VERMILLION — The more things change, the more they stay the same in Class 11B. 

Since the playoff era began in 1981, no team has more Class 11B state championships than the Winner Warriors. On Friday, Winner added to its Class 11B trophy case with its seventh title in the class and 10th overall as a program. 

“It’s a big deal for the community, a big deal for the program to say you are in double figures now,” said Winner coach Trent Olson after his team’s 20-14 thriller over Sioux Valley. “I don’t think there’s a lot of teams that can say that, probably only a handful. It’s kind of a big deal.”

And much like other recent Class 11B state championships, this one featured a heavy dose of running plays, some hard-hitting football and stout defense. 

“We knew it was going to be a hard-fought game,” said Winner’s Shawn Hammerbeck, the game’s Most Outstanding Lineman. “They had some dangerous runners, but we knew our defense could hold them and we were looking for a dog fight.”

The teams combined for 440 yards rushing, compared to just 67 yards through the air. The Warriors (12-0) relied on multiple running backs, with Joe Robbie MVP Karson Keiser rushing for 86 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. Most Outstanding Back Gus Bartels added 41 yards rushing on eight carries. 

“It was a thriller, a great game,” Olson added. “Hats off to Sioux Valley, a well-coached team and a great bunch of kids.” 

Winner rushed for 219 yards, and its team effort was just enough to trump Sioux Valley’s dynamic running back Donovan Rose. The 5-foot-9, 165-pound senior running back, Rose racked up 151 yards rushing on 25 carries and two touchdowns. 

“He’s as explosive of a runner as I have ever seen,” Olson said. “He’s hard to tackle and when he gets a step you are looking at No. 2 scoring a touchdown. All you see is the back of his jersey.” 

But Winner bottled up Rose and the Cossacks (11-1) when it mattered the most. With the score tied at 14-apiece, Bartels forced a Sioux Valley fumble and Winner’s Ryken Orel recovered at Sioux Valley’s 15-yard line. 

“We practiced all summer peanut punching and punching that ball out,” Keiser said. “That’s what it came down to. Forcing that fumble changed the whole game.” 

The Warriors capitalized on an Eli Vobr one-yard touchdown run, lifting Winner to a 20-14 lead with 11:57 left. Vobr, who finished with 100 total yards, plowed in for a one-yard touchdown. 

“He’s been huge for us,” Olson said. “He gives us a big play ability with his legs at quarterback, which you don't always have.” 

Winner’s defense took it from there. The Cossacks drove down to Winner’s 26-yard line, and faced a fourth down. On 4th and 3, Winner’s Kellen Brozik stuffed Rose short of the first down from his defensive end spot. 

On its next possession, Winner forced Sioux Valley to burn its final two timeouts. But punted back to Sioux Valley, which took over at Winner’s nine-yard line with 1:26 left. 

“We pinned them inside the 10, then suddenly for a running team that felt pretty good defensively,” Olson said. “They have to go 90-plus yards with no timeouts. You are in pretty good shape.”

Sioux Valley converted a 4th and 11, but on the next play, Brock Christopherson was tackled by Breven Bolander after scrambling down the field. 

Winner then exhaled and celebrated. 

“We all knew it was going to be a close game and getting the win in a close battle meant a lot to all of us and the fans out there,” Keiser said. 

After a scoreless first quarter, Vobr connected with Brozik for a 30-yard TD strike on fourth down. Rose, who will play college football at the University of Sioux Falls, answered with a 34-yard touchdown run on Sioux Valley’s next possession.

The missed two-point conversion kept the score at 8-6 in Winner’s favor. Keiser capped off Winner’s next drive with a six-yard touchdown run on fourth down and a 14-6 lead. 

“We got stopped once and we were shooting ourselves in the foot,” Keiser said. “But coming back and getting that touchdown on fourth down changed the whole game.”

Sioux Valley received the ball with four seconds left, and Rose showed off his big-play ability. The speedster took a pitch from Christopherson and broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run.

But an illegal formation negated the touchdown, preserving Winner’s 14-6 halftime lead.

“That game could have gone either way,” Olson said. “We got a fumble late and were able to score. They hit a couple of big plays. They had a big play called back. We hit a big play on a fourth down. You change anyone or two of those plays, you could very easily change the result of this game. There’s a lot of these 11B games that come down to things like that.” 

Rose, however, wasn’t done. In the third quarter, he scored a 55-yard touchdown jaunt and evened the score at 14-14 with 4:41 left. 

“He’s fast. He hits the hole hard,” Keiser said. “I appreciate that man and best of luck in his college career.”

The Warriors, however, kept Rose out of the end zone after that and later celebrated championship No. 10. 

“They say it’s the tradition,” Hammerbeck said. “We are happy we can continue that tradition on.”