Monday, December 30, 2024
Farmer's Union Insurance
605 Sports
Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy runs past Hill City to earn Class 9AA semifinal berth
Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy quarterback Riley Tschetter had three touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown in Thursday's 36-26 win over Hill City.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Waltner / Freeman Courier
Nov 1, 2024
 

By Rich Winter

605 Sports

HILL CITY — When Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy combined football forces three years ago coach Dustin Tschetter pointed to the 2024 season when the Phoenix would arrive. 

Behind a dominant running game and three touchdown passes from quarterback Riley Tschetter the Phoenix knocked off Hill City 36-26 to advance to next week’s Class 9AA semifinals where they will take on Parkston. 

“It feels pretty good,” Riley Tschetter said. “We haven’t made it past this round in each of the past two years so reaching the semifinals was a big goal for us.” 

For the past two years and through the first three games of 2024 the Phoenix haven’t been thought of as a running team. In Thursday’s Class 9AA quarterfinals, and especially in the second half, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy turned to the ground game behind Tschetter and Dominic Sperling to seal the victory. 

“The difference tonight was running the football,” Dustin Tschetter said. “Since the Elkton-Lake Benton game (Week 3) we’ve stressed running the football and going downhill. We’re not big up front but tonight we ran down their throats and had close to 200 yards.” 

The Phoenix struck early in Thursday’s playoff game. Deep in their own territory the Rangers attempted to convert on a fourth-and-3 and were stopped. Two plays later Riley Tschetter hit Christopher Aasen with a 26-yard touchdown pass. On Hill City’s next possession, the Rangers converted a fourth-and 8 when Devin Buehler hit Brensen Vanekiasen with a 36-yard touchdown pass. 

Leading 8-6, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy took control. 

Tschetter hit Karter Weber with a 20-yard touchdown pass and just before the half, Tschetter scored on a three-yard run that gave the Phoenix a 22-6 lead at halftime. 

“Their quarterback (Buehler) is a great athlete and great quarterback and they have some weapons on the edge,” Dustin Tschetter said. “That’s the other thing that has improved since week three is our defense. We’ve moved some guys around and found a way to make our assets work for us and it showed.” 

The Phoenix opened the second half with an 85-yard drive that culminated in a 15-yard touchdown run from Dominic Sperling for a 28-6 lead. The Rangers answered with a nine-yard touchdown run from Buehler that cut the lead to 28-14. 

Early in the fourth quarter Tschetter hit Tate Sorensen with a 16-yard touchdown pass that gave the Phoenix a what looked to be an insurmountable lead of 36-14. 

But Hill City would not go quietly. 

Known for their explosive offense it was the defense that kept the Rangers close. Buehler scored on a 50-yard pick-six and on the Phoenix’s next drive it was Nick Schroeder with a 100-yard interception return that closed the gap to 36-26. Hill City’s two-point conversion failed, maintaining a two-score margin as the Phoenix held on for the victory. 

“The guys up front are dogs and they single-handedly won the game,” Riley Tschetter said. “We ran the ball down their throats the whole second half and that’s what won the game for us.” 

Coach Tschetter talked about the back-to-back picks-sixs that kept the game close. 

“We played really well and got a nice comfortable lead in the first half and then made a couple of dumb mistakes,” he said. “We should have called a timeout before the second interception. They gave us the same look and they made a play but we regrouped and finished.”

Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy improves to 8-2 and will take on 10-0 Parkston, a team it lost to 42-14 in their season opener, in the Class 9AA semifinals on Nov. 8.