Argus Leader Elite 45: Meet the 2023 South Dakota high school football team

For more than 35 years, the Argus Leader has honored the best high school football players in South Dakota with a spot on the Elite 45 team.

Here it is, the full list of the 45 best high school football players in South Dakota after the 2023 season:

Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Emmit Andersen

Pierre, DL

Andersen was a dominant force at the point of attack for Pierre, who has now won seven consecutive 11AA state championships. Andersen amassed 78 tackles, 17.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks and recovered two fumbles. The senior has received interest and offers from multiple Division II football programs.

Aiden Barfuss

Winner, FB/LB

Barfuss was the “true leader” of a Winner team that made it all the way to the semifinals of the 11B playoffs. The 6-foot, 210-pound senior was responsible for play calling on defense. This season Barfuss had 129 carries for 1,154 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and 36 tackles and one interception on defense. His career stats are a bit more modest than you’d think because of an injury that hindered him during his freshman season, but overall, his numbers are still pretty gaudy. He amassed 3,216 yards and 50 touchdowns and on defense, he finished his high school football career with 109 tackles and two interceptions.

Burk Blasius

Wall, QB/LB

Blasius has played for Wall since eighth grade, when he started at linebacker. Since then, he’s starred for the Eagles as a two-way starter at quarterback and linebacker, breaking multiple school records including passing yards and touchdowns in both a single season and a career. This season, the 2022 state champion's ability as a dual-threat was on full display: he threw for over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns while also rushing for an additional 700 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he racked up 92 tackles, one sack, one interception and forced one fumble. Blasius ends his career with 5,719 passing yards, 73 passing touchdowns and 1,769 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns.

Max Carlson

Harrisburg, WR

Carlson was dynamic wherever he had the ball, as a receiver or from the backfield. With fellow Harrisburg wide receiver Tytan Tryon facing double coverage consistently, Carlson was able to take advantage. He ends his high school football career with 117 receptions and 1,622 yards and 15 touchdowns. Once teams started loading up on him too, the Tigers got more creative with how to get him the ball. He had 108 carries for 680 yards and 18 touchdowns in his Harrisburg career. As long as he had the ball, Harrisburg was dangerous.

Chet Carda

West Central, RB/LB

Carda was a defensive presence for the Trojans during his three-year career as a starter. His coach Barry Matthies called him the best linebacker he's ever coached and Carda certainly proved he's one of the best in recent memory, leading West Central in tackles in each of the past two seasons with 166 this year and 135 last year.  The 6-foot-1, 195-pound linebacker was a true sideline-to-sideline player.  He also had seven sacks this year and 18 tackles for a loss.  This was also the first season Carda took on a larger offensive role as the team’s running back, and he rushed for 711 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Layne Cotton

Faulkton, QB/S

Cotton has racked up quite the resume over the past four years. He’s been a 9B all-state quarterback, 9B player of the year, and was recently named Class 9B’s All-American. In 2023, the Faulkton quarterback threw for 1,333 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for an additional 499 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was the orchestrator on offense, but he also wasn’t afraid to lay the big block. Defensively at safety, he would come up on the run and was great at getting to the ball in the air. On defense, he accumulated 36 tackles and six interceptions. Cotton also kicked and punted for Faulkton.

Hunter Cramer

Warner, QB

There’s no better way to wrap up a senior season than the way Cramer did. He finished his senior season with a state championship and was selected as the 9A All-American. Cramer ended his career with some eye-popping numbers: He had 495 carries for 3,517 yards, 83 touchdown runs and threw for 4,210 yards and 41 touchdown passes. On defense, he amassed 10 interceptions and 220 career tackles.

Keegan DeYoung

Tea Area, RB

DeYoung was the Tea Area Titans' de facto leader. The senior was elected captain by his teammates and led the team in workouts throughout the spring and summer before the 2023 season, and it paid off with a trip to the 11AA state semifinals. DeYoung had 142 carries for 1,039 yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and 13 receptions for 281 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He’ll play for the University of Minnesota–Moorehead next season.

Joey Foxley

Platte-Geddes, RB/LB

Foxley was a four-year starter on a Platte Geddes team that’s been competing for state championships since his freshman season. He was an all-conference player for three years and has produced over 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns on offense while accumulating 276 tackles, nine interceptions and six forced fumbles on defense.

Jaxsen Grevengoed

Roosevelt, RB/WR

Roosevelt football coach Kim Nelson called Grevengoed “the best running back I have ever coached.” At 5-foot-9, 185 pounds, Grevengoed runs with strength and explosiveness. The senior averaged 9.7 yards per carry and 155 yards rushing per game. Over the whole season, he amassed 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns on 111 carries and also had 36 receptions for 459 receiving yards and five touchdowns in just seven games.

Tucker Gilmore

Yankton, WR/SS

Gilmore entered his senior season with a brand-new, enhanced role: the primary target on a team expected to contend with Pierre and Tea for the 11AA state championship, and he was ready for it. The two-way starter quickly acclimated to his new role and ended the season with 42 receptions for 748 yards and five touchdowns. On defense, Gilmore posted 82 tackles, one sack, five interceptions and one fumble recovery. The multi-sport athlete ends his football career with 79 receptions for 1,1147 yards.

Hayden Groos

O'Gorman, QB/S

After waiting for years to take over at the quarterback position, Groos took full advantage of his opportunity in his senior season. His stats alone place him among the top quarterbacks in the state. Groos threw for 2,565 yards and 30 touchdown passes and rushed the ball 51 times for 171 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also the emotional leader for a Knights team that made it to the 11AAA state championship game.

Shawn Hammerbeck

Winner, TE/DE

Standing at 6-foot-7, Hammerbeck excels at using his height and mass as a blocker on offense. He only had one reception, which was an 18-yard touchdown, largely because Winner doesn’t throw the ball often and when they do, Hammerbeck consistently sees double coverage. The junior has been a starter on both sides of the ball for the last two seasons and this year he had 36 tackles, three sacks and one interception.

Thomas Heiberger

Jefferson, DE/TE

Heiberger was the leader of the Cavaliers' defense and took on an expanded offensive role this season. He took some snaps at quarterback, ran the ball from the backfield and had a few receptions. In total, he ended the season with two rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns and one pick-6. On defense, the Wisconsin commit had 39 tackles, five sacks, six tackles for a loss and an interception.

Crew Heier

West Central, TE/DE

West Central coach Barry Matthies said Heier is the embodiment of the Trojans’ motto: “Team above Self.” Matthies deployed the South Dakota commit’s blocking ability to help West Central rush for 3,204 rushing yards. He also accumulated 11 catches for 207 yards and one touchdown. He’s a two-year starter on defense and had 65 tackles, three sacks and seven tackles for a loss this season.

Jack Henry

Dell Rapids, QB/DB

Henry helped lead the Quarriers to back-to-back 11A state championships in 2022 and 2023. The senior was dominant in this year’s state title game, completing nine of his 13 passes for 144 yards and five touchdowns, almost more touchdown passes than he’d thrown the entire regular season. He finished the 2023 regular season with 856 passing yards, 292 rushing yards, eight touchdown passes and three rushing touchdowns. On defense, he finished the year with 46 tackles, three for a loss, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Taiden Hoyer

Howard, QB/S

Howard has been difficult to top with Hoyer at the helm of the offense. The 6-foot-1 quarterback led the Tigers to two state title appearances and a state championship in 2021. For his career, Hoyer has passed for 2,649 yards and 46 touchdowns. He’s also done his fair share of damage on the ground, rushing for 1,671 yards and 24 touchdowns. On defense, he amassed 122 tackles and 12 interceptions at safety.

Juven Hudson

Watertown, RB

Hudson is now a two-time member of the Argus Leader Elite 45 after making the team as a junior last year. Hudson has started for the Arrows at running back for three seasons and amassed some impressive career totals. In his varsity career, he rushed for 3,110 yards, 31 touchdowns and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.  He’s a great athlete that has excelled in football and track and field.

Porter Ihnen

Lennox, WR

Ihnen rewrote the Lennox wide receiver's record books in his time with the Orioles. He now owns records for career receptions (129), touchdowns (25), and yards (1,923). This season he led all 11A receivers in all major categories including receiving yards,1,051, receptions, 70, and touchdown receptions, 13. He’s also an All-State basketball player and is committed to the University of South Dakota basketball team.

Brayden Jervik

Parkston, LB/RB

Parkston football coach Matt Grave said Jervik led by example throughout his career with the Trojans. He’s a player that impacts the game in all three phases and that was evident in Parkston’s run to the 9AA state championship. Jervik displayed exceptional field awareness and physical and mental toughness throughout his career. This season, he had 93 carries for 723 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry and scored a total of 16 touchdowns. Jervik also led a historic defensive unit that allowed only 76 first downs, 1,085 total yards.

Will Jodozi

Parkston, DL/OL

Jodozi volunteered to switch positions from tight end to guard this season and the move paid dividends. His play recognition, physicality and quickness in combination with field and body awareness of leverage, core strength, balance and hand-eye coordination set him apart from other players.  Jodozi ended 2023 with 73 total tackles, 21 for a loss, 6.5 sacks, 11 QB hurries, and a forced fumble. He was also a member of the front line that only allowed 30 total points all season.

Maverick Jones

O’Gorman, RB

Jones has etched his name in O’Gorman football’s record books. He broke the Knights’ single-game rushing record last year with a 268-yard performance and also holds the record for career rushing yards with 3,106. O’Gorman football coach Jayson Poppinga said the fact that he was able to break those records “is pretty incredible since all these records were held in the old rush-heavy wing T offense.” Jones had 182 carries this season for 1,325 yards, 33 receptions, 410 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.

Lucas Kampshoff

Yankton, QB

Yankton head coach Brady Muth said Kampshoff did a great job leading the Bucks from the front and was impressed by his dedication in the weight room last offseason. The senior completed 61% of his passes for 2,540 yards and 21 touchdowns to help lead the Bucks to the 11AA state championship game.

Blake Leiferman

Kimball/White Lake, TE/DE

Leiferman was the best receiver and blocker for the Wildkats in 2023. On offense, it wasn’t rare for him to make plays with two players draped all over him. Leiferman was also a threat to run the ball, he was an all-around playmaker. As a defensive end, he was strong at stopping the run and at rushing the opposing quarterback. The SDSU commit was tied for a team-high 88 tackles and had 4 sacks as well.

Camron Maciejewski

Hot Springs, RB/LB

Maciejewski might be the most productive two-way player in all of South Dakota. On offense he rushed for 1,860 yards and 29 touchdowns and on defense he totaled 113 tackles, 17 for a loss, three sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Maciejewski also led the Bison to the 11B state championship this season.

Garrett Merkley

Elk Point-Jefferson, WR/DB

Merkley showcased big-play potential from anywhere on the field for the Huskies. The senior wide receiver played out of the backfield his fair share this season, rushing the ball 40 times for 477 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also had 23 receptions for 315 yards and three receiving touchdowns. On defense, he had three interceptions, forced two fumbles and returned two kickoffs for touchdowns.

Brycen Mitchell

Lincoln, DL

Mitchell was one of Lincoln’s biggest weapons at the point of attack for a historically great Lincoln defense. He finished the season with 61 tackles on the year, which ranked second on the team. 8.5 of those were tackles for a loss. Mitchell is a two-time All-Metro Conference selection as well as a 2-time All-State selection.

Tage Ortman

Canistota, QB/S

Ortman played multiple positions in leading Canistota to the 9A State semifinal.  The senior played safety on defense and was a kick and punter returner on special teams for the Hawks while also leading the offense from the QB position. On offense, he completed 115 of his 211 passes for 1,747 yards and 18 passing touchdowns.  He also had 143 rushing attempts for 925 yards and 12 touchdowns.  He finished his career just short of 7,000 all-purpose yards.  On defense, he amassed 95 tackles, six interceptions, five fumble recoveries, and also had two kick returns for touchdowns.

Ryland Satter

O’Gorman, FB/DE

Satter is now a two-time Elite 45 member and a three-time all-state selection at full-back. He holds the state record for touchdown receptions in a game, with five, and has school records in consecutive games with a reception and single-season receiving yards, with 1,009. For his whole career, Satter had 41 carries for 320 yards, 697 receptions for 2,420 yards and 66 touchdowns.

Brodey Sauerwein

Warner, TE

Sauerwein played a crucial role in Warner claiming the 9A state championship this season. During his time in the program, the Monarchs went 39-6 and went undefeated at home. In his senior season, Sauerwein had 25 catches for 372 yards, five touchdowns, and three two-point conversions. On defense, he posted 54 tackles and 11 sacks.

Tate Schafer

Lincoln, QB

Schafer was arguably the best quarterback in the state this year and helped lead Lincoln to the 11AAA state championship. He broke a lot of school and state records in his three years as the starting quarterback for Lincoln including the state records for passing yards in a season, most career passing yards, career passing touchdowns, most passing touchdowns in a season, and most completions in a season and career. Schafer will play at the University of Sioux Falls next season.

Boden Schiller

Sioux Valley, QB

Sioux Valley football coach Dan Hughes said the type of leadership that Schiller displayed during his time with the Cossacks is what every coach craves when assembling a team. Schiller has been an integral part of Sioux Valley’s offensive and defensive game plans every week and helped lead them to a 9-1 record in 11B. Hughes credits Schiller with keeping the Cossacks organized every play, keeping the team levelheaded when things weren't going their way and producing game-changing moments. He averaged 10.4 yards per carry on 92 carries this season and ran for 18 touchdowns.

Navarro Schunke

Brandon Valley, OL

Schunke was one of the most highly recruited players in recent state history. He held offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Nebraska and others before committing to Kansas State as a preferred walk-on. At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds Schunke is an absolute unit at the offensive line. His strength and sheer size helped open up gaps for Brandon Valley's backs to get through. The Lynx rushed for 1,982 yards and passed for 1,722 yards.

Dawson Sechser

Jefferson, LB/DB

Sechser was one of the few defensive holdovers from the Cavaliers state championship team a year ago and as a result, he took on a larger role this season. On top of being a leader of the defense, he also assumed the punt returner position and averaged 26.5 yards per return including two touchdowns, one of them a 91-yard return. Sechser’s career numbers are 168 tackles, three sacks, nine tackles for a loss, seven interceptions, three defensive touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns.

Lincoln Semchenko

Sioux Falls Christian, OL

At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, Semchenko is a behemoth of an offensive lineman. He played a big part in creating openings for the Chargers running backs and he provided starting quarterback Lincoln Prins with plenty of time to make the right play. Semchenko is physical but also skilled. He finished the year with 67 pancake blocks and allowed zero sacks.

Jack Smith

Lincoln, WR

Smith entered the season with the expectation that he’d be the best wide receiver in the state, and he delivered. In fact, he might go down as the best wide receiver in South Dakota history. Smith attained all the Lincoln wide receiver records en route to winning a state championship in his senior season. He also set just as many state records, including 11-man all-class career receiving yards, career receiving touchdowns, career receptions, as well as most receiving touchdowns, yards and receptions in an 11AAA game. Smith will play for South Dakota State next season.

Cole Snyder

Sioux Falls Christian, WR/DB,

Only a junior, Snyder had a breakout season for the Chargers. He finished the season with 16 touchdowns and 734 yards on offense and was a menace at defensive back. He posted eight interceptions for the second year in a row and had 40 tackles, one fumble recovery and 13 pass breakups.

Cruz Soulek

Chamberlain, QB

Soulek has started at QB since his freshman season and this year he helped Chamberlain break two team records, including most yards in a game, 524, and most yards in a season, 3,167. As a three-year starter -- he was injured his junior season -- Soulek has a total of 288 completions for 3,553 yards and 28 touchdowns. He's also rushed 295 times for 1,485 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Mason Stubbe

Dell Rapids, RB/LB

Stubbe played a pivotal role in leading the Quarriers to back-to-back state championships and was recently named 11A’s All-American. The senior made an impact on both sides of the ball this season, accruing 64 tackles, five for a loss, and two interceptions on defense. On offense, he had 126 carries for 1,563 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Layton Terkildsen

Philip, RB/LB

Terkildsen has been a four-year starter for the Scotties and has had great success over the years. He's accumulated over 3,400 all-purpose yards during his career. In Terkildsen’s senior year, he carried the ball 97 times for a total of 978 yards and 29 touchdowns, averaging 10.1 yards per carry. On defense, he had 113 tackles, 17 for a loss, three sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Tytan Tryon

Harrisburg, WR

Harrisburg head coach Brandon White called Tryon “one of the premier wide receivers to ever put the pads on in South Dakota football.”  For his career, Tryon amassed 143 receptions, 2,407 yards and 36 touchdowns. He leaves Harrisburg with the school records for most receptions in a season, 69, and the most career receiving yards.

Brock Tuttle

Hanson, FB/LB

Hanson football coach James Haskamp called Tuttle “the heart and soul of our football team for 4 years.” Tuttle has been the Beavers' leading tackler since his freshman year and has taken on the responsibility of making the play calls on defense. On offense, he's a patient runner out of the backfield with great vision. At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds he’s rarely brought down by one person. Tuttle rushed for over 2,000 yards and had 33 rushing touchdowns in his career and had 349 total tackles and three fumble recoveries on defense.

Sawyer Tolk

Lincoln, DB

Lincoln football coach Jared Fredenburg called Tolk “the quarterback of the Patriots defense this season.” In the state championship game against O’Gorman, Tolk improvised on a bobbled field goal attempt, running it into the end zone for a key score. He led Lincoln in tackles, with 62, and interceptions with three. He also had 3.5 tackles for a loss from the strong safety position.

Cain Wallner

Canton, RB

Wallner was a terror for opposing teams on both sides of the ball for the C-Hawks. On offense he was a Swiss army knife, taking snaps from just about every position, gaining 1,070 yards on the ground and 397 receiving yards on 27 receptions. Wallner scored 18 touchdowns and four two-point conversions. On defense, Wallner was just as dominant, pacing the team with a team-best 80 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks and the junior also had an interception and fumble recovery. Wallner broke school records for receiving yards in a game, 154, and the longest run from the line of scrimmage, 95 yards. The junior is being recruited by Washington, Kansas State, Iowa, and Iowa State among others.

Jett Zabel

Pierre, TE

Zabel was a core piece in Pierre’s seventh consecutive state championship. The Governors deployed him all over the field, he even took a few snaps at quarterback, completing two of three passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Zabel had 27 carries for 139 yards and six rushing touchdowns, but the tight end was at his best as a receiver; he had 59 catches for 995 yards and 18 touchdown receptions this season.

“Jett is the most physical player I have seen in a long time,” Pierre football coach Steve Steele said. “He loves contact in any capacity and played with great passion. He has a high football IQ and always found ways to beat the player in front of him whether it be blocking, running the ball, or on defense.”

Honorable mentions:

• Brandon Valley – Landon Dulaney, Hudson Parliament, Thomas Risty

• Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan – Drake Gustafson

• Canton – Matt Anderson, Canaan McCracken

• Chamberlain – Canyon Burkard

• Chester – Layke Wold, Jovi Wolf

• Corsica/Stickney – Carter Wright

• Custer – Ryder Bailey

• Deubrook Area – Jake Jorenby, Gavin Landmark

• Deuel – Robert Begalka, Trey Maaland

• De Smet – Britt Carlson, Kadyn Fast

• Dell Rapids – Aiden Geraets, Cole Ruesink

• Dell Rapids St. Mary – Nic Gaspar

• Elkton-Lake Benton – Carson Griffith

• Faulkton – Garrett Cramer

• Great Plains Lutheran – Brody Scharlemann, Myles York

• Hamlin – Evan Stormo

• Harrisburg – Max Elrod, Sam Just, Sam Knuth, Logan O’Connor

• Herreid Selby Area – Trevor Gil

• Hitchcock Tulare – Jackson Maynard, Erik Salmen

• Hot Springs – Caleb Rickenbach

• Ipswich – Trevor Heinz;

• Jefferson – Rylan Aman

• Kimball/White Lake – Iden Myers

• Lennox – Boston Katzer

• O’Gorman – Lathan Wilcox, Henry Theobald

• Parker – Levi Wieman

• Parkston – Luke Bormann

• Pierre – Cade Kaiser

• Rapid City Central – Gideon Waldrop

• Roosevelt – Austin Markman, Tayden Nave, Talon Stief

• Sioux Valley – Donovan Rose

• Tea – Ethan Vis

• Timber Lake – Gracen Hansen, Dan Peterson

• Tri-Valley – Colby Carruthers, Isaac Nehlich, Reese Smith

• Washington – Mason Wilson

• Watertown – Micah Hach

• Yankton – Matthew Sheldon

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Meet the 2023 South Dakota high school football team