BROOKINGS — A sour start for the Mitchell Kernel offense was never recovered from Friday night, and third-ranked Brookings cruised to a 43-14 Class 11AA victory over Mitchell.
Boasting a diverse rushing attack, Brookings handed the ball to a bevy of running backs in the first half and had success with nearly all of them, rushing 28 times for 161 yards.
Sam Hardin, Justin Cofell (twice) and Hunter Gray all had touchdown runs to build a 28-0 lead and Cofell found Jackson Hoffman for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining before halftime to put the Bobcats up 35-0.
On the other side of the ball, Mitchell could not hang with the Bobcats, plagued by short drives and turnovers, with three of them on the first five drives of the game. In all, the Kernels had four fumbles — lost three — and an interception. Mitchell had 19 yards on its first 15 plays, 81 yards at the halftime break and finished with 240 yards of offense.
Mitchell got on the scoreboard early in the second half, with Treyson Schulz finding Tucker Vilhauer for a seven-yard touchdown pass. With the big lead, Brookings gained only 74 yards in the second half but Mitchell was never able to mount a threat to the Bobcats’ 28-point lead.
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In the game, Mitchell rushed 28 times for 87 yards, with Mick Dailey finishing as the leading rusher with 32 yards on the strength of his scoring run of that distance in the final minute of the game for the Kernels. Vilhauer rushed four times for 29 yards, with the rest of the Kernels held to a quiet night on the ground.
The Bobcats rushed 44 times for 256 yards, with 56 yards on eight carries for Gray, 49 yards on 10 carries for Tyson Brandt and 39 yards on five carries for Hardin. Cofell finished 7-for-13 passing for 70 yards and had minus-1 rushing yards, despite his two rushing touchdowns, after deducted sack yards.
Schulz was 13-for-21 passing for 153 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and was sacked twice. Of the six Kernels to record a reception Friday, Jace Larson caught four passes for 49 yards, with Lucas Bennett recording 47 receiving yards on two catches.
Joe VanOverschelde led the Kernel defense with 13 tackles, with Carson Fahey making nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Vilhauer had six tackles and Bryce Palmer had a fumble recovery for Mitchell.
Mitchell (1-4) returns home on Friday, Oct. 1 to host Yankton in the Kernels’ homecoming game. Brookings (4-1) travels to Sioux Falls Washington for a Thursday, Sept. 30 game at Howard Wood Field against the Class 11AAA No. 5-ranked Warriors.
