VERMILLION, S.D. – Sioux Falls Lincoln defeated Brandon Valley 31-21 on Saturday night at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion to win the 11AAA championship. This is back-to-back titles for the Patriots and their fifth state championship in program history.
These two teams met in early October at Howard Wood Field, and it was Brandon Valley who grabbed a dominating win. Tonight, it was a flip of the script. From the very first drive, Lincoln looked poised and ready to go.
“The first game it seemed like whatever could go wrong did. We didn’t react very well, we weren’t ready for their physicality,” explained Lincoln head coach Jared Fredenburg. “We had a great week of practice, these guys believe in each other and coming back from last year’s team, these guys wanted it so bad. They wanted to prove that it wasn’t just a fluke with one class, that we’re building a program. We’re building young kids like this coming up through. Couldn’t be happier for a group of young men.”
One of the main reasons for the Patriots success on Saturday night was the performance of their sophomore quarterback Brody Schafer. He threw for 226-yards with three touchdown passes. Schafer also ran for 122-yards, average five-yards a carry.
“Our thought process coming into the game, I think it was amazing. We knew they were going to play press man, challenge us to beat them,” stated Schafer. “Our skills guys, hats off to them. Our offense is just a team first offense. It’s amazing how so many people can put each other first. That’s why I’m so happy because the family we created on offense was amazing.”
In the other football championship game Saturday, For the first time in more than four decades, the Lennox Orioles have won a state football championship. It was a game that saw both offenses struggle, but it was the Orioles who made enough plays on offense to secure the 14-6 victory in the 11A championship game in Vermillion on Saturday.
The last time Lennox won it all, it was 1982 – just the second year of the playoff format for high school football in South Dakota.
