SPORTS

Watertown drops regular-season finale to Yankton, will head to Pierre for football playoff opener

Watertown Public Opinion

Yankton secured a first-round home playoff game and prevented Watertown from doing the same with a 20-13 Eastern South Dakota Conference football victory Thursday night a Watertown Stadium.

The Bucks (5-4 overall and 3-3 in the ESD) used some solid defense and two fourth-quarter field goals from Trevor Paulsen to nail down the victory — their third in four games.

The Arrows (3-6 and 2-4) lost for the third time in a row and slipped to the No. 6 seed for the opening round of the state Class 11AA playoffs on Thursday. Watertown visits third-seeded and four-time defending state champion Pierre (7-2) at 7 p.m. The Govs outscored the Arrows 52-42 late in the regular season.

“Yankton and Watertown has been a big rivalry for a long time and we knew coming in it was going to be a fight,” said Arrow head coach John Hodorff. “All of the statistical categories were pretty even, with the exception of the final score.”

The Bucks scored on their first possession of each half and never trailed. Rugby Ryken’s 14-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Sohler capped the opening drive of the game and lifted Yankton a 7-0 halftime lead.

The Arrows threatened late in the half before Yankton’s Cody Oswald intercepted a pass in the end zone.

PIERRE — Despite complaints from small schools about their 2023 football schedules, the South Dakota High School Activities Association board of directors voted unanimously last week to keep the schedules just the way they are.

Yankton also marched down the field to open the second half and took a 14-0 lead on Oswald’s 18-yard run, before Watertown mounted its first scoring drive of the game.

A long pass play from Drew Norberg to Cole Holden helped set up Norberg’s 15-yard TD pass to Holden with 7:46 remaining in the third quarter.

“Offensively we did struggle a bit, but we still made a few big plays here and there,” said Hodorff.

The Bucks increased their lead to 17-7 with a 37-yard field goal by Paulsen just nine seconds into the final period.

The Arrows didn’t go down without a fight, using a blocked punt to set up Owen Spartz’s 15-yard TD run with 6:30 left. Watertown failed to convert the point-after kick.

Yankton added to its lead with another Paulsen field goal — this one from 39 yards out — with 1:25 remaining and stopped the Arrows on downs to close out the win.

Ryken completed 18 of 25 passes for 208 yards for the Bucks, who also got 75 yards rushing from Gavin Swanson. Jaden Supurgeci made five solo tackles to lead Yankton’s defense.

Norberg completed 15 of 30 passes for 153 yards for the Arrows, connecting with Holden seven times for 106 yards.

Ben Althoff recorded nine solo tackles and eight assists, Mason Cordell 6-4, Mack Johnson 4-1, Hunter Wientjes 3-5 and Brock Eitreim 3-3 for the Arrow defense. Eitrem had two quarterback sacks and Wientjes one. Austin Johnson assisted on 10 tackles and Devon Lewis six.

“Our defense played much better tonight,” said Hodorff. “Guys were flying around all over making a ton of plays.”

Watertown's Collin Dingsor (16) tries to turn the corner against Yankton's Cody Oswald during their Eastern South Dakota Conference high school football game Thursday night at Watertown Stadium. Yankton won 20-13.

Class 11A

• Milbank Area 42, Sisseton 0 — Kaden Krause and Sawyer Gauer scored two touchdowns apiece for Milbank Area (6-3). Krause scored on runs of 1 and 12 yards and also connected with Gauer on a 47-yard scoring pass. Gauer also had 12-yard TD run.

Karson Weber (8 yards) and Aiden Rabe (1 yard) contributed TD runs for the Bulldogs. Krause ran for 45 yards, Garrett Mertens 44, Weber and Gauer each 37 and Michael Karges 30. Krause also passed for 108 yads, teaming with Weber twice for 53.

Evan Hausauer was involved in six tackles and Connor Bender five for Milbank Area. Bender, Carter Bowsher and Jayden Johnson each had interceptions.

Ty Langager caught seven passes for 46 yards and also made eight solo tackles for Sisseton (0-8). Mason Shultz and Michell Moen each had six solo tackles and one assist. Shultz and Ian Metz each recovered fumbles.

Other South Dakota Scores

Brookings 21, Pierre 14

Canton 43, Lennox 28

Chamberlain 29, Custer 26

Dell Rapids 43, Tri-Valley 6

Harrisburg 43, Brandon Valley 14

Madison 40, Sioux Falls Christian 12

Milbank Area 42, Sisseton 0

Mitchell 21, Huron 20, OT

Rapid City Stevens 49, Rapid City Central 0

Sioux Falls O'Gorman 49, Sioux Falls Jefferson 6

Sioux Falls Roosevelt 41, Aberdeen Central 14

Sioux Falls Washington 34, Sioux Falls Lincoln 24

Spearfish 28, Belle Fourche 14

Sturgis 40, Douglas 13

Tea Area 27, West Central 13

Vermillion 34, Dakota Valley 6