The Dell Rapids St Mary Cardinal football team saw their 2024 season come to an end in the 9B semifinals on Friday, November 8th. The Faulkton Trojans advanced to the championship game with a 48-22 win over the Cardinals.
The first half was full of action. The Trojans electrified the home crowd with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to start the game. After St Mary turned the ball over on downs, Faulkton scored on a 15-yard touchdown run with 7:43 left in the first quarter. Both two-point conversions were made to give the Trojans a 16-0 lead. St Mary was able to find some momentum on offense, and with 4:29 left in the quarter, Jaxon Baumberger connected with Lincoln LeBrun on a 49-yard touchdown pass. Baumberger then hit Maverick LeBrun for the two point conversion to cut the lead in half, 16-8.
Faulkton responded on their next drive. They found the end zone again with 11:50 to go in the second quarter on a 15-yard run. A successful two-point conversion extended the lead to 24-8. Trimmier Hanson scored for the Cardinals on a seven-yard touchdown run with 7:57 left in the half to make the score 24-14. St Mary then surprised the Trojans with an onside kick. The Cardinals recovered the ball, and Hanson would score on a 30-yard run with 4:17 left in the half. Baumberger and M. LeBrun connected for the two-point conversion to pull the Cardinals within two, 24-22. Faulkton would score one more time right before halftime. With :55 left, the Trojans scored on a four yard run. Another two-point conversion gave the Trojans a 32-22 lead at halftime.
St Mary received the ball to start the third quarter, but they were unable to score on their opening drive. Faulkton, however, did score on their first drive of the half. With 4:10 to play in the third quarter, the Trojans had a three-yard touchdown run and then two-point conversion for a 40-22 lead. The Cardinals next drive ended on a turnover on downs deep in Trojan territory with just :06 left in the third quarter. Faulkton’s next possession lasted over ten minutes. They scored on a four-yard run with 1:47 to play in the game. The successful two-point conversion made the score 48-22.
St Mary finished with 277 total yards of offense, 108 rushing yards and 169 passing yards. Faulkton had 300 total yards of offense, 248 rushing yards and 52 passing yards. Hanson had 15 carries for 44 yards and two touchdowns. L. LeBrun had 12 carries for 41 yards. Baumberger was 5-10 passing for 110 yards and a touchdown. Hanson was 4-7 passing for 59 yards and two interceptions. M. LeBrun had four catches for 83 yards. L. LeBrun added two catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. M. LeBrun finished with seven tackles. Kade Lutt had 6.5 tackles. Jake Kopsas, Thomas LaVoy, and Alex Lindeman all had 5.5 tackles each. Keaton Hansen had five takcles.
“The guys had a great season. They played hard against Faulkton. We just came up short. I’m very proud of the dedication and the effort that this group showed this year,” said head coach Ross Flemmer.
The Cardinals season ends with an overall record of 9-2.
