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Pine Ridge and Red Cloud win big

Rare Sturgis win over St.Thomas More




Scooper kick returner, Josh Fowler (1), attempts to elude STM’s talented freshman, Jed Sullivan

Scooper kick returner, Josh Fowler (1), attempts to elude STM’s talented freshman, Jed Sullivan

STURGIS—Over the past quarter century, it has been a tale of two opposites, when it it comes to Sturgis and Rapid City’s St Thomas More (STM). Not only have the Cavaliers dominated the Scoopers and established themselves as the elite program in West River football, Sturgis came within a whisker of setting the all-time national record for football futility. Friday night, at Woodle Field in Sturgis, the bigger, stronger Scoopers did their best to reverse that script by handing STM a 33-20 defeat.

Last week both teams were worked over by their opponents. Sturgis lost 54-27 to a Rapid City Central team, which hadn’t won a game since early last season. STM was shutout 33-0 by West Central. All of this century, despite their excellence, STM has been unable to make a dent in East River football. As far back as 2004, they lost to Howard in Vermillion, 29- 8, in a year they shut-out five West River teams in a row. Howard is a team STM would have destroyed in basketball.

For Sturgis, exploiting gaps in the STM run defense for big plays proved to be the difference maker. Most of the first half was a grinding war of attrition. With 4:57 remaining in the first half, Sturgis junior Justin Burnham burst up the left sideline from midfield, PAT good, and the lead was 7-0. With 1:07 left to play in the half, QB Gavin West ran it in from seven yards out, PAT good, and Sturgis went into their toolshed of a locker room up, 14-0.

STM drew first blood at the 6:12 point of the third, Ryan Wojcik scoring on a six yard run, PAT good, making it 14-7. At this point it seemed that each team had played enough hard nosed football to think they had a shot at the win. But twenty second later, West swept right and hugged the sideline for 71 yards, PAT was good, to put Sturgis back up 21-7. At 2:22 of the third quarter, Cedrick Stabber broke several STM tackles, which failed to wrap up his churning legs, and ran 63 yards for another Scooper TD, PAT no good, score 27-7, Sturgis.

At 9:06 of the final quarter, Manny Gallosa, scored on a five yard run, PAT no good, and Sturgis led 33-7. The size of the Scooper frontline clearly had worn down the smaller Cavalier defenders. A couple of late touchdowns made the score tighter, but they were after the fact. The one notable aspect of the final touchdown of the game was the performance of a freshman quarterback, Jed Sullivan, who displayed, poise, speed and clever footwork during a final drive that ended in a 15-yard TD run by Sullivan.

Afterwards STM Coach Wayne Sullivan summed up the game: “We needed to bring our ‘A’ game and we didn’t. Hats off to Sturgis, this is the best team they have had in five years. They are big up front, they control the line, and that’s where we are a little light right now.”

The Sturgis celebration after the game was huge, forming a giant circle of fans around the players. Sullivan understood the situation: “Of course they are going to celebrate. Everybody loves to beat us.”

Obviously STM is going through a rough patch in their season. What is the silver lining in that: “We are getting an awful lot of reps for our young guys. I wouldn’t want to play us in a year.”

Both West and Stabber had over 100 yards on the ground, and the Scoopers combined to outrush the Cavaliers by over 300 yards. Next week, Sturgis will visit Spearfish, and the Spartans have struggled mightily to this point of the season, and the Cavaliers will host Cheyenne Eagle-Butte, and the Braves are probably going to receive a petty good pasting.

Other games involving Lakota players

The top game was Pine Ridge dismantling McLaughlin, 56-6. This is not the same team that struggled against Lead- Deadwood. If they decide to block and tackle, watch out. Not surprisingly the scrappy Lower Brule Kul Wicasa, collided with the reality of East River football and fell 54-0 to Bon Homme, a prime contender for a state title. But Colome, one of the tough 9-man programs bordering this side of the Missouri south of I-90, demolished Gayville-Volin, 68-16.

Dupree 30, Standing Rock 14

Gordon/Rushville 28, Bennett County, 6

Groton Area 21, Chamberlain, 8

Hot Springs 56, Custer 13. This score was surprising. Custer seemed to be much improved.

Lead-Deadwood, 58, Crow Creek 6. The Diggers had to travel east to the worst football field in the state from the best football field in the state.

Pierre 34, Huron 7. Governor’s now number one at 11AA over previously unbeaten Huron.

Red Cloud 57, St Francis 0

Stanley County 14, Mobridge Pollock 8

Timber Lake 52, Bison 0

Dakota Christian 40, Burke/South Central 32

Brandon Valley 47, RC Central 7

Aberdeen Central 28, RC Stevens 12

Other relevant games:

Belle Fourche 49, Spearfish 7

Brookings 27, Watertown 14

Canton 28, Beresford 14

Faith 34, Edgemont 6

Gregory 50, RC Christian 0. Feel sorry for any team that has to square off with the Gorillas.

Harding County 34, Herreid/Selby 22

Harrisburg 48, Douglas 0

Madison 40, Vermillion 0

New Underwood 60, Newell 6

SF Christian 47, Sioux Valley 6

SF O’Gorman 39, SF Lincoln 7

SF Roosevelt 35, Yankton 22. Roosevelt remains the team to beat at 11AAA.

Sully Buttes 58, Warner 40

West Central 42, Dell Rapids 14

(James Giago Davies is an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. He can be reached at skindiesel@ msn.com)

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