By Jon Akre

605 Sports

Coach Schouten was especially proud of how his team dealt with adversity and the pressure of making it back to the title game, but this time, taking home the victory.

“It means the world to me because I had to watch those kids and their heartache last year,” said Schouten. “I had to watch those kids be reminded of it for a year. I’m particularly happy and pleased for them, because there was pressure on them to do this, to win it.”

The all-Charger rematch started as a usual back-and-forth heavyweight bout before the SFC slowly began to assert a lead. At the end of the first quarter, Jude VanDonkersgoed buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give SFC a three-point lead, one of two buzzer beaters the Chargers would nail in the game.

“Anytime you can make that kind of a shot, you hear the place just erupt and it’s just a huge momentum builder, and it gets the guys fired up and excited, and just gives you an additional cushion in the lead,” said Schouten.

The Chargers struck a 10-0 run midway through the second quarter, capped off with a Brant Wassenaar 3-pointer, giving SFC a double-digit lead early. Wassenaar finished with 11 points in the win for SFC.

“Best feeling in the world, especially coming off a few state championship losses,” said Wassenaar on the win. “Seeing all the smiles on everyone's faces screaming, yelling, we got the job done. Nothing better.”

Hamlin found a rhythm in the third quarter as Easton Neuendorf, who was shutout in the first half, notched his first points of the game that helped cut the lead to four with three minutes left in the quarter. Neuendorf was held to just nine points on 3-for-15 shooting on the night, a big factor in SFC’s win.

“We got Cole Snyder and Bennett Wassenaar. Best two defenders in the state,” said Brant Wassenaar. “They defend at a high level. Easton’s a great player, but I think our defense was better than his offense tonight.”

Hamlin was never able to capitalize on the third quarter run, falling short in the fourth quarter and in the state championship. While the largest lead of the game was just 12 points, Hamlin faced a deficit for nearly the entirety of the last three quarters.

From losing to Hamlin in a title game a year ago to coming out on top in 2025, it’s a full circle moment for the Chargers.

Sioux Falls Christian team photo after winning the Class A state championship. (Libby Stene / 605 Sports)

“It’s amazing how God works,” said Griffen Goodbary. “Put us in that position again. Not a lot of teams can have that revenge I guess you could say, and it just felt great.”

Goodbary led the Chargers in nearly every statistical category, netting 32 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

“We played as hard as we could for 32 minutes,” said Goodbary. “We matched their physicality, and just did everything we could.”

It’s been an emotional three days for this Sioux Falls Christian team with the injury to Cooper Goodbary to winning that illustrious state title, but it all tied into one unifying moment to bring home a championship.

“It was very sad but we knew we had to rally together and come together as a team,” said Brant Wassenaar. “Every breakdown from then on was ‘For Cooper on 3’, so we had to get it done for him and that’s what we did.”

Hamlin’s Jackson Wadsworth totaled 18 points and four rebounds in the loss, Zac VanMeeteren added 11 points and six rebounds, Neuendorf finished with nine points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Dawson Noem collected seven points as well.

Britton Mulder scored five points for SFC while Bennett Wassenaar added five points, three rebounds and two assists off the bench in the Charger victory.

Sioux Falls Christian ends the year undefeated against South Dakota opponents, with just one loss coming against a team from Iowa.

“Just so happy for those guys that they stepped up and they got the job done, and they can leave Sioux Falls Christian as state champs,” said Schouten. “It just sounds so good and I’m so happy for my guys.”