Other Watertown-Aberdeen Central sports highlights from Jan. 4-8
Aberdeen Central's boys and girls basketball teams swept the first of two meetings against their Watertown counterparts on Tuesday.
Brendan Phillips' 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Aberdeen Central to a 64-62 win over fourth-rated Watertown in the boys' game played in Aberdeen. Aberdeen Central's fifth-rated girls improved to 8-1 by surviving a 41-35 struggle against Watertown in the girls' game in the Watertown Civic Arena.
Aberdeen Central's boys (5-4) snapped a three-game losing skid and halted a three-game winning streak for Watertown with the help of a 20-11 first quarter. The Golden Eagles still led 30-20 at halftime and 47-39 after three quarters before the Arrows (5-3) rebounded to grab a 62-61 lead on Caden Beauchamp's field goal late in the fourth quarter.
After the Golden Eagles missed two free throws, Watertown ran the clock down but couldn't convert. Aberdeen Central hurried down the court and kicked to Phillips, who drained the game-winner. He finished with 13 points and four assists.
Parker Lemer notched 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Aberdeen Central, which shot 59 percent from the field compared to only 39 for Watertown. Jett Carlson, Grant Fritz and Camden Fauth each had nine points.
Watertown's leaders included Jake Olson, 15 points; Kohen Kranz, 13 points; Dylon Rawdon, 12 points and seven assists; and Beauchamp, 10 points and six rebounds.
A quick start and field-goal shooting also played a big role for Aberdeen Central's girls, who raced to a 9-0 lead in the game's opening 4 1/2 minutes and shot 40 percent from the field compared to Watertown's 26 percent.
Still, Aberdeen Central led only 16-14 at halftime and 30-28 after three quarters and didn't secure the victory until 6-foot-1 freshman center Lauryn Burckhard drained two free throws with 15 seconds left. She finished with 14 points and Taryn Hermansen, a 6-0 sophomore, added 14 points and eight rebounds.
Emery Thury and Miranda Falconer each tallied nine points and Jade Lund eight for the Arrows, who fell to 2-6. Thury also recorded four steals.
Other Watertown Basketball
The Arrow boys won two games last week, winning 64-55 over Brandon Valley at Brandon and topping then No. 4 O'Gorman 72-67 in the Civic Arena.
A 14-2 third-quarter spurt provided the spark against Brandon. Kranz scored 14 points, Will Engstrom 12, Olson 11, Marcus Rabine 10, Beauchamp nine and Rawdon eight for the Arrows. Rawdon also had four assists.
Watertown drained eight of 11 3-pointers in the second half against O'Gorman. Beachamp notched 19 points and six rebounds, Kranz 14 points and five assists, Olson 14 points and five rebounds and Rawdon 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The Arrow girls lost twice, falling 56-39 at home to Brandon Valley and 66-26 at O'Gorman.
Lund scored 15 points against Brandon. Thury nearly had a triple-double with nine points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Addi Johnston added six points. Thury had 10 points, six rebounds and four steals and Lund five points in the loss to O'Gorman.
Waterown's girls host Yankton on Friday and visit Tea Area on Tuesday. The boys visit Yankton on Friday and host Tea Area on Tuesday. All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Other Aberdeen Central Basketball
The Aberdeen Central teams also had games against Sioux Falls Washington and Lincoln last week.
The boys lost 72-66 to Washington and fell to Lincoln 65-45. Lemer produced 20 points and six rebounds against Washington. Carlson added 13 points, Fritz 11 and Phillips 10. Fauth scored 11 points, Fritz 10 and Carlson eight in the loss to Lincoln. Lemer dished out seven assists.
The girls fell 58-49 to No. 3 Washington 58-39 before rebounding to top Lincoln 45-32. Hermansen led Aberdeen Central with 15 points and seven rebounds. Caydi Withers contributed eight and Burckhard seven. Burckhard had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Withers 15 points and Hermansen eight points and 11 rebounds against Lincoln.
Aberdeen's girls visit Tea Area at 3 p.m. on Saturday and No. 1 O'Gorman on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The boys host Tea Area at 3 p.m. on Saturday and O'Gorman at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Watertown Wrestling
The Arrow boys took third out of 29 teams and the girls fourth out of 31 teams in the Bismarck (N.D.) Rotary Tournament over the weekend.
Rapid City Stevens won the boys division with 177.5 points, followed by Bismarck 162 and Watertown 153.5. The Arrows had six place winners including Gage Lohr, who improved to 21-0 by winning the 121-pound championship, and Micah Hach (19-1), who won at 285.
Sloan Johannsen had his 155-match winning streak end with a 6-5 loss to Aberdeen Central's Rayden Zens in the 127-pound title. Johannsen is now 23-1 this season and 158-2 in his career, with both losses coming to Zens. Brock Eitreim (13-2) aslo took second at 189 for the Arrows and Derek Hanson (19-9 at 133) and Markus Pitkin (14-10 at 152) each placed fifth.
Bismarck won the girls division with 230.5. Watertown scored 137, led by 100-pound champion Olivia Anderson (26-1). Allison Kornrad (21-2) finished second at 190.
Other place winners for the Arrow girls included April Peterson (16-5), sixth at 148; Brooklynn Randall (14-8), seventh at 106), Katelyn Yexley (16-9), seventh at 136 and Eden Hach (15-6), seventh at 250.
Watertown's boys compete Saturday in the Jerry Opbroek Invite at Mitchell. The girls are scheduled to compete in the Battle of the Burg on Friday at Harrisburg.
Aberdeen Central Wrestling
Zens' championship led the Golden Eagle boys to a fourth-place finish (135) in the Bismarck Rotary tournament. The Golden Eagles took eighth in the girls division with 92 points.
Zens improved to 18-2 and was one of nine placers for Aberdeen Central's boys. Other included Porter Lozenksi (15-7) eighth at 121; Tate Huff (17-5), fourth at 133; Ridley Waldo (20-5), seventh at 139; Owen Ward (16-6), seventh at 145; Elias Biegler (16-8), eighth at 160; Ryker Meister (13-8), seventh at 172; Cole Dunlavy (13-4), fifth at 189; and Ayden Gisi (15-7), sixth at 215.
Katrina Gibson (20-4) placed third at 155 and Madyson Gillen (19-5) fourth at 112 for Aberdeen Central's girls.
The Aberdeen teams head to Yankton Thursday for a triangular that will also include Brandon Valley. The girls compete Friday in The Battle of the Burg at Harrisburg and the boys on Saturday in the Tri-Valley Invite.
Watertown Gymnastics
The Arrrows returned from a long holiday break to win a triangular at Huron. Watertown compiled a score of 139.95, followed by Britton-Hecla (131.45) and Huron (126.7).
Macy Olsen won the balance beam (8.95) and all-around titles (35.3) to to lead the Arrosws. She also was second in the uneven bars (8.4) and tied for fifth in the vault (8.95).
Kinsley Van Gilder tied for first in the vault (8.95) along with Briana McElhany, took second in the balance beam (8.5), fifth on the uneven bars (8.05) and second in the all-around (34.7). McElhany also was fourth in the all-around (34.15), third in the balance beam (8.45) and tied for fourth in the floor exercise 9.35).
Emery Gaikowski won the bars (8.5) and Shauna Evenson the floor (9.45). Marli Wadsworth was third in the bars (8.25) and beam (8.25), tied for fourth in the floor (9.35) and finished fifth in the all-around (33.95). Kaitlynn Rudebusch tied for second in the floor (9.4) and placed fourth in the beam (8.35).
Watertown also placed third out of 13 teams in the Patty Jorgenson Invite on Saturday at Brookings. Harrisburg took the title with a score of 146.975, followed by Mitchell at 143.675 and Watertown 139.1.
Evenson tied for eighth in the floor (9.4) and also took eighth in the all-around (33.925). Gaikowski was ninth on the bars (8.35) and Van Gilder 10th in beam (8.775).
The Arrows compete Friday in the Huron Invitational.
Aberdeen Central Gymnastics
The Golden Eagles finished third last week in a triangular at Pierre. The host Governors won with a score of 136.6. Hot Springs was second at 131.7 and Aberdeen Central third at 130.05. No individual results were available.
Aberdeen Central returns to Pierre on Saturday for a quadrangular that will also include Harrisburg and O'Gorman.
Watertown Hockey
Watertown varsity boys and girls teams each lost their only games last week in South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association play.
The Laker girls ((0-8) lost at Mitchell 5-4. Watertown trailed 4-1 after two periods before fighting to the end. Harper Hendricks scored two goals and Janel Lloyd and Gracelyn Webb one each for Watertown. Rachel Skott and Kayla Randall each tallied assists and Angelyn Birnell recorded 33 saves in net.
The Laker boys slipped 4-5 in the SDAHA with a 7-2 loss at Aberdeen. Mylan Evans and Jake Bramer each scored goals and Tommy Foley assisted on both goals. Kohl Nygaard tallied 25 saves.
Watertown's boys visit Sioux Center (Iowa) at 8 p.m. on Friday and face Brandon Valley at 2 p.m. Saturday in Sioux Falls. The Laker girls are slated to play Friday through Sunday in a tournament at Kansas City, Mo.
Aberdeen Hockey
The Aberdeen Cougars' varsity boys hockey team went 2-1 in SDAHA home games, beating Watertown 7-2 n Friday, losing to Sioux Falls West 6-4 on Saturday and beating Sioux Falls East 3-2 in overtime on Sunday.
Jack Podoll tallied a hat trick in Friday's win, which also included one goal and two assists from Cameronm Backous, one goal and one assist from Quincy Madsen and Lance Siefken each and another goal from Drake Witte. Talan Dutenhoeffer and Devon Fischbach each contributed two assists and Brady Huff and Aiden Posthumus one each. Colton Townsend made 20 saves.
Lleyton Kleffman, Micah Kranzler, Dutenhoeffer and Jaxon Danielson each scored in Saturday's loss. Podoll made two assists and Fischbach, Huff, Madsen and Danielson one each. Townsend recorded 31 saves.
Podoll's short-handed goal in overtime (with an assist from Siefken) gave the Cougars (7-3 in the SDAHA) the win. Kleffman and Podoll also scored. Kleffman, Fischbach, Siefken and Danielson each were credited with assists. Townsend added 33 saves.
The Cougar girls imrpvoed to 7-1 in the SDAHA by sweeping Rushmore 6-2 and 8-0 in games at Rapid City.
Kaylee Dixon and Alyssa Roehrich each scored two goals and Allison Woehl and Addyson Keller on each in the first win. Kailyn Poppen added two assists and Woehl, Rylee Hepper, Rachel Siefken and Olivia Sandvig one each. Goalie Chloe Vikander made 13 saves.
Roehrich had a hat trick and Morgan Jones two goals in Sunday's win. Madeline Sandvig, Poppen and Sieken also found the net. Siefken added two assists, Poppen one assist and Vikander 16 saves.
Aberdeen's boys take on Rushmore at 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Rapid City. The girls visit Sioux Falls at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday and Brookings at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Sports highlights from the past week for Watertown and Aberdeen
