Spearfish, S.D. – The Black Hills State University football team defeated in-state rival South Dakota School of Mines 35-6 Saturday afternoon at Lyle Hare Stadium.
Overcoming adversity has been a common theme for the Yellow Jackets this year, and it's something that head coach John Reiners is very proud of.
"The biggest thing was taking care of the football, and riding those momentum swings," added Reiners. "A couple times we had good field position and we didn't take advantage of it, and we had a couple touchdowns called back, but you have to overcome those things. I thought we did a great job of overcoming that adversity today."
After a low snap on a Yellow Jacket punt early in the first quarter resulted in a turnover-on-downs, South Dakota School of Mines was able to score first. The Hardrockers connected on a 19-yard field goal to go up 3-0 with 10:11 left to play in the first quarter. On the following drive, the Jackets found huge holes and great success on the ground, moving down the field on six consecutive running plays. Bryar Desanti capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Yellow Jacket defense stood strong, and the offense showed great poise moving the ball during the first half. Early in the second quarter, another 1-yard touchdown run from Desanti put the Yellow Jackets up 14-3. A Hardrocker field goal at the end of the quarter showed a halftime score of 14-6 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.
The second half was a different story. The Yellow Jackets found instant success, scoring on their first drive. Quarterback Ward Anderson found Desanti on a screen pass, and Desanti did the rest, taking the ball 25 yards for the score. Early in the fourth quarter, Anderson connected with senior wide receiver Daniel Hancock for a 15 yard scoring strike.
"Daniel has been a big part of our offense for the last four years, and it was nice to get him a touchdown here at the end," said Reiners. "You just look at a kid like that who has put in so much the last four years; you want to get him that last touchdown."
Hancock was not the only senior to shine during the Jackets' victory. Senior linebacker Trent Turbiville had another monster day as the anchor of the defense, recording 17 tackles, five solo and 12 assisted. He also recorded one tackle for loss. Senior defensive lineman Sterling Boylan had an interception to go along with his seven assisted tackles, and senior defensive back Joey Brown recorded three tackles, two pass break-ups, and one interception.
"These seniors meant a lot. We moved into Division II, we moved in to a tough conference, and we had a lot of challenges in front of us. There were so many times this year that we could have packed it up and said we're not good enough or we can't win these games. Those seniors kept everyone going; we went through the tough times, and now we're into the good times. What a great tribute to them and how they led this team all year long."
Desanti was a force for the Yellow Jackets, racking up 88 rushing yards on 16 attempts, 80 receiving yards on five receptions, and four total touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving). Anderson completed 22 of 32 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns. Hancock had six receptions for 55 yards and one score, and sophomore running back Trent Butler carried the ball six times for 54 yards.
The season may be over for the Yellow Jackets, but Coach Reiners looks to the future with high hopes and high expectations.
"I feel good, but I also feel like there are a lot of things that we have to do to be successful next year. As coaches, we're never satisfied. We finished with three wins at the end of the year, but that doesn't guarantee us anything next year," said Reiners. "This year we stuck together, we worked hard, and we battled and battled. That's how we're going to get wins next year. If we work hard in the off-season, keep building, go out and recruit our tails off, the future is bright here."
