RAPID CITY – St. Thomas More scored 20 unanswered points en route to a 37-28 win over Clark-Willow Lake in the semifinals of the Class 11B football playoffs on Friday night.
Trailing 12-7, the Cavaliers jumped in front to close out the first half, and then added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter to open a 28-12 advantage.
Four different players scored touchdowns for STM, one coming on a 33-yard fumble recovery return.
Joey Ries passed for 202 yards to lead CWL, including a pair of scoring strikes to Chris Bevers covering 119 yards. Ries also ran for a pair of scores. Bevers had three receptions for 122 yards.
Jakob Steen topped the Cyclones’ ground game with 110 yards rushing. Cade Gaikowski added 72 yards.
STM will meet Elk Point-Jefferson in a battle of unbeatens for the 11B title at 10 a.m. Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Clark-Willow Lake (11-1) 12 0 0 16 – 28
St. Thomas More (11-0) 7 7 14 9 – 37
CWL – Chris Bevers 72 pass from Joey Ries.
STM – Brody Willits 33 fumble recovery return (Jer Williams kick).
CWL – Bevers 47 pass from Ries.
STM – Zander Zandstra 6 run.
STM – Joseph Giacometto 38 run (Willams kick).
STM – Zandstra 67 run (Williams kick).
CWL – Ries 2 run (Bevers pass from Ries).
STM – Williams 32 field goal.
STM – Quan Harper 2 run.
CWL – Ries 1 run (Ries run).
OFFENSE: Clark-Willow Lake rushing (Jakob Steen 18-110, Cade Gaikowski 10-72), passing (Ries 7-18 for 202), receiving (Bevers 3-122); St. Thomas More rushing (Giacometto 8-105, Zandstra 13-99), passing (Noah Wald 8-13 for 131 (receiving Willits 1-47, Zandstra 2-39).
