State champion Sioux Falls Christian and runner-up Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan both put four players on the Class 11B All-State football team, selected by the South Dakota Football Coaches Association.
Sioux Valley had a pair of all-state seniors in defensive end Brayden Havrevold and defensive tackle Isaac Mittan.
The Chargers defeated the Seahawks 43-8 in the title game Nov. 9.
Christian running back Parker Nelson, tight end Mitch Goodbary, guard Ryan Sjaarda and defensive back Dawson Mulder were honored.
BEE quarterback Brady Hawkins, wide receiver Sawyer Schultz, offensive tackle Carter Dye and defensive back Jamin Arend made the squad.
Top-seeded Canton, the only 11-man team to go undefeated in the regular season, led the way with five honorees in fullback Shaeden Scheidt, offensive tackle Dawson Rozeboom, center Hunter Jacobsen, defensive back Scott Peterson and punter Kayden Verley.
The C-Hawks breezed into the semifinals before falling 38-20 to the fourth-seeded Chargers.
Semifinalist Mt. Vernon/Plankinton, quarterfinalist Winner and Beresford each landed three players on the honor squad.
Quarterback: Brady Hawkins,
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (Jr., 6-3, 200)
Hawkins went 70-of-114 for 1,254 yards with 14 touchdowns – compared to just two interceptions – and rushed for 595 yards and six scores. As a middle linebacker, he added 93 tackles with a pair of INTs.
He did it all on special teams, handling the team’s kicking (38 PATs) and punting duties. He averaged 43.3 yards on three kick returns with a TD and 8.6 yards on three punt returns with another score.
“Brady has been a good leader and just works hard all the time to improve himself and the team,” said coach Jeff VanLeur. “He makes great decisions and extends plays with his legs.”
Fullback: Shaeden Scheidt,
Canton (Jr., 6-0, 180)
Scheidt ran for 765 yards and had 16 touchdowns overall on offense. On the other side of the ball, he recorded a school-record 134 tackles.
“Our fullbacks are usually just an extra blocker,” said coach Rich Lundstrom. “Shae made me change that philosophy. He is an explosive, instinctive runner. Defensively, he is one of the best linebackers to come out of Canton.”
Running Back: Parker Nelson,
Sioux Falls Christian (Sr., 5-11, 175)
Nelson capped a great career by rushing for 1,675 yards and 18 touchdowns to go with eight two-point conversions. The two-time Joe Robbie MVP in the state title game finished high school play with 3,800-plus yards and 38 TDs.
“He’s unselfish,” said coach Jake Penttengill, adding the running back ran a 10.7 100-meter dash as a sophomore. “He was a team captain.”
Running Back: Jesse Hastings,
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton (Jr., 6-0, 230)
The junior averaged 10.3 yards per carry, running for 1,468 yards and 26 touchdowns. He totaled 1,672 all-purpose yards and scored 168 points. He added 38 tackles and a pair of sacks on the defensive side of the field.
“He’s a three-time all-conference player,” coach Brent Olson said of Hastings, who has 3,285 rushing yards and 53 TDs in his career.
Wide Receiver: Jack Antonson,
Beresford (Sr., 6-3, 175)
Antonson racked up 542 yards on 26 receptions while totaling a school-record nine touchdown catches.
“He had a great senior season,” said coach Scott Ebert. “Teams had to account and know where Jack lined up on every play. We will miss him next season.”
Wide Receiver: Sawyer Schultz
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (Sr., 6-4, 175)
Schultz caught 25 passes for 456 yards with six touchdowns. He picked off four passes and made 45 tackles on defense.
“He is a good athlete that works hard in and out of season,” VanLeur said of Schultz, who missed the last two years due to injuries. “He definitely can be a difference on a team.”
Tight End: Mitch Goodbary,
Sioux Falls Christian (Sr., 6-5, 220)
The big TE had 21 catches for 303 yards and eight touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 62 tackles and picked off three passes.
“The captain was a leader on the field,” said Penttengill. “He didn’t play against Canton the first time – we lost 29-12; when he played, we won 38-20.”
Tackle: Carter Dye,
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (Sr., 6-3, 230)
Dye blocked for a team that totaled 2,394 rushing yards and 1,254 yards through the air. He also led the Seahawks in tackles with 98, including six sacks.
“Carter is a great blocker and a lineman we have relied on to run the ball behind the past two seasons,” said VanLeur. “Defensively, teams have double-teamed and run away from him, and yet, he has still led us in tackles.”
Tackle: Dawson Rozeboom,
Canton (Sr., 6-3, 220)
Rozeboom was a part of a line that guided the C-Hawk offense to 3,711 yards of offense and 376 points. He tallied 14 pancake blocks and also contributed to the scoring total with a 10-yard TD reception.
“Dawson was our best lineman the past two years after missing his freshman year and half his sophomore year with a heart concern,” said Lundstrom.
Guard: Oscar Pravecek,
Winner (Jr., 6-1, 240)
The Warriors picked up 283 rushing yards per game with Pravecek on the line. He added 34 tackles, including three sacks, and blocked a pair of punts on defense.
“Oscar is a very mobile lineman,” coach Dan Aaker said of the former Most Outstanding Lineman in the title game. “He is good at both the point of attack and pulling out on the perimeter. When we needed yards, we went behind him. He was our best defensive lineman and is very technically sound and can play sideline to sideline. He gained valuable experience as a sophomore and rarely came off the field this season.”
Guard: Ryan Sjaarda,
Sioux Falls Christian (Sr., 6-0, 190)
Sjaarda was a part of an offensive line that paved the way for a standout running game to go with a solid passing threat, which resulted in a state championship. He also played linebacker.
Center: Hunter Jacobsen,
Canton (Sr., 6-0, 265)
The leader of the offensive line helped the C-Hawks gain 3,711 yards and score 386 points. He had 14 pancake blocks.
“Hunter has been our center for the past two seasons after injuries to our first-and second-string Cs forced us to move him from his tackle spot last year,” said Lundstrom. “He received a baptism by fire last year, but it paid off for us this year.”
End: Brayden Havrevold,
Sioux Valley (Sr., 6-1, 250)
The two-time All-Big East Conference pick contributed on both sides of the ball for the Cossacks.
Havrevold notched 75 tackles in his senior season.
“He is an outstanding player with excellent size and quickness,” said coach Dan Hughes. “He is a three-year starter and all-conference performer.”
Havrevold was a Class 11B All-State honorable mention as a junior.
End: Blake Peterson,
Beresford (Sr., 6-4, 245)
Peterson concluded a solid career by recording 50 tackles, including 14 for loss with five sacks. He forced three fumbles and also recovered three. The Iowa State commit finished his high school days with 212 tackles, including 18 sacks.
“Blake had truly a remarkable career as a Watchdog,” said coach Scott Ebert. “In 23 years of coaching high school football, he will go down as one of the best that I have had the privilege to work with. His size, length and athleticism do not come around too often. He is a relentless worker; very coachable; excels in the classroom; and is a high-character person.
Tackle: Isaac Mittan,
Sioux Valley (Sr., 6-2, 230)
Mittan is a physical force. He finished the year with 36 tackles.
“He is a physical, tough and smart player who is upbeat and positive,” Hughes said of the 6-foot-2, 230-pound defensive tackle. “He works extremely hard and stood toe-to-toe with the best in South Dakota.”
He was an All-BEC selection.
Tackle: Nash Hutmacher,
Chamberlain (Jr., 6-5, 305)
The state heavyweight wrestling champion is a beast on the defensive line, as evidenced by his numbers. Hutmacher totaled 105 tackles, including 10 sacks, and forced 10 fumbles while recovering four.
“No one in South Dakota impacts the game more consistently than No. 72,” said coach George Caine. “You don’t need to put out an A.P.B. to find him on the game field. At 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, he draws a crowd on defense, being double teamed and at times triple teamed. Yet, the gentle giant – off the field – managed to accumulate 105 tackles. He is a relentless player who never gives up, and his positive attitude is contagious. He is a big part of the Cub family and is being recruited by several Division I schools for football and wrestling.”
Linebacker: Shea Connot,
Winner (Sr. 5-11, 200)
Connot totaled 82 tackles, including nine for loss (one sack) and picked off a pass. The team’s defensive MVP this year ended his career with 149 stops.
“He was our defensive leader and captain this year,” said Aaker. “He made the defensive call on the field for our team. He really worked hard for four years to make himself a good football player and his leadership will be missed.”
Linebacker: Brad Christensen,
Beresford (Jr., 5-9, 160)
The linebacker tallied 114 tackles his junior season. He also went 70-of-117 for 1,061 yards with 13 touchdowns and ran for 347 yards and five more scores.
“He is a tremendous football player,” said Ebert. “It’s very rare to have your leading tackler and leader on defense also be your quarterback and leader/best player on offense. Brad is as tough as they come – incredibly intelligent, absorbing most of coach Arlin Likness’ offense in a few short months.”
Linebacker: Hunter Pranger,
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton (Jr., 5-9, 155)
Pranger totaled 79 tackles, including 12 for loss with a pair of sacks, for the Titans. He also picked off three passes.
“He has led the team in tackles two straight years,” said coach Brent Olson. “And is an all-conference (performer).”
Linebacker: Blake Gessner,
McCook Central/Montrose (Jr., 5-11, 175)
Gessner finished with 43 tackles, including seven for loss, while recovering a pair of fumbles and defending four passes.
“He is extremely instinctive and a very physical football player on both sides of the ball,” said coach Ryan Evans. “Blake leads the team on the field, in practice and in the weight room.”
Back: Jamin Arend,
Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (Sr., 6-0, 185)
Arend had another standout year, recording 42 tackles and intercepting five passes, returning one for a score. He rushed for 1,187 yards with 22 touchdowns and adding 249 receiving yards with three TDs. Arend totaled 3,172 rushing yards and 44 TDs in his career.
“He has been a leader for us throughout his career,” said VanLeur. “He is a very aggressive defensive back and always defended out opponent’s best receiver. Offensively, he runs hard and sees the field very well. He has breakaway speed but always is a punishing runner.”
Back: Dawson Mulder,
Sioux Falls Christian (Sr., 5-10, 155)
Mulder made his mark in the passing games on both sides of the ball, whether it was a pass deflection on defense or a completion on offense. He finished with 29 tackles. On offense, he was 36-of-64 for 578 yards with 12 TDs while rushing for 800 yards and 11 scores.
“He’s a player,” said Penttengill.
Back: Scott Peterson,
Canton (Sr., 6-0, 180)
Peterson finished with 53 tackles, including six for loss, while forcing a fumble and also recovering a fumble. He ran for four touchdowns and went 71-of-128 for 1,039 yards with 10 TDs though the air.
“Scott has been our quarterback the past two years,” said Lundstrom. “He is a very good leader on an off the field. He is top-two in all QB statistical categories.”
Back: Trevor Peters,
Winner (Jr., 5-10, 150)
Peters had 42 tackles on defense. He ran for 895 yards, averaging 8-plus per attempt, and scored 15 touchdowns while adding a TD catch.
“He was voted our MVP this season,” said Aaker. “He is not big in stature, but pound for pound he is maybe the most physical player I have coached. He gained the majority of his yards after contact because of his toughness and great balance. He is one of the blocking running backs I have ever coached and, on defense, he was a true run-stopper at the strong safety position.”
Kicker: Pablo Munoz Fraga,
Lead-Deadwood (Jr., 5-11, 155)
He went 3-of-5 on field goals with a long of 48 yards and converted 21-of-25 PAT kicks. He had 14 touchbacks.
“Pablo is a great asset in the kicking game,” said coach Tom Tieszen. “He gives us a huge advantage in field position and can score for us in tough positions.”
Punter: Kayden Verley,
Canton (Jr., 6-0, 180)
Verley contributed in every way for the C-Hawks, breaking 12 school records in 2018. He scored 24 touchdowns. Verley racked up 1,138 yards on the ground. He averaged 39.8 yards on 21 punts, 15 of which ended up inside the 20-yard-line. Twenty-four of his 46 kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. He also played a key role in the return game, finishing with 2,138 all-purpose yards. Verley made 55 tackles, picked off three passes and forced a pair of fumbles on defense.
“He is the best all-around player I’ve ever seen,” said Lundstrom. “He does everything for us. He has amazing feet and hips to go with his great vision and instincts. I have no doubt that he will go down as the best football player to come out of Canton.”
Special Teams Player: Dathon Elmore,
Custer (Jr., 5-10, 160)
Elmore averaged 31.4 yards on kick returns and 25.5 yards on punt returns while finding the end zone four times on special teams. He added seven TD rushes and threw for six more. He picked off five passes, taking two of them to the house.
“He is a complete player,” said coach Russ Bailey. “Looking at his averages plus touches, he has become a definite playmaker.”
Long Snapper: Brady Hoftiezer,
Stanley County (Sr., 6-3, 240)
He was 26-of-26 on PAT snaps and 1-of-1 on field goal snaps. Hoftiezer also ran for 318 yards with three TDs and added 282 yards on 17 catches with another score.
“He is smart enough to play any position on the field,” said coach Max Foth. “He is a very hard worker and represents out community well with his toughness and leadership.”
Honorable mention
Brady Morgan, Jr., Aberdeen Roncalli; Samiuela Mounga, Sr. Aberdeen Roncalli; Jaden Karst, Sr., Aberdeen Roncalli; KJ St. Pierre, Wagner, Jr.; Connor Hansen, Sr. Aberdeen Roncalli; Andrew Jensen, Sr., Beresford; Wyatt Locke, Sr., Groton Area; Noah Dickson, Jr., Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central; Jonathan Doeden, Jr., Groton Area; Tyler Kropuenske, Sr., Beresford; Beau VanGelder, Sr., Beresford; Zach Witte, Jr., Sioux Falls Christian; Salesi Mounga, Sr., Aberdeen Roncalli.
