By Andrew Holtan
The Brookings Beacon
Brookings, Sioux Valley and Elkton-Lake Benton all lost on Friday night.
The Bobcats fell 42-25 to No. 2 ranked Tea Area. The Cossacks lost to No. 1 ranked Elk Point-Jefferson 36-20 and the Elks lost to No. 2 ranked Castlewood 35-12.
Tea Area 42, Brookings 25
TEA – Tea Area went up 21-0 in the first half and didn’t look back on Friday night.
The Titans scored on their first offensive play from scrimmage as Mitch Grant connected with Lane Sieber for a 65-yard bomb to make it 7-0 with 10:04 to go in the first quarter.
Grant threw another long touchdown with 5:25 to go in the first. This time he avoided a rush and heaved it down the field. Grant McKnelly caught the pass between two Bobcats and then ran into the end zone for a 54-yard score to make it 14-0.
Grant then ran it in for the Titans’ third touchdown as he worked his way into the end zone from seven yards out to make it 14-0 with 1:13 to play in the opening quarter.
Brookings got on the board before halftime as Caden Walsh scored from four yards out to make it 21-7 with two minutes left in the first half. That score remained until halftime.
Hayden Bialas then punched in a touchdown from two yards out to extend Tea’s lead to 28-7 with 5:37 to go in the third. Brookings would answer with a long touchdown as Baker Hanson found Ezra Eidem behind the defense for a 43-yard score. The extra point was blocked so it was 28-13 with 4:10 to go in the third.
Grant threw his third touchdown of the game on the Titans next drive as he connected with Lucas Randall for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 35-13 with one minute to go in the third.
Brookings would score on another long play on the final play of the third. Hanson threw a short pass to Eidem and he broke a tackle and then was off to the races for a 67-yard score. The Bobcats failed to convert the two-point conversion and it was 35-19 heading into the final quarter.
Tea extended the lead to 42-19 with a 28-yard touchdown run from Beau Werdel with 5:32 in the game. Brookings scored one more time before the end of the game as Hanson found Jennings Huntimer for a 59-yard touchdown. Brookings failed on the two-point conversion, making the final score 42-25.
The Bobcats are now 0-6. Brookings plays at Yankton this upcoming Friday at 7 p.m. The Bobcats will then close out the season with back-to-back home games against Pierre and Aberdeen Central.
Elk Point Jefferson 36, Sioux Valley 20
ELK POINT – The Huskies outscored the Cossacks 14-0 in the second quarter and that proved to be the difference on Friday night.
EPJ opened the scoring with a 79-yard touchdown run from Brody Van Roekel 50 seconds into the game. The Cossacks got on the board with a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown from Holdyn Ruesink. Sioux Valley failed on the two-point conversion and trailed 7-6 with 2:17 to go in the opening quarter.
Van Roekel extended the lead to 14-6 with just under 10 minutes to go in the first half as he found the end zone from 10 yards out. Like Swatek then ran in a touchdown from 15 yards out and the Huskies took a 21-6 lead into the locker room.
The lead grew to 28-6 with 9:06 left in the third as Van Roekel found the end zone from 15 yards out. Sioux Valley cut the lead to 28-12 with 24 seconds left in the third as Wyatt Hardt found Ashton Warne for a 20-yard touchdown. The Cossacks failed to get the two-point conversion.
Aiden Hammitt got in on the scoring for the Huskies 37 seconds into the fourth as he ran in a 27-yard touchdown. Blake Trudeau ran in the two-point conversion to make it 36-12.
Hardt scored the final touchdown for the Cossacks with a 27-yard run with 3:11 to go in the game. Ethan Hemmestad ran in the two-point conversion to make the final score 36-20.
The Cossacks dropped to 2-4 on the season. They play Parker/Marion at home this upcoming Friday at 7 p.m. Sioux Valley is in 10th place in the Class 11B standings.
Castlewood 35, Elkton-Lake Benton 12
ELB trailed 20-12 going into the final quarter but then the Warriors outscored the Elks 15-0 in the final 12 minutes.
ELB broke a 0-0 tie in the second quarter with a 35-yard touchdown from Adam Kinner to Brock Johnson. The Elks failed to convert on the two-point conversion so it was 6-0.
Castlewood then tied the game with a 24-yard touchdown run from Kamden Keszler. The extra point was missed so the score remained 6-6. Keszler then put the Warriors in front with another touchdown in the second quarter. This one was from three yards out. The extra point was blocked so it was 12-6 at halftime.
Caden Crofutt tied the game with an 18-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Elks failed on the two-point conversion so it was 12-12. Keszler scored another touchdown later in the third to give the Warriors back the lead. This time it was with his arm though as he found Spencer Ries for a 15-yard score. The Warriors got the two-point conversion and it was 20-12 going into the fourth.
Keszler would score two more times in the final quarter. He had rushing touchdowns of five and four yards and the Warriors got the two-point conversions each time. That made the final 36-12.
ELB is now 2-5 this season. They’ll close out the regular season with a home game against Alcester-Hudson this Friday at 7 p.m.. The Elks are in 17th place in the Class 9A standings right now.
