By Jacob Wuertz and Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

Pierre’s postseason honors continue to pile in. 

The Governors, who captured their sixth consecutive Class 11AA state championship this season, landed 10 players on the all-state team. The all-state team is selected by the South Dakota Football Coaches Association. 

Lincoln Kienholz, Jett Zabel, Jack Merkwan, Christian Busch, Matthew Coverdale, Cade Keiser, Jacob Mayer, Gavin Stotts, Jason Maciejczak and Jayden Wiebe were all selected for the state champs. Kienholz was a Class 11AA All-American selection. 

State runner-up Tea Area placed five players on the team: Chase Van Tol, Keegan DeYoung, Griffen Schinder, Blake Thompson and Reis Kirschenman. 

Here is the complete Class 11AA all-state team:

QUARTERBACK: Lincoln Kienholz, Sr., Pierre (6-3, 185)

Kienholz orchestrated another state championship run and buttoned up one of the best individual careers in state history. Kienholz finished his senior season with 3,422 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 1,435 yards and 24 touchdowns. For his career, Kienholz finished with a state-record 9,100 passing yards and 104 passing touchdowns. He added 3,502 rushing yards and 44 rushing scores. He was a member of four state championships for Pierre, including three as a starter. He’s a three-time all-state quarterback and a three-time Joe Robbie MVP winner. Kienholz, who is also an all-state basketball and baseball player, is committed to the University of Washington football team. 

“Lincoln is crazy good and has easily become the best player we have ever coached or seen play at the high school level,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “We are thankful he is on our team and has developed into such a good leader and person on top of great athlete.”

FULLBACK/H-BACK: Keegan DeYoung, Jr., Tea Area (5-11, 190)

DeYoung was a reliable weapon out of Tea Area’s backfield this season. He rushed for 484 yards on 74 carries and scored eight touchdowns. He added a touchdown reception. He added two interceptions on defense. The junior has recorded 557 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while posting three interceptions on defense. He earned all-conference honors. 

“Keegan is the lead blocker on most of our plays and usually takes on a very good defensive end or linebacker,” Tea Area coach Scott Frey said. “Keegan is exceptional at what he is asked to do. Keegan has also run the ball very well and creates another runner to prepare for weekly. Keegan does a lot of the dirty work that is needed to have a good running team.”

FULLBACK/H-BACK: Tyson Brandt, Sr., Brookings (5-11, 185)

Brandt developed into a reliable ball carrier, receiver and blocker for the Bobcats. This season, he rushed for 486 yards and averaged 5.65 yards per carry, while scoring three touchdowns. 

“Tyson was so important to us in our offensive and defensive scheme,” Brookings coach Brady Clark said. “He was a player we trusted to put almost anywhere on the field. His ability to run, catch, and block with success was crucial for us to be successful as a team.”

Tea Area's Chase Van Tol (28) makes a catch in the Class 11AA state championship game. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

RUNNING BACK: Chase Van Tol, Sr., Tea Area (6-1, 180)

Van Tol was a productive player all over the field for the Titans. He rushed for 1,113 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, while hauling in 188 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions. He posted 1,301 all-purpose yards. Defensively, he logged 26 tackles and six tackles for loss. He finished 48 of 56 on PAT attempts and 4 of 7 on field goals, including a 44-yarder. For his career, he finished with 2,139 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. He racked up 2,672 all-purpose yards in his career, while recording 74 tackles and nine tackles for loss. He finished 15 of 21 on field goals, including a career-long 51-yarder. He’s committed to play football at South Dakota State University. 

“Chase usually needs to make a hard run or hit to get out guys going,” Tea Area coach Scott Frey said. “Chase has gained over 2,000 yds in a career where he shared the rushing load with multiple other all state players.”

RUNNING BACK: Karson Carda, Sr., Aberdeen Central (5-11, 215)

Carda was a physical presence out of Aberdeen Central’s backfield. He posted 1,563 rushing yards on 235 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. For his career, he rushed for 2,677 yards and is a repeat all-state running back selection. 

“Karson is a very coachable young man,” Aberdeen Central coach Justin Briese said. “He has dedicated himself to the team and has done everything we have asked him to do. He has grown into a leader and a trusted member of our program. On the field he is a physical ball carrier, loves to block and a fierce competitor.”

RUNNING BACK: Juven Hudson, Jr., Watertown (5-10, 165)

Hudson was an explosive playmaker for the Arrows. He rushed for 1,236 yards on 201 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. The junior has 1,803 rushing yards and 14 carries so far through his career. He’s an all-Eastern South Dakota Conference selection. 

“Juven is a very special athlete, his abilities allow him to be a very good football player, his work ethic is what sets him apart from other players,” Watertown coach John Hodorff said. “Juven is a great person and teammate. He will do whatever is asked of him for our team to be successful whether that is special teams blocking or carrying the ball.”

WIDE RECEIVER: Jack Merkwan, Sr., Pierre (6-2, 185)

Merkwan was a trusty receiver in Pierre’s potent passing attack. This season, he hauled in 1,058 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions on 54 catches. For his career, he set the Class 11AA all-time record for most career receiving yards with 2,706 yards on 123 receptions and 28 touchdown catches. He set the Class 11AA title game record with 234 receiving yards and scored two touchdown receptions. Merkwan was the Class 11AA title game’s most outstanding back. 

“Jack is an incredibly hard worker and has really developed into a great outside receiver,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He has met every challenge he has faced with a positive attitude and done whatever is asked of him. He rarely ever drops a ball and is one of the best deep ball receivers we have ever had.”

WIDE RECEIVER: Tyler Sohler, Sr., Yankton (5-11, 170)

Sohler turned into a reliable target in the Bucks’ aerial attack. He hauled in 824 receiving yards on 74 catches and scored six touchdown catches. For his career, he posted 2,106 receiving yards on 180 receptions and scored 21 touchdowns. He made 43 consecutive starts for the Bucks. 

“He has been a mainstay in our offense for four years,” Yankton coach Brady Muth said. “This year he played defense as well. He is a great example of a team player.”

WIDE RECEIVER: Tyan Buus, Jr., Sturgis (5-10, 160)

Buus was a productive receiver in the Scoopers’ offensive attack. This season, he posted 793 receiving yards on 54 receptions and hauled in 12 touchdowns. He was an all-conference selection and the Scooper Breakout Player of the Year.

“Tyan worked very hard this past off-season to improve his speed, agility and route running,” Sturgis coach Chris Koletzky said. “Tyan has great hands and a unique ability to win contested balls. His numbers tailed off a bit towards the end of the season as he began seeing more bracket coverage.”

TIGHT END: Jett Zabel, Jr., Pierre (6-4, 210)

Zabel was another reliable target in Pierre’s stable of receivers and running backs. He posted 842 receiving yards on a team-high 54 receptions and hauled in a team-high 13 touchdown receptions. 

“On top of being a very reliable and hard to tackle receiving threat he's also a great blocker,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He is one of the toughest kids we have had and is never afraid to stick his nose in there and in general loves the physicality side of football.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Christian Busch, Sr., Pierre (6-3, 265)

Busch was an imposing center along Pierre’s offensive line. He helped the offense average 50 points per game and 500 yards per game. He was an all-state honorable mention selection last season. 

“Busch is our center and does a great job getting calls made and everyone on the same page,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “Physically he has been a dominant player for us for a couple years and is very athletic on top of being big and strong.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Matthew Coverdale, Jr., Pierre (6-4, 225)

Coverdale paired with Christian Busch to help form a solid offensive line unit for Pierre, which averaged 50 points per game and 500 yards per game. He’s a two-year starter. 

“Matthew is our nub guard and is a specimen,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He has really started to fill out his frame and does a great job handling often teams best DE off our short edge giving us time to throw the ball, while also being a great run blocker.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Jacob Krenz, Sr., Aberdeen Central (6-2, 245)

Krenz anchored Aberdeen Central’s offensive line and opened running lanes for all-state running back Karson Carda. Krenz finished with 25 pancake blocks and allowed one sack this season. For his career, he posted 36 pancake blocks and four sacks. He’s a two-year starter. 

“Jacob is the anchor of our offensive line,” Aberdeen Central coach Justin Briese said. “He committed himself to the weight room in the offseason and joined wrestling to better learn how to move his feet and control other bodies. He is a leader on and off the field.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Griffen Schnider, Sr., Tea Area (5-11, 245)

Schnider was a key blocker for an offense that produced more than 3,100 rushing yards this season. Defensively, he logged 18 tackles and three sacks. For his career, he posted 31 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He’s a team captain and all-conference performer. 

“Griffen has been the leader of the offensive line for two years,” Tea Area coach Scott Frey said. “He has been the physical leader and ultimate teammate.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Chase Crocker, Sr., Watertown (6-3, 235)

Crocker paved the way for Watertown’s ground game. He was an all-Eastern South Dakota Conference selection in his lone season as a starter. He was a team captain. 

“Chase is a good football player and more importantly a great student and person,” Watertown coach John Hodorff said. “Chase is the anchor of the Watertown offensive line. Chase has been a big part of our football program for a lot of years.”

OFFENSIVE LINE: Camen Max, Sr., Mitchell (6-1, 215)

Max anchored the offensive line unit for the Kernels, who were led offensively by quarterback Treyson Schulz. 

ATHLETE: Rugby Ryken, Sr., Yankton (6-0, 175)

Ryken piloted the Bucks’ offensive attack this season. He completed 210 of 338 pass attempts for 2,645 yards and 25 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 723 yards and 14 touchdowns. A three-year starter, Ryken finished his career with 6,024 passing yards and 58 touchdows. He added 1,346 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. He was an all-stater last season. 

“Rugby is the ultimate competitor,” Yankton coach Brady Muth said. “His leadership on the field speaks volumes to his teammates. He’s also been a great role model for our younger players coming up in our program.”

ATHLETE: Cade Kaiser, Jr., Pierre (6-1, 175)

Kaiser was another reliable pass catcher in Pierre’s aerial attack. He hauled in 35 catches for 735 yards and caught 12 touchdowns. 

“Cade has very high talent and is a tremendous route runner,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He is very dynamic and is the complete package at WR. He's really developed into a top tier guy for us this season and will continue to become better and better as he progresses into his senior year.”

ATHLETE: Owen Cass, Sr., Sturgis (6-2, 190)

Cass engineered the Scoopers at the quarterback position. He finished his senior campaign with 1,886 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. For his career, he logged 4,317 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. He added 209 rushing yards and nine more scores. 

“Owen is one of the most talented quarterbacks to play for SBHS,” Sturgis coach Chris Koletzky said. ”He's very hardworking and intelligent when it comes to the quarterback position. Owen made some big strides this year being proactive as a leader of this team.”

ATHLETE: Elliot DeVries, Sr., Huron (6-0, 240)

DeVries was a key anchor along Huron’s offensive and defensive lines. He finished with 32 solo tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three sacks and one pass deflection.

“Was the anchor of your defensive and offensive lines, our best player and competed, disrupted, and had success against every team we played,” Huron coach Dru Strand said. “Was at times the best player on the field.”

DEFENSIVE LINE: Jason Maciejczak, Sr., Pierre (6-4, 320)

Maciejczak was a massive body along Pierre’s offensive and defensive lines. This season, he posted 21 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and one fumble recovery. He was an all-state lineman for Douglas in 2020 and ‘21. He will play football next season at the University of North Dakota. 

“Jason is a dude, he's massive, strong and has an insane work ethic to be the best he can be,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He never thinks or acts above any job asked of him and has been an awesome leader of our linemen.”

DEFENSIVE LINE: Trevon Austell, Sr., Mitchell (6-3, 190)

Austell was a productive lineman along the Kernels’ defensive front. He recorded 47 tackles, 7.5 sacks and one fumble recovery. He was selected as Mitchell’s defensive player of the year. 

“He was difficult to block and made impactful plays for us each game,” Mitchell coach Kent VanOverschelde said. “He worked intently to help our offensive line get better each week in practice. Forced teams to know where he was on every single play.” 

DEFENSIVE LINE: Caleb Loehr, Sr., Brookings (6-1, 205)

Loeher was a relentless defender along Brookings’ defensive line. 

“Caleb is one of the most relentless players I have ever coached,” Brookings coach Brady Clark said. “His willingness to learn, do whatever it takes to win, and relentless effort allowed him to have the record year he did.”

DEFENSIVE LINE: Reis Kirschenman, Sr., Tea Area (6-4, 240)

Kirschenman regularly drew opposing lines' attention and still powered Tea Area’s defensive front. He finished with 16 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. For his career, he finished with 58 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. Kirschenman was selected as team captain and is a repeat all-state performer. He will play football next season at South Dakota State University. 

“Even though Reis had been injured, he has been a leader for our team,” Tea Area coach Scott Frey said. “Every offense we face has to account for him and usually sets their pass blocking to him.”

LINEBACKER: Gavin Stotts, Sr., Pierre (6-0, 205)

Stotts was a productive and disruptive linebacker along Pierre’s defensive front. He finished with 102.5 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, three sacks and one interception. 

“Stotts has grown tremendously this season for us and is our defensive leader,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He has a quiet confidence about himself. He is easily the hardest worker on our team, oftentimes going above and beyond and setting a great example for the rest of the team.”

LINEBACKER: Brady Hartwig, Sr., Spearfish (5-9, 175)

Hartwig was a playmaker in the middle of Spearfish’s defense. He posted 96 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception. For his career, he posted 160 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. An all-conference performer, Hartwig was an all-state linebacker in 2021. He also lined up at quarterback, running back, punter and returner during his career. 

“He is a kid with a high football IQ and was able to pick up anything that was thrown at him,” Spearfish coach Dalton Wademan said. “He ran our defense and was able to make sure everyone was in position while also anticipating what the offense was going to do. He is a high character kid that led our football team on and off the field.” 

LINEBACKER: Reese Jacobs, Sr., Sturgis (5-10, 190)

Jacobs manned the middle of the defense for Sturgis this season. He posted 87 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and a pick-six. He’s a repeat all-state selection and a two-time all-conference honoree. 

“Reese was the unquestioned leader of our team the past two seasons,” Sturgis coach Chris Koletzky said. “His hard work, determination, and competitive spirit was unmatched. He was selected as the Doug Miller MVP of our team for the 2022 season.” 

LINEBACKER: Jaxton Eck, Sr., Brookings (6-0, 210)

Eck was a productive linebacker for the Bobcats this season. He recorded 136 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two sacks. He has committed to play football at Division I Idaho. 

“Jaxton is one of the best high school football players I have ever had the privilege to coach,” Brookings coach Brady Clark said. “He is a great student of the game and his effort is second to none. Whenever we needed a big play on defense he would be there to get it done. More importantly, his leadership lifted up the guys around him.”

DEFENSIVE BACK: Jagger Tyler, Sr., Mitchell (6-0, 160)

Tyler was a reliable defensive back for the Kernels. He finished with 78 tackles, including 30 solo stops. He added two pass breakups. Tyler was an honorable mention all-stater last season. 

“Jagger Tyler was our leader on offense-defense and special teams,” Mitchell coach Kent VanOverschelde said. “He was our long snapper. Defensively, Jagger led our team in tackles.”

DEFENSIVE BACK: Blake Thompson, Sr., Tea Area (5-10, 155)

Thompson was a playmaker in Tea Area’s defensive backfield. He recorded 34 tackles, eight interceptions and nine pass breakups. He added 980 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on offense. For his career, he finished with 1,156 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. He had 10 career interceptions and 95 career tackles. He was also a return specialist. He was a team captain and all-conference selection. 

“Blake has been the ultimate leader for our program for the past couple of years,” Tea Area coach Scott Frey said. “He is the first one in and the last one to leave workouts.”

DEFENSIVE BACK: Cody Oswald, Sr., Yankton (6-3, 185)

Muth was a key defender in the Yankton defensive secondary. He posted 30 tackles, eight pass breakups, three sacks and two interceptions. For his career, he logged 12 interceptions and was a three-year starter. He’s an all-conference performer. 

“Cody has been the rock for our program,” Yankton coach Brady Muth said. “His play has bailed us out many times.”

DEFENSIVE BACK: Jacob Mayer, Sr., Pierre (6-0, 175)

Mayer was a reliable defender in Pierre’s defensive backfield. He posted 31 tackles, three pass breakups, two tackles for loss, one interception and one sack. A three-year starter, Mayer logged more than 100 career tackles and 10 career interceptions. He was an all-state defensive back last season. 

“Mayer is a true thinker on the back end for us and does an amazing job aligning coverage for us,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “He has done an outstanding job helping teach young guys the ropes of our defense and always being in constant communication back there. He has had a great career for us.”

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: Jayden Wiebe, Sr., Pierre (6-0, 175)

Wiebe was a regular among Pierre’s special teams units. He averaged 40 yards per kickoff return, including two touchdown returns. He finished with four career special teams touchdowns. He also played defensive back, linebacker, running back and wide receiver during his Governor career. 

“Jayden is such a do-it-all player,” Pierre coach Steve Steele said. “However the one area he has always excelled has been special teams. He never hesitates to be on almost every team and always finds a way to make a difference.”

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: Trevor Paulson, Sr., Yankton (6-0, 170)

Paulson averaged 56.5 yards per kickoff and recorded 26 touchbacks. He nailed 8 of 9 field goal attempts, including a 47-yarder. He averaged 33.8 yards per punt and hit five inside the 20-yard line. For his career, Paulson finished 27 of 36 on field goals and 115 of 119 on PAT attempts. He averaged 50.3 on kickoffs and logged 112 touchbacks. He posted 32.5 yards per punt in his career and placed 18 inside the 20-yard line. He’s an all-ESD selection. 

“Trevor has started for us four years,” Yankton coach Brady Muth said. “We’ve been very fortunate in Yankton to have great kickers. Trevor has been another special teams player that has made his mark.”

HONORABLE MENTION: Maddix Slykhuis, Sr., Tea Area; Quinston Luellman-Clark, Sr., Huron; Gunner Rohloff, Sr., Sturgis; Brayden Delahoyde, Jr., Spearfish; Cole Artz, Sr., Aberdeen Central; Brian Johnson, Sr., Aberdeen Central; Jackson Smythe, Sr., Tea Area; Lukas Bennett, Sr., Mitchell.