Winner places four on Class 11B all-state squad

Nov. 21—WINNER, S.D. — After earning the No. 1 seed in the Class 11B postseason and making a run to the state semifinals, Winner landed four players on the all-state honor squad, which was selected by the South Dakota Football Coaches Association. Selected for the Warriors were fullback Aiden Barfuss, offensive linemen Noah Best and Spencer Calhoon and defensive lineman Shawn Hammerbeck.

Barfuss paced the always-powerful Winner run game with 1,154 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, earning his second all-state nod and finishing his career with 3,456 rushing yards and three 1,000-yard seasons.

Blocking for Barfuss and company, seniors Best, listed at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, and Calhoon, at 6-foot-9 and 315 pounds, paved the way for 3,310 yards on the ground this season for the Warriors, who finished with a 10-1 record. Hammerbeck, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound junior, tied for the team lead with 36 tackles and paced the Warriors in sacks. He also sealed the season-opening victory over Tri-Valley — an 8-0 final in triple overtime — with an interception.

Elsewhere in Class 11B, Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central put two on the all-state team in wide receiver Ryder Michalek and defensive back Blake Larson.

Michalek, a 6-foot-3 junior, hauled in 49 receptions for 816 yards and six touchdowns for WWSSC this season, more than doubling his career yardage and giving him 100 catches for his prep career.

"Ryder is one of the most dedicated kids I have ever coached," said WWSSC coach Kenny Huether. "He has a tremendous work ethic both in and out of season and shows up every day with a great attitude. His overall commitment makes the players around him better."

From his spot in the Blackhawks' secondary, Larson provided 47 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery this season. The senior finished his prep career with 94 tackles, 10 interceptions and four fumble recoveries.

"Blake is a very intelligent football player, almost like a coach on the field," Huether said. "His diversity allowed us to use him in multiple positions both offensively and defensively. Combine his intelligence with his athleticism and it makes him a very good football player."

Junior quarterback Holden Havlik was an honorable mention for the Blackhawks.

Wagner senior running back Jhett Breen represented the Red Raiders on the honor squad after rushing for 1,008 yards and accounting for 17 touchdowns this season.

"He is a coach's dream to have and is an excellent leader," said Wagner coach Hunter Hewitt. "It will be hard to find another Jhett Breen."

Senior lineman Braxton Knudsen was an honorable mention for the Red Raiders.

Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan senior Drake Gustafson was selected to the honor team as a utility athlete, having had a hand in all three phases for the Seahawks. This season, Gustafson accounted for over half of BEE's offense as the quarterback, racked up 50 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back and had a 35-yard punting average.

"Drake is a very coachable young man who was our leader on and off the field," said BEE coach Jeff Van Leur.

Junior lineman Jason Zeeb was an honorable mention for the Seahawks.

Representing the first-time state champions from Hot Springs, Camron Maciejewski was honored as the Class 11B All-American. A four-year starter for the Bison, Maciejewski rushed for nearly 2,900 yards and 41 touchdowns in his prep career, including 1,687 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.

CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — On the heels of Chamberlain's first postseason berth in Class 11A, the Cubs had two talents named to the all-state honor team in offensive lineman Canyon Burkard and quarterback Cruz Soulek.

Burkard was a key cog in a Chamberlain offense that set school records for total yards in a season (3,167) and total yards in a game (524). A 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive tackle, Burkard also broke his own school record with 65 pancake blocks for the season, including a single-game record of 14 pancakes. For the season, Burkard recorded a grade of 97.7%, another CHS record and did not allow a sack in three seasons as a starter, finishing with 144 career pancake blocks and a 94% grade.

"Canyon has been an anchor and leader on the offensive line for us the past two seasons," said Chamberlain coach Jeff Rademacher. "Some of the biggest gains we had running the ball were to Canyon's side. He has spent countless hours watching film, learning his opponents' strengths/weaknesses, as well as working on his technique and footwork. Canyon is a great student and a leader not only on the field but also in the classroom."

Soulek, a three-year starter at quarterback, also broke several program records this season, including passing yards in a season (1,646), passing yards in a game (408) and all-purpose yards in a game (473). On the year, Soulek accounted for 27 touchdowns (16 passing, 11 rushing) and added 1,110 rushing yards to his record passing total. In his career as a Cub, Soulek completed 288 passes for 3,553 yards and 28 touchdowns with 1,485 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.

"Without Cruz, we would not have been as successful this season," Rademacher said. "His work ethic has been evident in his success this season. He spent several hours this summer at open field, QB workouts, watching countless hours of film and in the weight room. He was someone who always pushed his teammates and encouraged them on the field. Cruz is a great student, a leader with great character and even a better teammate."

Senior wide receivers Sawyer Donovan and Levi Miller were also honorable mention picks for the Cubs.

Dell Rapids' running back/linebacker Mason Stubbe was chosen as the Class 11A All-American representing the back-to-back champion Quarriers. Stubbe accumulated 1,681 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns on offense and added 66 tackles with two interceptions on defense this season.