By Rich Winter

605 Sports

VERMILLION — Lower Brule completed their perfect season with a 46-0 win over Tiospa Zina to lay claim to the All-Nations B Division Championship at the DakotaDome Friday. 

Offensive MVP Gavin Thigh paced the Sioux with three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Freshman Nunpa Kirkie topped 1,000 yards for the season late in the 4th quarter for Lower Brule. 

It was Kirkie who got things rolling early for the Sioux. The 6-foot, 170-pound freshman scored his 19th touchdown of the year on a 3-yard run with 8:32 remaining in the first quarter. Less than a minute later Thigh scored on a 4-yard run to put Lower Brule up 14-0.

The Tiospa Zina offense had moments of opportunity in the first half but penalties and mistakes kept that offensive from capitalizing. The Wambdi defense led by hard-hitting senior Alex Garman kept Lower Brule in check until midway through the second quarter. 

Lane Gray gave the Sioux the ball back late in the first half when he intercepted a Renville pass. On the next play, Thigh hit Brian LaRoche Jr. for a 64-yard touchdown as the Sioux took a 24-0 lead into the locker room. 

Tiospa Zina received the 2nd-half kickoff but a stout Lower Brule defense led by Defensive MVP Tayshawn Battese put pressure on Tiospa Zina quarterback DJ Renville all night. 

Tiospa Zina’s Mike Smith is tackled during the first half of the Wambdi 46-0 loss to Lower Brule in the Class B championship game of the All Nations Conference on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.

The Sioux added another score in the third period on a 1-yard Gavin Thigh pass to Marley Carpenter. That gave the Sioux a 32-0 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter. 

Thigh wasn’t done as he hit freshman Nate Middletent with a 6-yard touchdown pass early in the final period. Middletent, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound bruiser, closed the game with a 1-yard touchdown run.

The shutout comes as no surprise to Sioux Fans as the team gave up just 14 points all season.