Winner remains undefeated with 28-0 domination of West Central in South Dakota high school football
It was a cold, windy Friday night under the lights as the top-ranked team in 11B football, the undefeated Winner Warriors, traveled to Hartford to take on the also undefeated and second-ranked in 11A, West Central Trojans.
On the second play from scrimmage, the Trojans coughed the ball up on the run, giving the Warriors good field position, and they never looked back, winning 28-0. They handed off the ball a number of times, running off much of the first quarter clock before quarterback Stratton Morehart punched in the first score of the game and then handed the ball off for the two-point conversion.
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8-0 Warriors.
Defensively, Winner was locked in, forcing a Trojan three-and-out before taking over on offense again. The Warriors stuck to their gameplan, wearing down West Central in the trenches in the first half, handing the ball off, run after run, up the middle between the tackles. It was not long before they were knocking on the door of another score, this time it was running back Aiden Barfuss taking the handoff from Morehart and adding to the Warriors’ total. The two-point attempt was no good and the Warriors led 14-0 with a few minutes left in the half.
West Central marched down the field quickly, getting deep inside of the Warriors’ territory before taking a 12-yard sack, setting them back deep as time ticked down. A few long shots were taken, but nothing was able to be completed as the Trojans failed to convert a fourth-and-22 and the two teams went to the locker room at the half.
Starting off the second half with a 14-0 lead and the ball, Winner kept things going on the ground. Their opening drive of the half went the length of the field and took 10 minutes off of the clock before getting to the Trojans’ 4-yard line and a fourth-and-3 opportunity.
Barfuss took the handoff and scrambled to the right, popping outside of the tackles and putting the Warriors on the board again for his second score of the game to go up 20-0. The ensuing kickoff was a short one, and the West Central Trojans failed to recover, giving the ball straight back to the Warriors. With a short field and time to kill, the Winner offense kept the ball on the ground, grinding between the hash marks, and eventually, Barfuss ran it in for his third touchdown of the night to take a 28-0 lead.
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Barfuss’s big night did not end there. He sealed the deal with 7:20 left on the clock, finding himself in the right place at the right time as West Central’s quarterback Caden Alfson’s pass landed right in his arms, and the Warriors took the ball back for the last time. Winner ran the ball down the field and the time off the clock.
Ball game.
You Don’t Have to Pass to Win a Football Game
Winner didn’t attempt a single pass the entirety of the game, staying on the ground and playing their style of football.
Coach Trent Olson said, “They’re deeper than us, bigger than us, a lot of stuff. We were going to use the clock to our advantage, keep their offense off the field, keep them out of rhythm and just stay on the ground and keep pounding.”
It goes to show that if a team sticks to their game plan and is able to execute, things will go well for them.
Winner’s Defense Excelled
Winner’s defense wasn’t on the field much, as their offense and ground game controlled the clock and time of possession in this one, but when they were needed, they stepped up and made the plays.
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After the game, the Winner coaching staff commended the defense for not missing a tackle. They stepped up and stopped the Trojan offense left and right, forcing two turnovers and not permitting the West Central offense to score.
Next Week
Winner (7-0) will take on Mount Vernon/Plankinton at home next Friday, while West Central (6-1) will travel to Lennox to take on the Orioles.
Aidan DeBoer is a freelance writer for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Winner football dominates on ground to topple West Central.
