Kimball/White Lake looking to take cooperative to state title game in first year of existence

In Kimball/White Lake’s first year as a football co-operative, the WiLdKats are one win away from a trip to the DakotaDome.

K/WL hosts Deubrook Area, which is making its first appearance in a state semifinal game, in a Class 9AA semifinal at 6 p.m. today in Kimball.

“It’d be a great boost to our program and a great boost to each school,” WiLdKats coach Dale Taylor said of the possibility of a state-championship game appearance. “It’d be a little bit wild and crazy if we were able to get down there because these two communities both have a lot of pride.”

K/WL (8-2) beat Gettysburg/Hoven 31-14 in a quarterfinal Monday. Running back Trevor Reinesch had 120 yards rushing in that game and has scored 10 touchdowns on the ground for the WiLdKats, who rushed for 285 yards on 54 carries in the win.

Jacob Kirsch passed the 1,000-yard mark rushing in the game and has 17 touchdowns this season.

“Kimball is a lot like us,” Deubrook coach Adolph Shepardson said. “They’ve played a tough schedule and both teams run the ball really well.

“From what we’ve seen, Reinesch is the guy that makes them go. When they need a big play, they’re going to get in the wishbone and run right at you.”

Shepardson is in his first year coaching Deubrook. He spent the past three years at Alleghany High School in Sparta, N.C. as a football coach and also has spent time coaching at Sturgis, McLaughlin and a year-and-a-half as an assistant at the University of South Dakota.

The Dolphins (8-2) are led by 6-foot-3 quarterback/outside linebacker Trever Petersen, who has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this season. Fullback/middle linebacker Dylan Schwartz has a little less than 1,000 yards rushing this season — including a school-record game of 272 yards rushing in a win over Arlington earlier this fall — and 115 tackles defensively.

“We’ve seen them on tape and they do a lot of things well,” Taylor said of Deubrook. “I think their strong point that has me concerned is their passing game. It’s going to be huge for us to control the ball and the clock.

“Hopefully, we can stop them on the run and make them one-dimensional with the pass.”

K/WL (8-2) has lost only once since its season-opening defeat against Mount Vernon. The WiLdKats fell to Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 42-14 in a regular-season game on Oct. 7.

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