Bodee Groos and Kade Groos are team first.

They are also winners.

The cousins from Colman-Egan are the Co-Register Football Players of the Year.

The duo helped the Hawks win their second consecutive state title, taking down Sully Buttes 42-28 in the Class 9B championship game. They were victorious in Class 9A the year prior.

“It was a pretty good season,” said Bodee. “We went 12-0, so that was really good.”

Added Kade, “It was definitely a fun year, for sure; playing with them out in front of Colman was pretty cool.”

Bodee, the Register POY last year, was honored as an All-State quarterback for the second straight season.

He rushed 136 times for 1,049 yards – a 7.7 average – and 18 touchdowns, while going 33-of-62 for 738 yards with 12 TDs through the air.

On defense, he recorded 64 tackles, three interceptions and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a score.

Kade was an All-State wide receiver this year after being an honorable mention in 2016.

He ran 64 times for 798 yards – a 12.5 average – and 14 touchdowns, and had 14 receptions covering 272 yards with four scores.

Kade was also dangerous on special teams, returning three punts and one kick to the end zone.

He added 44 tackles and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

What was it like competing and winning together?

“It was pretty fun playing with him, but playing as a team is usually what you all shoot for,” Kade noted. “Once you come together as a team, it’s pretty fun from there I guess.”

Bodee had a similar response.

“Yeah, it’s fun playing with him, and how fast he is and stuff,” he said. “But really, our team; we have a lot of great players on our team – that’s what makes it the most fun.”

Both players shined in the DakotaDome.

Kade was the Joe Robbie MVP and Bodee was the Most Outstanding Back.

Kade scored four touchdowns in the championship and helped the Hawks put the Chargers away in the fourth quarter, sprinting to paydirt on runs of 53 and 50 yards on back-to-back offensive plays. He finished with 124 yards on seven rushes – a 17.7 average – and had a 77-yard kick return for a TD.

Bodee ran 16 times for 154 yards and a score while going 6-of-9 for 73 yards with a TD through the air.

He swept the individual awards during Colman-Egan’s 32-28 win over Warner in the 2016 final, totaling 383 yards of offense and four touchdowns – 20-198 rushing, three TDs; 8-of-11 for 185 passing one TD.

“They’ve really been two of the hardest-working core players that we’ve had here – some of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached in 21 years of coaching high school athletes,” said Colman-Egan coach Chad Williamson. “They’re really dedicated to the team concept; they’re dedicated to putting other players ahead of themselves. They’ve just been kind of the nucleus of this good run we’ve had. When they were in ninth and 10th grade, players above them had to work harder to compete and then players below them also saw what that work ethic was like.

“But they’ve had a lot of athletes in their own class that have been hard workers, too. That’s just how their class is made. All of them are there together working as hard as each other in the weight room. They have a lot of fun with it; they like to razz each other and get after each other.

“These two kind of get a lot of the accolades but they’re the first to recognize their teammates and how hard everybody else works, which is really fun to see – how hard they all work together and play together. They’re all friends and that’s just fun.”

Bodee went 28-5 as a starting QB, including a 23-1 mark the past two seasons.

He ran for 2,749 yards and 39 touchdowns, and threw for 2,383 yards with 18 scores.

Kade ended up with 1,118 rushing yards and 20 TDs, and 32 catches for 644 yards with seven scores. He picked off five passes.

The Hawks have been on quite a run lately, winning numerous Dakota Valley Conference titles – 2016 football, 2016-17 basketball, 2017 golf, 2017 track and field and 2017 football.

They reached the District 7B title game in hoops. Colman-Egan placed second at the Class B State Track and Field Meet and was third in the Class B State Golf Tournament.

Kade placed fourth individually in golf, while he and Bodee were both members of the winning 4x400-meter relay team.

We’ll see what the remainder of the 2017-18 school year holds.