VERMILLION, S.D. – For the second time in five years, St. Mary’s is celebrating a state football championship. The Cardinals defeated Avon 54-6 on Thursday afternoon in Vermillion to win the 9B crown.
It was all St. Mary’s from the opening kickoff. Paired with early turnovers by the Pirates and touchdowns on the Cardinals first four offensive possessions, the momentum was clear from the get-go.
It’s also the first undefeated season for the St. Mary’s program.
Meanwhile, in the Class 9AA championship:
n what was their final game as a co-op, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy ended it on top as champions in 9AA. The Phoenix defeated Elkton-Lake Benton 46-22 on Thursday evening in Vermillion at the Dakota Dome to win the title.
It was a back-and-forth game through the first quarter, but for the remainder of the game it was all Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy.
“This is real special. Six years ago, we were here in junior football,” explained Phoenix head coach Dustin Tschetter. “We won a junior football title with these seniors right here, so we talked about coming back here to finish this journey and now to see us finish it is pretty special.”
Follow the state football championships at South Dakota Public Broadcasting: https://www.sdpb.org/football
