By Rich Winter 

605 Sports

Perhaps no score generated more buzz in the first round of the Class 11B playoffs than the Hot Springs Bison running over traditional 11B power Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, 45-6. 

While the rest of the 11B field is left to ponder just how dangerous this Bison football team is, coach Ben Kramer said he saw this coming as far back as the summer of 2020. 

“You can go back to the COVID year and I sent an email to the superintendent asking if we could somehow get in the weight room,” Kramer said. 

The reply said the kids could begin lifting, albeit with a laundry list of rules to follow, one of which included not allowing more than 10 kids in the weight room at any given time. On the first day the gym opened Kramer was startled to see the number of athletes that wanted to start lifting. 

“That first day they just kept coming,” he said. “We’ve had classes but nothing like this and it’s not just the weight room, even when we have a non-mandatory practice they just show up.” 

Showing up has not been a problem for the Bison this season who enter Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against undefeated and No. 2 ranked Aberdeen Roncalli with a 7-2 record. The Bison lost to McCook Central/Montrose, 16-7, on Aug. 27 and to Dell Rapids, 41-21, on Sept. 8. 

The road loss to Dell Rapids proved to be a defining moment for the Bison who gained confidence knowing they could play with East River competition. 

“We had success against Dell Rapids and were moving the ball,” Kramer said. “We knew that was the best team we were going to face and the kids weren’t concerned about crossing the river.” 

Kramer said the 49-14 win over St. Thomas More on Sept. 16, a team they hadn’t beaten in over 10 years, gave his kids an extra boost of confidence. 

Leading the charge for Hot Springs is senior quarterback Preston Iverson. After missing most of his sophomore and junior seasons with collar bone injuries Iverson has emerged as one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the 11B ranks. 

Quarterback Preston Iverson has accounted for 24 touchdowns for Hot Springs this season - photos courtesy of Brett Nachtigall / Fall River County Herald-Star

“Preston is playing with a chip on his shoulder after missing the last two seasons,” Kramer said. “This has been his first full season and he makes great decisions all over the field.”

Iverson has thrown for nine touchdown passes this season and leads the Bison in rushing yards (782) and rushing touchdowns (15). Brother Landon Iverson has rushed for 720 yards and nine touchdowns. 

“These guys have been told their whole lives that they are too small,” Kramer said. “Landon is just a physical downhill runner and a great open field runner.”

The Bison are a three-headed monster at running back as junior Camron Maciejewski has eight touchdowns this season to go along with 520 yards rushing. 

In their last five games, all wins, the Bison have outscored the competition 223-20, a stat Kramer happily gives credit to defensive coordinator, Levi Klippenstein. 

“He’s just so good at game planning,” Kramer said. “Our defense reads really well and you’re never going to see just one guy making a tackle.”