VERMILLION — A tumultuous Class 9B season came to a fitting end Thursday afternoon at the DakotaDome.
No. 5 Dell Rapids St. Mary tied the title contest with 66 seconds left in regulation, then proceeded to win on a two-point conversion in double overtime, defeating No. 3 Potter County, 44-42 for the Cardinals’ first state football title in the playoff era.
Neither team led by more than eight points at any point in the game, as the teams traded scores throughout the afternoon.
Nic Gaspar, the contest’s co-Most Outstanding Back, rushed 21 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns for DRSM (8-3), adding three receptions for 65 yards and another touchdown. CJ Smith went 5-of-12 passing for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Ty Brown had 72 yards rushing and a touchdown.
For Potter County (10-3), Grant Luikens was named the game’s Most Valuable Player and shared Most Outstanding Back honors with Gaspar, after completing 16 of 25 passes for 297 yards and four touchdowns, with Drake Bassett and Ryder Falkenhagen each catching two of the scoring strikes. Bassett finished with 173 yards on nine receptions and Falkenhagen had four catches for 77 yards for the Battlers.
