Henry and Ruesink connected on a 17-yard touchdown with 11:40 to play in the game. The two-point conversion was good, and Dell Rapids cut the lead to 33-22. The Dell Rapids defense forced a punt, and on the next drive the Quarriers scored again. Henry and Ruesink completed their third touchdown pass, this time from 25 yards away. Dell Rapids cut the lead to 33-28, after the failed two-point conversion, with 5:26 to go.

Dell Rapid’s defense got one more stop, a turnover on downs with 2:01 to play. The Quarriers drove the ball to the Vermillion 35-yard line. With final seconds ticking off the clock and facing fourth down, Henry threw a pass to the back corner of the end zone for Aiden Boechler, but the pass fell incomplete. Vermillion was able to take a knee to run the final second off the clock for the win.

Dell Rapids finished with 359 yards of total offense, 114 rushing yards and 245 passing yards. Vermillion had 411 yards of offense, 266 rushing yards and 145 passing yards. The Quarriers were 7-14 on third down attempts, and 1-4 on fourth down.

Sutton Williams had five carries for 40 yards. Henry had 14 carries for 38 yards, and Ruesink had 13 carries for 30 yards. Henry was 13-24 passing for 245 yards and three touchdowns. Ruesink had seven catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns. Braden Fersdahl had three catches 59 yards.

Mason Stubbe led the defense with 10 tackles in the game. Ian Mason had eight tackles. Jaton finished with seven tackles and an interception. Aiden Geraets added six tackles.

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