Canistota rolls to second-straight football title

VERMILLION — Canistota continued its two-year assault of 9-man football Friday.

The Hawks won their second consecutive state title with a 66-6 rout of Wall for the 9A state title at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.

“You go out and play the game as hard as you can, go out and execute and live with the result,” Canistota coach Lenny Schroeder said. “We were fortunate enough to put up a lot of points.”

Hawks junior quarterback Cody Bunger was named the Joe Robbie MVP and earned the outstanding back award. He had seven rushes for 161 yards and two touchdowns and completed 3 of 5 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns.

Canistota had 486 total yards of offense and won its 24th consecutive game, dating back to last season, where it won the 9B championship.

“It’s always fun to win,” Bunger said. “The closer games make you wonder if you’re going to pull out in the end. These games you know you’re going to pull it out in the end.”

Canistota nearly pitched its ninth shutout this season, but Wall finally got on the board in the fourth quarter with 34 seconds to play. The touchdown was the first score the Hawks allowed in the playoffs since the 2010 semifinals against Gettysburg.

Trevor Schroeder, who is listed as a tight end and defensive end and earned the game’s outstanding lineman award, caught all three passes from Bunger for 174 yards and three touchdowns. The pair hooked up late in the fourth quarter for an 81-yard touchdown, which set a state 9A championship game record for longest pass. The previous record was 78 yards, set in 1999 by Freeman’s Brett Scherschligt and Seth Walter.

Bunger and Schroeder also connected for a touchdown three plays into the second quarter on a 51-yard strike to give the Hawks a 14-0 lead.

The Hawks got their two-touchdown advantage after a slow first quarter, where they had fumbles on the opening kickoff and on their first offensive drive.

“It was pretty intense for a quarter,” said Lenny Schroeder, whose team led 30-0 at halftime.

Canistota’s Troy Hofer had a 7-yard touchdown two plays after Trevor Schroeder blocked a Wall punt in the opening possession of the second half. Hofer finished with 82 yards on 12 carries.

Alex Robertson scored two rushing touchdowns and had 49 yards rushing. He also had an interception returned for a score called back because of a penalty.

Nick Golder, who fumbled Canistota’s opening kick return, redeemed himself with a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown to make it 46-0 early in the third.

The Hawks finished undefeated with 12 wins and a state-title-game rout for the second straight year. Canistota defeated Hitchcock-Tulare 66-0 in last year’s state championship.

Bunger, who took over as the team’s starting quarterback this season, led the charge to another huge offensive showing for Canistota.

“It would be more fun to have a closer game, but you can’t help the score,” Bunger said.

Wall’s lone touchdown came from sophomore quarterback Lane Blasius, a 4-yard plunge into the end zone. The play was set up by Wall’s Les Williams, who had one carry for 41 yards to lead the team’s rushing attack.

Game stats

CANISTOTA 66, WALL 6

Wall 0 0 0 6 — 6

Canistota 8 22 28 8 — 66

First Quarter

Can-Bunger 27 run (Schroeder pass from Bunger), 3:16.

Second Quarter

Can-Schroeder 50 pass from Bunger (run failed), 11:06.

Can-Robertson 3 run (Schroeder pass from Bunger), 5:35.

Can-Schroeder 43 pass from Bunger (Robertson run), 4:32.

Third Quarter

Can-Hofer 7 run (Tieszen pass from Bunger), 9:35.

Can-Hofer 64 punt return (Robertson run), 7:12.

Can-Hofer 8 run (kick failed), 5:10.

Can-Schroeder 19 pass from Bunger (run failed), 2:30.

Fourth Quarter

Can-Bunger 3 run (Bunger run), 7:55.

Can-Blasius 4 run (run failed), :34.

Wall Canistota

First downs 8 17

Rushes-yards 43-81 43-311

Passing yards 40 174

Return yards 9-101 7-205

Passes 3-11-3 3-5-0

Punts 8-34.5 0-0

Penalties-yards 6-36 11-87

Time of Possession 28:54 18:32

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Wal, L. Williams 1-41, J. Williams 4-19, Trask 6-17, Blasius 5-9, Kjerstad 4-1, Eisenbraun 2-0, Shull 19-(minus 1), Johnston 2-(minus 5); Can, Bunger 7-161, T. Hofer 12-82, Robertson 16-49, N. Hofer 4-30, Seubert 1-(minus 2), Buseman 2-(minus 7).

PASSING-Wal, Blasius 3-9-3-40, Johnston 0-1-0-0, Shull 0-1-0-0; Can, Bunger 3-5-0-174.

RECEIVING-Wal, Linn 2-23, Trask 1-17; Can, Schroeder 3-174.

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