Clayton Randall saw Herreid/Selby Area and North Border both surpassed 30 points by halftime on Friday. He didn’t know if the Wolverines had the firepower to stick head-to-head in a touchdown-for-touchdown game against the Titans, so his message at halftime was easy.

“I was telling our kids, ‘Let’s not get in a scoring competition here and try to score 60 points,’ ” the Herreid/Selby Area coach said.

Well, that’s exactly what happened.

The Wolverines needed all eight touchdowns in a 60-52 win over North Border. The 112 combined points is easily the most in South Dakota prep football this season. Only three other games (Faith 70, Newell 18; Dupree 70, Bison 28; Mitchell 55, Douglas 28) have even surpassed 80 total points, with none breaking the century mark.

“We felt we could score on every possession, and I’m sure they felt the same way,” said North Border coach Trevor Van Tilburg.

For as fun as it was for fans to watch 15 touchdowns scored and 1,203 yards gained -- Herreid/Selby Area had 675 and North Border gained 528 -- it was equally as frustrating and nerve-wracking for the coaches who knew one empty possession could be the difference in the game.

It ended up being two third-quarter possessions which decided the contest. North Border lost two fumbles inside Wolverine territory during a surprisingly scoreless third quarter for the Titans, including once on a nine-yard run on 4th-and-1. Colton Schumacher and Trey Sayler came up with the recoveries.

It decided a game where at least 22 points were scored in every quarter.

“You’re thinking about our team sitting in the meeting room after a big win, and you’re thinking about the opponent scoring 52 points and losing,” Randall said. “… It was a great effort for both teams and it was a fun game for the fans. It’s a cliché statement in sports to say, ‘It’s sad that one team had to lose,’ but certainly a team that scores 52 points deserves to win a football game.”

It was back-and-forth before the fumbles. North Border led 14-8 after the first quarter and 36-32 at halftime. The Wolverines gained a 54-36 lead after a three-touchdown third quarter and extended it to 60-36 before the Titans scored the game’s final two touchdowns.

It was a bounce-back game for last year’s Class 9B runner-up Wolverines, who scored 18 points in a Week 0 loss to Langford Area. They moved Sayler to fullback to help open up holes with his blocking. He still gained 136 yards and two touchdowns, but he also cleared the way for Brenden Begeman’s 301-yard, two-touchdown performance. It set the table for Tray Hettick’s four passing touchdowns to four different receivers, as Trevor Gill caught the longest touchdown of 71 yards.

“The big difference for us from Week 1 to Week 2, we got multiple guys going,” Randall said, also noting a tough Week 0 opponent in Langford Area.

Randall called North Border quarterback Isaac Sumption, “one of the shiftiest guys I’ve ever seen in football.” Whether it was in the passing game or running option plays, the 5-foot-10, 150-pound senior produced behind an offensive line that returned every starter. He gained 343 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 26 carries to go with 93 passing yards. It’s the most rushing yards by a single player since North Border became a co-op in 2017.

“For us, I knew our offense was going to be better than we’ve been in the past,” said Van Tilburg, who added it’s the most points North Border has scored since he became a coach six seasons ago. “Isaac Sumption is a pretty great athlete. We get him in the open field and good things are going to happen for us. He’s really shifty and fast. We knew we had a chance with that.”

Van Tilburg, who is also North Border’s offensive coordinator, hopes to incorporate a more balanced rushing attack in the future. Will Nordine also rushed for two scores. But it was still fun to see his team exceed even his expectations.

“I knew we’d have a chance to be good on offense, but I didn’t quite expect to score 52 in the first week,” he said.

It’s hard to expect a football game to break the century mark between both teams. But when it happens, it provides plenty of eye-opening highlights.

“It’s a game where we’ll probably back on in a couple of years and be like, ‘Wow, that happened. That was fun to be a part of,’ ” Randall said.

-- Mitchell Republic Sports Reporter Jeremy Karll

Mobridge-Pollock’s Eisemann ties Class 11B record

Cayden Eisemann threw seven touchdowns and 276 yards in Mobridge-Pollock’s 60-6 win over Miller/Highmore-Harrold on Aug. 28. Eisemann’s seven touchdowns tied St. Thomas More’s Ryder Kirsch for the most in a Class 11B game.

It was just his second career start, and while the seven touchdowns might be a surprise to some, it wasn’t to Tigers’ coach Paul Goehring.

“He’s a very accurate passer and he’s shown that throughout the years,” Goehring said. “He’s waited under Caden Halsey’s wings. He’s been our starter for the last three years and we knew going into the season that Cayden would be a great quarterback for us.”

He’s been just that through two games. The senior quarterback is 34 of 41 for 583 yards and nine touchdowns, against just one interception. In a 26-0 win over Groton Area in Week 1, Eisemann threw for 307 yards on 15 of 20 attempts and had two touchdowns.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Eisemann cranked it up a couple notches against the Rustlers. He orchestrated an offense that racked up 346 yards and he connected with three different receivers for scores.

“Our O-Line had great pass protection and I got it out to playmakers in space and let them do the rest,” said Eisemann, who also competes in basketball, track and field and baseball.

Eisemann’s favorite target was Bryston Goehring, who snagged five catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns on Friday. Trace Cerney (83 receiving yards/TD) and Braden Goehring (57 receiving yards/3 TDs) also got in on the fun.

But it’s nothing new for the senior quartet.

“It’s great, but I have been throwing to those guys since the sixth-grade,” Eisemann said. “We’ve been on the same page for a long time.”

Eisemann also did all his damage in the first half as the reserves closed it out.

“It’s definitely an accomplishment and not only doing that within a game, but he didn’t play the second half, too,” Paul Goehring said. “So that’s a great thing.”

The Tigers will head to Lead-Deadwood this week as they look to continue putting up big numbers.

“It sets the tone for the rest of the year,” Eisemann said. “We are going to be a heavy-passing offense. So that just sets the table for us.”

-- Mitchell Republic Sports Reporter Ryan Deal

Beresford’s Peterson rushes into record books

Brady Peterson broke Beresford’s all-time single game rushing record on Aug. 28.

The senior running back finished with 324 rushing yards on 40 carries and scored four touchdowns. He added three receptions for 50 yards in Beresford’s 40-34 loss against Wagner.

Peterson’s rushing total surpassed Tom Babb’s school record of 323 yards set in 1999. Petersons’ output is the seventh-most all-time in a Class 11B game.

Lyman records ‘big win’ over KWL

Lyman, which had been outscored 156-14 by Kimball/White Lake the past three seasons, exacted a measure of revenge on Aug. 28. The Raiders topped the WiLdKats by a 24-12 decision.

“I have been head coach -- for I think 15 years -- and I don’t think we’ve got a sniff,” Lyman coach Mike Kieffer said about facing KWL. “It was a pretty big win for our program. They have a great tradition.”

Lyman (2-0) racked up 225 yards on offense, with sophomore quarterback Teagan Gourneau accounting for 129 total yards and three touchdowns. He scored two rushing touchdowns and had a passing touchdown to Isaac Thomas. Gourneau’s 17-yard rushing touchdown with under 2 minutes left sealed the win.

Honor roll

Here are some of the top performers from Week 1:

• Timber Lake’s Kedrick Martin completed 10 of 12 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns in a 64-14 win over Faith. Hank Kraft hauled in four receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

• Blake Schroedemeier threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns in Viborg-Hurley’s 46-0 win over Arlington/Lake Preston.

• In a 64-12 win, McCook Central/Montrose’s Gavin Gordon threw for five touchdowns and 186 yards on 10 of 19 passing against Flandreau. Jacobi Krouse also added 172 yards and two touchdowns on 13 rushing attempts.

• Chester Area’s Stratton Eppard and Jovi Wolf found a groove together in a 44-8 win over Avon. Wolf hauled in 210 receiving yards and four touchdowns, as Eppard finished with 254 passing yards.

• Corsica-Stickney relied on Brendan Wentland’s 108 rushing yards, 63 passing yards and four total touchdowns in a 44-12 win over Irene-Wakonda.

• Cody Thompson threw for 217 yards and four touchdown passes in Lemmon/McIntosh’s 70-0 win over Newell. Thompson passed for 368 yards and three touchdowns in the Cowboys’ season-opening win over Mott-Regent/New England on Aug 21.

Games to watch

Class 9A No. 5 De Smet (1-1) at Class 9B No. 5 Dell Rapid St. Mary (1-1): De Smet and Dell Rapids St. Mary are both trying to avoid falling under .500 to start the season. The Bulldogs’ upset bid of Class 9A No. 1 Canistota/Freeman fell just short last week in a 14-12 loss, while the Cardinals are coming off their first win of the year, a 26-6 victory over Castlewood.

De Smet is holding teams to 20 points per game through two weeks, as it held the Pride’s dynamic offense to 240 yards. Rett Osthus (109 yards, TD against Canistota/Freeman) and Kalen Garry (73 yards) are a two-headed rushing attack, as Garry also caught a touchdown last week.

DRSM has been part of two defensive matchups to start the year. Along with a 26-6 win, it fell 18-6 to Florence/Henry.

No. 2 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (2-0) at No. 4 Sioux Valley (2-0), in Volga: Friday features a matchup between two ranked Class 11B teams, including defending champion Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan.

The Seahawks picked up right where they left off, outscoring Wagner and Elk Point-Jefferson 84-12 to start the season. It’s a balanced attack, which featured Koby Kayser (119) and Bodie Burnham (96) combining for over 200 rushing yards. Kaden Klumb replaced all-state quarterback Brady Hawkins, and connected with Eric Gustafson twice for touchdowns last week.

Meanwhile, Sioux Valley showed its offensive prowess in a 50-12 win over Redfield, as well as its defensive ability with a 12-6 victory over Tri-Valley which neither team scored in the first half. Sioux Valley held Tri-Valley to five first downs and 82 total yards. Jaxon Schiller has rushed for 195 yards in the first two games, while Parker Puetz has shown he can pass (209 yards against Redfield) but also use his legs (59 yards against Tri-Valley).

No. 3 Langford Area (2-0) vs. North Border (0-1): Class 9B Region 1 foes have already faced a common opponent this year. The Lions took down Herreid/Selby Area, 44-18, in Week 0, and North Border opened with a 60-52 loss to the Wolverines the following week. (See above)

Langford Area’s scoring didn’t slow down in a 41-12 win over Faulkton Area. Defensively, it held the Wolverines to 233 yards and nine first downs to start the year.

Benton West rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions. Zander Widener ran for 64 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

North Border’s offense runs through senior quarterback Isaac Sumption, but it hopes to incorporate a more balanced rushing attack alongside its signal caller.