The quest to repeat as 11A champions started on Friday, August 25th for the Dell Rapids Quarrier football team. Dell Rapids started the 2023 season with a big home win over the Madison Bulldogs 44-13.
Mason Stubbe started the season off with a bang, rumbling for a 73-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the game. Stubbe also scored the two-point conversion for an early 8-0 lead. The Bulldogs responded with a 12-play, five minute drive scoring on a two-yard pass play. The extra point was good which cut the lead to 8-7. It was all Dell Rapids from that point forward.
Jack Henry connected with Cole Ruesink on a 24-yard pass play with 3:36 to go in the first quarter making the score 14-7. Ruesink added a 51-yard rushing touchdown just before the end of the first quarter. A made two-point conversion gave Dell Rapids a 22-7 lead. The defense put two points on the board with a safety at the 10:37 mark of the second quarter. Stubbe had his second rushing touchdown of the game on an eight-yard carry with 8:36 left in the half. The Quarriers led 30-7 at halftime.
Stubbe and Ruesink each had a rushing touchdown in the third quarter. Stubbe scored on a 31-yard run with 8:49 left in the quarter. Ruesink scored three and a half minutes later on a 29-yard run giving Dell Rapids a 44-7 lead. The Bulldogs got a touchdown pass in the final seconds of the game.
Game Stats
Dell Rapids finished with 480 yards of total offense, 372 rushing yards and 108 passing yards. Madison finished with 213 yards of offense, 62 rushing yards and 151 passing yards. The Quarrier defense also recorded six sacks in the game.
Stubbe had nine carries for 174 yards and three touchdowns. Ruesink had eight carries for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Sutton Williams had five carries and 34 yards. Henry was 7-10 passing for 108 yards with a touchdown and interception. Ruesink had four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. Stubbe had two catches for 58 yards, and. Tad Tjaden had a catch for 12 yards.
Aiden Geraets had a total of nine tackles with a sack and an interception to lead the defense. Treyse Eastman added seven tackles and 2.5 sacks. Stubbe had six tackles. Brandon Schmidt finished with five tackles and 1.5 sacks. Quinn Carr finished with three tackles and a sack. Ruesink, Kenny Swanson, and Ben Veldkamp all had three tackles each.
