SELBY – Brenden Begeman is the calm among the chaos.

The record-setting football player for Herreid-Selby Area is in the middle of a remarkable senior season, racking up major yards and multiple touchdowns every Friday night. What people may not always notice is what Begeman brings to the Wolverines with his character and personality.

“It’s a lot different being a senior. I have to step up and lead my teammates and be the calm voice, the reasoning voice and make sure they know their jobs,” Begeman said. “Encouragement is huge for them, too. That really gets them going.”

Calm is about the last thing usually associated with a football game where emotions tend to run high and hits tend to be hard.

Begeman has found that unique balance between playing with aggression, yet staying under control.

“He is very calm in his demeanor,” said HSA coach Clayton Randall, “but a beast when it comes to execution of his job.”

To be sure, Begeman does his best to create a fair amount of the chaos on the field. He is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. To date, he has a whopping 4,994 career rushing yards and 79 touchdowns with both totals surely to balloon as the season progresses. He also holds the school record for interceptions with 26.

That’s how Begeman first made his mark with the squad as a freshman. His two post-season interceptions helped the Wolverines advance to the state championship game that season.

While Begeman still plays defense, most opponents try to stay away from wherever he is located on the field. It’s the exact opposite, though when Herreid-Selby Area has the football.

“You can kind of tell, when I get on the field there’s usually a lot of heads on the other team turning at me,” Begeman said. “Whenever I get lined up on the field, they’re usually yelling out, ‘Hey, there’s 20, there’s 20, you have to make sure he’s covered,’ stuff like that. Usually when I’m out wide there’s always a safety over double-teaming me. It’s kind of crazy that way.”

Regardless of what opposing teams try, they have not been able to slow down one of the state’s elite players. Part of the reason is Begeman’s physical attributes.

“He has such a unique combination of size, strength, speed and ability,” Randall said. “Kids that are his size aren’t typically as strong as he is. Kids that are as strong as he is don’t usually move the way he does. He also plays with confidence and the belief that he can win his matchup every play.”

Begeman credits his brother Trevor for helping him transform his body into what it is currently. Trevor, a past South Dakota Gatorade Track and Field Athlete of the Year, got his younger brother into the weight room and also got him to alter his diet.

As a result, Begeman took his natural athleticism and took it to another level. He’s added 100 pounds to his squat, 60-70 pounds to his bench press, 80 pounds to his clean lift, and dropped his 40-yard dash time significantly.

The weight room has impacted Begeman in each of the sports that he competes in: football, basketball, and track and field.

“The weight room has definitely helped me in all sports,” Begeman said. “I’d say the physicality of football really helps in basketball, helps make me a really good rebounder and strong underneath the hoop and by the rim. Also, just the speed in football, running away from guys, having to make athletic plays with agility and stuff, also helps in track with triple jump and the physicality helps with shot put, of course. I think it all ties into each other pretty well.”

With a recent cultural emphasis on sports specialization, Begeman chooses instead to compete in multiple sports. Part of that comes from being at a small school. Another part speaks to Begeman’s concern for those around him.

“If I didn’t go out for a couple of sports it would probably hurt the team a decent amount. I would never want to do that, just because of the boys and the companionship of the teammates,” he said. “It definitely helps bring us closer together, because we’ve been playing all the sports all together through our whole high school careers. That helps with chemistry, too.”

Randall knows that players with Begeman’s ability don’t come around too often. He also knows the impact that his senior has had on the program outside of all the individual accomplishments.

“The best thing I can say about Brenden is that he is a team-first guy that puts the team’s success above himself,” Randall said.

Brenden is the youngest of three other siblings. He said his dad, Brian, helped to shape each one of them.

“My dad has always said every morning before me and my three brothers left for school, ‘Stand up for what is right, be a leader.’ It’s basically our family motto,” Begeman said. “And now I have the opportunity to do that on the football team.”

Begeman has a chance to do something his brothers were not able to and that’s win a state football championship. The Wolverines are unbeaten and have been the top-rated team in Class 9B all season. After finishing runner-up last year in Class 9A, Herreid-Selby Area is highly motivated to take the final step this season.

Even in that quest, though, Begeman is thinking about benefits of others, most notably his brother Wade.

“He helped take us to the (finals) in 2019,” Begeman said. “Doing it for him would be awesome, help finish his legacy.”

It’s safe to say that Brenden’s legacy is more than secure at Herreid-Selby Area, both in the records books and in the impact he has had on those around him.

“It’s just a blessing from God to be in this position, and for all the gifts he has given me, and my teammates and coaches,” Begeman said. “I really appreciate it.”