From afar, high school football seasons are mainly judged by one thing, the win/loss column. Final scores, turnover margin, point differential, all ingredients baked into what can determine either a successful season, or a “we will get them next year” campaign. Yet to truly understand what brings programs to their peak is understanding its makeup, and the 8-1 Philip Scotties are more than what they read on paper.
Before we dive into the play that everyone can see, we must jump back to what they can’t see. The work and preparation required off the field to be a Philip Scottie. A football team is often referred to as a chain, interlocking parts all working together to stay strong and accomplish the job it’s tasked to do. However, a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. The Scottie senior class understood this and took charge with getting everyone in the weight room, getting each other in shape, even just picking up a football. This was not enforced by coaches, no, this was a group of high schoolers leading another group. Those seniors won’t take the credit for that since it is a team effort, but as the Scotties would find out throughout the year, it proved crucial to have each and every player on that roster ready to take the field if need be. “These boys know how to win, but more importantly they know what it takes to be winners. They make it a priority to dedicate part of their summers to finding the weight room, picking up a football, and making it to football camps”, said Philip Scotties head coach Chandlier Sudbeck, who took over in 2019 and has already eclipsed 50 career wins in that role.
It was an eye-opening start to the season for the team 87 miles west of the river, losing by 48-points to the now undefeated Wall Eagles. After week one, it was clear one of those two teams was going to have a dominant 2025 stretch. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the Scotties. However, sometimes sizable losses can motivate a team more than a big win. For Sudbeck, that loss was exactly what his team needed to evaluate what they wanted their final six regular games to look like. They then decided that they would will their way out of that week one loss, and into a groove that would carry them all the way to Friday night’s semi-final matchup with a familiar foe. “Our team has put in a lot of time together this season as well as the offseason,” said Sudbeck, “we have been very fortunate to be led by a great group of seniors who demonstrate and lead by example of what it takes to be a successful football team.” The Scotties would follow that lead over the next few months to bring them to this crucial point in their journey.
The dust had settled from week one as the Scotties hit an early bye. Eager to right the ship, the Scotties found success immediately in week two in the form of a 30-6 win over Bennett County, wiping away the pain from the start of the year. It’s hard to get off the mat after a crushing loss to start your season, especially when you feel like you have a team with such high hopes and expectations. Although the Scotties have been no stranger to success over the last few seasons. Sudbeck and his seniors compiled an impressive 33-7 record over their four seasons, all four of which saw postseason action. These guys had faced plenty of adversity, but never let it get the best of them. Instead, they used that feeling to propel them to one of their deepest runs yet.
Things rolled along for Philip, earning convincing wins over Kadoka Area and Jones County. Though much like the Wall game was “circled” on the Scotties schedule, so was their week six matchup against a vaunted Hill City Rangers team. The Rangers were best known for their up-tempo, no-huddle offense that can make your head spin. This game presented another turning-point moment, a measuring stick of sorts for the Scotties that would tell them all they needed to know about themselves. The Scotties pulled it off, a 44-43 instant classic that reshaped the trajectory of the season. It was the first loss of the season for Hill City, but also the biggest win of the year for Philip. If people weren’t talking about the Scotties before then, they certainly were now.
The following week, the Scotties had another tough test against a solid Lyman team that required another 40+ point performance out of their offense. But as they always say, even an ugly win is a good win. Not to say that this was an ugly game for either side, it was a thriller put on by two talented teams. But the Scotties were starting to think playoffs. Bigger, better and deeper.
Philip took that scare on the run and closed out the regular season strong winning their final regular season game 45-8, their fourth straight game scoring 44 or more points. Philip was certainly playing their best football coming into the latter half of the regular season, but it was not without loss. Philip suffered numerous injuries, requiring a few underclassmen and backup players to be slotted into starting roles. As Sudbeck put it, the younger athletes handled all of these “trials” with confidence and class. A necessary characteristic of a championship hopeful.
The Scotties had no fear about making the playoffs, they were setting their sights on the biggest prize of all, a trip to the Dome. They got one then two steps closer with a 36-8 first round victory over Estelline-Hendricks then a thrilling 14-8 win over a 7-1 Ipswich team in round two. As impressive as the 40+ point streak the Scotties had been on to close out the regular season was, it was equally as impressive to see their defense step up the way they did last week. What the Scotties did in the second round was prove they are dynamic. They aren’t just an offensive powerhouse, they are able to hold the line as well.
Which brings us to tomorrow, semi-final Friday night. A full-circle season for both teams who will face off for a chance to play in the State Championship at the DakotaDome next week. Why full-circle you say? The Scotties have an opportunity to do something they couldn’t in week one, and something no one could do in any week. Beat the Wall Eagles. It will certainly be their highest mountain to summit this year, only one team has scored more than six-points on the Eagles defense all year (Harding County scored 20 in Wall’s 73-20 win on August 29th). On top of that, the only time the Lex Heathershaw’s Eagles offense scored fewer than 50+ points was in last week’s 41-0 victory over Castlewood. Castlewood forfeited the game late in the third quarter due to injury. Tomorrow’s test for Philip will certainly show just how far this team has come since mid-August. Coach Sudbeck has been thrilled with what his team has built, both on and off the field. “It has been fun to watch these guys play this season, no matter the task they never cease to amaze. They have for sure made this season an exciting one with the close games that they have come out on top, and their ability to keep fighting no matter what the circumstance. I am excited to see what these young men can accomplish the rest of the season as well as what they can accomplish outside of sports.” His football team gets to fight at least once more in 2025.
To regress back to the top of this piece, it was mentioned that not many people were aware of the dream run the Scotties have been on. That is, if you don’t live in Philip. The community has gone full-boar into this team and this season. The surrounding town riding this crescendo with pride all the way to the semi-finals. An ongoing outpour of support from every address in town. Signs in the yards of folks who have no affiliation to the team other than the area code. Scotties logos plastered around shops and stations reminding every passerby which town they’re in. Residents opting to wear orange not because it is hunting season, but because the Scotties are just one win away. This matchup truly has a David versus Goliath feel, Philip hoping to recreate history. They will have their hands full against the perennial powerhouse in Wall. The Eagles play with a speed that can devastate you, but a grace that almost can’t be imitated. They are as complete of a football team as you will find in South Dakota.
Friday’s game will be broadcast on KPLO with Darren Boyle with the pregame show beginning at 6:40 PM CT, kickoff at 7:00 PM CT. You can also watch the game live here https://drgnews.com/kplo/
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