By Rich Winter

605 Sports 

After reaching the SoDak 16 in three of the last four years the Flandreau Fliers kicked down that state tournament door with a 47-38 win over Clark/Willow Lake in the SoDak 16. 

For Flandreau senior Tash Lunday, a state tournament berth is something he’s been dreaming about since coming up to the varsity as an eighth-grader. 

“Ever since my eighth-grade year my goal was to get us to state and make a deep run,” Lunday said. 

This is Flandreau’s first state tournament since 2004 (Class A champions in 1997) and despite just missing a Class A tournament berth the last few years, Lunday said his parents had their hotel rooms booked at the beginning of the school year. 

Lunday says the realization the Fliers were headed to state came midway through the fourth quarter of their SoDak 16 game. 

“I just remember looking into the Flandreau crowd and seeing everyone go crazy,” he said. 

Lunday is a two-time Class A all-state selection that is averaging 24.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 4.2 apg. Coach Brendan Sheppard called the senior a coach’s dream. 

“He has played on the varsity for five years and started the last four,” Sheppard said. 

Lunday enters the state tournament with 1,964 career points and more than 900 career rebounds, a school record. 

“He really worked on his body this off-season and is shooting the ball better and passing the ball a lot better,” Sheppard said. “He’s probably a better teammate and has been a joy to coach.” 

A core group of seniors leads Flandreau into the 2022 state tournament. One of those seniors, Chase LeBrun (15.4 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.6 bpg) upped his game this year to complement Lunday. 

“His sophomore year he was really young but he’s physically grown and at 6-foot-6 he weighs 200 pounds,” Sheppard said. “Of all of our players he has some of the best touch from distance and he can really stroke it.” 

Shepphard talked about his other two senior starters, Liam Streitz and Alex Anderson. 

“Liam is an unreal defender and usually guards the other team’s best player. You can almost guarantee that guy is going to have a tough night,” he said. “Alex Anderson scores about eight points per game for us. They both can shoot it and they guard the other team's perimeter players.” 

This group has grown together the last four years and Sheppard noted one of the big changes with the 2021-2022 Flandreau team is the physical improvements among that core group.

“The big jump is they’ve matured,” he said. “They are shooting the ball better and are just bigger, more physical and more athletic.”

Along with that physical maturity has come an improvement in team defense. 

“We are pretty big and can guard you,” he said. “The last two games we’ve held the opposition in the 30’s and because of that, even on a slow night offensively, you give yourself a chance to win.” 

Lunday himself worked on his body all summer, losing weight, gaining strength and an added confidence to his game. 

“I just feel faster and more bouncy from the weight loss,” Lunday said. “It gives you an amazing feeling when you can see another kid is tired and you are still chilling. It just gives you a boost.” 

Sheppard spoke highly of Lunday’s influence in the community and the positive reinforcement the senior brings to the youth in Flandreau. Having been part of the building of a program for five seasons Lunday talked about being that source of positivity. 

“There are no words to explain how it feels to be a little kid’s role model or how they look up to me,” he said. “I just love how this team brings a positive energy to these kids and this community.”