BISON — Rylee Veal has racked up rushing yards and miles the past four seasons. 

When Harding County and Bison began their football co-op in 2021, Veal was among the Cardinals that began logging miles to play and practice. Bison and Buffalo are separated by 55 miles, but Veal puts in extra mileage as he lives 20 miles east of Bison and said he drives roughly between 150-160 miles a day for football.  

“It’s a lot,” Veal said. “But when you are focused on winning, and you are focused on football and you are focused on all that, the sacrifices aren’t as much when you start thinking about the whole deal.”

Veal, who lives on a ranch, might not get home until 9 p.m. on some nights and says “There’s definitely some days you are like ‘It’s a tough day today.’ But the high days are way better than the low days.”

But Veal, who is one of 16 Bison players on the team, said it’s worth it to be part of a winning program. The Ranchers are a traditional nine-man football power, and Veal feels fortunate to be part of it. 

“It’s been everything for me,” Veal said. “Those guys over there have been so welcoming. The coaches have done everything for me. I can never thank that community and those coaches enough for what they’ve done for us.”

In addition to racking up miles, Veal has also piled up rushing yards on the football field. A two-time all-state running back, Veal has 4,375 career rushing yards and 59 career rushing touchdowns. On defense, he has compiled 132 total tackles. 

Through four games, Veal has rushed for 1,023 yards on 114 carries and has scored 12 rushing touchdowns this season.  

That’s why Veal said his style meshes well with the Ranchers, who he called a “hard-nosed team.”

“I am a physical guy, a big guy,” Veal said. “Harding County has had that for years. Since I can remember they’ve had a big running back over there and I think that just fits me perfectly. I am a guy that likes to run downhill, and run at people.” 

Harding County/Bison football coach Jay Wammen said Veal has the perfect combination of size, vision and work ethic to make him an all-around football player. 

“He’s a big running back with vision, and the biggest thing is I have never seen him be caught once he gets to the open field,” Wammen said. “He has that breakaway speed, and at 6-foot, 210 pounds, it’s a rarity. He’s one of those guys the more you give him the ball, the better he gets and the more he can wear an opposing team down.”

Veal showed that in Harding County/Bison’s recent 50-43 win over Hill City. Against the Rangers, Harding County/Bison erupted for 479 yards rushing on 62 carries. 

“It was a shootout,” Veal said. “But I think we controlled the time well. We did what we needed to do. We found something that worked and stuck to it. We didn’t try to do anything too sweet and got out of there with a win.” 

Veal was heavily featured in the win, finishing with 423 yards rushing on 52 carries and scored five total touchdowns (four rushing). Veal’s 423 yards rushing are the third-most ever in a Class 9A game, behind Lyman’s Clay Urban (452) and Avon’s Devon Tolsma (448). 

“He got to play the entire game and his line was doing such an amazing job in that second half,” Wammen said. “We kind of just went to a wildcat formation at quarterback and he wasn’t getting touched until he was 4-5 yards down the field every time. We just kind of wore them down as a team and the O-line was a big part of that night.”

Veal’s offensive linemen include Lincoln Wickstrom, Colt Kopren, Brenton Padden, Nayati Bickerdyke and Evan Meyer, along with fullbacks Eugenio Martinez and Kaden Green. 

“My offensive line is huge,” Veal said. “I have had great fullbacks every year. My fullbacks go under the radar a lot. So I have played with some really, really, really good fullbacks.” 

Veal, who is also a 1,000-point scorer in basketball, has aspirations to play college football. He’s been offered scholarships by NAIA Dickinson State (North Dakota) and Division II Sioux Falls. 

He’s built relationships with both coaching staffs, but is leaning toward nearby Dickinson State. 

“It means a lot for me that my family can come to whatever game they want to,” Veal said. “I can go home on the weekend if I want to, and I love being involved on the ranch. That’s a pretty big deal for me to be able to come home.”

Class 9A No. 5 Harding County/Bison (3-1) will host Lemmon-McIntosh on Sept. 20.