White River’s Joe Sayler after slam dunking over Garrett Hatheway of Jones County. Photo by Michele Davies
RAPID CITY— COVID-19 will be the lasting legacy of this basketball season, even more so than last year, when the play-offs were canceled. Only three reservation schools will be playing basketball: Lakota Tech on Pine Ridge, Lower Brule and Tiospa Zina. The impact from this will be two-fold: nearby teams will get their rosters bolstered by the spill over, and all teams will heave a sigh of relief they don’t have to play the likes of Red Cloud, Pine Ridge, Little Wound, Crow Creek, McLaughlin, St Francis or Todd County.
Lyle Lebeau, Jr. will be coaching the Lakota Tech boy’s squad. Laura Big Crow is coaching the girls. James Knutson will be Athletic Director and Yamni Jack will be Activities Director. Despite this being Lakota Tech’s first sporting season, the staff brings a load of experience and success to the new school. The Tatanka have a big, beautiful new gym, but their games at home this season will be to empty bleachers. The Lady Tatanka have already beaten a quality Kimball/White Lake team on the road, 48-40. Their next game will be at Custer on December 18. This will also be the first outing for the Boys.
Teams with Lakota and Dakota players to watch:
Class B: Andes Central/Dakota Christian, Colome, Burke, Gregory, Lyman County, Philip, Wall, White River, Dupree, Faith, Timber Lake and McIntosh.
Class A: Sisseton, Tiospa Zina, Wagner, Chamberlain, Mobridge-Pollock, Winner, Bennett County, Lakota Tech and Hill City.
Class AA: Rapid City Central, Rapid City Stevens, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, Sioux Falls Washington and Sturgis.
Two schools to watch are White River and Bennett County. They are seriously beefed up from last year.
Kids to especially watch are the Swallow brothers at Rapid City Central, Terrance Eastman at Rapid City Stevens, Spencer Moran and Jhett Knight at Dupree, Dylan Marshall at White River, Caelyn Valandra-Prue and Maleighya Estes at White River, and Moriah Morrisette and Shaylia Bravo at Lakota Tech.
The scoreboard thus far:
Girls
Tuesday, December 8
Chamberlain 47, Stanley County 20
Hanson 57, Gregory 52
Kimball/White Lake 40, Lakota Tech 48
Friday, December 11
Kimball/White Lake 49, Burke 51
Lyman County 52, Stanley County 51
Saturday, December 12
Douglas 30, RC Central 84
Faith 39, Kadoka Area 46
Stanley County 27, White River 68
Boys
Tuesday, December 8
Bridgewater-Emery 59, Colome 26
Friday, December 11
Belle Fourche 60, Hill City 38
Douglas 78, Sturgis 38
Jones County 37, White River 74
Lyman County 60, Stanley County 50
RC Stevens 48, Brandon Valley 76
Timber Lake 36, Lemmon 41
Tiospa Zina 53, Redfield 54
Wagner 49, Winner 56
Saturday, December 12
Douglas 43, RC Central 61
Faith 64, Kadoka Area 33
New Underwood 51, Dupree 54
RC Christian 89, Philip 26
RC Stevens 37, Yankton 66
SF Roosevelt 80, SF O’Gorman 73
Tri-Valley 44, Sisseton 65
Wall 74, Edgemont 54
Top games next week are:
Girls
Friday, December 18
Lakota Tech at Custer
Kadoka Area at Dupree
Wall at Jones County
Sisseton at Mobridge/Pollock
RC Central at Mitchell
Huron at RC Stevens
Tiospa Zina at White River
Saturday, December 19
Tiospa Zina at Chamberlain
Huron at RC Central
Bennett County at Lyman County
North Central at Lower Brule
RC Stevens at Mitchell
Custer at White River
Boys
Friday, December 18
Lakota Tech at Custer
Kadoka Area at Dupree
Wall at Jones County
RC Central at Mitchell
Tiospa Zina at White River
Saturday, December 19
Tiospa Zina at Chamberlain
Huron at RC Central
Bennett County at Lyman County
North Central at Lower Brule
RC Stevens at Mitchell
Custer at White River
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