VOLGA – The Sioux Valley football team used an impressive second half to improve to 4-1. The Cossacks outscored Elk Point-Jefferson 24-6 in the second half to come away with a 44-26 Homecoming victory.

Sioux Valley got the scoring going on a blocked punt on EPJ’s first possession. The punt was blocked by Carson Christopherson and picked up by Jakob Ziegler for the touchdown. The Cossacks failed on the two-point conversion.

EPJ’s Riley Schmitz returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards to tie the game. The Huskies also failed on their two-point conversion.

Each team punted on its next possession. The Cossacks took the lead on the first play of the second quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run from Parker Puetz. Jaxton Schiller ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-6.

Sioux Valley stopped EPJ on its next possession and the Cossacks then drove down and took a two-score lead on 5-yard Puetz touchdown run to push the margin to 20-6.

EPJ drove down the field and scored on a 6-yard Will Geary run and the Huskies cut the lead to 20-14 with 26.3 seconds left in the first half. Puetz then threw an interception on the Cossacks’ next and the Huskies returned it inside the 10-yard-line. EPJ scored on the next play, but the extra point hit the upright and the score was 20-20 at halftime.

The Cossacks didn’t take long to take the lead in the second half.

Schiller took it 65 yards to the house on Sioux Valley’s very first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. They converted the two-point conversion to make it 28-20.

“[That touchdown] was huge,” Sioux Valley head coach Dan Hughes said. “It just confirmed what they already knew. When we play our way and play our game, we’re good.”

Mckade Rentsch then scored on a 7-yard run to make it 36-20 with 2:59 left in the third. The Huskies stayed alive when Noah McDerrmott threw a 45-yard pass to Tyler Goering. EPJ was unable to convert on the two-point conversion and it was 36-26 with 1:06 left in the third period.

Sioux Valley put the game out of reach with 8:38 left in the fourth quarter when Puetz scored his third touchdown of the game from a yard out to make it 44-26.

The Cossacks outgained the Huskies 349-212. They had 294 yards rushing.

“[The offensive line] dominated. They did great. Obviously we haven’t reached our potential yet. We’re looking to do that, but I’m proud of the way our team came together and dominated in the second half,” Hughes said.

Schiller led the way with 131 yards on 15 attempts. Rentsch had 95 yards on 19 attempts. Puetz, Ben Swatek and Conner Logan each had 12 tackles.

The Cossacks have next week off before facing McCook Central/Montrose on Oct. 2. Hughes said he likes where his team is at heading into the bye week, but thinks they are have not reached their full potential.

“We’re just going to continue to do the ordinary things well [during the bye week]. We’re going to practice the fundamentals and we’re going to work as hard as we can to reach our potential. We think we have a good team and we want to get on a roll,” Hughes said.

Elk Point-Jefferson dropped to 2-2.