Kernels' Degen, Singrey earn Class 11AA all-state honors
Nov. 21—MITCHELL — Mitchell High School seniors Connor Degen and Connor Singrey were chosen to represent the Kernels on the Class 11AA football all-state team, as selected by the South Dakota Football Coaches Association.
Both Degen and Singrey were also all-Eastern South Dakota Conference honorees.
A 6-foot-3, 215-pound offensive tackle, Degen anchored the Kernels' offensive line as the lone returning starter from 2022. Mitchell's offensive line helped the offense find its footing as the season progressed, as the Kernels went 2-2 over their final four games, surpassing 270 total yards in three of the four games and totaling just shy of 2,000 yards from scrimmage. For his career, Degen blocked for more than 4,400 yards of total offense.
"We did not have a lot of starters come back from last season, but Connor Degen was a two-year starter at left tackle, arguably the most important position on the offensive line with a right-handed quarterback," said MHS coach Pat Larson. "A lot of the stuff we did well was due in part to his leadership and ability to be the anchor of our offensive line. He earned everything he got this year."
Selected as one of five utility athletes on the Class 11AA squad, Singrey was an all-conference cornerback pick. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Singrey was a stalwart in coverage all season, finishing with 29 tackles, one interception, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery. A wide receiver on offense, Singrey added 18 receptions for 151 yards and one touchdown.
"Arguably, Connor Singrey was the best defensive player we had on the field this year," said MHS coach Pat Larson. "We put him in situations where he was man-to-man on a one-receiver side and, in many cases, he had to take on a team's best receiver and was very successful. We put a challenge in front of him to be one of our premier defensive players and he answered the bell every single week."
Watertown running back Juven Hudson was named the Class 11AA All-American, having finished his senior campaign with 1,317 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. For his career, Hudson churned out 3,110 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground for the Arrows.
Pierre, which won its record seventh-straight Class 11AA state championship, led all programs with seven honorees, while runner-up Yankton and Watertown had six selections each. Tea Area had four picks and Sturgis had three. Mitchell wsa joined by Aberdeen Central, Huron and Spearfish with two each, and Brookings and Douglas had one honorable mention pick apiece.
