DELL RAPIDS – In a game that wasn’t decided until the final minute, Dell Rapids St. Mary turned back Faulkton 22-16 in the semifinals of the Class 9B football playoffs on Friday afternoon.
Faulkton drove into DRSM territory before its final drive was stopped on an interception at the Cardinals’ 10-yard line with 23 seconds remaining.
“We had a chance to tie or win it at the end,” said Faulkton coach Shayne Geditz, “and that’s all you can ask.”
DRSM won the coin toss, took the ball, and scored slightly more than two minutes later on a 37-yard touchdown run by Trimmier Hanson.
Faulkton tied the score at 8-8 on a 1-yard run by Spencer Melius with 2:20 left in the opening quarter.
The Cardinals responded on their next drive on an 18-yard pass play on the first play of the second quarter, but were unable to convert their PAT.
DRSM threatened to extend its lead, but was stopped at the Faulkton 4-yard line on the final play of the first half.
“Our defense gave up some yards early,” Geditz said, “but really settled down and played well the second half.”
The hosts eventually pieced together a 14-play drive that included a pair of fourth-down conversions and ended with a Hansen 7-yard run to extend their lead to 22-8 with 4:46 left in the third quarter.
Melius scored his second touchdown of the game less than 80 seconds into the fourth quarter to again slice the deficit to just six points.
However, while both teams crossed midfield down the stretch, neither team was able to score and the Cardinals held on for the win to remain unbeaten on the season.
“It was a great football game,” Geditz said. “We ask our guys to compete hard and fight hard, and they did to the end and that’s what you want out of a game.”
DRSM will meet Avon in the Class 9B state championship game on Thursday morning at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
The Trojans finished just short of making their third straight trip to the Dome.
Faulkton started out this season losing three of its first five games before hitting its stride and closing with a flurry.
“Our schedule started out tough and we just kind of stayed the course and kept working hard, and believed in each other, and kept getting better every day,” Geditz said. “You want to play your best football at the end and I think we can say that we definitely did.”
Faulkton (7-4) 8 0 0 8 – 16
Dell Rapids St. Mary (11-0) 8 6 8 0 – 22
DRSM – Trimmier Hanson 37 run (Jaxon Baumberger pass from Hanson).
F – Spencer Melius 1 run (Melius run).
DRSM – Logan Bauer 18 pass from Baumberger.
DRSM – Hanson 11 run (Thomas LaVoy run).
F – Melius 15 run (Tristen Baloun run).
OFFENSE: Faulkton, rushing 27-149 (Melius 16-97, Baloun 6-22, Landon Coyle 4-20, Henry Bossly 1-10), passing 8-13-2 for 74, receiving (Melius 2-31, Drake Mueller 2-20, Korbin Stark 1-11, Coyle 1-7, Bossly 2-5), first downs 11; Dell Rapids St. Mary, rushing 53-327 (Hanson 31-195, Lincoln LeBrun 16-120, LaVoy 4-15), passing 4-8-0 for 86, receiving (LeBrun 2-50, Bauer 2-36), first downs 17.
DEFENSE: Faulkton, Baloun 9 tackles and 3 sacks, Melius 10 tackles, Kamryn Rohdes 7 tackles, Coyle 6 tackles and 1 sack; Dell Rapids St. Mary, Bauer 9 tackles, Baumberger 6 tackles, LaVoy 5 tackles and 1 sack, Kade Lutt 5 tackles, LeBrun 5 tackles.
