Losing skid is over, but Presentation's next opponent, Concordia, will offer tough test
There's a tough opponent coming to Aberdeen Saturday, but the Presentation College football team certainly deserves a moment to savor last weekend's victory.
With a convincing 29-6 road win against Luther College, the Saints snapped a 23-game losing streak that dated back to November 2019.
It was an emotional and exciting moment, said Presentation head coach Steve Heimann, who admitted he broke down a bit during a post-game interview.
"I jokingly said that in the middle of the fourth quarter I couldn't coach anymore, I was useless," Heimann said Wednesday.
Luther mascot trophy broken after victory
The Saints have trophies with the opposing schools' mascots on them. After a win, the trophies are broken. The Norse trophy was destroyed Saturday much the way the Luther football team was.
"The guys got me with the water cooler, which was fun," Heimann said.
And then it was a seven-and-a-half-hour bus ride back from Decorah, Iowa, to Aberdeen.
A happy haul, but not exactly party central.
Heimann said Presentation played complimentary football against the Norse. When the offense was struggling, the defense came up big and vice versa.
Heimann's first few season at Presentation were rough ones
He and his staff took over the football program at the end of June 2019. That's pretty late in the game to get a team prepared for fall. A 51-35 win at Mayville Sate was the lone victory that season, which was followed by a strange 2020 COVID-19 season. Last year, he said, felt like the first normal year for the coaching staff.
The last few seasons have been rough ones, Heimann admitted.
Now, he hopes the Saints can build off of a win. The triumph should be a confidence builder for a few weeks, Heimann said. He said it offers players evidence that the coaching staff's concepts work and helps build belief. Confidence and belief are traits the team might have been lacking, he said.
Saturday, the Saints face Concordia College-Moorhead, a traditionally strong opponent. That's the reward for last weekend's win.
The Cobblers are 1-0 after defeating Valley City State 14-12 on Sept. 1.
Concordia features up-tempo offense, physical defense
Concordia is a big, physical, disciplined and well-coached football team, Heimann said. The Cobblers try to run an up-tempo offense with lots of screens and quick passes, so the Presentation defense will have to be ready for that pace, he said.
The Saints aren't the biggest team on the defensive side of the ball and rely on stunts and blitzes to badger the opposing quarterback, which will be important Saturday, Heimann said
On defense, Concordia is sound and physical, he said, and Presentation will aim for about a 50/50 split of running and passing.
The Saints will need to be better on special teams and finish drives to hang with the Cobblers, Heimann said. Against Luther, Presentation had a 20-play, 96-yard drive that lasted more than eight minutes, but resulted in no points. The coach took blame for deciding to go for it on fourth down from the Luther one. After an incomplete pass, Presentation turned the ball over.
However, the defense took advantage of Luther's poor field position and recorded a safety. Then, after the Norse kicked off, the Saints scored a touchdown to take a 16-6 lead into halftime.
Sophomore quarterback Kaeden Frazier passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns against the Norse and was named the North Star Athletic Association offensive player of the week.
Kickoff against Concordia is set for 7 p.m. at Brownell Activities Complex, formally Swisher Field, at Central High School.
Northern hits the road against Wayne State
After a resounding season-opening victory, the task also gets tougher for the Northern State University football team this weekend.
The Wolves will play at Wayne State at 6 p.m. Saturday in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.
Northern opened with a 30-0 victory over Upper Iowa on Sept. 1 at Dacotah Bank Stadium. The Wildcats downed the University of Mary 33-28 Saturday in Bismarck, N.D.
The game was close throughout, but Wayne State sealed the victory when running back Anthony Watkins scored from 10 yards out with 1:46 to play.
To say the Wildcats offense was balanced is probably an understatement. They collected 196 yards rushing the ball and 195 passing and will pose a greater offensive threat than the Peacocks did.
However, the Wayne State defense yielded 451 yards to the Marauders, including 300 in the air. It was only one game, but that number was not likely missed by Northern head coach Mike Schmidt, first-year starting quarterback Michael Bonds, the receiving corps and the rest of the staff.
After struggling last fall, the Northern defense was dominant against Upper Iowa. Wayne State should help the Wolves better sort out just how much the D has improved since the 2021 campaign.
Other regional college football
Saturday
Cal-Davis at South Dakota State, 6 p.m.
University of South Dakota at Montana, 2:30 p.m.
Minot State at University of Sioux Falls, 1 p.m.
Bemidji State at Augustana, 1 p.m.
University of Mary at Winona State, 1 p.m.
Minnesota State, Moorhead at Upper Iowa, 3 p.m.
Concordia-St. Paul at Southwest Minnesota State, 5 p.m.
Minnesota-Duluth at Minnesota State, Mankato, 6 p.m.
Local scoreboard
College volleyball
Tuesday
Presentation College def. Concordia College-Moorhead, 19-25, 25-20, 26-24, 21-25, 18-16
*Monday, Presentation's Laura Babcock was named North Star Athletic Association defender of the week.
South Dakota State def. Chicago State, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 28-30, 17-15
Saturday
University of South Dakota def. Texas-El Paso, 25- 2o, 21-25, 21-25, 25-19, 17-15
High school volleyball
Tuesday
Aberdeen Roncalli def. Florence/Henry, 25-23, 25-21, 21-25, 28-26
Belle Fourche def. St. Thomas More, 25-18, 25-17, 25-21
Bowman County, N.D. def. Harding County, 25-19, 25-17, 25-14
Bridgewater-Emery def. Menno, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 18-25, 15-13
Castlewood def. Waverly-South Shore, 25-7, 25-4, 25-5
Chester def. Baltic, 25-17, 25-17, 25-19
Clark/Willow Lake def. Iroquois/ Lake Preston Co-op, 25-15, 25-19, 25-22
Dakota Valley def. Beresford, 25-8, 25-15, 25-11
Deubrook def. Flandreau, 29-27, 18-25, 25-19, 25-22
Deuel def. DeSmet, 10-25, 25-18, 19-25, 25-23, 15-11
Douglas def. Hill City, 26-24, 27-25, 25-14
Edgemont def. Lead-Deadwood, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17
Elk Point-Jefferson def. West Central, 25-11, 25-19, 25-17
Faulkton def. Hitchcock-Tulare, 25-8, 25-12, 25-21
Freeman def. Centerville, 25-10, 25-11, 25-13
Highmore-Harrold def. Sunshine Bible Academy, 25-13, 25-15, 25-15
Howard def. Hanson, 14-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-17
Huron def. Watertown, 19-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22
Ipswich def. Sully Buttes, 24-26, 25-15, 25-16, 25-20
Langford def. Aberdeen Christian, 25-22, 25-18, 25-23
Lemmon def. McIntosh, 23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 25-10
Lennox def. Tea Area, 28-26, 25-11, 18-25, 21-25, 15-7
Lyman def. Colome, 19-25, 25-15, 20-25, 25-20, 15-6
Marty Indian def. Santee, Neb., 25-12, 25-22, 25-22
Mobridge-Pollock def. North Central Co-Op, 25-19, 25-11, 25-10
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton def. Ethan, 25-12, 27-25, 25-11
Pierre def. Mitchell, 25-22, 25-19, 25-15
Platte-Geddes def. Wagner, 19-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-20
Rapid City Christian def. Spearfish, 25-20, 25-9, 25-12
Scotland def. Gayville-Volin, 23-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-12
Sioux Falls Christian def. Madison, 25-11, 25-14, 25-12
Sioux Falls Lincoln def. Brandon Valley, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-15
Sioux Falls Roosevelt def. Yankton, 25-15, 25-22, 25-21
Sioux Falls Washington def. Sioux Falls Jefferson, 17-25, 25-19, 25-22, 20-25, 16-14
Sisseton def. Hankinson, N.D., 22-25, 25-19, 24-19
Tiospa Zina Tribal def. Waubay/Summit, 23-25, 25-19, 25-12, 26-24
Tripp-Delmont/Armour def. Avon, 26-24, 25-16, 25-20
Vermillion def. Bon Homme, 25-19, 25-16, 25-22
Warner def. Miller, 25-13, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22
Webster def. Groton Area, 14-25, 25-18, 25-15, 17-25, 15-10
Wessington Springs def. Freeman Academy/Marion, 25-11, 25-13, 25-13
Wyndmere-Lidgerwood, N.D. def. Britton-Hecla, 25-21, 25-16, 25-20
High school soccer
Girls
Tuesday
Aberdeen Central 2, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 1
Boys
Tuesday
Aberdeen Central 3, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 0
Saturday
Aberdeen Central 1, Brandon Valley 0
High school tennis
Girls
Tuesday
Aberdeen Central def. Vermillion, 7-2
Aberdeen Central def. Madison, 7-2
Aberdeen Roncalli def. Rapid City, 7-2
Pierre def. Aberdeen Roncalli, 9-0
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Presentation College ends 23-game losing streak, Northern faces Wayne
