VERMILLION, S.D. – For the first time since 1989, Sully Buttes has reached the pinnacle in high school football. The Chargers defeated Faulkton Area 34-14 in the 9B state championship game at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion on Thursday afternoon.
These two teams met in late September as well, which saw Faulkton Area get a dominating win over Sully Buttes. This time around, in the state championship game, it was the Chargers who flipped the script.
“We came out, we thought we had a good scheme going into it, we made adjustments after the first time we played them,” said Sully Buttes head coach Tom Moore. “We’ve kind of done that all year. We were happy our game plan kind of came together. That’s a really good team to try and slow down.”
Big plays on offense and scrappy defensive energy helped hoist Sully Buttes into some first half momentum.
“It was a hard-hitting game on both sides. You saw people hurt on their side, people hurt on our side, we knew it was going to be super physical. That’s the kind of team they are,” exclaimed coach Moore. “Our defense bent, but we didn’t break. We gave them the one big one at the end there, but I’m very happy of our defense and how they played, and happy for our offense and what they can do.”
Chargers junior quarterback Wesley Wittler earned Joe Robbie Most Valuable Player honors for his performance in the game.
“We just came out here, executed, as our coaches told us. Credit to [Faulkton Area], they’re a great football team, their up-front is really good. Our coaches just told us to take care of us, do your jobs, and it’s going to be a great day,” Wittle explained. “Our guys have heart out here. They’re playing for a state championship and they know what the final goal is.”
Meanwhile, in the Class 9AA Championship:
It’s time to celebrate for Hamlin. The Chargers defeated Parkston 32-8 in the 9AA state championship game in Vermillion at the Dakota Dome on Thursday night.
This is Hamlin’s first state football title since 2014, and their sixth in program history.
The Chargers displayed incredible defense throughout the game. Parkston’s lone score came on a kick return.
“Pretty much almost a perfect game today,” said Hamlin head coach Jeff Sheehan. “We had stressed that all week, that we’re going to have to play pretty good, almost perfect to beat these guys, and our guys executed our game plan to a T.”
Coach Sheehan also mentioned that he loves the grit his team plays with.
“They do have an attitude, they love doing what they’re doing,” he stated. “They’re a brotherhood, they love each other, they play for each other. They had everybody’s back the whole game, it was awesome.”
Jackson Wadsworth, Hamlin’s quarterback, was honored with both the outstanding back and Joe Robbie MVP award for his efforts in the game. He mentioned how close everyone on the team is.
“We’re a really close-knit team, love doing things together, and that really helped us get the win,” exclaimed Wadsworth. “When they got that kick return, we didn’t put our heads down, we just knew what we had to do, kept driving down the field, kept putting it in the end zone, and our defense did a great job.”
