VERMILLION -- It was all Madison in a Bulldog vs. Bulldog battle.

Madison blanked Milbank, 31-0, for the Class 11A state championship on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. It was Madison’s fourth Class 11A state championship since 2015 and it capped off a 12-0 season. 

“This has been my dream since I was a ball boy for the Janke teams and all those,” Madison quarterback Nate Ricke said. “I just remember watching them dominate in the Dome and I just remember I wanted to do that when I was a senior.”

Ricke threw for 130 yards, rushed for 51 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. Joe Robbie MVP and outstanding back Trey Smith scored two rushing touchdowns and booted a 25-yard field goal. 

Madison outlasted Milbank, 9-0, on Sept. 17 during the team’s regular season meeting. But on Friday, Madison took any drama out of the contest early and cruised to the shutout win. 

“I think they ran out of the gas sooner than we did,” Madison coach Max Hodgen said. “That’s the key in games like this. When you are used to playing in 25-30-35 degree weather and you come in here, it’s a game of attrition down here.” 

Madison’s Lucas Johnson recovers a fumble during the first half of the Bulldogs’ 31-0 win over Milbank in the 11A state championship Saturday afternoon at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

After a scoreless first quarter, the teams appeared headed for another defensive slugfest. Smith’s 25-yard field goal gave Madison a 3-0 lead with 5:22 left before halftime. Madison’s Mike Peters recorded his first of two interceptions and two plays later, Smith scored his first rushing touchdown for a 10-0 halftime lead. 

“I figured for the first quarter, it’s going to be a defensive battle,” Hodgen said. “That’s why we took that field goal right away and knew points were going to be at a premium.”

But Madison opened up its lead in the second quarter. Peters hauled in a spectacular catch on his back on a deflected pass from Ricke, while Smith capped off the drive with another touchdown. 

Milbank’s Karson Weber runs for a few yards during the second half of the Bulldogs’ 31-0 loss to Madison in the 11A state championship game Friday afternoon at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Sutton Bern’s interception led to a Ricke rushing touchdown, while he later threw a touchdown strike to Joe Gors for the final score. Peters’ last interception in the fourth quarter cemented Madison’s dominant performance. 

“We knew they were going to be a tough defense and we really put an emphasis on wearing them down and going tempo,” Ricke said. “So in the second half we could come out and do our thing. That’s what we did and it worked out.”

Milbank’s Marshall Voeltz had 49 rushing yards on 13 carries. Kaden Krause threw for 88 yards on 9 of 19 pass attempts. Karson Weber finished with 34 receiving yards. Krause and Bennett Schwenn had seven tackles apiece. Ryker Trevett had an interception. 

Defensively for Madison, Caden DeVries posted a game-high 15 tackles. Smith had 13 tackles and one sack, while outstanding lineman Cam Buchholtz had 10 tackles and one sack. 

It was Madison’s first state championship since 2017 when it completed a three-peat.  

“It feels great,” Smith said. “It’s something the town needed. It’s something that we needed for the future of the Madison football team.”