Yankton Defeats Governors 37-0

It was Senior Parent night in Pierre as the Governors hosted undefeated and #1 ranked Yankton in a featured South Dakota 11AA game.  Unfortunately, Pierre was never able to get things going against the Bucks as Yankton dominated the game in winning 37-0.

Mason Strahl hit Evan Greenway for a 22-yard touchdown pass to give Yankton an early 7-0 lead which held to the end of the first quarter.  Short touchdown runs by Jordan Lightner and Sheldon Gant extended the Yankton lead to 20-0 at halftime. It was more of the same in the second half as Yankton rolled to the easy victory with Strahl passing to Lightner for a 31-yard touchdown pass and Coleton James scoring on a TD run.

While Yankton turned in a strong performance, dropped passes and five penalties hurt Pierre’s effort.

Isaiah Watson led the Pierre offense with 61 yards rushing on 10 carries.

Pierre (3-3) travels next Friday night to Brandon Valley to face the Lynx while Yankton (7-0) hosts Harrisburg.

More pics here.

Governor ‘D’

Jace Jerome

Brevin Kaiser

Governor 9th Graders Defeat Winner 22-16

The Pierre Governor 9th grade football team displayed a lot of heart in defeating their foes from Winner 22-16 in an exciting game at Hollister Field.  After falling behind early, the Governors made key plays at important times of the game on their way to a rewarding home win against the JV squad from Winner.

For most of the first half, the teams battled back and forth between the 20-yard lines as neither side was able to mount a sustained drive.  With 2:47 to play in the half, Winner took advantage of a mistake by Pierre when they intercepted a Peyton Zabel pass near midfield and were able to return it all the way for a touchdown and an 8-0 lead. Pierre responded quickly though on their ensuing possession, needing less than two minutes to take the ball right down the field to score on a short slant pass from Zabel to Hudson Rohrbach to tie the game at 8-8 heading into the half time break.

Pierre kept the momentum to start the second half, putting together a nice drive on their first possession capped off by Daniel Magee’s 14-yard touchdown run to give the home team a 16-8.  The score remain unchanged until midway through the 4th quarter.  Pierre was stopped on 4th and one on their own 35-yard line, turning the ball over on downs.  Winner was able to take advantage of the short field, scoring on third down from just inches out to tie the game at 16 with 4:32 remaining in the game.  Once again, the determined Pierre team responded by putting together another nice drive ending with Magee’s game winning second rushing touchdown, this time from 3 yards out to put the Governors ahead again at 22-16 with :31 to play.  Winner made a last ditch attempt, but Jaxon Yackley intercepted a desperation pass on the last play of the game to seal the victory for the Governors.

More game photos here.

Hudson Rohrbach

Daniel Magee

Peyton Zabel

Pierre Hosts Middle School Football Jamboree

Future high school football stars were featured at the Middle School Football Jamboree in Pierre on Saturday.  In addition to two Pierre teams, squads from Chamberlain, Mobridge/Pollock, Winner, Todd County, Crow Creek and Pierre Indian Learning Center also participated.  Round robin games were played in two divisions, with a final “King of the Hill” game in each.

More photos from a few of the games here.

Stanley County Drops Homecoming Game to New Underwood

The Stanley County Buffaloes fell to 1-3 on the season after losing to New Underwood (3-1) 48-22 at home on homecoming night in Ft Pierre.

After stopping the Buffs on their opening drive, New Underwood got good field position on a short punt following a snap over the punter’s head.  They immediately took the lead on their first play from scrimmage when QB Brandon Koch scored on a 42-yard run to give the Tigers the early 8-0.  Stanley County responded with a nice drive of their own, scoring on a 39-yard pass play from Colton Drageset to Cutter Gillespie to even the score at 8-8.  After New Underwood took a 16-8 lead on a 2-yard run, Stanley County again fought back, this time on a nice 66-yard TD run by Michael Scott.  The Tigers appeared to be driving towards another touchdown when Drageset stepped in front of pass and returned the interception all the way to the Tigers’ 25-yard with 1:08 to play in the half.  The Buffaloes were able to get down to the 5-yard line before New Underwood held at the end of the half with the teams tied 16-16.

New Underwood began to take control in the second half when Koch scored again, this time from 12 yards out to put New Underwood ahead for good at 24-16.  The Tigers doubled the lead in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard run from Justin Oberlander to make the score 32-16.  Following a long punt return, Nick Baker scored from 6 yards out to extend the lead to 40-16.  Stanley County didn’t give up though and Drageset scampered in from 15 yards out to pull with 18 at 40-22, but the Tigers added another late touchdown by Koch from 43 yards out to make the final score 48-22.

Koch lead the Tigers on offense, rushing for224 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns.  For the Buffaloes, Scott had 106 yards on 13 carries.

New Underwood hosts Wall next week, while Stanley County is at Jones County next Friday night.

More game photos here.

Michael Scott

Colton Drageset

 

Governors Lose Homecoming Heartbreaker in OT

It was a tough end to homecoming week in Pierre as the Governors fell 26-23 in overtime to the Sioux Falls O’Gorman Knights in a great high school football game.

The Knights got on the board first, scoring on a 56-yard long pass play by Knight QB Luke Fritsch to Ben Johnson to take an early 6-0 lead.  But Pierre bounced right back on a Luke Snyder 73 yard run to retake the lead at 7-6.  Snyder had another big night on the ground, leading the Governor offense with 132 yards rushing on 15 carries.  The Governors extended their lead when QB Brevin Kaiser scrambled in from 10 yards to put Pierre up 14-6, while a tough Governor defense came up with an interception and fumble recovery in the second quarter to maintain the 8 point lead at halftime.

Pierre added a Peter Sanchez field goal early in the third quarter to extend the lead to 17-6, but then O’Gorman began to show why they are perennial championship contenders.  Fritsch ran it in from 15 yards out to make it 17-12, then Gunnar Sommervold gave the Knights their first lead at 20-17 on a 4 yard TD run.

With about 7:00 to play, O’Gorman took over possession at their own 25 and started a long, time-consuming drive that ultimately stalled deep in Pierre territory with 2:19 to play.  Pierre took over with one last chance, driving down the field with the arm and legs of Kaiser leading a well-executed two-minute offense.  With 10 seconds to play, Sanchez’s 37-yard field goal was just barely long enough to tie the score and send the game to overtime.

Pierre had the first possession in overtime and had to settle for another Sanchez field to make the score 23-20.  On O’Gorman’s possession, Fritsch ran it in from 5 yards out on third down to give the Knights the 26-23 victory.

Pierre (2-2) travels to Huron on Friday to take on the winless Tigers (0-3).  O’Gorman (3-1) will host Yankton, whose game with Aberdeen Central was suspended due to lightning.

More homecoming game night pics here.

 

Connor Shoop with the tackle on Luke Fritsch

Luke Snyder

Brevin Kaiser

Governors Defeat RC Central 21-12

After a tough season opening loss to Watertown 17-7, the Pierre Governors rebounded with a solid effort at home by beating Rapid City Central 21-12.

Luke Snyder had an outstanding performance in leading the Pierre offense, rushing 27 times for 210 yards and a touchdown.  Snyder scored on a 57-yard first quarter run to give the Governors a 7-0 lead they would never relinquish.  After a Rapid City field goal cut the lead to 7-3, Payton Jones forced a Cobbler fumble which was recovered by Pierre.  Layne Hohn plowed in from one yard out on fourth down to put Pierre ahead 14-3.  Another Central field goal made the half-time score 14-6.

Pierre seemed to put the game away early in the fourth quarter when Hohn ran in from 13-yards out to up the lead to 21-6.  But Rapid City didn’t give up, coming back to score their only touchdown.  The failed PAT keep the Pierre lead at nine, 21-12.  Rapid City again drove down the field later in the quarter, but a completed pass was fumbled at the goal line and recovered by the Governors to secure the victory.

Next action for Pierre (1-1) is Saturday when they travel to Mitchell to face the Kernels in a 5 p.m. game. 

Payton Jones

Luke Snyder

Brevin Kaiser

Canton Defeats Parkston for 11B Championship

The Canton C-Hawks avenged their only lose of the season by defeating Parkston 20-14 to win the 11B State Championship.  Parkston had beaten Canton 21-14 early in the season.

Parkston got on the board first on a 32-yard scoring pass to Brady Reiff from Josh Rands.  The C-Hawks responded with a 15-yard touchdown from Kyler Kniffen and the teams went to the half time break tied 7-7.

Canton took the lead late in the third quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Austin Schruers.  When Tanner Broughton scored from 1 yard out midway through the final quarter, Canton seemed to have the game in hand.  However, Parkston didn’t give up, scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run by Austin Bertram with 1:25 to play.  The onside kick was unsuccessful and Canton was able to run out the clock for the championship.

Gabe Dolen led the Canton rushing attack with 97 yards on 16 carries.  Quarterback Cody Majeres completed 5 of 6 passes for 102 yards.  Eli Ripley had two catches for 56 yards.

For Parkston, Wes Dvorak had 73 yards on the ground on only 6 carries.  Zach Scott completed 3 of 7 passes for 46 yards.  Reiff had to catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, David Voorhees and Mitch Heisinger each were in on 9 tackles for Parkston, while Majeres had 7 for Canton.

More game photos here.

Cody Majeres

Gabe Dolen

Mitch Heisinger

Wes Dvorak

Governors Headed to 11AA Championship Game Following 45-13 Win Over Harrisburg

The Pierre Governors’ march to a possible state championship continued on Friday night with an easy 45-13 win over the Harrisburg Tigers in the 11AA semi-finals.  On a night the Governors turned in a strong team effort, there were also two individual school records broken.

The Governors were only able to get one first down on their opening drive, but Harrisburg mishandled the punt and the Governors recovered with good field position.  Pierre took advantage of the early break when Ethan Case scored from 5-yards out to give the Governors an early 7-0 lead.  On their next possession, a great catch by receiver Austin Christopherson, going up between two defenders to make the grab, set the home team up for another Case touchdown and Pierre led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Governors as they piled on 17 more points for a 31-0 lead at the half.  Alex Gray hit Christopherson on a 1 yard slant pattern on 4th down to make the score 21-0.  A 22-yard scoring strike from Gray to Garrett Pochop followed by a Pochop field goal from 25 yards put the game away by halftime.

In the second half, Pierre got another rushing touchdown from Case plus a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Brevin Kaiser to Greene for their final points of the night.

Pierre’s outstanding quarterback Alex Gray broke Scott Rislov’s single game passing record with 310 yards through the air.  Nine of those completions went to Garrett Pochop for a new school record 187 yards, breaking the mark established held by Jesse Ahlers.

Pierre’s victory sends them to the DakotaDome in Vermillion for the 11AA state championship game next Friday where they will face Watertown, a team they beat 35-24 in the first game of the season.  Watertown defeated Yankton 32-14 in the other semi-final game.

More game photos here.

Garrett Pochop

Ethan Case

Alex Gray

AC Christopherson

Pierre Rolls Over Brookings 59-19 in First Round 11AA Playoffs

The Pierre Governors continued to impress with their easy first round playoff victory over the Brookings Bobcats by the score of 59-19 in Pierre on Thursday night.

In a game never in doubt, Pierre took the opening kickoff and marched smartly down the field to take an early 7-0 lead on Ethan Case’s 2-yard touchdown run.  After holding Brookings to three plays and punt, Pierre again drove for a touchdown on an 11-yard run by quarterback Alex Gray to make the score 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.  The Governor scoring onslaught continued early in the second period when Gray hit Garrett Pochop for a 19-yard touchdown making the score 21-0.  After a Brookings touchdown to pull to within 14, Gray dove over from one yard out with seconds remaining in the half and the teams went to the break with Pierre leading 28-7.

On the first play of the second half, Brookings scored on an 80-yard touchdown pass to narrow the lead to 28-13.  But it was all Pierre from there as Case scored on another TD run, this time from 15 yards out.  Layne Hohn followed with a 2-yard touchdown run and Pochop’s 34-yard touchdown run gave the Governors an insurmountable 49-13 lead.  Brookings managed a late touchdown on a 25-yard pass, but a 34-yard field goal and late touchdown run by Jace Jerome led to the final score.

Once again Gray led the Governor offense, passing for 221 yards and a touchdown while rushing for two more scores.  Case led the rushing attack with 141 yards.  To go with his field goal, Pochop was 8-8 on PTAs, caught one touchdown pass and ran for another.

The Governors advance to round two of the playoffs where they host Harrisburg next Friday night, with the winner advancing to the 11AA championship game in the DakotaDome on November 15th.  Harrisburg advanced with a 27-21 overtime win over Huron.

More game photos here.

Ethan Case

Alex Gray

Garrett Pochop

Governors Blast Aberdeen Central 41-21

In what amounted to a tune up for next week’s first round playoff game, the Pierre Governors easily handled Aberdeen Central 41-21 on Senior Parent Night in Pierre Thursday.   The win gave the Governors a final season record of 7-1.  The Governors’ only loss came in Yankton, a team they’d like to exact revenge on in the playoffs.

The game was not nearly as close as the score might indicate as the Governors registered touchdowns on their first four possessions of the game and led 26-0 at the end of the first quarter.  Alex Gray hit Garrett Pochop on a 29-year scoring strike on the Governors’ first possession.  Ethan Case than ran it in from 6 yards out to make it 13-0.  Gray struck again, this time to AC Christopherson from 20 yards out, then added a touchdown himself on a 7 yard run to end the first quarter scoring explosion.

Pierre added to their lead with a second quarter Gray to Matt Green 9 yard touchdown pass.  On their first possession of the second half, Pierre’s Gray hit Pochop for another touchdown pass, this one from one yard out, and with a 41-0 lead the Governors began substituting freely.  The second team struggle in giving up three touchdowns, including one on a blocked punt, to allow Aberdeen Central to climb back to within three touchdowns for a final score of 41-21.

Gray passed for 201 yards on the night, with 96 of those going to Pochop and 76 to Christopherson. Case led the rushing attack with 127 yards on 14 carries.

The Governors will host a first round 11AA playoff game next Thursday night against Brookings (3-5).

More game photos here.

Alex Gray

Garrett Pochop