By Matt Gade

605 Sports

RAPID CITY — Coming into the season, St. Thomas More head coach Austin Hagen knew the potential for the Cavaliers, but he also knew they had to work to get there.

On Friday night, the Cavaliers demonstrated some of their best football all season in a 50-14 takedown of Clark/Willow Lake in the Class 11B semifinals.

“I said that we haven't seen the best STM football team yet, but tonight was pretty darn close to that,” Hagen said following the Cavaliers' win. “A couple of things we could clean up, but that's a pretty good football team for us and that we just played, and for us to come out and be able to do what we wanted to do, like that… we played pretty darn well.”

The victory Friday night was the 11th straight win for the Cavaliers this season as they punched their ticket back to a state championship game for the first time since 2014.

On Friday night, the Cavaliers managed to score in nearly every aspect of the game.

After marching down the field on the opening drive with an 18-yard score to Broeden Sales. The Cyclones answered back in the next series.

Kain McLeod provided the spark as the senior returned a Clark/Willow Lake kick back nearly 85 yards for a touchdown as the Cavaliers trailed 8-7 to regain the lead early in the game and never relinquished it.

McLeod would add to the Cavaliers' lead with a 47-yard touchdown reception from Noah Wald to make it 21-8 following the PAT.

Another Wald pass, this time to senior tight end Max Speed, would lead to a Cavaliers’ 28-8 lead. 

Clark/Willow Lake would score its final score of the game in the last minute of the first half to make it 28-14. 

From there, St. Thomas More locked down on defense in the second half while the offense continued to roll.

Up 43-14 in the final minute of the third quarter, the Cavaliers scored their final score of the game on a Jackson Rusch pick-six as Clark/Willow Lake quarterback Joey Ries was under pressure from Speed at his defensive end position.

“You have all phases. You know, offensively we you know, we're moving the ball through the air, through the ground, just doing good things. Then at halftime, we just talked to our defense. You know, settle down,” Hagen said. “We don't see a lot of the throwing teams in 11B and just trust what you've been taught. 

“You know, play your assignment to the best of your ability, and good things are going to happen. And they were able to do that and shut them out in the second half.”

Coach Hagen, who’s in his third year as head coach of the Cavaliers, said it’s been the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that his players have put in all year that has led to the team’s success.

Hagen said, and for him, it’s been being able to learn from his fellow coaches and staff, which has made him really embrace his role and have the success that he has had.

“I have the best staff in the state,” Hagen said. “I truly believe that I'm so fortunate to have those guys, and they've made me a better football coach, a better person. I've learned so much from those guys, and then just seeing how they interact with our players, you know, just creating great young men to go out and change the world. And it goes beyond football, you know, just life advice, football advice, just anything. They're always there.”

The Cavaliers will meet another undefeated team in Elk Point-Jefferson in the 11B state championship.

Elk Point-Jefferson defeated Deuel 43-36 Friday night in Elk Point.

It lines up to be a showcase of very opposite styles of play.

Hagen said Elk Point-Jefferson will be a very run-heavy team up front, while his Cavaliers like to spread it out and utilize a multitude of skill players.

“They're a very good football team in all phases,” Hagen said. “They're physical, they're big, they have weapons, they're disciplined, they're insanely well coached. There's a reason they're undefeated and going to the dome.”
This will be the seventh time the Cavaliers have made it to the DakotaDome, but have yet to come away with the title. 

Hagen said he and his team are very well supported not only by the Cavalier community but a lot of West River communities as well.

“We always hear West River football is not good and East River football is good, and so on and so forth,” Hagen said. “We want to represent West River. Wall, we want them to go win it as well. We want to show that we can play good football out here, too. And I think we're growing the sport out here. All the coaches in the hills and West River are doing all the right things.”

The Class 11B state championship game will be Friday, November 14, at 2 p.m. (CT) at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.