TEA – The Tea Area Titans, the rain and the wind all provided strong challenges for the Pierre Governors.
Again, Pierre prevailed.
Cade Kaiser ran for two touchdowns and passed for another Friday and Jett Zabel ran for a score in Pierre’s 26-18 road victory over Tea Area.
Tea Area scored first in their first time ever to host Pierre on a 26-yard touchdown run by quarterback Brenner Konrad with 6:28 left in the first quarter. Tea Area led 6-0 as Carson Stoeser blocked the conversion attempt.
Kaiser ran in a 42-yard touchdown only 1:22 later and Ryann Barry’s extra point gave Pierre (7-1) its first lead at 7-6.
Tea Area (5-3) regained the lead with just over four minutes left in the first quarter with a 63-yard touchdown scamper by Keegan DeYoung and the Titans led 12-7 after an unsuccessful two-point conversion.
With 27 seconds left in the second quarter, Pierre’s Trey Lewis intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards, setting up a seven-yard touchdown run by Kaiser with five seconds left. Barry’s extra point gave Pierre a 14-12 halftime lead.
Lucas Chamberlin stopped Tea Area on a fourth-down conversion just about halfway through the third quarter, and Pierre extended the lead three plays later. Kaiser threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Zabel into the wind. Pierre led 20-12 after a blocked extra point.
Tea Area had a short field after a bad punt snap and ended a 34-yard drive with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter with a three-yard touchdown run by DeYoung. The Titans’ two-point conversion try, a run by Konrad, was stopped by Emmit Andersen to hold the lead for Pierre at 20-18.
Then, Pierre answered quickly. One play after a third down conversion on a 22-yard pass from Kaiser to Zabel, Zabel then ran in a 22-yard touchdown with 5:12 left and the Governors led 26-18.
Konrad was stopped on a fourth down scramble with 3:30 left by Chance Carda and Andersen. Pierre then gained two first downs and ran out the clock.
Kaiser ran for 145 yards on 22 carries. Zabel had 10 carries for 72 yards.
In the adverse conditions, Kaiser was only 3 of 10 passing for 98 yards, but Zabel’s touchdown catch was crucial as he made all three receptions for the Governors.
Carda had 10 tackles for Pierre.
Pierre has now won all five football meetings with Tea Area, including the 2021 and 2022 11AA state championship games.
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