Winner High School football players have received some post season honors.
Named to the SESD all conference team are: Aiden Barfuss, Riley Orel, Charley Pravecek, Achilles Willuweit, Kaden Keiser, Joey Cole and Jackson Vesely.
The football players who are on the academic all state team are: Charley Pravecek, Kaden Keiser, Joey Cole, Jackson Vesely, Michael Olson, Slade Cournoyer, Kaleb Osborn, Kolbie Osborn, Riley Shippy, Finn Bartels and Adam Bohnet.
Charley Pravecek of the Winner football team has been named a finalist for player of the year by Midco Sports.
The Winner senior helped the Winner Warriors win back to back Class 11B state football titles.
Character. Determination. Desire. Stout defense. Speed. All words that be used to describe a very proud Winner football team that won a back to back state championship Friday in Vermillion.
The Warriors defeated Bridgewater/Emery-Ethan 40-8 and finished the season undefeated with a 12-0 record. This is the same team Winner has faced the previous two state championship games. A year ago Winner defeated BEE 18-14. Then, three years ago in Brookings, BEE nipped Winner 21-14.
“We did a great job today,” said Aiden Barfuss who was named the Joe Robbie most valuable player of the game. “Our offense struggled a little bit but I think we could have scored more. I love how we played today.”
Also honored with awards for their hard work in this game were Charley Pravecek who was named the outstanding lineman for the second year in a row. He is proud to follow in the footsteps of his brother, Oscar, who was named the outstanding lineman when he played for Winner.
Kaden Keiser was name the outstanding back.
“I thought we won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” said coach Trent Olson. “We were able to eliminate their run game.”
The Warriors running game features a senior dominated line and a variety of ball carriers. Winner rushed for 369 yards.
This was the Warriors second convincing victory over BEE this season. Winner won a home matchup 44-0 over the Seahawks on Aug. 27.
The victory for Winner in the Dome on Friday sealed the Warriors ninth state title since 1981. It is interesting to note that Winner won the very first state championship game in 1981. That year in Class 11A Winner won 31-21 over Vermillion. This year marked the 40th anniversary of the state football championships.
Friday morning Winner went to work forcing a three and out on defense. Kaden Keiser broke loose for a 61 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
BEE responded by driving inside the Warrior 40-yard line with two passing connections before the drive was stalled and Charley Pravecek rushed his way to block the Seahawk punt forcing a short field.
Two plays later Aiden Barfuss broke free for a 35 yard TD run to put Winner up by 16.
Winner only had one TD in the second quarter and it was right away. Joey Cole scored on a two yard keeper to go up 24-0.
In the third quarter, Cole scored on a one yard run. BEE responded in the third quarter with a touchdown.
Cole, who had hand in all three of Winner’s final touchdowns, connected with Ethan Bartels on a 9 yard pass.
“We came out right away and scored on our first three drives,” said Cole, the senior quarterback. “We slowed down and made our own mistakes.”
Cole said it was exciting to winning back to back state titles. “It is fun to be part of that and it is really exciting,” he said.
Barfuss who was leading rusher, was followed by Keiser with 99 yards, Riley Shippy, 50 and Cole, 44.
On defense, Riley Orel and Barfuss each had 5 tackles. Tayden Mathis, Jack Peters and Riley Shippy each had 4.
Five athletes had 3 tackles—Cole, Ashton Klein, Achilles Willuweit, Jack Kruger and Pravecek.
Ashton Klein had 1.5 sacks with Jackson Vesely and Keiser each having a sack and Blake Volmer intercepted two passes.
As a young coach, Ben Connot has received a lot of honors.
Connot is the assistant coach of the Winner football team.
As a player for the Winner Warriors Connot was a two time state champion special award winner.
He is a two time state champion as a coach and a one time state runner-up.
Before coaching in Winner, Connot was the head football coach in Colome where he and his team won a nine man football title.
Randy Kludt of Winner received a 40 year football officiating award at the state Class 11B championship game on Friday.
Kludt has been officiating high school football for 40 years and high school basketball for 18 years.
He is a 1977 high school graduate from Wessington Springs. He attended SDSU and received his bachelor’s degree in 1982.
While at SDSU, Kludt had the opportunity to start his officiating career by becoming a high school football official. All under the guidance of Jay Larson.
Kludt is the region director of football and basketball officials. He received the SDHSAA football official of the year in 2004. He has officiated the all star basketball game in 2006 and the 2006 all star football game.
Kludt has had the privilege of officiating five state basketball tournaments including a championship game.
Kludt has been teaching science at
Winner High School since 1983 and continues as a teacher at the school. He was
head girls basketball coach for 16 years and head boys and girls golf for six
years. He enjoys spending his free time being on the Missouri River fishing or
house boating.
Randy and his wife, Diane, have been married for 28 years and have two
children.
Kludt and the Winner referee crew worked the Class 9B championship game. The crew includes Eric Pollard, Kelly Meiners, Kludt, Rusty Arthur and Kevin Meiners. The alternate is Randy Bertram of Vermillion.
Kaden Keiser, a senior on the Winner High School wrestling team, has officially made plans to further his wrestling career at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.
Keiser has officially signed his letter of intent.
The Winner wrestler is a three time state champion.
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