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Harrisburg shuts out Brandon Valley, captures first state championship since 1999
Harrisburg’s Jacob Knuth acknowledges the Tiger student section following a 4-yard touchdown run in the 11AAA state championship game Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
(Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)
Nov 13, 2021
 

By 605 Sports Staff

VERMILLION -- Harrisburg won its first state football championship since 1999 on Saturday.

Tigers blanked Brandon Valley, 27-0, to capture the Class 11AAA state football championship at the DakotaDome. 

It was Harrisburg’s fifth state football championship in school history, while it has finished runner-ups five total times in Class 11A, Class 11AA and Class 11AAA.

“Good thing there is not a class above this because we would probably be there with the growth of our city,” Harrisburg coach Brandon White said. “You can’t stop it. It’s an atmosphere. You saw our crowd. They almost sold out over there. Credit to them, credit to the good lord upstairs in giving this the opportunity.”

Harrisburg’s Jacob Knuth runs for a gain during the Tigers’ 27-0 win over Brandon Valley in the 11AAA state championship Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Harrisburg, which lost to Brandon Valley in last year’s state championship, received 224 rushing yards and one touchdown from Gavin Ross, who was named the most outstanding back. Harrisburg quarterback Jacob Knuth, a University of Minnesota commit, threw for 80 yards and a touchdown. Knuth completed 14 of 19 passes, while he added 53 rushing yards and two more scores. Andrew Walter hauled in 53 receiving yards and had a touchdown reception from Knuth. 

The Tigers (12-0) racked up 354 total yards, including 274 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Harrisburg’s defense limited Brandon Valley to 182 total yards. Brandon Valley’s Jordan Johnson had 89 rushing yards on 16 carries. Lucas Slack added 54 passing yards, while Sam Scholten logged 36 receiving yards for the Lynx (10-2). 

“That was a team win,” White said. “These guys played for the name on the front and not the name on the back. That is how you win 27-0.”

Brandon Valley’s Jordan Johnson runs for a few yards during the first half of the 11AAA championship game Saturday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

After a scoreless first quarter, Knuth scored a five-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. Knuth added an 18-yard touchdown pass to Walter in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, Ross and Knuth tacked on rushing touchdowns to cement the championship. 

“I thought we were pressing in the first half and we went to the locker room and I said ‘Just breathe guys, and you will be fine,’ ” White said. “We’ve been a second halftime all year and we did that tonight.”

Defensively, the Tigers recorded two sacks, forced Brandon Valley into five punts and defeated the Lynx for the second time in four weeks. Ayden Viox logged eight tackles and one sack for Harrisburg, which was the Class 11AAA No. 1-ranked team all season and proved the ranking on Saturday.

“We battled all year and we have some young guys that stepped in for us this year,” White said. “Just what a great, great team win.”