Pierre
Pierre, SD · Events
South Dakota Searchlight
The Rapid City Post
Watertown Public Opinion
Pierre completes perfect 12-0 season with 45-21 win over Watertown
VERMILLION - A ninth state Class 11AA championship in the last 10 years and the completion of a perfect 12-0 season didn't come as easy some might have expected for Pierre's football team. The top-seeded and top-rated Governors used a 227-yard, five-touchdown rushing performance from junior Porter Hunsley to defeat third-seeded and fourth-rated Watertown 45-21 on Friday night in the DakotaDome. A dominant season for Pierre included a 55-14 victory at Watertown in mid-September. The rematch nearly two months later wasn't nearly as one-sided and was certainly the most competitive matchup out of the six state championship games held on Thursday and Friday. "Our guys learned a lot about who they are this season and what they're capable of and in this game, they came out and showed it," Watertown head coach John Hodorff said. The upset bid didn't start well for Watertown (8-4) when Pierre recovered an onside kick to start the game. The Governors drove deep into Watertown territory on their first two possessions but were stalled by a combination of penalties and Watertown's defense. The two teams remained scoreless through the opening quarter before Hunsley kicked off his big night with a 30-yard TD run with 7:42