Pierre and Chamberlain represented in year-end SDSWA awards

With all they lost to graduation from a record-setting season in 2019, the Pierre Governor football wasn’t expected to achieve the same championship level in 2020, but that never did matter much to the members of this year’s team and coaching staff.  The Governors lost two regular season road games, but avenged both losses in the postseason – at Yankton in the semifinals and over Brookings in the State Championship game in Vermillion – to claim their fourth straight Class 11AA State title in dominating fashion.  For their efforts and accomplishments, the South Dakota Sportswriters Association recently named the Governor football team as its Prep Boys Team of the Year, a repeat award from a year ago, and head coach Steve Steele as the Prep Boys Coach of the Year.

Another area recipient of a year-end award is Chamberlain wrestling native Nash Hutmacher, who was named as the Prep Boys Athlete of the Year for the third consecutive year by the sportswriters.  Hutmacher completed his senior season with a perfect 42-0 record, winning all his matches by pin, including his fourth straight State Championship in the 285-pound weight class.  In fact, he won the last 166 of his 226 career victories consecutively, including the last 73 by fall, which is a state record.  Hutmacher, who is also a 3-time all-state football player, has now completed his first season as a redshirt for the Nebraska Cornhusker football team.

Here is a complete list of the rest of this year’s SDSWA honorees:

–Brian Oakland