By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

There’s a sleeping giant residing in southeastern South Dakota. 

Fresh off its Great Plains Conference boys basketball championship, Freeman Academy/Marion is 17-2 and it eyes another deep postseason run.

It’s the third straight double-digit win season for the Bearcats, but they’ve yet to break through for a state tourney bid. Last season, FAM lost to Viborg-Hurley in the SoDak 16 round and to Canistota in the region tourney in 2020. 

“We’ve had a lot of big games like this and we’ve never gotten over the hump,” FAM coach Austin Unruh said. “It’s so important to prove to ourselves that we can do it when the pressure is on us. That’s going to be very valuable for us moving forward.”

The Bearcats have gained valuable experience the past few seasons. FAM’s seniors — Dylan Johansen, Thalen Schroeder, Quincy Blue and Donte Butler — have been top performers for multiple seasons and have helped build up the program. Juniors Connor Epp and Matthew Hagen are also key contributors. 

“They’ve grown up so much and I am just so happy for them that they get to draw the connection between countless days of hard work and effort and attention to detail,” Unruh said. “To see that pay off here at the end, that’s just so rewarding for me as a coach to see them draw those connections and see how that works.”

Freeman Academy/Marion's Donte Butler goes up for a shot against Burke in the Great Plains Conference championship game on Feb. 19 in Burke. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

In the GPC title game against Burke, Epp led the Bearcats with 22 points, while Schroeder and Butler scored 10 points apiece. Blue netted nine points and Hagen scored seven points. 

It was another sampling of FAM’s balanced scoring and unselfish style of play. Schroeder, a 6-foot-5 forward, anchors the post and also stretches the floor with his perimeter shooting.  

Epp, Blue and Butler are all athletic guards capable of carrying the offensive load. 

“They are unselfish and they don’t care who is in the spotlight,” Unruh said. “We’ve had great moments, highlights throughout the year and they just want to win.”

Freeman Academy/Marion's Conner Epp attacks the basket against Burke on Feb. 19 in Corsica. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

The Bearcats showed their big-game mettle against the Cougars, who fell behind 43-33 late in the third quarter. Burke, which received 19 points from Bryce Frank, rallied to even it at 47-47 entering the final quarter. 

“We knew they were going to come back,” said Unruh, whose team outscored Burke 22-13 in the fourth quarter. “They are well coached, a disciplined team with great shooters and great shooters can get you back in the game in a hurry. In years past we have struggled in that moment, but this group stuck together.”