PIERRE – History has already been made by Pierre Governor Football, but the team has a chance for its biggest piece of history yet on Saturday.
Pierre will play Tea Area for the SDHSAA 11AA Football Championship Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, trying to become just the second school since the playoff area of South Dakota high school football began in 1981 to win six consecutive championships. West Central won six straight 11A titles from 2000-05.
Pierre (11-0), who won its semifinal game last Friday at home 59-31 over Yankton, will try to defeat Tea Area for the ultimate prize for the second straight year. The Governors came from 20 points down in the second half in the 2021 11AA championship game to win 30-27 on a 40-yard field goal by Cole Peterson on the game’s final play.
Tea Area (10-1) romped over Aberdeen Central in its semifinal game last Friday at Tea 44-7. The Titans’ only loss this season was a 35-30 defeat at Pierre on October 14. Since the start of 2019, Tea Area is 40-4. Three of those losses have come to the Governors.
Last Friday, Yankton came out with a spread look on offense, something a Buck team hadn’t shown in several years. Pierre Head Coach Steve Steele said that the Governors must be ready for plays or formations not recently seen from Tea Area.
While it’s normally with the ground game, the capability for big plays always exists for Tea Area, according to Steele.
Steele said that for Pierre, as important as stopping the Titans’ big plays will be preventing them from converting third or fourth down.
Steele said that the Governors would benefit from having a lead of more than one touchdown.
Steele said that it is imperative that the Governors take care of the football.
Coverage of Saturday’s game will begin at 12:15 PM on The Official Voice of the Pierre Governors, River 92.7, at the River 92.7 page at the DRG News app and drgnews.com/river. Brian Oakland, John Wayne Kalda and DRG Media Group Sports Director David Burrall will call the action.
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