Dakota Valley boys win Class A for 2nd consecutive undefeated season
Dakota Valley School District has new hardware to add to its trophy cabinets, and it comes with some unique bragging rights.
The district's boys basketball team claimed the Class A state championship Saturday night, after a final score of 54-48 against the Sioux Falls Christian Chargers. Even more so, the win marked the Panthers' second consecutive undefeated championship.
The team took out Hot Springs in the quarter final 80-47 on Thursday, and stole the title match bid from Hamlin on Friday, 77-63.
"It's amazing, going back to back for all 53," senior guard Isaac Bruns said after the game. "With these guys, we've been battling for so long. Couldn't write it up any better."
Bruns spoke to the Argus Leader in February about how the team tried to not focus too heavily on the fact they were undefeated. At the time, the Panthers had won 43 straight.
More:Why Dakota Valley won't be ignoring their 43-game win streak and more on High School basketball
"We don't talk about that a ton," Bruns said. "Because we think, win or lose, if the game helps us just get a little bit better for the state tournament at the end of the season — if we make it there — that's more valuable to us than 43 or 44.
"Whatever it is."
Bruns, along with senior guard Randy Rosenquist, were two of the crowd favorite standouts Saturday.
"It's a great feeling just to know we can come together and do it again," Rosenquist said.
Tourney Awards
Mount Vernon-Plankinton's Reed Rus won the Spirit of Su Award and St. Thomas More's cheerleaders the Spirt of Six Award. Players named to the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association's all-tourney team included Jaxson Wingert, Isaac Bruns and Randy Rosenquist of Dakota Valley; Ethan Bruns and Cole Snyder of Sioux Falls Christian; Tyson Stevenson and Easton Neuendorf of Hamlin; Easton Kempf of Elk Point-Jefferson; Alec Squires of Sioux Valley; Caleb Hollenbeck of St. Thomas More; Josh Kleinsasser of Hot Springs; and Rus.
Other Saturday Games
Hamlin (21-4) capped its first state-tourney appearance in 30 years by downing Elk Point-Jefferson (18-7) 53-40 in the third-place game; Sioux Valley (23-3) slipped past St. Thomas More (21-4) 34-44 in the consolation championship; and Hot Springs (20-6) notched a 60-50 over Mount Vernon-Plankinton (18-8) in the seventh-place game.
Neuendorf tallied 13 points, Brennan Keszler 12 points and Zac VanMeeteren nine points for Hamlin. Kempf's 16 points and nine rebounds paced Elk Point-Jefferson.
Squires collected 10 points and 15 rebounds and Hudsyn Ruesink 11 points for Sioux Valley. Turner Thompson scored 10 points for St. Thomas More.
Kleinsasser had 21 points and nine rebounds, Matt Close 15 points and Camron Maciejewski 10 points and six rebounds for Hot Springs. Rus notched 21 points, 15 rebounds and six assists for MVP, which also got 11 points and eight rebounds from Mason Hetland and seven and nine from Jordan Stoltz.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Dakota Valley boys win Class A state for second consecutive undefeated season
