Pierre’s Lincoln Kienholz has been named the 2022-23 Gatorade South Dakota Football Player of the Year on Friday. 

Kienholz is the third Gatorade South Dakota Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Pierre. The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Kienholz as South Dakota’s best high school football player. Kienholz is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in January.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior quarterback passed for 3,422 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 1,435 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior. He finished as South Dakota’s all-time passing leader throwing for 9,100 yards and 104 touchdowns. He added 3,502 rushing yards and 44 rushing scores in his career. 

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 is also an all-state basketball and baseball player.

Kienholz is a member of the National Honor Society, serves as a Gov2Go mentor and volunteers locally as a youth football coach. Kienholz has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom. 

Kienholz, who has signed to play college football at Ohio State University, will play in the 22nd annual All-American Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 7.