A few years ago, the Sioux Falls Christian boys basketball team found itself in need of a game.

With his team on the rise in Class A, coach Mike Schouten decided to cross state lines and contact Western Christian, a mid-sized school located in nearby Hull, Iowa. Not only did the geography make sense for both sides, but as a perennial contender in Class 2A, the Wolfpack presented a formidable challenge for the ascending Chargers.

The series continued beyond that initial 2011 clash, which Western Christian won 65-41, and has blossomed into an annual rivalry game for the private schools.

“It’s been a good rivalry,” Schouten said. “It’s been a lot of fun to have this game with them and it’s been good for both teams to help make both teams better.”

The recent success of the programs helped boost series, but it is the familial ties between Sioux Falls and northwest Iowa that have fueled the fire, making it all the more exciting.

“It’s awesome,” Chargers guard Lincoln Unruh said. “Western’s good every year. We have a ton of parents who used to go to Western, so it’s kind of like homecoming for a lot of people. There’s so many relatives in the crowd.”

It was a packed house for this year’s installment, with top-ranked Class 2A Western Christian defeating SFC 79-68 to improve to 19-2 on the season.

The healthy presence of Western Christian fans helped create an electric atmosphere, with the student sections exchanging cheers and the rest of the crowd closely following the action.

The setting drew comparisons from both Unruh and Schouten to their bouts with in-state rival Madison.

“There’s a lot of intensity when we play them, but it’s fun,” said Schouten, whose third-ranked Chargers fell to 11-4. “It’s a great atmosphere and I’m hoping it will help prepare us for championship games down the road.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at  @Brian_Haenchen .

Western Christian fans cheer on their team during a game against Sioux Falls Christian Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, at Sioux Falls Christian Schools in Sioux Falls.

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

“How far is it to Centerville?”

Our sports producer, Brian Haenchen, asked me that earlier in the week.

I like to help out occasionally hosting videos featuring top-performing high school athletes, so I figured that was what he had in mind.

“About an hour,” I answered. “Probably hard to justify unless we’ve got a real phenom.”

Well, he is phenomenal.

And it’s an honor to tell his story.

James Brown is the only senior on the Centerville Tornadoes basketball team.

It’s a young team – only seven high schoolers on it – and with a record of 0-16, it had been been a bit of a learning year.

Nobody in attendance on Feb. 13 , though, will forget the lesson taught on the court that night.

“I’ve always had in the back of my mind we would have a James Brown night,” coach Kory Muller told us.

“James is just kind of special.”

ALL-USA S.D. high school basketball players of the week (Week 10)

Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, is “the pulse of our school,” Muller said.

There were 224 students in the Centerville district at the start of this school year, and Brown “connects to everybody,” Muller said.

Kindergartners through seniors, “he knows everybody.”

He also loves basketball, starting in seventh grade as a team manager and working his way up to some playing time once he was a freshman. He plays for Special Olympics, too.

So for Brown’s last Centerville home game, Muller wanted to honor the senior with some extended playing minutes. He emailed Bridgewater-Emery coach Scott Schultz with the idea.

Incidentally, Bridgewater’s season is going the opposite of Centerville’s.

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

The Huskies came into the game with a 16-0 record, ranked top in the state in their class and readying for the postseason.

“He wanted us to play hard, and he said don’t try to ruin your team formula and chemistry,” coach Scott Schultz said.

His reply to Muller’s idea was simple:

“No problem. I’ll talk to my guys, and I’ll see you tonight.”

Few people at the gym that night knew what was in store for Brown. And Muller had no idea Schultz’s “players and him were prepared to allow James to have the night he had.”

As the game started, Muller announced Brown would be starting in his final home game against the top opponent in the state.

“He heard that and went right out on the court ready to go before the lineup was called. He was excited,” Muller said.

“No one knew what the night would turn into.”

Brown controlled the opening tip.

He caught a pass down the court.

Centerville senior James Brown shoots a 3-pointer against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

He shot a three-pointer.

And made it.

“It was just one of those things, you had to be here,” Muller said.

And it wasn’t over.

Brown was just warming up.

By the end of the first half, he had scored 18 points.

Each one earned a high-five from his opponents and a roar from both sides of the crowd.

This was James Brown’s night, no doubt about it.

By the time he left the game, he had tallied up 25 points, three rebounds and a standing ovation.

Centerville senior James Brown poses with the Bridgewater-Emery boys basketball team prior to their game on Feb. 13, 2017.

The team from Bridgewater-Emery took a photo with him at center court.

“They were tremendous. I couldn’t be more proud of our boys. They all had smiles on their faces,” Schultz said. “Fans from both teams played a big part and were really energetic and cordial throughout the whole night. It’s kind of what sports is all about.”

As Muller pointed out, “that could have and probably should have been a game that in the end nobody felt good about.”

Bridgewater probably would have won by a lot without having to work very hard.

Centerville, further hampered as two players were out with influenza, likely would have lost in ugly fashion.

Nobody would have remembered much about it.

Instead, I doubt anyone there will ever forget it.

“I think our boys and our fans and our coaches and everybody here probably learned far more about what’s important in life than just a game, than just winning or losing,” Schultz said. “I think James taught all of us a big lesson as far as motivation and determination. In that respect, it was as good or better for my kids and my players than anything.”

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

In business, and in life, we all have opportunities to lift people up.

And when you find someone with heart, for your work or anything else, and you give that person a chance, incredible things can happen.

“If you’ve got a kid like that, you’re going to go beyond what you’d normally do,” Muller said. “He’s worth the effort.”

I’m willing to bet many of us could say the same about others we encounter in all kinds of capacities.

The record book will show Bridgewater-Emery ended up beating Centerville 80-45 that night.

It also will show James Brown was the leading scorer.

But the real outcome of that game is one we all should strive for as often as we can:

Everybody won.

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown is greeted by Bridgewater-Emery coach Scott Schultz on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown shoots a 3-pointer against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown lines up a 3-pointer against Bridgewater-Emery on Feb. 13, 2017. Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy, scored a game-high 25 points in his final home game as a Tornado.

Centerville senior James Brown

#SDWrestling17

Over 400 grapplers representing 74 different schools will descend upon Sioux Falls later this week for the 2017 state wrestling tournament.

Below are the first-round matchups for this year’s event, which gets underway Friday at the Sanford Premier Center.

Follow @ArgusSports on Twitter and like us on Facebook for complete coverage of this year’s event.

#ANALYSIS:  A look at some of the top contenders entering #SDWrestling17

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

2017 STATE TOURNAMENT

Premier Center, Feb. 24-25

CLASS A

TEAMS: Aberdeen Central (ABCE), Belle Fourche (BEFO), Brandon Valley (BRVA), Brookings (BROO), Chamberlain (CHAM), Dakota Valley (DAVA), Dell Rapids (DERA), Douglas/RC Christian (DRC), Harrisburg (HARR), Huron (HURO), Lennox (LENN), Madison (MADI), Milbank Area (MIAR), Mitchell (MITC),

Pierre TF Riggs (PTR), Pine Ridge (PIRI), RC Central (RCCE), RC Stevens (RCST), Lincoln (SFLI), O’Gorman (SFO`), Roosevelt (SFRO), Washington (SFWA), Spearfish (SPEA), Sturgis Brown (STBR), Vermillion (VERM), Watertown (WATE), West Central (WECE), Yankton (YANK).

FIRST ROUND MATCHES

106 — Jacob Moore, ABCE, 17-0, so., vs. Beau Beavers, SFLI, 32-11, 8th; Declan Malone, DRC, 29-12, fr., vs. Eli Fischer, MIAR, 41-9, fr.; Cody Stockman, RCST, 29-12, so., vs. Connor Klinkhammer, BROO, 26-17, so.; Carter Heumiller, WECE, 26-21, fr., vs. Giovanni Ruffo, YANK, 22-8, 8th; Isaac Klinkhammer, BRVA, 33-2, 8th vs. Kyler Bauder, MITC, 30-18, fr.; Jarrett Rueb, VERM, 28-14, so., vs. Riley Hollingshead, SFRO, 29-10, 8th; Jack Van Camp, PTR, 26-20, fr., vs. Oakley Blakeman, BEFO, 27-17, 7th; Ty Althoff, WATE, 22-15, fr., vs. Jacob Wood, STBR, 39-3, so.

113 — Lincoln Turman, PTR, 42-1, jr., vs. Jaxson Waugh, WATE, 31-13, fr.; William George, DRC, 31-19, so., vs. Max Donovan, CHAM, 36-10, so.; TJ Morrison, RCCE, 38-10, 8th vs. Riley Williams, LENN, 32-16, fr.; Taten Bahm, YANK, 13-26, so., vs. Eli Kadoun, SFRO, 27-8, fr.; Colby Mennis, MADI, 34-8, fr., vs. Tate Johnson, BRVA, 16-8, 8th; Tyson Lien, HURO, 13-18, 8th vs. Tristan Permann, STBR, 26-17, jr.; Daymon Steuck, ABCE, 22-19, sr., vs. Max Sailor, SPEA, 33-13, 8th; Jason Nixon, BROO, 22-14, so., vs. Lucus Anglin, VERM, 44-3, fr.

120 — Cody BeVier, RCST, 30-7, jr., vs. Jack Smith, BRVA, 26-13, fr.; Sherman Taber, DRC, 28-18, so., vs. Daynon Huber, HURO, 26-17, so.; Jacob Husby, VERM, 40-10, sr., vs. Kadyn Kraye, RCCE, 22-25, fr.; Daniel Momotic, SFRO, 13-17, 8th vs. Jaetin DeCou, LENN, 40-8, so.; Collin Powell, CHAM, 37-5, so., vs. Carson Klinkhammer, BROO, 24-14, sr.; Spencer Titus, ABCE, 22-18, so., vs. Shae Owens, STBR, 24-14, jr.; Robert Coyle III, WATE, 31-11, jr., vs. Dylan Hage, HARR, 22-22, fr.; Brayden Gee, DERA, 16-16, 8th vs. William Turman, PTR, 41-4, jr.

126 — Spencer Stockman, RCST, 39-4, jr., vs. JD Lusk, MIAR, 15-20, fr.; Logan Sparks, MITC, 15-21, so., vs. Chris Nash, STBR, 30-16, sr.; Aydan Mack, WATE, 22-11, sr., vs. Ryne Whisler, VERM, 29-24, so.; Sam Lehman, BROO, 23-16, so., vs. Jacob Hanssen, HARR, 30-9, jr.; Victor Padilla, ABCE, 20-9, sr., vs. Scott Warwick, DERA, 15-18, sr.; Kobi Terpstra, BRVA, 21-8, fr., vs. Tigh Hight, SFO`, 28-11, jr.; Derick Dower, SPEA, 18-7, so., vs. Jace Bench-Bresher, PTR, 10-15, fr.; Tristen Jacobs, RCCE, 6-3, sr., vs. Wesley Weischedel, LENN, 46-5, sr.

132 — Michael Lusk, PTR, 30-4, jr., vs. Nolan Johnson, MADI, 32-10, so.; Will Jarrott, ABCE, 25-17, so., vs. Cully Olson, STBR, 11-2, sr.; Chipper Shillingstad, HURO, 25-8, so., vs. Tanner Swab, SFRO, 15-12, so.; Tashon Clark, SPEA, 34-15, jr., vs. Taylor Dalen, HARR, 35-13, sr.; Tyson Stoebner, LENN, 41-6, so., vs. Caden Ideker, WECE, 23-11, so.; Jayden Meyerink, SFLI, 33-18, so., vs. Brady Bollinger, WATE, 26-12, sr.; Casey Moser, RCST, 29-17, sr., vs. Cole Gehrke, MITC, 16-19, so.; Tyler Blasius, DRC, 30-8, sr., vs. Creighton Klinkhammer, BRVA, 34-4, jr.

138 — Tyler Waterson, SPEA, 39-0, sr., vs. Nathan Sowle, HURO, 19-16, sr.; Kyle Heidbrink, BRVA, 18-16, jr., vs. Austin Cihak, ABCE, 29-19, jr.; Cooper Voorhees, RCST, 31-12, fr., vs. Mitchell Messersmith, LENN, 26-22, jr.; Logan Halma, SFRO, 12-16, so., vs. Austin Senger, PTR, 37-5, jr.; Bailey Mennis, MADI, 27-5, sr., vs. Matt Ambrose, DRC, 33-13, sr.; Jeremiah Palmer, STBR, 32-18, sr., vs. Kyle Tulowetzke, WATE, 26-4, sr.; Nolan Hoback, HARR, 34-11, jr., vs. Max Lamer, DERA, 14-24, so.; Sutton Carpenter, MITC, 19-13, so., vs. Trey Hage, VERM, 35-0, jr.

145 — Bailey Brengle, STBR, 36-8, jr., vs. Trevor Ripplinger, WATE, 16-13, sr.; Matthew Ackerman, SPEA, 18-16, jr., vs. Jackson Pletten, BRVA, 15-7, sr.; Brandon Sharkey, RCST, 28-15, jr., vs. Alec Bien, MIAR, 23-13, so.; Noah Walker, VERM, 22-12, sr., vs. Riley McSherry, RCCE, 32-13, sr.; Noah Guse, MADI, 24-3, sr., vs. Ben Tellus, YANK, 14-23, so.; Barry Browning, MITC, 15-11, sr., vs. Cole Halouska, LENN, 43-11, sr.; Josh Cid, SFRO, 19-10, sr., vs. Matthew Katz, HURO, 9-15, so.; TJ Scheafer, SFO`, 30-16, sr., vs. Aric Williams, PTR, 40-4, sr.

152 — Carter Lohr, SFRO, 27-0, jr., vs. Reese Hansen, SPEA, 28-15, jr.; Jaren Puhlman, STBR, 19-16, jr., vs. Dodge Waldera, BRVA, 21-17, sr.; Bridger Kraye, RCCE, 38-13, jr., vs. Jack Bren, SFWA, 18-20, sr.; Donovan Bain, YANK, 7-31, so., vs. Kesmond Willert, BROO, 22-9, sr.; Collin Haar, ABCE, 35-13, jr., vs. Ryan Meyer, HARR, 16-26, so.; Briggs Havlik, MITC, 29-13, jr., vs. Colton Jackson, DRC, 37-10, so.; Maguire Raske, PTR, 32-21, 8th vs. Nathan Tuttle, WATE, 20-16, jr.; Jarred Hodges, MADI, 32-11, jr., vs. Trent Francom, HURO, 35-3, sr.

160 — Winston Brown, STBR, 39-3, sr., vs. Jayden Hartford, WATE, 18-18, fr.; Branson Taylor, DRC, 36-9, sr., vs. Kyle Foote, ITC, 18-11, jr.; Tate Coon, BROO, 28-9, sr., vs. Garrett Leesman, PTR, 14-17, so.; Jake Anderson, MIAR, 27-6, sr., vs. Tristen Boeckholt, WECE, 40-7, sr.; Kobe Kortan, SFRO, 24-5, sr., vs. Tupak Kpeayeh, SFWA, 32-18, so.; Nick Christensen, HURO, 18-14, sr., vs. Nick Schirado, HARR, 37-14, jr.; Blake Anderson, RCCE, 32-13, sr., vs. Collin Becker, DAVA, 24-8, fr.; Steele Fuegen, RCST, 13-20, jr., vs. Carter Kratz, VERM, 35-2, sr.

170 — Bradley Nelson, ABCE, 43-4, sr., vs. Austin Hanson, WATE, 20-19, sr.; Bailey Lawrence, BEFO, 28-15, sr., vs. Jacob Wagner, SFWA, 26-15, sr.; Jason Simon, WECE, 16-4, jr., vs. Cole Dockter, MIAR, 29-20, jr.; Cade Bruggeman, HARR, 33-15, jr., vs. Zach Solano, RCCE, 36-8, sr.; Dante Colicheski, RCST, 39-9, jr., vs. Brett Culver, VERM, 34-18, jr.; Travis Kleinsasser, HURO, 24-18, jr., vs. Tyler Zebell, LENN, 39-12, jr.; Jake Sailer, STBR, 27-19, jr., vs. Jon Binstock, SFO`, 30-20, jr.; Cade Carpenter, MITC, 14-25, sr., vs. Jacob Schoon, BROO, 30-2, so.

182 — Braiden Nelson, ABCE, 41-1, sr., vs. Logan Hadley, BROO, 24-16, sr.; Zailin Irion, SPEA, 14-7, sr., vs. Brock Wulf, SFWA, 20-11, jr.; Lucas Stoltenburg, PTR, 25-19, sr., vs. Sam Wente, DAVA, 25-20, jr.; Wyatt Larsen, HURO, 23-13, jr., vs. Tate Gatzke, BEFO, 40-5, sr.; Mason Wickherst, WATE, 31-5, sr., vs. Kobe Culver, VERM, 32-12, fr.; Max Schoenfelder, MITC, 22-15, so., vs. Jared Mettler, WECE, 36-10, sr.; Joey Otta, SFRO, 18-8, so., vs. Caleb Brink, RCST, 13-20, fr.; Ethan Kanable, HARR, 24-16, sr., vs. Kolby Kost, RCCE, 28-1, jr.

195 — Spencer Sarringar, PTR, 38-1, sr., vs. Ledgend Thorson, WATE, 17-19, jr.; Brock Stien, LENN, 22-13, sr., vs. Mathais Thompson, RCCE, 22-12, jr.; Jake Flakus, ABCE, 35-15, sr., vs. Devin O’Neill, VERM, 13-15, jr.; Trevor Ellis, YANK, 18-24, fr., vs. Carson Max, MITC, 19-7, so.; Logan Warzecha, HARR, 35-3, jr., vs. Cole Eidem, BROO, 24-14, sr.; Jacob Rieger, HURO, 5-15, sr., vs. Hunter McMath, RCST, 18-18, so.; Riley Hollander, WECE, 29-7, sr., vs. Evan Hehr, SPEA, 24-22, fr.;Clayton Smith, STBR, 15-14, fr., vs. Nate Guthmiller, MADI, 31-5, sr.

220 — Joel Carpenter, STBR, 38-3, jr., vs. Lincoln Stahl, WATE, 17-19, fr.; Marc Williams, SPEA, 18-13, jr., vs. Ben Cavigielli, DERA, 29-17, jr.; Sam Detert, HARR, 35-11, jr., vs. Riley Folk, MIAR, 25-11, sr.; Cole Diedrichsen, YANK, 28-20, jr., vs. Levi Stoltenburg, PTR, 28-14, sr.; Corey Fichter, SFLI, 36-4, sr., vs. Kyle Becker, WECE, 12-11, jr.; Gus Miller, BROO, 25-18, fr., vs. Marshal Simons, HURO, 24-9, sr.; Brody Surrell, VERM, 35-12, jr., vs. Darrien Stutz, RCST, 14-21, jr.; Zeb Parsons, MITC, 19-21, sr., vs. Timmy Paris, RCCE, 43-2, sr.

285 — Nash Hutmacher, CHAM, 40-0, fr., vs. Nick Palmer, DERA, 20-17, jr.; Thomas Fischer, LENN, 30-25, jr., vs. Donavan Spencer, RCCE, 35-14, sr.; Alex Lorenzini, SFWA, 25-6, sr., vs. Mitch Schladweiler, MITC, 6-12, so.; Kenley Lamberty, SFO`, 19-20, jr., vs. Ryan Parker, DAVA, 33-3, sr.; Dane Stahl, WATE, 32-7, jr., vs. Sam Krohnke, BRVA, 20-10, so.; Donte Bravo, PIRI, 20-11, fr., vs. Austin Maunu, ABCE, 29-13, jr.; Ty Paulsen, PTR, 28-15, sr., vs. Zechariah Patterson, RCST, 13-9, jr.; Tice McVay, STBR, 5-9, so., vs. Eddie Miller, BROO, 24-3, sr.`

CLASS B

TEAMS: Bennett County (BECO), Beresford/Alcester-Hudson (BAH), Bon Homme/Scotland (BHS), Britton-Hecla (BRHE), Burke/Gregory (BUGR), Canton (CANT), Clark/Willow Lake (CWL), Custer/Edgemont (CUED), Deuel (DEUE),

Elk Point-Jefferson (EPJ), Faulkton Area (FAAR), Flandreau (FLAN), Garretson (GARR), Groton Area (GRAR), Harding County (HACO), Hot Springs (HOSP), Howard (HOWA), Ipswich/Leola (IPLE), Kimball/White Lake/Platte-Geddes (KWLP), Kingsbury County (KICO),

Lead-Deadwood (LEDE), Lemmon/McIntosh (LEMC), Marion/Freeman (MAFR), McCook Central/Montrose (MCM), McLaughlin (MCLA), Miller/Highmore-Harrold (MHH), Mobridge-Pollock (MOPO), Mt. Vernon/Plankinton/Corsica-Stickney (MVPC), Newell (NEWE), Parker (PARK), Parkston (PA), Philip Area (PHAR), Potter County (POCO),

Redfield/Doland (REDO), Sioux Valley (SIVA), Sisseton (SISS), Springs/Woonsocket (SPWO), St. Thomas More (STM), Stanley County (STCO), Sully Buttes (SUBU), Sunshine Bible (SUBI), Tri-Valley (TRVA), Wagner (WAGN), Webster Area (WEAR), Winner Area (WIAR), Wolsey-Wessington (WOWE).

FIRST ROUND MATCHES

106 — Kellyn March, BAH, 46-1, fr., vs. Max Johnson, LEDE, 32-16, fr.; Lane Miller, HOWA, 29-17, 8th, vs. Bradyn Robbins, REDO, 27-8, 8th; Jordan Rueb, BHS, 22-9, fr., vs. Carson Norgaard, TRVA, 21-27, fr.; Andy Johnson, WEAR, 18-14, 8th, vs. Dylan Wolf, LEMC, 31-8, sr.; McCoy Peterson, PHAR, 25-3, 7th, vs. Andrew Toelle, SISS, 29-12, so.; Jacob Steiger, MOPO, 29-13, fr., vs. Kaden Keiser, WIAR, 38-11, 7th; Gage Burke, CWL, 41-10, 7th, vs. Iver Paul, SUBI, 28-12, fr.; Seth Peterson, CANT, 28-8, 8th, vs. Lance Soukup, WAGN, 33-9, fr.

113 — Haydn Gilbertson, KICO, 35-2, sr., vs. Jordan Vosika, BUGR, 29-13, 8th; Hunter Rucktaeschel, WEAR, 19-18, 7th, vs. Tate Haider, WOWE, 31-10, so.; Wyatt Turnquist, WIAR, 37-7, so., vs. Dawson Janke, LEDE, 24-12, 8th; Braimen Steen, SISS, 36-11, so., vs. Jadyn Coller, PHAR, 30-5, 8th; Trevor Klinnert, TRVA, 29-3, sr., vs. Kamron Pearman, MOPO, 18-18, 8th; Keaton Bissonnette, HOSP, 16-19, 7th, vs. Hayden Pierret, GARR, 28-17, so.; Hunter Pranger, MVPC, 35-12, fr., vs. Carter Calmus, HOWA, 29-22, so.; Daniel Cremer, MAFR, 36-17, fr., vs. Carl Cronin, POCO, 38-1, sr.

120 — Caden Lamer, TRVA, 44-1, so., vs. Hunter Kloos, DEUE, 31-10, so.; Payton Borah, BAH, 28-21, fr., vs. Kegan Pearman, MOPO, 31-13, so.; Chayce Schleuter, GARR, 14-3, jr., vs. Jared Harris, BECO, 31-11, fr.; Carson Pinske, LEDE, 29-12, so., vs. Zak Fowler, EPJ, 33-8, jr.; Jackson Eklund, BUGR, 32-4, fr., vs. Alec Dobson, KICO, 23-14, 8th; Colton Borah, WOWE, 23-15, jr., vs. Keanan Pikarski, SISS, 35-7, so.; Atlas Willuweit, WIAR, 30-8, jr., vs. Dylan Whitley, REDO, 22-12, 8th; Parker Snyder, PHAR, 18-12, 8th         , vs. Kaleb Crownover, BHS, 28-7, jr.

126 — Dirk Wolf, LEMC, 32-3, sr., vs. Chance Stuwe, POCO, 29-12, sr.; Brennan Hanes, CUED, 19-17, fr., vs. Blade Forman, MHH, 21-12, so.; Ben Soukup, WAGN, 29-8, sr., vs. Martin Ruelas, FLAN, 37-13, sr.; Skyler Swatek, EPJ, 30-17, 8th, vs. Logan Mahoney, PA, 23-2, sr.; Luke Heninger, STCO, 28-3, jr., vs. Aaron Elijah, SIVA, 37-6, sr.; Jesse McCann, HACO, 13-17, so., vs. Trevor Pray, GRAR, 29-3, sr.; Trevor Peters, WIAR, 26-17, fr., vs. Hunter Borah, BAH, 22-15, jr.; Dane Christopherson, SISS, 28-16, so., vs. Dylan Hanisch, CANT, 46-2, sr.

132 —  Stas Sutera, BHS, 38-3, sr., vs. Isaac Feldhaus, HOWA, 24-17, fr.; Teigan Clark, SUBI, 21-20, fr., vs. Colbey Lehrke, SISS, 26-10, jr.; Preston Jones, BRHE, 29-3, jr., vs. Preston Nedved, WAGN, 16-22, fr.; Kurtis Mooney, BECO, 32-18, so., vs. Scott Peterson, CANT, 39-10, so.; Hunter Peterson, PHAR, 21-4, so., vs. Travis Leber, PARK, 37-20, jr.; Dylin Johnson, LEDE, 36-10, jr., vs. Hunter Wright, REDO, 26-6, jr.; Kolton Kribell, BAH, 38-11, sr., vs. Andrew Edgar, FAAR, 20-19, jr.; JD Carter, STCO, 24-12, so., vs. Sam Kruger, KWLP, 38-6, 8th.

138 —  Lucas Smith, POCO, 44-3, sr., vs. Eli Mines, CUED, 19-12, jr.; Riley Binger, REDO, 19-14, sr., vs. Zach Sykora, BHS, 25-13, sr.; Grant Plucker, PARK, 37-11, jr., vs. Rocky Berg, PA, 26-14, so.; Wyatt Kurtz, GRAR, 15-14, sr., vs. Jaden Shepherd, MOPO, 31-7, jr.; Alex Aesoph, FAAR, 30-7, so., vs. Tucson Freeman, MCLA, 33-12, so.; Caden Lenz, KWLP, 33-17, fr., vs. Dalton Bodewitz, MAFR, 40-9, jr.; Cody Donnelly, PHAR, 38-8, 8th, vs. Jaden Dominisse, CANT, 28-10, 8th; Trevor Stene, BAH, 29-15, so., vs. Connor Bertsch, MHH, 38-4, jr.

145 — Dakota Galt, BAH, 23-0, sr., vs. Chayce Rausch, POCO, 20-14, so.; Cade Shoemaker, WEAR, 34-16, fr., vs. Isaac Olson, MOPO, 25-8, so.; Josh Crownover, BHS, 31-10, fr., vs. Tanner Even, PARK, 42-18, fr.; Levi Mines, CUED, 20-13, so., vs. Dylan Colt, EPJ, 30-7, sr.; Jess Karber, CWL, 41-1, sr., vs. Stone Durham, STM, 32-14, jr.; Ty Namanny, KWLP, 36-11, so., vs. Dylan VanDerBoom, NEWE, 28-6, sr.; Gannon Martinmaas, FAAR, 36-8, jr., vs. Colton Frei, WAGN, 29-13, jr.; Blake Gessner, MCM, 41-17, fr., vs. Kyler Holzbauer, PA, 32-5, sr.

152 — Nick Donnelly, PHAR, 43-1, sr., vs. Vladik Johnson, BUGR, 32-16, sr.; Chad Whitley II, STCO, 18-9, sr., vs. Mitch Kramer, HOWA, 32-15, jr.; Brice Harkless, HOSP, 31-4, sr., vs. Gage Carter, FAAR, 24-19, fr.; Sam Caba, BHS, 9-7, sr., vs. Devon Sievers, DEUE, 29-5, sr.; Marcus Urban, MVPC, 40-6, sr., vs. Kyle Laubach, CANT, 36-17, jr.; Avery Gilchrist, WIAR, 24-17, sr., vs. Wyatt Burke, CWL, 33-12, jr.; Carter Shoemaker, WEAR, 30-14, jr., vs. Ethan Marx, EPJ, 25-14, jr.; Micaiah Grace, CUED, 8-6, fr., vs. Dylan Rice, FLAN, 42-2, sr.

160 — Kelby Hawkins, WEAR, 36-0, sr., vs. Brady Hill, SUBU, 29-8, sr.; Brandan Gehrke, CWL, 24-20, so., vs. Kaleb Peterson, BAH, 30-18, sr.; Shaeden Scheidt, CANT, 41-6, fr., vs. Jace Burma, SUBI, 31-12, so.; Jayden Even, PARK, 27-24, sr., vs. Lane Schuelke, NEWE, 31-9, sr.; Jeremiah Beck, BUGR, 31-5, so., vs. Dawson Hopkins, MCM, 37-19, sr.; Thomas Baker, MVPC, 37-19, fr., vs. Keagan Fitch, PHAR, 33-6, jr.; Barrett Wren, REDO, 27-8, so., vs. Forrest Lewis, CUED, 31-11, sr.; Ben Boyko, BRHE, 32-6, sr., vs. Dawson Semmler, PA, 30-4, jr.

170 — Kayleb Brozik, WIAR, 42-4, sr., vs. Aaron Jones, CUED, 22-10, sr.; Cole Soulek, WAGN, 14-10, sr., vs. Nathan Bauer, MOPO, 31-12, jr.; Caleb Krouse, MCM, 41-8, sr., vs. Sterling Lee, HACO, 27-10, sr.; Aidyn Feldhaus, HOWA, 27-12, jr., vs. Caleb Orris, CWL, 40-5, so.; Trey Nachtigall, HOSP, 39-4, sr., vs. Alex Martinez, POCO, 37-19, sr.; Kade Hellmann, BHS, 17-20, sr., vs. Justin Brockel, SISS, 31-15, sr.; Logan Donelan, EPJ, 25-8, jr., vs. Zach Rucktaeschel, WEAR, 28-21, sr.; Bailey Schmiedt, SPWO, 22-21, jr., vs. Ty Haneke, BAH, 22-3, sr.

182 — Nick Casperson, BAH, 43-0, jr., vs. KJ St. Pierre, WAGN, 22-11, fr.; Bryce Ahlers, CANT, 18-8, jr., vs. Slayton Neugebauer, PA, 32-15, so.; Jack Whaley, STCO, 35-7, sr., vs. EJ Leetch, HOWA, 27-9, so.; Landon Werdel, CWL, 10-9, so., vs. Stone Jensen, MOPO, 29-14, jr.; Trig Olson, HACO, 29-8, sr., vs. Jed Konechne, SUBI, 23-13, sr.; Tanner Peterson, MCM, 19-20, so., vs. Colton Koslowski, WEAR, 30-7, sr.; Blake Crowser, PHAR, 26-14, sr., vs. Cody Peterson, IPLE, 23-10, sr.; Jed Vissia, MVPC, 40-19, sr., vs. Cooper Baloun, REDO, 21-0, jr.

195 — Logan Richie, WEAR, 11-1, sr., vs. Kasen Grengs, FLAN, 25-17, sr.; Tanner Grocott, MCM, 32-17, jr., vs. Garrett Heil, HOSP, 33-18, so.; Evan Kizer, HOWA, 28-7, jr., vs. Jason Gerry, MOPO, 24-10, jr.; Cadan Koerlin, SIVA, 27-14, sr., vs. Tanner Risseeuw, MVPC, 28-4, sr.; Caleb Brandt, WOWE, 33-8, sr., vs. Preston Worth, POCO, 28-23, so.; Brady Schoenfelder, PA, 25-9, jr., vs. Tyler Byrne, BECO, 37-13, jr.; Branden Roe, REDO, 14-6, jr., vs. Tyler Resick, KWLP, 26-18, so.; Sam Adams, HACO, 25-11, fr., vs. Devin Stork, CANT, 40-4, sr.

220 — Braydon Peterson, LEMC, 31-6, jr., vs. Wyatt Locke, GARR, 19-13, so.; Dalton Martian, MOPO, 24-11, sr., vs. Josh Currence, SISS, 31-12, sr.; James Nelson, BECO, 35-3, sr., vs. Willie Heiberger, TRVA, 33-11, sr.; Keaton Wagner, GARR, 17-17, jr., vs. Jesse Hastings, MVPC, 35-2, fr.; Payton Smith, CANT, 37-1, jr., vs. Tristen Bent, WEAR, 22-22, so.; Jayden Schroeder, WIAR, 28-18, sr., vs. Austin Johnson, FLAN, 35-8, sr.; Noah Riechert, PA, 32-11, sr., vs. Jory Rodgers, PHAR, 21-13, jr.; Alex Cruz, REDO, 22-15, jr., vs. Dylan Hines, WOWE, 9-2, sr.

285 — Tre`zen Doren, WIAR, 30-3, sr., vs. Tate Shape, CWL, 24-15, sr.; Chase Nincehelser, SUBU, 25-17, sr., vs. Brandyn Anderson, GRAR, 25-5, jr.; Trevor Gress, HACO, 28-7, sr., vs. Austin Leuning, TRVA, 21-12, sr.; Garret Chicoine, EPJ, 14-17, jr., vs. Riley Schmiedt, SPWO, 31-11, sr.; Austin Moore, KWLP, 29-6, sr., vs. Silas Larsen, SIVA, 27-10, sr.; Colten Nelson, BUGR, 19-6, sr., vs. Cutter Gillaspie, STCO, 10-2, sr.; Adam Miller, CANT, 39-8, sr., vs. Sosa Arneson, HOSP, 39-10, sr.; Kaeden Metz, SISS, 27-16, jr., vs. Trent Rus, BAH, 34-5, sr.

The area high school football season kicked off last week, and there are already some storylines emerging. The video preview above for the matchup between O’Gorman and Roosevelt in the Presidents’ Bowl explores some, and you can find more in below.

Friday

Brandon Valley (0-1) at Watertown (1-0), 7 p.m.

Brandon Valley’s offense, experienced and athletic in both the pass and run games, looked far from lethal in the Lynx’s 27-22 loss to Washington at home. In their effort to get Chase Grode and Spencer Grage going to a greater degree than the three combined catches they had against the Warriors, the Lynx face a Watertown defense coming off a strong showing — 162 total yards allowed — against Pierre, the Class 11AA runners-up. After facing a talented sophomore running back in Washington’s Tupak Kpeayeh, Brandon Valley will try to stop Bubba Spiering, the Arrows’ senior running back who rushed for 147 yards on 16 carries in week one.

Canton (1-0) vs. West Central (0-1), 7 p.m.

West Central suffered a 21-6 loss to Dakota Valley in the first game of the season, and the Trojans’ week two matchup doesn’t look any easier. Canton beat Vermillion by a handy 31-7 margin and held the Tanagers scoreless until the fourth quarter. The C-Hawks’ powerful rushing attack gained them 269 yards on 41 carries in that win.

Dell Rapids (0-1) vs. Vermillion (0-1), 7 p.m.

The Quarriers’ defense had an unsuccessful night containing Madison wide receiver Mason Leighton — especially on kick and punt returns — in their loss to the Bulldogs. Vermillion doesn’t appear to have a threat the caliber of Leighton, so week two could be an easier go for Dell Rapids’ defense, but the Quarriers will also need to have a more productive offensive night. They managed just 177 yards on 65 carries and gained only six yards passing the ball.

Harrisburg (1-0) vs. Huron (1-0), 7 p.m.

The Tigers will be buoyed by their comeback win over Mitchell, where they trailed 10-0 at halftime but blanked the Kernels while scoring four touchdowns in the second half to notch a 27-10 victory. Harrisburg is set to receive Huron for its home opener, and this Tiger/Tiger matchup could be fairly tight. Huron shut out Douglas all four quarters in its 35-0 week one win and held the Patriots to just 33 yards of total offense.

Madison (1-0) vs. Dakota Valley (1-0), 7 p.m.

The Madison/West Central rivalry has defined Class 11A in recent years, and the Bulldogs, just off a strong win over Dell Rapids, get the team that just beat the Trojans soundly. Madison’s offense is slightly retooled, with receiver Mason Leighton assuming much of the big-play responsibility that Mitch Hansen and Brodie Frederiksen would take, but Leighton’s performance against the Quarriers affirmed his capabilities.

Sioux Falls Christian (1-0) vs. Bridgewater/Emery-Ethan (1-0), 7 p.m.

The Chargers don’t seem to have changed up last year’s run-first offensive approach much, even with the loss of productive tailbacks Keegan Van Egdom and Jackson Olson. Sioux Falls Christian blanked McCook Central/Montrose, 29-0, in week one, and all four of the Chargers’ touchdowns came on the ground. They’ll face another strong rushing attack on Frida, as the Seahawk’s Cole Gassman ran for 193 yards in B/E-E’s 28-14 win over Beresford.

Tea Area (1-0) vs. Lennox (0-1), 7 p.m.

The 20-0 final margin of Tea Area’s win over Parkston seems to have been at the low end of potential scores, as the Titans had a huge night on offense, rushing for 197 yards and gaining 244 through the air. While the rushing attack was a well-balanced effort, Dylan Munkvold dominated the receiving output, gaining 183 yards and catching two touchdowns. It could be another long night for Lennox’s defense, which allowed 42 points against Hot Springs in the Orioles’ season opener.

Tri-Valley (1-0) vs. Parkston (0-1), 7 p.m.

Landon Freeman looks to be a capable successor to Brenton Hanisch at running back for Tri-Valley. Freeman scored twice and ran for 122 yards in the Mustangs’ 34-21 win over Elk-Point Jefferson in week one. Parkston, meanwhile, will try to get more offense any way it can — the Trojans managed 156 yards of offense and didn’t score in their loss to Tea Area.

Aberdeen Central’s Collin Stoebner (82) is brought down by Roosevelt’s Gustaf Radel (64) during a game Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

Aberdeen Central’s Collin Stoebner (82) is brought down by Roosevelt’s Gustaf Radel (64) during a game Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

Saturday

Roosevelt (1-0) vs. O’Gorman (1-0), 3:30 p.m.

O’Gorman has a win under its belt in the Jayson Poppinga era, and now the Knights’ are challenged with Roosevelt’s powerful defense. See the video preview for more.

Washington (1-0) vs. Lincoln (1-0), 7:00 p.m.

The Patriots’ offense has taken yet another huge hit  in the early season. Lincoln beat Rapid City Stevens, 40-20, in week one behind a strong rushing performance, but quarterback Preston Eisenbraun hurt his right knee — the same one he suffered a season-ending injury to last year with Wall — and could miss the rest of the season. Cole DeBerg and Tiegen Salava both got snaps in Eisenbraun’s absence. The Warriors, meanwhile, are riding on confidence from the breakthrough performances of running back Tupak Kpeayeh and quarterback Jayden Johannsen, both sophomores, in their 27-22 win over Brandon Valley. Washington’s defense, young but very talented, will likely give Lincoln a tougher test than Stevens’ did.

Follow Ian Frazer on Twitter at @IanMcFrazer .

This week’s slate of high school football games features a compelling Class 11A matchup, a battle to gain supremacy in Class 11AA, and the 38th annual Dakota Bowl on Saturday.

Friday

Sioux Falls Christian (2-0) at Beresford (1-1), 7 p.m.

Sioux Falls Christian might not have the high-scoring power that Keegan Van Egdom and Jackson Olson gave them last year — although their deliberate rushing attack isn’t really conducive to huge numbers in the first place — but the Chargers’ defense, led by players like Spencer Koelewyn and Lee Vandekamp has yet to allow a point this season. That unit appears to have a decent chance to continue that streak on Friday, as Beresford is no offensive juggernaut, scoring 14 points in a week one loss to Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan and 12 in a win over Wagner.

Tea Area (2-0) at Dakota Valley (1-1), 7 p.m.

Tea’s prolific offensive duo of quarterback Payton Conrad and wide receiver Evan Munkvold will meet likely its stiffest test yet in Dakota Valley, a team that has already been extensively tested with games against Madison and West Central. See the video preview for more.

Tri-Valley (2-0) vs. Dell Rapids (1-1), 7 p.m.

The Mustangs face their first 11A opponent of the season in a Quarriers squad that is coming off a strong shutout win over Vermillion after a discouraging loss to Madison in the season opener. Dell Rapids’ offense totaled 308 rushing yards against the Tanagers, so Tri-Valley’s chances of topping a bigger opponent could depend on whether the Mustangs can avoid getting run over in the ground game.

Lennox (0-2) vs. Canton (1-1), 7 p.m.

Lennox has had one of the tougher earlier slates in the state, losing big to a Hot Springs team that toppled Class 11AA opponent Douglas last week and falling in another blowout to Tea Area, whose offense has looked efficient and dangerous early on. The Orioles will have a more realistic challenge in the C-Hawks, who don’t look nearly as stout as Lennox’s earlier opponents.

West Central (1-1) vs. Madison (2-0), 7 p.m.

This matchup of recent Class 11A powers might not have the intrigue of past years — the Trojans got in the win column last week, but it was with a tight 14-9 win over Canton. The Bulldogs appear to be up to the standard of last season’s state championship squad, as quarterback Josh Giles, wide receiver Mason Leighton and tight end Jaxon Janke form an intimidating set of playmakers on offense.

Washington (2-0) at Yankton (1-1), 7 p.m.

The Warriors are considered by many to be the best team in the state, but they have yet to really roll over an opponent — even though they were clearly the superior squad in their win against Lincoln in the Presidents Bowl, they trailed for a bit in the second half before pulling away. Washington’s first romp might come against the Bucks, who are coming off a state championship but haven’t looked as strong to start 2016, squeaking by Brookings to open the season and falling hard to Mitchell in week two.

Harrisburg’s Jack Anderson (30) rushes with the ball during a game against Huron at Harrisburg High School Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Harrisburg, S.D.

Harrisburg’s Jack Anderson (30) rushes with the ball during a game against Huron at Harrisburg High School Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Harrisburg, S.D.

Saturday

Harrisburg (2-0) vs. Pierre T.F. Riggs (1-1), 7 p.m.

Harrisburg’s offense has flashed dangerous potential through the air and on the ground this season: Quarterback Hunter Headlee and wide receiver Justis Clayton formed a strong combination in their season-opening win against Yankton, and when Headlee’s accuracy failed him against Huron, running back Jack Anderson stepped up and scored three touchdowns in the second half to push the Tigers to a win. If the offense comes together and Harrisburg puts away the Governors convincingly, head coach Brandon White’s team could cement its status as the top dog (cat?) in Class 11AA.

O’Gorman (1-1) vs. Brandon Valley (1-1), 8 p.m.

The 2016 edition of the Dakota Bowl matches two programs that went in opposite directions after week one. After a win over Rapid City Central to open the season, O’Gorman was more erratic than it could afford to be against Roosevelt, and the Rough Riders’ defense wound up basically smothering the Knights, save for one 84-yard scoring drive. Brandon Valley, after a 27-22 loss to Washington where their hyped passing attack looked less deserving of praise, went up to Watertown and stomped the Arrows on both sides of the ball, winning 40-0. The polls and measures of experience would seem to favor the Lynx, but Knights head coach Jayson Poppinga believes his team has more than it showed against Roosevelt. A thriller — or even a Knights victory — wouldn’t be a total shock.

Brandon Valley’s Chase Grode (20) carries the ball during a game against Washington Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

The high school football season gets started this week with games on Friday and Saturday. We previewed one of the week’s premier matchups — Washington vs. Brandon Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m. — in the video above, and we’ll take a look at more area games below.

Friday

Dell Rapids (0-0) vs. Madison (0-0), 7 p.m.

Madison’s attempted defense of its Class 11A state title begins against the Quarriers, whom they rolled over 41-6 to begin the season last year. Dell Rapids returns more starters than the Bulldogs, who lost one of the most productive duos in the state in quarterback Mitch Hansen and running back Brodie Fredriksen, but Madison is still stacked with talent, like do-everything juniors Jaxon and Jaden Janke.

Tea Area (0-0) at Parkston (0-0), 7 p.m.

The Titans, whose season ended last year when they met the wrath of Madison and Frederiksen in the opening round of the state playoffs, will look to improve on last year’s 6-4 mark. They’re led by senior quarterback Payton Conrad and senior wide receiver Evan Munkvold.

Sioux Falls Christian (0-0) at McCook Central/Montrose, 7 p.m.

The Chargers’ evolution into a state title contender began to look complete last year when they pancaked MCM 36-0 in their season opener at Bob Young Field. They’ll have to go on the road in their attempt this year, and they’ll be without the dynamic tailback pair of Keegan Van Egdom and Jackson Olson. The Fighting Cougars could also be a tougher opponent, as they return seven starters on both offense and defense.

O’Gorman (0-0) at Rapid City Central (0-0), 7 p.m.

Rapid City was where Steve Kueter became the winningest high school football coach in South Dakota high school, and Rapid City is where Jayson Poppinga will coach his first game with the Knights. The Knights are a very unproven product, returning just three starters overall, but the Cobblers, who went winless in 2015, shouldn’t be too tough of a matchup.

Brandon Valley’s Riley Frantzen tries to get away from Roosevelt’s Carter Carstens during the Class 11AAA semifinals at Howard Wood Field on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014.

Roosevelt (0-0) vs. Aberdeen Central (0-0), 7 p.m.

The most important factor around Roosevelt this year might be its health — the Rough Riders have the talent and experience to match up with anyone in the state. The ideal outcome against the Golden Eagles, whom they walloped 40-7 last season, would be to not just win, but to win in a manner that lets Roosevelt head coach Kim Nelson get his starters off the field early.

Saturday

Lincoln (0-0) vs. Rapid City Stevens (0-0), 5 p.m.

The Patriots have another thin roster in 2016, but at least they’ve been able to stick with one quarterback throughout the preseason. Preston Eisenbraun, who transferred in from Wall after last season, will try to make a strong impression against the Raiders, who are coming off a 3-7 campaign in 2015.

Washington (0-0) vs. Brandon Valley (0-0), 7 p.m.

This matchup against two of the Class 11AAA’s top squads could come down to how much Washington’s inexperienced defense can stop the Lynx’s high-powered passing attack. See the video above for more.

Harrisburg (0-0) at Mitchell (0-0), 7 p.m.

The Tigers lost plenty of talent from last year’s team, especially on the defensive line. The Kernels replace quarterback Kanin Nelson, now at South Dakota State, with Chris Wahlen, but they bring back their entire offensive line, their top running back and their three top receivers. Having to go on the road makes things even harder on the Tigers.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, is introduced before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

At first glance, you may not notice him. Just another 5-year-old sitting on his dad’s lap watching a JV basketball game, wearing shorts and a Harrisburg Tigers shirt. His quiet, raspy voice occasionally yells out “Come on!” or “Get the ball!”

Then the Harrisburg High School varsity team comes out the locker room and the boy excitedly hops off his father’s lap and joins the team, receiving high fives as he grabs a ball and begins to play.

Your first thought might be that he’s related to one of the players. But curiosity takes over, so you keep watching. He goes over by the cheerleaders, who immediately stop what they are doing to give out hugs and more high fives. Then he makes his way over to the bench and promptly sits down next to the coach, who strikes up a conversation all the while making his arms into a hoop while the kid shoots baskets.

By this time, you know this little boy is more than just a fan or a family member. But it isn’t until player introductions that you realize you’re watching something special as he’s introduced as the team captain and runs through the gauntlet of teammates, handing out special handshakes and standing in the center of the pregame huddle.

His name is Emmett Zorr and he has taken the Harrisburg community by storm.

The team’s shirts are emblazoned with “TEAM EZ” on the back. The school website has the basketball team photo with Emmett and his brother Ace front and center, along with a link to his GoFundMe Page prominently placed.

He’s pretty much the most popular guy in the arena, and it’s easy to see why.

Emmett chats with Harrisburg coach Scott Langerock.

Harrisburg basketball team photo featuring Emmett and brother Ace

TOUGH BATTLE BEGINS

Emmett is currently battling Rhabdomyosarcoma, cancer of the tissue. It’s just one in a long line of battles he has endured in his short time.

Before we met Emmett, his mother, Tina Woltman sent us what she called a “brief history” of her son. It was just over three pages long, single spaced and over 2,000 words.

Emmett’s issues began when he was born at only 24 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 8 ounces. He spent months in the NICU, constantly hooked up to monitors and machines as his body developed. He was sent home once, only to return a week later.

After several tests it was revealed that his lungs were not able to give him the proper amount of oxygen needed. It was decided that in order to get them back up to par, Emmett needed to be put into a coma and intubated. Just over two weeks later he was brought out but had to spend another 10 days in the hospital before he was able to go home.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, Harrisburg boys basketball players before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett seemed to stabilize, but he was required to be on oxygen for the first two and a half years of his life before he could function without the need an oxygen cannula.

It seemed like things were beginning to look up. Periodic doctor visits were required, but no major hiccups.

A year later, Emmett developed a lump under his right eye. A biopsy revealed that he had cancer. Just over a week later, chemotherapy began. A port-a-cath was inserted for the treatments. To help Emmett understand, they named the port Toodles. Being a big Mickey Mouse fan and avid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse viewer, naming the port Toodles taught Emmett that the port was there to help him, just like the character Toodles does when Mickey and his friends need help on the show.

“We needed something for him to understand why and what was going on,” said Woltman.

Toodles from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

After several more rounds of chemo, Emmett began radiation treatments. A mold was made of his body since during radiation treatments, the patient must remain still. Once a few months had passed, Emmett was getting better and the tumor shrunk considerably. Toodles was removed and his hair began to grow back.

Last June, however, the tumor returned to Emmett’s cheek. He was put back on chemotherapy, traveling to see doctors in Sioux Falls and Chicago. The tumor shrank, but now doctors had to go in and remove it, along with reconstructing the cheek. It was possible that Emmett could lose his eye in the process.

The doctors were able to save Emmett’s eye, but the cancer had attacked his cheek, so bone was taken from his skull along with tissue from his left leg to build up the cheek, replace skin and rebuild the pallet of his mouth. The entire process took 14 hours.

PART OF THE TEAM

Despite all that he has been through, Emmett is pretty much your typical 5-year-old. At a recent game he was constantly active, whether dribbling and shooting on the side of the court during timeouts, running around after the game or dancing in the stands after the Tigers’ victory. That’s pretty much Emmett, according to his mother.

“He always wants to be doing something,” said Tina. “His energy level actually keeps him going. That’s what’s kept him going since day one.”

The idea to make Emmett part of the team came from conversations between Harrisburg basketball coach Scott Langerock and Ace, a junior forward on the team.

“We just talked about it and I said, ‘Hey, is there anything we can do?’ and Ace told me what was going on,” said Langerock. “The more he got comfortable talking about it, the more things kind of evolved.”

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, Harrisburg boys basketball players before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

And Team EZ was born.

Emmett’s involvement with the team grew as the season went on. At first he was shy, but the more he interacted with the team, the more his role expanded, much like any player excelling at their position.

“At first everyone was a little hesitant and Emmett was hesitant too because he’s just a little guy and here are all these big basketball players,” said Langerock. “The only one he really knew was Ace. But now when you watch and observe the whole interaction … our guys, they just love him.”

Langerock is especially proud of his players and how they embraced the situation.

“Watching these guys become men and compassionate people with big hearts and willing to grow the relationship with somebody that’s going through hard times on a daily basis, that says a lot about their character,” he said. “When you see that whole thing develop with your players and other people and the ability to develop those relationships, it’s very heartwarming.”

A big piece of this has been Ace, who recently moved back to South Dakota after living with his mother in Florida. The 6-foot-5 starter has been everything to his little brother, taking on the role without thinking twice, putting Emmett before himself many times.

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” says his father, Chad Zorr. “I mean, words can’t explain it. Ace was 11 or 12 when Emmett came into this world and Ace never got to see him, hold him, meet him or anything cause he was in NICU. It’s overwhelming. The bond that those two have through life, basketball, sports, all that stuff is just amazing.”

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, waits to be introduced before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

But for Ace, the choice of being such a rock for Emmett was easy.

“He’s my little brother. I love him. I would do anything for him,” he said.

ENJOYING THE RIDE

As the team and Emmett bonded, so did the community, rallying around Emmett and his family. A GoFundMe Page was started and raised more than $1,600 the first month. When Emmett was in Chicago, a burger feed was organized to help the family with medical costs.

“The community is amazing,” Woltman said. “The whole basketball program is amazing. They took him in, not knowing who he was, what was going on. There’s no way we could ever pay them back for everything they’ve done. They have literally taken us all in, not just Emmett and Ace, but all of us.”

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, watches a television news story about him while being held by his mom Tina Woltman as it’s played on the big screen during halftime of a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Harrisburg’s season got off to rough start, with the Tigers losing their first six games and sitting at 3-10 in early February. But something happened and they reeled off six straight wins, including an overtime victory in Pierre. It was a game Emmett couldn’t travel to because he had chemo treatments that day, but Tina was able to find the game being streamed online.

With the Tigers down at halftime, Emmett watched his team come back for a 71-68 win. Following a loss to Brookings, the Tigers defeated Watertown to set up a play-in game against Yankton. Harrisburg won with Emmett in attendance, 53-48, moving the Tigers into a game against the top seed in their district, Brandon Valley. The Tigers upset the Lynx 53-48 to move on to the finals against Lincoln. Though they fell 45-41, Harrisburg will have one more crack at a state tournament berth. The Tigers will face Roosevelt in Region 2AA on Tuesday.

With the support of their honorary captain, the underdogs are making a memorable run.

Emmett will continue to have treatments until April, when he will be evaluated again. The date is in the back of his parents’ minds, but right now the family is enjoying March Madness and the magical ride that a courageous 5-year-old helped make possible.

Follow Christopher Dexter on Twitter at @cdexter99.

Emmett Zorr’s GoFundMe Page

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, looks on while sitting on his dad, Chad Zorr’s lap during a boys basketball game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, roughhouses with Harrisburg’s Hunter Headlee (12) before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, high fives the team as they take the court during halftime Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, cheers on his team while sitting on his dad, Chad Zorr’s lap during a boys basketball game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, stands for the "National Anthem" before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, looks on as the Harrisburg boys warm up before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, sits with Harrisburg head boys basketball coach Scott Langerock before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, plays before a game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, holds a basketball while sitting on his dad, Chad Zorr’s lap during a boys basketball game against Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face. The Harrisburg boys won Tuesday’s game against Watertown 42-35.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, gets a high five from Harrisburg’s Nick Hoyt (24) after their 42-35 win over Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face.

Emmett Zorr, 5, the honorary team captain of the Harrisburg boys basketball team, plays with Harrisburg’s Justis Clayton (22) after their 42-35 win over Watertown Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, at Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, S.D. Late last year, Emmett had a tumor removed from his face, and is currently going through chemotherapy. This wasn’t the first time Zorr has been through this. When Emmett was 3-years-old he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma after a tumor was found on his face.

Emmett resting after surgery.

The dream season continues for the Harrisburg boys basketball team.

Last night they punched their ticket to the State Basketball Tournament with a 71-52 win over Roosevelt.

After the game, the Harrisburg team and crowd in attendance, hoisted the 5-year-old up on their shoulders, chanting his name and exchanging high fives.

Related: Embracing Emmett: The story behind Team EZ

Emmett has served as an inspiration for the team and the entire Harrisburg community. He is currently battling cancer and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with expenses.

Now, #TeamEZ heads to Rapid City for the tournament and will face off against No. 1 ranked O’Gorman.

#TeamEZ and the Harrisburg community celebrate basketball win.

St. Thomas More’s Dru Gylten (10) cheers on her teammates from the bench during a 2017 SDHSAA Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Madison Thursday, March 9, 2017, at Frost Arena on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings, S.D. St. Thomas More beat Madison 57-32.

BROOKINGS — The cornerstone of St. Thomas More’s recent run of success is its suffocating defense.

For most coaches, getting players to buy into such a demanding style can be difficult, especially at the high school level. But that hasn’t been much of a problem for St. Thomas More coach Brandon Kandolin.

“It might have been a while back,” he said following Thursday’s 57-32 win over Madison in the Class A quarterfinals. “I’ve always been defensive-minded, but back when we first made our first appearance, we just took it to another level. It started Caitlin Duffy’s freshman or sophomore year, that group in particular buying into how hard we’re going to have to work to get where we want to be. I think that’s just built on itself more and more.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE:  #SDBASKETBALL17

The Duffy he is referring to led the team to its first-ever state championship in 2012 before heading to Colorado State University. She transferred after her freshman year and is now a senior at the University of South Dakota.

A few years later, another Cavalier, Alexys Swedlund, headed to Washington State, where she currently starts as a sophomore.

Last year, a third player joined the Division I ranks with Ciara Duffy following her older sister to Vermillion where she has emerged as one of the Coyotes’ key players.

Their success and strong leadership laid the foundation for St. Thomas More’s dynastic run, and now the torch has been passed on to senior Dru Gylten, a 5-foot-1 guard who is the program’s third Division I recruit in as many years.

St. Thomas More’s Dru Gylten (10) dribbles past Madison’s Olivia Rud (24) and Jessi Giles (12) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday, March 9, 2017, at Frost Arena on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings, S.D. St. Thomas More beat Madison 57-32.

“They were amazing role models and just amazing women in general,” the University of Utah signee said of her former teammates. “Being able to look up to them in practice and even every day in school, it formed the person who I am today. They showed me the person you’re supposed to be as a senior, both in basketball and in life in general.”

Gylten differs from her predecessors in that she’s more of a playmaker, a role she’s flourished in since she joined the varsity squad as a freshman.

“I could tell especially that freshman year that she had that sixth sense,” Kandolin said. “She has that weird sense about basketball.”

Gylten’s grandfather, Jerry Schultz, played at the University of North Dakota in the 60s.

Her parents, Steven and Kristi Gylten also played college basketball. Steven at North Dakota State College of Sciences then Moorhead State, and Kristi (Schultz) at Concordia (Neb.).

Needless to say, they passed on their passion for basketball to their oldest child.

“They say you can’t really be born into basketball, but my family, they’ve played basketball themselves,” Dru explained. “At a young age, my dad would really push me to become the player that he and my grandpa once were.”

That early exposure to the game manifested itself in an incredibly high basketball IQ.

“She’s special in a lot of ways,” Kandolin said. “Since day one freshman year, understanding the game already at that age – her basketball knowledge was incredible. It took a while for some of our players to adjust to her ability to see the floor and anticipate a play, because if you didn’t get your hands up, she was probably going to hit you in the side of the head with the ball.”

St. Thomas More’s Dru Gylten (10) takes a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Madison Thursday, March 9, 2017, at Frost Arena on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings, S.D. St. Thomas More beat Madison 57-32.

The loss of six seniors off last year’s roster has led to Gylten taking a different role on this year’s team – she’s being asked to be more of a scorer.

Against Madison on Thursday, she showed off that aspect of her game, pouring in a game-high 29 points on 12 of 24 shooting.

“In the past, my role was to get the shooters the ball and play defense,” explained Gylten, who is averaging a team-high 12.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting. “This year, I knew that I would be faced with a challenge that I was going to have to react to, and that’s just life.”

Gylten’s approach to this year’s state tournament is different as well. With the finale of her high school career now clearly defined, she is focused on embracing the moment and making the most of her final games as a St. Thomas More Cavalier.

“When you’re just a little girl, it’s hard to bring it all in. It’s hard to understand what’s happening and what you’re actually a part of,” she said. “Now being a senior, your memories and everything are limited, so I think it’s a lot easier to take it all in and really take advantage of it.”

Gylten acknowledged that it’s started to sink in that her high school career is almost over. Though she said she’s not ready for her time with STM to end, she will forever maintain a special connection with her teammates – both current and former.

“There’s a sisterhood at St. Thomas More that you never get out of,” she explained. “You’re a sister with everyone forever, really. It’s like they’ve never left. You’re always a teammate. You never lose that sisterhood.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Vermillion players react from the bench after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class A State Girls Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Hamlin Thursday, March 9, 2017, at Frost Arena on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings, S.D. Vermillion beat Hamlin 49-43.

The Vermillion girls basketball team scored the first major upset of the 2017 state basketball tournaments, knocking off No. 2 Hamlin 49-43 in the Class A state tournament.

Here are postgame interviews with Vermillion coach Jon Brooks, Tanagers forward Haleigh Melstad and Hamlin coach Tom Koisti.

I’ll have a full recap from both of Thursday night’s quarterfinals posted later this evening.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

This week’s high school football action will all take place on Friday. O’Gorman will try to build on its strong Dakota Bowl win as it takes on Washington, Roosevelt will look to best the top team in Class 11AA, and Dell Rapids will aim to break (or not) a bizarre streak.

Friday

O’Gorman (2-1) vs. Washington (3-0), 5 p.m. 

O’Gorman’s Canyon Bauer (12) catches a pass in front of a Roosevelt defender during a Presidents Bowl game at Howard Wood Field Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

The first rematch of last season’s Class 11AAA state title game features few familiar names from that showdown, and neither the Knights nor Warriors shy away from the label being young, relatively inexperienced squads. Not that much has changed, though: Both teams are again considered to be among the best in the state. The Knights took a bit longer to rise to that level, as they opened with a somewhat unconvincing win on the road against Rapid City Central and a sound loss to Roosevelt. Last week’s win against Brandon Valley in the Dakota Bowl, however, and the exciting playmaking ability shown by quarterback Hunter Thompson and wide receiver Canyon Bauer have upped the excitement around the Knights.

The Warriors also beat Brandon Valley, in a thrilling 27-22 win to open the season, and they appear to have improved through the year. Tupak Kpeayeh and Logan Uttecht have kept producing at running back and wide receiver, and Seth Benson, Jack Bren and Zac Bolden — to name just a few — have done well on defense. Sophomore quarterback Jayden Johannsen has also played very well in recent contests, going without an interception in the past two games after throwing three in his debut as a starter. I talked with him about Friday’s contest and the season so far in the above video.

IAN’S PICK: Washington

Roosevelt (3-0) vs. Harrisburg (3-0), 6 p.m. 

Harrisburg’s Justis Clayton (3) catches a pass over Huron’s Isaac Carr (89) during a game at Harrisburg High School Friday, Sept. 2, 2016, in Harrisburg, S.D.

Nobody has significantly broken the Rough Riders’ defense in their three games this season, but the Tigers, the easy choice for the top team in Class 11AA, probably have the best chance of anyone so far. Harrisburg running back Jack Anderson had three touchdowns against Pierre T.F. Riggs after scoring three against Huron, and if quarterback Hunter Headlee can find a stronger connection with dangerous receiver Justis Clayton, Roosevelt could be seriously challenged. The Tigers’ defense will have to have the game of its life, though, as the Rough Riders boast an excellent group of receivers and an experienced, versatile running back in Tyson Jahn.

IAN’S PICK: Roosevelt

Lincoln (1-2) at Brookings (1-2), 7 p.m. 

Roosevelt vs. Lincoln at Howard Wood Field on Friday. Rough Riders dominated the Patriots 49 to 7.

The Patriots could definitely use a confidence boost this week. A week two loss to Washington that included a squandered third-quarter lead and three straight second-half Warrior touchdowns, as well as a one-sided 49-7 loss to Roosevelt in week three, has sapped any momentum the team has from its season-opening win over Rapid City Stevens. The Bobcats could be just the team to lift Lincoln’s spirits: They’re 0-3 on the year, with losses to Yankton, Pierre T.F. Riggs and Douglas, none of which appear to be serious contenders in Class 11AA.

IAN’S PICK: Lincoln

Brandon Valley (1-2) vs. Rapid City Stevens (2-1), 7 p.m. 

Brandon Valley has been on the short end of two of the most entertaining, dramatic games in Class 11AAA this year, but also smoked Watertown 40-0 on the road, so the Lynx are probably still in the upper echelon of the class. They clearly have the offensive weapons to compete with anybody — running back Braiden Petersen was especially impressive in the Dakota Bowl, rushing for 98 yards on eight carries — and while Stevens looks decent, boasting a win over Aberdeen Central, the Raiders shouldn’t be a significant issue for the Lynx.

IAN’S PICK: Brandon Valley

West Central vs. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, 7 p.m. 

Madison’s Mason Leighton (4) carries the ball during a game against West Central Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, at West Central High School in Hartford, S.D.

One thing is for near-certain about this matchup between the Trojans, a perennial Class 11A contender on something of a down year and the Seahawks, a relative newcomer to Class 11B: There won’t be much passing. West Central ran the ball 52 times last week in a loss to Madison, and B-E/E has one of the premier workhorses in the state in Cole Gassman, who ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns in week one and 123 yards and two more scores last week.

IAN’S PICK: West Central

Sioux Falls Christian (3-0) at Sioux Valley (2-0), 7 p.m. 

The Chargers hit a low point last week in a 40-7 win against Beresford — their defense gave up a touchdown. That hadn’t happened in Sioux Falls Christian’s first two games, against McCook Central/Montrose and Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, giving the Chargers’ offense, led by quarterback Sawyer Prins and tailback Riley Hogan, plenty of breathing room. The Cossacks might push Sioux Falls Christian a bit more this week, as they’re coming off a 53-40 win over Elk Point-Jefferson where they totaled 448 rushing yards.

IAN’S PICK: Sioux Falls Christian

Canton vs. Tri-Valley, 7 p.m. 

The Mustangs’ encouraging start to the season met a serious bump when they fell 35-6 to Dell Rapids, totaling 160 yards in the game. Tri-Valley’s 2-0 start came against fellow Class 11B opponents, but the Mustangs have hit the 11A spot in their schedule, with last week’s game against the Quarriers, Friday’s matchup with the C-Hawks and the following week’s game against Lennox. Canton began the season with a 31-7 win over Vermillion, and after a 14-9 defeat to West Central in the second week came back with a 43-0 thrashing of Lennox.

IAN’S PICK: Canton

Lennox (0-3) at Madison (3-0), 7 p.m. 

Madison’s Jadon Janke (20) dives into the end zone for a touchdown during a game against West Central Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, at West Central High School in Hartford, S.D.

The Orioles have struggled mightily on both sides of the ball this year, giving up 40-plus points in all three games scoring 13 of their own. This matchup with the Bulldogs, who have gone 3-0 against some of the stronger sides in Class 11A while scoring more than 30 points each time, will probably be another slog.

IAN’S PICK: Madison

Tea Area (3-0) vs. Dell Rapids (2-1), 7 p.m. 

The Titans continued their strong start to the season last week with a 28-14 road win against Dakota Valley. There will be a couple of major storylines in Tea Area’s matchup with the Quarriers, the first being the Titans’ attempted rise to the top ranks of Class 11A and the second being whether Dell Rapids’ bizarre streak of 35-6 results — the score in all three of their games this year — will continue.

IAN’S PICK: Tea Area

RAPID CITY — Sydney Halling wasn’t feeling it at the outset of Friday’s semifinal against No. 4 Rapid City Central.

Harrisburg’s Sydney Halling (34) reacts after their 49-44 win over Rapid City Central in a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

But then her third shot of the game went down with 97 seconds left in the first half and suddenly, the floodgates burst open.

The junior guard took control of the game, scoring 16 of her team’s 20 points over a crucial stretch between the first and second halves to lead top-seeded Harrisburg to a 49-44 win in the Class AA girls semifinals Friday afternoon at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

It is the Tigers’ first-ever Class AA championship berth and their first overall since 2013 when they won the Class A title in their final season at that classification.

COMPLETE COVERAGE:  Class AA state tournaments

“At the beginning of the game, I felt like it wasn’t going to be my best game and that meant I needed to get the ball to my teammates,” Halling said. “Then I saw one go down and it just kept going and things just kept happening.”

Halling led all scorers with 27 points on 8 of 15 shooting. She also pulled in eight rebounds, and knocked down a series of crucial free throws late in regulation to help stifle the Cobblers’ final charge.

Jeniah Ugofsky added 11 points for the Tigers, who shot 30 percent from the field as a team and hit 13 of 18 free throws in the second half.

“We knew that we were better than that team and we just had to keep believing,” Halling said. “We had to keep pounding it and keep pounding it and then things would work at the end.”

The Tigers struggled to find their footing against Rapid City Central’s physical defense, falling behind 16-8 midway through the second quarter.

“We didn’t shoot it well (in the first half), but it felt like they got us into a funk,” Harrisburg coach Nick Mayer said. “Offensively, we couldn’t get a good shot, couldn’t get anything to go and it just wasn’t working for us. They were so good at keeping us out of the lane.”

But then Ugofsky provided the spark. She collected the rebound off Halling’s missed free throw and sliced her way to the basket for an easy layup.

Halling took over from there.

Harrisburg players react from the bench after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

She accounted for the team’s next seven points, including a 3-pointer with 24 seconds left that pulled the Tigers within three entering the break.

Her hot streak continued into the second half, accounting for nine of Harrisburg’s first 13 points, including the go-ahead bucket less than 90 seconds in.

Despite falling behind by as many as eight late in the third quarter, the Cobblers refused to fade down the stretch, cutting the margin to four behind an old-fashioned 3-point play with 25 seconds left in regulation.

“Once we got the lead, then it was just no looking back,” Mayer said. “Give credit to Central. They fought all the way to the bitter end. It wasn’t in doubt until we made those last couple free throws at the end.”

Maddison Sullivan led the Cobblers with 11 points and four assists. Abby Johnson added nine points.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Rapid City Central fans cheer on their team during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Harrisburg Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Jeniah Ugofsky (30) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg takes on Rapid City Central in a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Mac Mertz (33) takes a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg players react from the bench after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg players react after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) reaches for a rebound over Rapid City Central’s Juneau Jones (42) and Abby Johnson (21) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sydney Halling (34) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) dribbles past Rapid City Central’s Mya Jones (23) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Jeniah Ugofsky (30) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) dribbles past Rapid City Central’s Mya Jones (23) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) dribbles past Rapid City Central’s Mya Jones (23) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) drives to the basket past Rapid City Central’s Mya Jones (23) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Rapid City Central players react from the bench after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Harrisburg Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Rapid City Central’s Mya Jones (23) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Harrisburg Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) gets the tipoff over Rapid City Central’s Michelle Johnson (40) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Jeniah Ugofsky (30) dribbles toward the basket during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sydney Halling (34) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Rapid City Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Harrisburg beat Rapid City Central 49-44, and will play in Saturday’s final.

Harrisburg’s Sami Slaughter (3) gets the tipoff over Rapid City Central’s Michelle Johnson (40) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

O’Gorman players huddle after their 64-44 win over Lincoln in a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Boys Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

RAPID CITY — In each of the last two seasons, O’Gorman’s championship aspirations have been quashed by in-city rival Lincoln.

On Friday, any thoughts of that scenario playing itself out for a third consecutive season were quickly put to rest as the top-seeded Knights built a 15-point halftime advantage, then coasted to a 64-44 win over the No. 6 Patriots.

With the win, O’Gorman advances to its first state championship game since 2012, when it beat Mitchell for its third consecutive title.

“It was really sweet to finally get the postseason win against them,” O’Gorman senior JP Costello said.

“We talked about (last year) a lot,” added Matt Cartwright. “We didn’t want to feel that way again after this game.”

COMPLETE COVERAGE:  Class AA state tournaments

“I’m really, really proud of our kids. Our seniors really stepped up, especially as of late. They’re having a tremendous run,” O’Gorman coach Derek Robey said. “To be able to beat a team like Lincoln three times, that’s a tough thing to do.”

Sam Higgason gave Lincoln a 7-4 lead three minutes into the opening half, but it was all O’Gorman from there, with the Knights limiting their opponent to just five points the rest of the half.

When the horn sounded on the first half, O’Gorman had hit 10 of 21 shots, while limiting Lincoln to just four field goals on 24 attempts.

“I think we’re playing great defense right now,” Costello said. “Everybody was locked in, lots of talk, getting hands on passes and things.”

Lincoln’s offense found its rhythm in the second half (11-22), but it had no answers for O’Gorman’s high-octane offense, which actually improved upon its first-half performance, knocking in 14 of 23 shots (.609).

“When you shoot 16 percent in the first half, it’s hard to play catch-up with a team like O’Gorman,” Lincoln coach Jeff Halseth said. “Our offense started coming around in the second half, but we couldn’t trade baskets. We had to get some stops.”

Cartwright led the Knights with 20 points on 6 of 13 shooting with six boards, three assists, a block and a steal. Costello and Joey Messler added 18 and 10 points, respectively.

As a team, O’Gorman shot 55 percent from the field and went 12 of 16 from the free throw line.

“You could just tell they were dialed in (before the game),” Robey said. “They were wanting to win and wanting to get to that championship game. That’s a kid’s dream, ever since they’ve been a little tomato. I’m just thrilled with that for our seniors.”

For Lincoln, Alex Glanzer led the way with 13 points, while teammates Diang Gatluak and Simon Higgason added 10 points apiece.

LHS’ shooting percentage (.326) was weighed down by its performance in the first half. The Patriots hit 6 of 25 3-point attempts.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at  @Brian_Haenchen .

O’Gorman’s Matt Cartwright (23) goes up for a shot over Lincoln’s Alex Glanzer (15) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Boys Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

O’Gorman’s Joey Messler (15) goes up for a shot over Lincoln’s Andrew Tverberg (43) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Boys Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

O’Gorman players, indluding Rylee Benson (5) and Ashlee Beacom (13), celebrate their 47-34 win over Aberdeen Central in a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. O’Gorman beat Aberdeen Central 47-34, and will play in Saturday’s final.

RAPID CITY — There were a couple of major challenges facing the No. 7 O’Gorman girls basketball team entering Friday night’s semifinal against No. 6 Aberdeen Central.

After spending the last 10 days preparing for Roosevelt, a team that had beaten them twice during the regular season, the Knights had to put Thursday’s upset of the second-seeded Rough Riders behind them and turn their attention to defending Paiton Burckhard, who had scored 38 the day before in an upset of Brandon Valley.

O’Gorman managed to accomplish both tasks and now, following their 47-34 win at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, the Knights are just one win away from their first AA state championship since 1995.

COMPLETE COVERAGE:  Class AA state tournaments

“If you would have told me at the beginning of the season (we would be in the finals), I wouldn’t have believed it,” O’Gorman senior Ashlee Beacom said. “But we worked really hard and we got here.”

“I’m just really excited,” added fellow senior Sebastian Akoi. “Going up against the team we’ve played the last three years, it feels like revenge for last year. It feels good.”

Beacom and Akoi tied for the team lead with 15 points apiece. Beacom picked up 12 of her points from behind the arc, and added three assists and a steal. Meanwhile, Akoi was an efficient 5-for-8 from the field with a couple of assists and two blocks.

Ronsiek poured in 10 points and seven rebounds for the Knights, who narrowly edged ABC on the glass (35-34) and shot 31 percent from the field as a team.

“As the game went on, we just seemed to get more and more comfortable, more and more confident,” Kolsrud said. “Everybody made some big plays. It was certainly a team effort, which we need for us to be successful every night.”

Though she finished with 18 points, Burckhard hit just 5 of 18 shots from the field, with her first make coming at the 4:17 mark of the second quarter. She was largely a non-factor until the fourth quarter, where she accounted for 10 of her points.

“We had to be the aggressor,” Akoi said. “We double- and triple-teamed her. We made an emphasis that we were going to guard her.”

“Our gameplan revolved around trying to keep her in check,” O’Gorman coach Kent Kolsrud said. “A player of that caliber, you’re not going to shut her out. We felt we had to really make her work hard for her points and I thought our kids did a tremendous job of executing that gameplan.”

Aberdeen Central’s Paiton Burckhard (33) passes the ball between O’Gorman’s Sebastian Akoi (35) and Ashlee Beacom (13) during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

Just as they did against Roosevelt, the Knights clogged the lane, making it difficult for their opponent to get much of anything going inside. They limited the Golden Eagles to just seven first-half points on 2 of 21 shooting.

By the end of the night, Aberdeen Central had just 11 field goals on 52 attempts, with five 3-pointers on 26 tries.

“Defensively they did exactly what we said they were going to do — pack it in and make us shoot from the outside, which is okay because we’ve got kids who can score,” Aberdeen Central coach Dawn Seiler said. “But we miss a few shots and then we don’t want to shoot anymore. Then it’s tough to score. We got frustrated, forced some things and it just all feeds into it.”

After trailing by as many as 19 in the third quarter, the Golden Eagles found some traction early in the fourth. 3-pointers from Haylee Mork, Laura Babcock and Burckhard cut the margin to 36-25, but O’Gorman maintained its composure and started to push back. Buckets from Akoi, Emma Ronsiek and Kendyl Kreber helped to stabilize the Knights and pushed their lead back to 17.

“Give Aberdeen some credit, they made a run at us in the second half,” Kolsrud said. “I was really proud of the way our kids kept their composure. We made some big shots, made some big plays to close the game out.”

The Knights advance to face top-seeded Harrisburg in tomorrow’s championship.

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Aberdeen Central’s Paiton Burckhard (33) goes up for a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against O’Gorman Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

O’Gorman players react after a teammate scored during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Aberdeen Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

O’Gorman’s Ashlee Beacom (13) takes a shot during a 2017 SDHSAA Class AA State Girls Basketball semifinal game against Aberdeen Central Friday, March 17, 2017, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City.

The 6th-place Roosevelt Rough Riders.

RAPID CITY — No. 2 Roosevelt nearly erased a 21-point deficit, but its comeback efforts fell short in a 62-49 loss to No. 5 Rapid City Stevens in the Class AA girls consolation championship game.

“We just knew that we didn’t want to go out on such a tough loss,” senior Peyton Stolle said. “That’s obviously not the way we wanted it to end, but I’m really proud of how we fought back.”

Tahia Mitzel led the Riders with 11 points, four assists and a steal.

COMPLETE COVERAGE:  Class AA state tournaments

Teammate Tatum Kooima finished with nine points and a couple of assists, while Taylor Bonestroo, Mackenzie Phillips and Stolle all added seven points. Bonestroo also posted a team-high six assists.

Roosevelt finished with assists on 14 of its 18 made field goals, and was a near-perfect seven-for-eight from the free throw line.

“I’m really proud of these kids. I love these kids,” coach David Maxwell said. “Obviously, we didn’t come out here to get sixth place, but that’s life. We’re going to learn a lot from the hardships and struggles. It’s such a valuable weekend for us in more than just basketball.”

The Riders, who fell behind by 21 early in the second quarter, made their push late in the third quarter.

Kooima sparked the 14-2 run with a couple of 3-pointers to close out the third quarter, then Mitzel finished it off with a 2-point jumper that trimmed the score to 47-44 with 5:12 left.

But then the Raiders started to heat back up, accounting for 11 of the game’s next 14 points to push its lead back to double digits with two minutes remaining.

“We talked at halftime about just whittling away, whittling away,” Maxwell said. “We made a few adjustments and started making a run. But they were a good team. They handled the pressure a little bit better after a little bit and made some big shots down the stretch.”

“We really didn’t want to end our season like this, so we really wanted to push through it and try to get the win,” Mitzel said.  “Sadly, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

Roosevelt senior Mackenzie Phillips.

Rapid City Stevens had four finish in double figures, led by Kyah Watson who tallied a game-high 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting. She also added seven assists, a block and two steals. Mya Hendry finished with 14 points, Emma Burns had 12 and Julia Haefs notched 10.

As a team, RCS shot 54 percent from the field and was 7-for-12 from behind the arc.

Roosevelt (18-8) graduates six seniors off its roster in Mitzel, Bonestroo, Phillips, Stolle, Kira Ward and Katie Johnson.

“I couldn’t be happier to have the group of six seniors that we have,” said Maxwell, who is in his second year as Roosevelt coach. “They’ve gotten Roosevelt back to the state tournament two years in-a-row and that’s exactly where we need to be.”

“We had such a great group,” Stolle said. “I could not have asked for a better group of seniors. We’ve all played together from such a young age, it was amazing to go out in a state tournament like this. I love them.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will be the featured speaker for the second annual South Dakota Sports Awards on June 3 at the Sanford Pentagon.

Baseball Hall of Famer and “Iron Man” Cal Ripken Jr. will be the featured speaker for the second annual South Dakota Sports Awards organized by Argus Leader Media at the Sanford Pentagon on June 3.

Sanford Health is once again our presenting sponsor for the event, which will honor high school athletes, coaches, teams and community members for their achievements during the 2016-17 school year. Wells Fargo and Nike are also joining the celebration, and the company of the iconic “Swoosh” is honoring high school students active in their community with the I Am Sport Award. Applications are now open for that award. 

Ripken, a 19-time All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles, made baseball history by playing in 2,632 consecutive games to break Lou Gehrig’s fabled record of 2,130, which stood for 56 years. The two-time MVP shortstop finished his career with 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, 1,695 runs batted in and two Gold Glove Awards before retiring in 2001. He was a first-ballot Hall of Fame selection in 2007.

Ripken serves as chairman and CEO of Ripken Baseball, which owns multiple minor league baseball teams and supports youth baseball organizations across the country.

Ticket information for the South Dakota Sports Awards will be announced soon. Last year, five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning headlined the inaugural event to honor more than 100 high school athletes from across the state.

Ripken’s appearance will represent a homecoming of sorts. His father, Cal Sr., served as manager of the Aberdeen Pheasants of the Class A Northern League in 1963-64 and again in 1966, with Cal Jr. and the rest of the family tagging along during these summer stints. The Pheasants were an Orioles affiliate that featured future major-league standouts such as Jim Palmer and Mark Belanger.

Much more information about this year’s event, including ticket sale information, will be available soon.

IF YOU GO

What: South Dakota Sports Awards

When: Saturday, June 3

Where: Sanford Pentagon

Guest speaker: Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

Online: http://www.argusleader.com/sports/southdakotasportsawards/

Ellie (left) and Anna Brecht before a game at Sioux Falls Lincoln.

It is easy to see where Ellie and Anna Brecht’s shared love for basketball comes from.

Their mom, Amy Mickelson, was a standout forward at Brookings High School and a first team All-Pac 10 selection at the University of Washington. A South Dakota Sports Hall of Famer, Amy still stands as one of the top female basketball players in state history.

That fact is not lost on her daughters, who joke about seeing plenty of evidence of Amy’s achievements through home videotapes and shared stories.

“She was pretty much a stud, we do know that,” said Ellie, her oldest daughter, who is a sophomore at the University of Nebraska Omaha.

MORE:  Recruiting the Twin Towers presented a — unique — challenge

Anna, a senior standout at Sioux Falls Lincoln, took it a step further.

“She used to show us videos of herself playing at Washington,” said the Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit, glancing over at her mother with a grin. “She would talk about how she was a post player and how her high school team was ranked third in the country and her and Renae (Sallquist Knopf) were the Twin Towers. So, yes, she likes to talk about that sometimes.”

Amy Mickelson (34) and some of her teammates at Washington in March 1990.

Anna didn’t whiff on an opportunity to gently rib her mother, but when it came to discussing the impact Amy has had on her career – one which will see her graduate from Lincoln as the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder – her tone changed.

It’s apparent that Amy has passed her passion for the game to both of her daughters. More importantly, she instilled in them the same values that her father, former South Dakota governor George Mickelson, imparted on her.

“One thing she showed me was that whole factor of being a relentless athlete,” said Ellie, who helped Lincoln to its first state championship in 2013. “I haven’t always been the most athletic, but I think I’ve always had that drive to get the skill, and that all comes from my mom telling me, ‘You can do it and no one out there can tell you that you can’t.’”

Amy taught her daughters the value of hard work and dedication, lessons reinforced by their father, Jeff, a financial adviser and devoted Lincoln booster. Now they are enjoying the fruits of that labor.

Ellie is currently following in her mother’s footsteps, playing Division I basketball at Omaha. She was back in Sioux Falls for the Summit League tournament earlier this month, where the Mavericks reached the semifinals for a second consecutive season.

Next year, Anna will begin her journey as a D-I athlete at Green Bay, which won its 15th Horizon League tournament championship earlier this month. She played alongside her older sister for two seasons at Lincoln.

“It’s fun,” said Amy, whose son Nate also plays at Lincoln. “It’s fun partly because I know what a rewarding experience it is to be a college athlete. I’m happy for them that they get to experience it.”

FAMILY VALUES

George Mickelson, who served as governor from 1987-93 before being killed in a plane crash that shook the state, made sure that his daughter understood the importance of a strong work ethic.

“He always told me you’re probably never going to be the most talented kid on the court or in the room,” she recalled, “but you can always be the hardest worker.”

That blue-collar approach helped Amy become the sort of player who put South Dakota on the national map. One of the “Twin Towers” at Brookings, she and teammate Renae (Sallquist) Knopf helped the Bobcats post back-to-back undefeated seasons.

The state champion Brookings Bobcats.

The headliners on a team littered with D- I and D-II recruits, the duo helped the team string together 48 consecutive wins. In 1985, Brookings reached No. 3 in USA Today’s national rankings and Amy was at the forefront, leading the team in scoring (17.9) and rebounding (11.2).

“As time has gone on, I’ve gotten to appreciate how unique that experience was,” said Amy, who garnered All-America honors her senior year. “That’s not the way most people get to experience it and at the time, that’s not something I really grasped.”

“We were starting to get recognition as individuals and as a team,” added Knopf, who now lives in south Sioux Falls. “I remember Amy and I were at a camp out in California, and the USA Today high school basketball beat writer said how special our team was.”

After helping Brookings to a second consecutive undefeated title run in 1985, Amy headed to Seattle and the University of Washington. She enjoyed similar success in college, helping the Huskies to two Pac-10 titles and four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

The 1990 Washington Husky women’s basketball team. Amy Mickelson is in the front row, second from the left.

The 6-foot-3 forward moved into a starting role her junior and senior seasons, earning first team All-Pac 10 honors and a top-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament her senior year.

For her efforts, Amy was voted female athlete of the year at Washington and was later named to the Pac-10 All-Decade team.

“She was my idol growing up,” Ellie said. “I thought I was going to play at Washington because my mom did and she was so good. I always wanted to follow in her footsteps and be like her.”

PASSING THE TORCH

Ellie Brecht drives past Roosevelt’s Kelsi Wipf during a game in Jan. 2014

Amy’s passion for basketball was passed directly to Ellie, whose success as a sophomore at Lincoln inspired Anna, an eighth-grader at the time.

“I liked soccer way better,” Anna said. “But continuing to watch Ellie play and get better in basketball, it made me love the sport more and want to find that passion on my own.”

Anna’s decision to commit to the game and cultivate her passion for the sport allowed for her and Ellie to play together with the Patriots for two seasons.

“That’s one of the highlights of their high school career for me,” Amy said. “At the time, I knew they probably didn’t appreciate how cool an experience it was to do this with your sister. I think now that they’re not going to play together again, they’ve really grown to appreciate that it was something they got to experience together.”

Ellie Brecht and Amy Mickelson

Their final season together, which culminated in a consolation championship, saw Ellie cross the 1,000-point mark for her career. A year later, Anna joined her older sister in the 1,000-point club, setting the school’s single-season scoring record in the process.

In January 2017, Anna became the program’s all-time leading scorer, breaking Steph Schueler’s 31-year-old record. Coincidentally, Schueler played against Amy in high school before heading to the University of Iowa, where the two crossed paths again at a tournament in Hawaii.

RELATED: Life has taken Steph Schueler around the world and back again

Anna Brecht poses with her parents, Amy Mickelson Brecht and Jeff Brecht after breaking Sioux Falls Lincoln’s career scoring record on Tues., Jan. 10, 2017 against Yankton.

After Lincoln’s season ended, coach Matt Daly realized that in addition to matching her own single-season scoring record (23.3 ppg) and ending her career with 1,662 points, Anna had also broken the school’s career rebounds record.

But for all of the individual accolades, it’s Ellie and Anna’s commitment to perfecting their craft that Amy is most proud of.

The tireless work ethic is an attribute they picked up from their mother, and a large component to the legacy they left behind at Lincoln.

“That’s probably the thing I’m most proud of with all three of my kids,” says Amy. “They’re all three really hard workers.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Renae Sallquist (left) and Amy Mickelson pose for a picture in 1998 with scrapbooks filled with news clippings about their team’s exploits in front of them.

There are parallels between the high school careers of Amy Mickelson and Renae (Sallquist) Knopf and Mickelson’s daughters – Ellie and Anna Brecht – but perhaps the biggest difference lies in how the two pairs were recruited.

In fact, the way Brookings High School coach Jim Holwerda handled the recruitment of his star players during that 1985 season was unique even for its own time.

“Our process was very, very unique and I don’t think it was very popular with the college coaches,” Mickelson explained. “Jim met with the four of us who would probably be pretty heavily recruited and our parents and asked that all correspondence go through him until after our senior season.”

MAIN STORY: Brecht sisters found love of basketball from family connection

“December of your senior year is when he would tell you who was recruiting you – I can’t even imagine that today,” added Knopf, who transferred to Brookings from Sioux Valley after her freshman year. “But we did sneak into the office (during the season), so we kind of knew which teams were coming.”

Holwerda’s logic was simple enough.

With his team starting to draw some national attention as it pursued a second consecutive undefeated season, he didn’t want there to be any extra distractions. Furthermore, not everyone on the team would have the opportunity to play college basketball, and, as Mickelson put it, he didn’t want it to be a “letdown season” for anyone.

The state champion Brookings Bobcats.

“That is the one thing I look back on now and go, ‘Woah, I cannot even believe he got away with that’ – and nothing against him. He was doing what he thought was in the best interests of the team,” Knopf said. “But it did hinder our ability to maybe have more options than we would have and forced us to make a decision pretty quickly.”

Less than 24 hours after winning their second consecutive state championship, Mickelson and Knopf headed to Holwerda’s office where 20 boxes overflowing with letters were awaiting them.

“It was pretty overwhelming, because you don’t really know where to start,” Mickelson recalled. “I sat down with my parents and made a list of priorities… I wanted to go to a fairly big city, because I wanted to be able to get home within one day. My parents were very grounded and they were very good at keeping me that way and making sure I didn’t just go somewhere because it looked good or sounded good.”

Photo from Brookings High School

“It had to be so incredibly challenging for those schools, as well,” Knopf added. “I do remember after finally making my decision, my coach saying, ‘Wow – never experienced that before.’ I don’t know how happy they were about it, either.”

Not unlike Anna considering Omaha for the opportunity to continue playing with her older sister, Mickelson and Knopf discussed signing with the same school, going on official visits to Alabama and UNLV together.

But not unlike Mickelson’s daughters, the pair ultimately decided to go their separate ways, with Mickelson heading to the University of Washington and Knopf going to Vanderbilt University.

“(Vandy’s coach) actually called five minutes before the allotted time, so he was my first phone call. Not kidding you,” Knopf laughed. “He was the first coach I talked to, but obviously that wasn’t all there was to it… It just felt like it was very similar to the program I was coming from.”

Mickelson and Knopf nearly crossed paths at the Elite 8 in 1990.

Fittingly, the first (and only) head-to-head meeting between the Twin Towers would have been hosted in nearby Iowa City.

Amy Mickelson (34) and some of her teammates at Washington in March 1990.

“There was a bunch of South Dakota people down for that tournament,” recalled Knopf. “(Lincoln alum) Steph Schueler was at Iowa at that time, too, and I think we beat them going into the Sweet 16.”

But for as perfect as an ending as that would have been, it just wasn’t meant to be.

The Commodores fell to Auburn, which went on to beat the Huskies and finish runner-up for the National Championship.

“Amy was my best friend (in high school),” Knopf said. “We did everything together and that was great. We just had a blast.”

“Renae and I had a big appreciation for the fact that we got to play with one another,” Mickelson added. “She’s a daughter who just committed to Wyoming to play volleyball, so we’ll bounce things off one another about sports and the paths that our kids are going to take – I value her opinion and I think she values mine. We have a pretty cool relationship.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen .

Roosevelt quarterback Torren Devericks (1) looks for an open receiver during a Presidents Bowl game against O’Gorman at Howard Wood Field Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Sioux Falls.

When he first started playing organized football as a third grader, Roosevelt’s Torren Devericks played both sides of the ball, but there was one position in particular that he enjoyed the most.

“I’ve always liked playing quarterback,” he said. “I was a defensive guy growing up, but I still played quarterback, too. When high school came around and I had to pick one, I picked quarterback.”

Now in his senior season, Devericks has the Rough Riders one win away from a trip to the DakotaDome. He torched Lincoln in the 11AAA quarterfinals, accumulating four touchdowns and 329 yards passing.

“Torren’s been a great player for us this year,” RHS coach Kim Nelson said. “He’s pretty much broken all of our passing records already this year. We’re really happy with how he’s taken charge of our team.”

Devericks is rewriting the Roosevelt record books on his way out, having reset the season records for total touchdowns (36), total passing yards (2,778), pass completions and attempts (195-295) and touchdown passes (29).

Thanks to his spreading the wealth, a pair of Roosevelt receivers (Nate Varns and Austin Johnson) have had record-setting seasons, as well.

“The best thing is he plays well on game night,” Nelson said. “It’s playoff time and he’s been a real steady leader of our offense all year and we’re happy that he’s still going.”

The Rough Riders have a difficult semifinal matchup against Brandon Valley on deck Friday, but the team is oozing confidence thanks in large part to its senior signal-caller.

“We’ve had a good week of practice,” Devericks said. “We’ve prepared pretty well and I think we’re all confident going into this game.”

Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at  @Brian_Haenchen .

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Sept. 16 — Lexi Koltz, Softball (Roosevelt)

Sept. 23 — Bryce Hammer, Golf (O’Gorman)

Sept. 30 — Derek Zevenbergen, Soccer (Sioux Falls Christian)

Oct. 7 — Izzy Hedge, Soccer (O’Gorman)

Oct. 14 — LHS Patriots, Tennis (Lincoln)

Oct. 21 — Tupak Kpeayeh, Football (Washington)

Oct. 28 — Sami Slaughter, Volleyball (Harrisburg)

Athlete of the Week: Torren Devericks