BRIDGEWATER – Top-ranked Sioux Valley used a fast start to beat No. 2 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 27-15 on Friday as the Cossacks clinched the top seed in the Class 11B Playoffs, capped an undefeated regular season (8-0) and claimed the Big East Conference title.
Daymein Lucas led a balanced rushing attack with 92 yards and three touchdowns. Dalton Hanson ran for 90 yards and Connor Logan 57.
Hanson’s 54-yard run got the Cossacks going on their opening drive. Lucas scored on a 1-yard plunge just 69 seconds into the game and Brennan Stoltenberg added the PAT kick to make it 7-0.
Sioux Valley got a stop defensively and then drove downfield again.
Lucas’ 5-yard rush off right tackle resulted in a touchdown. Stoltenberg’s kick pushed the margin to 14-0 with 5:18 showing on the clock.
The Cossacks recovered a fumble on their own 4-yard-line to keep the Seahawks out of the end zone.
Sioux Valley was forced to punt as BEE was set up with a short field at the Cossack 24-yard-line. However, the Sioux Valley defense came up with another stop.
The Cossacks used some trickery in the second stanza as Jaxton Schiller caught a short pass from Noah Puetz and then pitched the ball to Tyler Schwartz, who took off down the sideline for an 89-yard touchdown.
The hook-and-ladder play combined with Stoltenberg’s successful PAT gave the visitors a 21-0 cushion 55 seconds into the second.
Later, BEE’s Mason Potter picked off a deflected pass and the Seahawks found the scoreboard on Dustin Weber’s 20-yard scamper 4:58 before halftime. Abiah Plastow booted the PAT.
That’s where the score stood until Lucas dove into the end zone for a 1-yard score with 2:04 left in the third. Logan preceded the touchdown with runs of 18 and 25 yards.
Lucas picked off a Seahawk pass to help set Sioux Valley up with the short field.
BEE’s Rylee Schultz had a 9-yard TD run with 43 seconds remaining in the game. Chase Arend’s two-point conversion run provided for the final margin.
Schwartz and Jake Schneider both had 12 tackles to pace the Sioux Valley defense. Chase Ringheimer made nine stops, and Andrew Mullaney and Stoltenberg tallied eight apiece. Schneider blocked a punt.
Puetz was 2-of-4 for 91 yards.
The Seahawks’ Jamin Arend ran 12 times for 57 yards. Brady Hawkins was 8-of-16 for 117 yards through the air. Dustin Weber recorded eight tackles.
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan dropped to 6-2, with their other loss a 33-6 setback to Class 11A No. 1 Madison on Sept. 8 (Week 3).
The playoffs begin Thursday.
Notes: Lucas finished the regular season with 1,528 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.
