For nearly a decade, the Pierre Governors have been a fixture in the South Dakota State Football Championships schedule, and this year is no exception. The Pierre Governors have punched their ticket to yet another 11AA State Championship game after taking down the Huron Tigers 28-13 in Friday night’s road, semi-final contest.
Back in early September, the Govs fell to Huron 13-7 on the same field dropping them to 1-1 on the season. With a bit of uncertainty around what the season would produce, there was a strong feeling that these two teams would meet again at some point in the postseason. On Friday night, the Govs saw that feeling became reality as they earned the opportunity to avenge the loss and send Huron home.
Pierre got the leg-up early off a Jerren Deal 22-yard touchdown pass to Carter Schiefelbein on 3rd & goal where Schiefelbein toe-tapped in the corner of the end zone to give his team a 7-0 lead. Huron was quick to answer with a touchdown of their own from Anderson Porisch who evened the game at seven apiece. The game would not stay tied for long once Jerren Deal showed off his speed again sprinting for an impressive 47-yard for a score to hand the lead back to Pierre.
The Govs, looking to extend their lead, were driving and brought it inside the red zone, however the drive halted on a Deal fumble that was recovered in the end-zone for a touchback. The Govs would quickly wipe out the turnover when Ayden Behm blocked a Tiger punt to set up his offense on the doorstep on the Tigers 16-yard line. A few plays later, Porter Hunsley punched it in from a yard out.
The Tigers suffered a huge blow when their quarterback Porisch suffered a knee injury that forced him out for the remainder of the game, but Huron kept fighting.
After a miraculous Sutton Sonnenschein interception, the Govs pulled a little trickery getting the ball to linebacker turned tight end Will Eilers that went for 37-yards into Tiger territory. The next play, Porter Hunsley scored his second consecutive touchdown from 23-yards out to make it 28-7.
Huron kept battling and got a score from Landon Hulst, but an unsuccessful extra-point and failed onside kick would give the Govs the opportunity to drain the clock, and hang on for the win. Jerren Deal laid down a few knees and the celebration ensued.
This marks the ninth-straight year the Pierre Governors and Steve Steele will compete in the 11AA State Championship. They will face off with Yankton, who beat Sturgis Brown 41-28. The two will face off next Friday night on River 92.7 and DRGnews.com/River with kickoff at 7:00 PM.
The Huron Tigers finish the season with a young corps of players who will certainly be around in the postseason next year, and a final record of 7-3.
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