VERMILLION — Freeman/Marion/Academy left no doubt in a highly-anticipated rematch. 

The Phoenix polished off an undefeated season on Thursday, dominating Elkton-Lake Benton for a 46-22 Class 9AA state championship at the DakotaDome. It was the second meeting between the Phoenix (12-0) and Elks (10-2) this season. 

The Phoenix pulled away from the Elks, 42-28, in the regular-season meeting. On Thursday, the Phoenix erupted for 30 straight points and bottled up ELB’s high-powered offense for the state title. 

“It feels incredible to finally actually do it,” said FMFA quarterback Riley Tschetter, the game’s Joe Robbie MVP. “We all had it as an expectation. But to actually see it come true is a different feeling.”

Tschetter was sharp in his final high school football game, completing 15-of-22 passes for 315 yards and three touchdown passes. He orchestrated an offense that piled up 407 total yards. 

“Our offense just had an incredible first half,” Tschetter said. “In the second half it slowed down a little bit but it was enough to get the job done.”

The teams traded touchdowns in an entertaining first quarter. The Phoenix received the opening kickoff, Luke Peters took a short Tschetter pass and outran the Elks for a 73-yard touchdown reception. 

“We script our first 11 plays each week,” said FMFA coach Dustin Tschetter, who is Riley’s father. “We saw a little something that we liked and it hit big right off the get-go.” 

ELB answered on its opening possession, a 49-yard touchdown strike from Colt Beck to Myles Poindexter to get within 8-7. 

“You have to give credit to them,” said FMFA senior Tate Sorensen, who was named the game’s most outstanding lineman. “They are obviously the best team that we’ve played this year. But our offense was rolling from the start.” 

The offensive display continued on FMFA’s next possession. Tschetter tossed a 45-yard touchdown pass to David Walter, extending the lead to 16-7. 

Walter, a 6-foot-4 sophomore wide receiver, hauled in four catches for 113 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 28.3 points per catch in the state championship. 

“When you see David out there you just trust him to go make a play and that’s what he did today,” Riley Tschetter said. “He made a couple big plays and that’s really what won us the game.”

On ELB’s next possession, Beck capped off a drive with a 23-yard touchdown run to get within 16-14. 

It was all Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy in the second quarter, scoring 21 points for a 37-14 advantage. Tschetter tossed a 21-yard touchdown pass to Sorensen, pushing FMFA’s lead to 23-14. 

After a Tayden Kerrigan interception, Peters rumbled in for a six-yard touchdown run and a 29-14 lead. Peters added a four-yard touchdown run, stretching FMFA’s lead to 37-14 at halftime. In the third quarter, Tschetter tacked on a rushing touchdown. Kerrigan booted a 35-yard field goal for FMFA’s final points in the fourth quarter.

Beck scored a touchdown run in the fourth quarter, but the elusive quarterback was bottled up for most of the night. He completed 8-of-16 passes for 163 yards for one touchdown and one interception. Eliot Erickson, ELB’s shifty running back, was held to 80 yards rushing on 15 carries. 

“We knew we had a hard task at hand with Eliot and Colt,” said Sorensen, who had four tackles. “It’s hard to stop those two. So that was our main focus the whole week was just shut those two down.”

Peters, who was named the most outstanding back, rushed for 65 yards on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns. Easton Tschetter, Riley’s sophomore brother, hauled in five catches for 77 yards. 

For Freeman, it was another state title in a town rich with football history. But it is the first and last football title for the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy co-op, which will fold after the season. 

But nevertheless, the Freeman community will relish another state championship. 

“This is really, really special,” Dustin Tschetter said. “I couldn’t be prouder of this group with how hard they’ve worked all season long.”