ESPN 99.1 Game of Week: LHS, RHS Soak Up Wins

On Friday, Sioux Falls Lincoln and Roosevelt soaked up wins on a cold, dreary night under the lights.

With their wins, Lincoln and Roosevelt remained No. 1 and No. 2 in the ESPN 99.1/KELO-TV/KBHB Radio high school football rankings.

Lincoln (6-0) and Rapid City Stevens (2-4) was a tale of two halves in Friday's first game. The Patriots only had a 21-10 lead at halftime before cruising to a 49-10 victory.

Back-up Isaiah Roach stepped in for Connor Burchill (right knee strain) at quarterback for the Patriots. Roach would complete 11-of-19 passes for 118 yards against Stevens. His night was aided by senior running back Caden Quintanilla, who ran for 142 yards, two rushing scores and returned a punt return for a touchdown.

For Stevens, quarterback Austin Hagen led the charge, completing 6-of-35 passes for 112 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.

Going forward with two games remaining, the Patriots will look to finish undefeated, but have to stay focused, says head coach Aaron Beavers. "It's always a challenge. We have goals set. We have to play our best football every week."

Lincoln travels to Harrisburg next Friday, while Stevens hosts Roosevelt.

After Lincoln defeated Stevens, Roosevelt (5-1) defeated Mitchell (3--2), 38-7. The Riders poured it on the Kernals with a stout run game and defense. Mitchell was held scoreless through three quarters.

The Riders were led by running back Seth Bjordal, as he stole the show from his quarterback Taryn Christion in the victory. Bjordal rushed for 222 yards on 13 carries and scored twice. Christion passed for 58 yards with a score and rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown.

With one-loss on the season, the Riders have had a special season, and head coach Kim Nelson has seen a lot of improvement. "We're balanced in the run and pass. The offensive line is improving, and our receivers are receiving balanced touches. The defense has been steady. They came out of the chute well, holding teams to one or two scores, and since the Lincoln game, they've shown improvement in their tackling and fundamentals."

The Riders head west next weekend, and they are just focused on keeping pace with Lincoln. "We looking to continue to improve, to zero on the playoffs and to put ourselves in a good position while staying close to the Patriots," says Nelson.

The Kernals couldn't get anything going for much of the night until a two-yard score by quarterback Kanin Nelson in the fourth quarter. Nelson was 5-of-19 for 58 yards passing and 25 rushing yards. Mitch Johnson led Mitchell with 55 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Even with a loss last week, the Kernals have seen a lot of growth from last year. "It's a developmental process. We experience the positive and negative, and putting our young players in varsity experience takes preparation and comes with confidence," says head coach Kent Vanoverschelde.

Van Overschelde thinks going forward the Kernals are in a good position, and can't become complacent as Mitchell finishes the year with three ESD opponents. "We have to stay in good position in the ESD as finish with three conference opponents. We need to go out and take care of business, so when the playoffs come, we are in a good position for a home game."