Canistota sends four to college football teams

CANISTOTA - Wednesday, four of the 11 senior boys at Canistota High School announced their plans to play college football.

Alex Robertson signed with Dakota Wesleyan University, while Cody Bunger, Eric Tieszen and Dylan Seubert signed with Dakota State University.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a great run of kids,” Canistota coach Lenny Schroeder said. “ … Typically, only your best one or two players get looked at for scholarships. We were fortunate the last three years to have some really high-quality athletes.”

In the past three years, the Hawks have won 36 straight games and three straight nine-man football titles. In November, the seniors on the team capped their high school career with a 66-0 win over Warner in the 9A championship game.

For Dakota State University coach Josh Anderson, the team’s success was one of the reasons to recruit the school. Anderson began talking to Bunger, Tieszen and Seubert two years ago and they were high priorities for this year’s recruiting class.

“I don’t know how it works sometimes, but we’re definitely happy to get those three out of Canistota High School,” Anderson said. “They’re some good football players.”

Bunger is a 6-foot-2 free safety who earned the Joe Robbie MVP twice as the outstanding player in the state championship game. He’s the school record holder in passing yards in a season and career. Defensively, he holds the school record for most interceptions in a career.

Seubert is a defensive back who started on all three state title teams and Tieszen is a linebacker who was on the all-state team twice and on all three title teams.

Schroeder, whose son Trevor plays for the DWU football team, said he’ll keep a close eye on DSU this season.

“I told the boys that are going to Dakota State that I’ll cheer for them every night except one,” Schroeder said, referring to the night Dakota State and Dakota Wesleyan take the field against one another. “The boys at Wesleyan, I’ll cheer for them every night.”

Robertson, who will be a freshman this fall competing for DWU’s running back position, ran for 2,414 yards in his career and had 415 receiving yards. He was an all-conference selection three times and an all-state selection twice.

DWU football coach Ross Cimpl said the Tigers’ coaching staff worked hard in recruiting the Canistota players. He made home visits to Tieszen, Bunger and Robertson.

Cimpl added Canistota will be a team he continues to recruit.

“Whether they’re winning a state championship or not, it’s a team right in our back yard,” he said. “We have a good relationship with Coach Schroeder, and a lot of times that’s half the battle.”

Schroeder said senior defensive end Jason VanWinkle was recruited by both DSU, DWU, along with NCAA Division II schools University of Sioux Falls and Augustana. He likely won’t pursue post-high school football, Schroeder said, because he’s looking to get an engineering degree.

“My concern for them is not necessarily keeping their football careers going,” Schroeder said. “We want them to get an education and if football is an avenue to help you get an education, that’s great.”

Tags: sports, canistota, football, updates