Category Archives: Sports

Three Winner wrestlers competed at the Lakota Nation Invitational wrestling tournament in Rapid City.

Abe Kaiser was first at 152 pounds and Jude Sargent was first at 170 pounds. Gus Bartels took 2^nd at 145 pounds.

Kaiser in the first round won by fall over Justice Child of Little Wound.  Kaiser had a bye the second round and then pinned Eddie Rousseau of Tiopsa Zina in 5:15.

In the championship bracket Kaiser pinned Zuya Romero of Red Cloud in 1:54. For first place he wrestled Rousseau again and won by pin in 32 seconds.

Sargent had a bye the first two rounds. In the third round he pinned Adonis Runs After of CEB in 12 seconds.

In the championship bracket, Sargent pinned Uziel Munoz of Lakota Tech in 28 seconds. Then for first place he pinned Cameron Dekle of CEB in 51seconds.

Bartels had a bye the first two rounds. In the third round he pinned Tayne Pucket of Lakota Tech in 29 seconds. In the championship bracket, Bartels pinned Cody Provost, Lakota Tech in 29 seconds.

Semni Big Crow of Pine Ridge won a sudden death victory over Bartels in the championship match.

Basketball scrimmages for the Winner High School boys and girls basketball teams have been set.

The girls scrimmage will be Friday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m in the Armory.   This year the girls team will be doing a free will donation and there will also be baked goods up for a silent auction. All proceeds will be donated to the Winner Pix Theater.

The Winner boys Gatorade scrimmage will be Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. in the Armory.

The two teams open the season on Dec. 9.

Kaden Keiser of Winner has had an impressive start to his college wrestling career at Appalachian State in Boone, N. C.

On Dec. 20 Keiser wrestled at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa.

Team competing were from Penn, Drexel, Appalachian State, Arizona State, George Mason, Duke, Rider, F&M, Virginia Tech, Sacred Heart and Harvard.

Keiser, a four time South Dakota state wrestling champion, wrestled six times at the classic.

He defeated Matthew Hoelke from Rider, 11-6.

Keiser got beat by No. 15 ranked in the nation Doug Zapf from the University of Pennsylvania, 19-8.

The Winner wrestler came back and defeated Kylan Montgomery, Virginia Tech, 4-2; defeated Rocco Demartino, Sacred Heart, 16-0; defeated Vincent Mannella, University of Pennsylvania, 5-4.

Keiser got beat by Jack Crook, Harvard, 8-5.

Keiser could not wrestler the 7^th and 8^th place match because he can only wrestle six matches in a day. He placed 8^th.

Keiser won the open division in the Mountaineer Invitational in Boone.

He won four matches. Keiser defeated Zach Soda, Edinboro with a pin in 3:24; defeated Mason Stefsnelli, Virginia, 5-4; defeated Nicholas Grizales, App State, 14-4 and defeated Kai O’Dell, 6-3.

Focused. Determined. Locked down and ready to play.

That was the Winner Warriors Friday night as they defeated McCook Central/ Montrose 46-6 in the semifinals of the state football playoffs.

The victory sends the undefeated Warriors to the DakotaDome in Vermillion on Friday for the Class 11B  state championship. The game will be at 2:30 p.m. and the Warriors will take on Elk Point-Jefferson.

The Warriors are the two time defending state champions and have won 34 consecutive games.

The Warriors are attempting to win a third consecutive state title.

“You could tell how focused they were, how much film they were watching just based on the questions they were asking in practice,” said head coach Trent Olson.

“I am very proud of the kids. They have worked really hard for this. MCM is a very good team but the boys were extremely focused and took care of business,” explained Olson.

Winner put the first points on the board and that was crucial to setting the tone of the game.

Using his versatility to pass the ball, quarterback Blake Volmer completed a 9 yard pass to Shaw Hammerbeck for the first touchdown.

MCM drove to mid-field on the next drive and failed to convert a fourth down which allowed Winner to take over and five plays later the Warriors were on the scoreboard again. This time Volmer completed a 31 yard pass to Riley Orel.

Rounding out the first half, Aiden Barfuss scored on a one yard run. Winner took a 20-0 lead into the lockerroom at half.

Volmer said that first touchdown set the tone for Winner. “They are a good team. We knew they were not going to let up and that first possession set the tone and showed them Winner was ready to go,” said Winner’s quarterback after the game.

Winner scored two touchdowns each in the third and fourth quarters.

Barfuss scored his second TD on a 3 yard run with 5:17 left in the third period.

With 52 seconds left in the third period MCM got on the scoreboard.

However, Winner was going to respond right away. On the ensuing kickoff, Karson Keiser ran 76 yards for a touchdown and Winner is now up 34-6.

The third touchdown for Barfuss came in the fourth quarter on a 78 yard run. Four minutes later Jude Sargent plunges in from two yards out for the score.

The Warriors had a total of 397 yards of total offense with 332 of those yards coming on the ground.

Winner had 20 first downs to 13 for MCM.

Barfuss was the rushing leader with 162 yards. Keiser had 55 yards, Jack Peters, 48 and Riley Orel, 47.

In passing, Volmer was 4-9 for 65 yards.

Jack Peters said the victory was a great team effort. “We were locked down and focused that is for sure. We wanted it more than they did,” he said.

Winner again had a strong defense. Jack Kruger and Jack Peters both had 7.5 tackles. Jude Sargent had 6 tackles. Dalton Petersen had 3.5 tackles, Barfuss and Karson Keiser, 3 each, Shawn Hammerbeck 2.5 and Sam Scholz, 2.

The next step for Winner in their undefeated season is defending its state championship as they face Elk Point-Jefferson on Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m.

“We have a great opportunity in front of us,” said Olson.

Winner competitive dance team placed third in hip hop and tied for 4^th in pom at the state cheer/dance meet in Watertown on Friday. Overall, Winner took 5^th place in dance.

“This was the best scores of the year,” said coach Sarah

Taggart.

“The girls danced their hearts out. We are going to miss our five seniors and their leadership, talent,” said Taggart.

Kendyl Bachmann and Josey Kludt were named to the all-tournament team.

Leah Wiechelman, Amanda Blare, Josey Kludt and Kendyl Bachmann were named all-academic.