WATERTOWN, SD – The Watertown Arrows jumped out to a 22–0 halftime lead and never looked back, beating the Sturgis Scoopers 29-15 on Friday night.
The Arrows put together a 71-yard drive late in the first quarter, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Lincoln Schutt, giving Watertown an 8-0 lead with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
Hunter Peterson caught a 15 yard touchdown pass from Marcus Pitkin early in the second quarter and Watertown lead Sturgis, 15–0.
The Arrows used some trickery late in the second quarter as reserve quarterback Kaedon Himmerich found Pitkin wide open in the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown pass and Watertown led 22–0 at intermission.
Watertown added to their lead as Schutt found a seam in the Scooper defense and ran in a 21 yard touchdown with 5:35 left in the third quarter. The Arrows led 29–0.
The Sturgis offense finally got on track with :17 seconds left in the third quarter, as Jaxon Cano scampered into the end zone from 16 yards out, cutting into the Watertown lead. The Arrows took a 29-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Scoopers put together a 95-yard touchdown drive with just 3:32 left in the game, ending with a 31-yard touchdown pass from Cano to Brody Royer. Watertown led 29-15 with time running out.
Sturgis attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Watertown. The Scooper defense held strong and the Arrows were forced to punt, giving Sturgis one last opportunity, but the Scoopers went three and out, giving the ball back to Watertown with less than a minute left on the clock. The Arrows went into victory formation and sealed the 29–15 win.
Watertown (4-4) finished with 224 yards of total offense, 70 on the ground and 154 through the air. The Arrows had two turnovers and six penalties for 59 yards.
Sturgis (4-4) had 226 yards of total offense, 84 rushing and 142 passing. The Scoopers had two turnovers and four penalties for 30 yards.
The Scoopers are in action next on Thursday at Woodle Field, as they host the Spearfish Spartans. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 PM.