Colome and Sully Buttes played in a thrilling Class 9B football championship game, which the Cowboys won 48-42 in overtime Nov. 9, so it is fitting that the Class 9B all-state team, selected by the South Dakota High School Football Coaches Association, was led by members of both teams.
Sully Buttes featured five players while Colome had four make the team. The Chargers had quarterback Nick Wittler, running back Morris Hofer, wide receiver Grant Johnson, tight end Cam Ogle and guard Jett Lamb on offense.
For the Cowboys, running back Jackson Kinzer made the team for the second straight season, while on defense Beau Bertram made the team as a defensive end, Chase Dufek as a linebacker and Layton Thieman as a defensive back.
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Nick Wittler, Jr., 6-0, 165 Sully Buttes
The two-time all-Yellowstone Trail Conference quarterback led the Chargers to the Class 9B state title game. He went 114-of-187 through the air last season with 2,253 yards, 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ran the ball 124 times for 1,120 yards and 16 touchdowns.
“Nick called many of our plays at the line of scrimmage,” Sully Buttes coach Mark Senftner said. “Nick led a powerful offense; he has the ability to make plays running and passing. A team player, who made plays on both sides of the ball.”
Fullback
Bradan McDonnell, Sr., 6-2, 210 Wall
McDonnell was important for the Eagles on both sides of the ball, but offensively he carried the ball 71 times for 683 yards and 10 touchdowns. He added 22 receptions for 348 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game.
“Bradan is a very talented football player,” Wall coach Lex Heathershaw said. “He has worked hard to be his best and set the tone for our team, he’s our most aggressive player.”
Running back
Jackson Kinzer, Sr., 6-0, 205 Colome
Kinzer rushed for 1,400 yards on 106 carries, good for a 13.2 yards per carry average for the undefeated state champs. He also found the end zone 23 times on the ground during the season.
Jackson really stepped up as a vocal leader this year,” Colome coach Ben Connot said. “He is a very gifted athlete, and he was the guy that we relied on to run the offense at the quarterback position.”
Running back
Morris Hofer, Sr., 6-1, 200 Sully Buttes
Hofer has been named to the all-Yellowstone Trail Conference team for the past two season, and ran for 8.5 yards per carry on his way to 1,142 yards on 134 carries and 11 touchdowns.
“Morris is a playmaker,” Senftner said. “Whether he was rushing the ball or catching it out of the backfield, Morris made plays all season. He averaged 10.5 yards every time he touched the ball.”
Wide receiver
Zack Anders, Jr., 5-10, 155 Harding County
Anders set a school record with 60 receptions last season, gaining 970 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had 73 carries for 359 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Zack was our go-to guy all season,” Harding County coach Jay Wammen said. “We moved him all over the place. He had over 2,000 all purpose yards this year. He’s not the biggest wide receiver but he is definitely one of the toughest players I have ever coached. He has cat-like quickness and always seems to gain separation and get open because of his great route running skills.”
Wide receiver
Grant Johnson, Jr., 5-11, 180 Sully Buttes
Johnson got it done on both sides of the ball last season for the Chargers. He caught 32 passes for 631 yards and 11 touchdowns for a 19.7 yards per catch average on offense and had six interceptions on defense.
“Everytime we need a big play, Grant usually gets open and he has made many big catches for us this season,” Sentfner said. “Grant also leads us in interceptions with six.”
Tight end
Cam Ogle, Sr., 6-0, 215 Sully Buttes
Ogle was named to the all-Yellowstone Trail Conference team for the second straight season after catching 27 passes for 519 yards for 19.2 yards per catch and nine touchdowns.
“Cam is a difference-maker on both sides of the ball. Cam is the quarterback of the defense, he gets everyone lined up,” Sentfner said. “Cam is a great blocker. When we needed a big play in our passing game Cam usually made a great catch.”
Guard
Jett Lamb, Jr., 6-3, 270 Sully Buttes
Lamb was named to the all-Yellowstone Trail Conference team for the third straight year and led the offensive line in practice and games played.
“Jett is a big part of the success we have in our offensive and defensive lines,” Sentfner said. “He is continually working to improve all aspects of his game and he does the same with our younger players.”
Guard
Alec Landis, Sr., 6-2, 265 Colman-Egan
Landis was a big part of the offense for a Hawks team that made the Class 9B quarterfinals and finished with a record of 7-3.
“Alec was a very dominate force on our line on both sides of the ball,” Colman-Egan coach Chad Williamson said. “He led our team by his dedication to our program and by his very strong work ethic.”
Center
Alex Aesoph, Sr., 5-9, 180 Faulkton Area
Aesoph led an offensive line that helped the Trojans score 32 points a game and has been a three-year starter. He also made an impact as a linebacker last season.
“Cam is a linebacker who reads very well and is always around the football. He made a lot of solo tackles and a tackles behind the line of scrimmage,” Faulkton Area coach Shayne Geditz said. “On offense he was the anchor of our offensive line, we pulled him a lot. He is a football player who plays with a lot of emotion, is a good leader and works hard.”
DEFENSE
Defensive end
Beau Bertram, Sr., 6-5, 240 Colome
Bertram spent a lot of time in the defensive backfield for the Cowboys, recording 75 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.
“Beau has a high motor and gets after it each play,” Connot said. “He has been an emotional staple on our team the last two years. Beau is a hard worker that did a great job diversifying his ability and football skills throughout the season.”
Defensive end
Brandon Benike, Sr., 6-3, 180 Castlewood
Benike played quarterback and defensive end of Castlewood, and on the defensive side of the ball he racked up 57 tackles, four backs, forced three fumbles and had 14 tackles for loss.
“He was our best defensive end,” Castlewood coach Doug Ruesink said. “Teams ran away from Brandon, he was a four year starter at quarterback and was probably our meanest kid.”
Defensive tackle
Dane Jensen, Sr., 6-3, 240 Harding County
Jensen was a problem for offensive lines during the past season, he had 22 solo tackles and 20 assisted tackles for 42 total, recorded 12 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
“Dane is a big, strong defensive tackle. He worked extremely hard in the offseason and the results showed during his senior year,” Wammen said. “He played a lot of three technique and did his job, holding the line of scrimmage and his gap and allowing our linebackers to make plays.”
Defensive tackle
Kaleb Wells, Sr., 6-0, 190 Burke
Despite only playing eight games, Wells put up solid numbers for Burke last season. He had 56 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery and six sacks.
“Kaleb was disruptive, that is the best way to describe him,” Burke coach Mike Sebern said. “He used his quickness and aggressiveness to get penetration and make plays in the backfield.”
Linebacker
Chase Dufek, Sr., 5-8, 170 Colome
Dufek played running back and linebacker and on the defensive side of the ball he had 60 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
“Chase has been rock solid for us the past two seasons,” Connot said. “He is a big play guy with lots of energy. He really grew into his role and matured dramatically throughout the past two seasons. His stats reflecting the type of player he has become.”
Linebacker
Ty Hofer, Sr., 6-1, 205 Hitchcock-Tulare
Hofer was productive again as a senior, averaging 12.5 tackles per game for 117 total, 82 of which were solo and he had 35 tackles for loss.
“He’s the definition of a linebacker,” Hitchcock-Tulare coach Clint Nelson said. “He plays hard and physical, he never missed a practice or play in four years. He works hard in the weight room and on the field.”
Linebacker
Noah Wiersma, Sr., 6-0, 185 Castlewood
Wiersma did it all in all three phases for the Warriors, he was a productive runner, pass-catcher, kick returner, punter and kicker. On defense, he registered 111 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, two touchdowns and had 11 tackles for loss.
“A hard worker, leader and our best all-around football player,” Ruesink said of Wiersma. “He knows the game and gets in the right spot.”
Linebacker
Cash Wilson, Sr., 5-11, 160 Wall
Wilson was everywhere on defense as he helped the Eagles reach the Class 9B semifinals. He recorded 80 tackles, 13.5 came for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
“Cash was the reason our defense was good,” Heathershaw said. “His ability to read the play is great. Open field tackling and his coverage in the flats was key.”
Defensive back
Tyler Ogle, Sr., 5-11, 165 Faulkton Area
Hard work and ability made Ogle a go-to player for Faulkton on offense, defense and special teams. Defensively, he had 58 tackles, five interceptions, 18 pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.
“Defensively he played very good pass defense,” Geditz said. “ He is a good tackler, Tyler is a smart player, a good leader and works hard.”
Defensive back
Layton Thieman, Sr., 6-2, 175 Colome
Thieman was important to Colome’s state title on both sides of the ball, and defensively he finished the season with 40 tackles and four interceptions.
“Layton has been a leader for us the past two years,” Connot said. “He is a smart kid that knows his job and does it to the best of his ability. He rarely comes out for plays, even on special teams. He is a very reliable athlete.”
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
Jaxon Babb, Jr., 5-11, 195 Sunshine Bible Academy
Babb was a weapon for the Crusaders kicking the football, as he averaged 50.8 yards per kickoff on 33 kickoffs which included eight touchbacks. He was 20-of-24 on extra points and 1-of-1 on field goals.
“We have had a number of good kickers through the years, and Jaxon has the strongest leg of any I have coached,” Sunshine Bible Academy coach Jamie McClain said. “He had not played football before this season and never kicked a football before the summer preceding this season, so his progression has been quite remarkable.”
Punter
Riley Spartz, Sr., 5-11, 215 Waverly-South Shore
Spartz was able to flip the field on more than one occasion for the Coyotes, his 23 punts traveled 873 yards for a 38 yard average. He had 10 punts that traveled more than 40 yards and two that went more than 50. His long was 53 yards, he pinned six punts inside the 20-yard line and two inside the 10.
“Riley has been committed to becoming the best athlete/punter/kicker over his high school career,” Waverly-South Shore coach Nathan Lamb said. “He participated in multiple kicking/punting camps and participated, by invitation, to two showcases for punters/kickers.”
Special Teams player
Kaden Eng, Jr., 6-0, 180 Castlewood
Eng was dangerous whenever he touched the ball, especially on special teams. He returned 14 punts for 254 yards and two touchdowns.
“Explosive player, not many could run him down,” Ruesink said. “He has potential to put muscle on and play on Saturdays in two years.”
Long snapper
Tadan Casjens, Sr., 5-9, 210 Wall
Casjens played center and long snapper for the past two seasons, and the Eagles were 48-of-56 on extra points during the past season as well as 2-of-4 on field goals.
“Taden is the leader of our offensive line,” Heathershaw said. “In two years he has had two bad snaps throughout that time. Without his ability to snap and make line calls our offense doesn’t click.”
Honorable mention
Derek Heitmann (Jr., 6-0, 175) Faulkton Area
Jacob Bielmaier (Sr., 6-3, 180) Wall
Caleb Schentzel (Sr., 6-4, 190) Northwestern
Dalton Voelker (Jr., 6-5, 230) Colman-Egan
Dawson Varilek (Sr., 6-2, 320) Colome
Wyatt Cahoy (Sr., 5-6, 180) Colome
Brock Karbo (Sr., 5-10, 205) Burke
Peyton Nelson (Sr., 6-0, 205) Hitchcock-Tulare
Eli Bowen (Jr., 5-9, 169) Colman-Egan
Chase Hemmer (Jr., 5-10, 155) Colman-Egan
Ethan Geraets (Sr., 5-10, 160) Dell Rapids St. Mary
Joel Underwood (Fr., 5-8, 161) Sunshine Bible Academy
Grant Darrow (So., 5-4, 130) Edgemont
