VERMILLION — St. Thomas More are football state champions.

The Cavaliers (12-0) completed its undefeated season after knocking off top-seeded Elk Point-Jefferson (11-1), 48-38, to claim its first-ever state football championship.

“It’s super rewarding,” said STM head coach Austin Hagen. “Love it for the boys, love it for this staff, we have guys on this staff that have been here six times before and just to be able to get this done for those guys and this team that worked so relentlessly and the community of Rapid City and the alumni before us.”

Friday’s championship set a new record for the most points scored in 11B title game history with 86 points, shattering the previous record set by Webster and Gregory from 2003 (64).

But when it’s the two highest scoring offenses in Class 11B football going head-to-head in the DakotaDome, points weren’t at a premium.

“I was expecting it,” said sophomore quarterback Noah Wald. “I knew no matter how good our defense was going to play, we knew they were going to score. It’s just what happens when two good teams play each other. It just means the world to watch all my brothers, all the seniors that are graduating, being able to experience this.”

With an 11-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, EPJ was building momentum deep in Cavalier territory. With just under 10 minutes to play, Husky QB Levi Hanson powered into the endzone, cutting the lead to three on the two-point try.

After the first STM punt of the game, the Cavalier defense needed to barrel down one more time to hold on to the championship.

“When you’re playing such a good offense like Elk Point-Jefferson, you have to know they’re going to score on you and get first downs,” said Brody Lee, the game’s Outstanding Lineman. “You just have to get a couple really good stops and you’ll win the game.”

On fourth and goal from the STM 10-yard line, Hanson’s pass fell incomplete. And it didn’t take long for the Cavs to push the score back to double digits.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, the Cavs ran a reverse wide receiver pass, with Kain McLeod connecting with Broeden Sales on a 90-yard back-breaking touchdown.

“We ran this play before, we call it ‘Kain special,’ ” said Hagen on the touchdown. “Broeden set it up great, we knew they were going to bring the house. He bit and we were able to get behind the corner and the rest was history.”

St. Thomas More's Broeden Sales hauls in a touchdown reception against Elk Point-Jefferson during the Class 11B state championship game on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

With 3:30 to play and two timeouts, the Huskies fumbled on the ensuing drive to clinch the 11B championship for the Cavs.

“The biggest thing is the resiliency within the guys and being 1-0 every play, we preach that all the time whether that’s in the classroom, out on the practice field or on the game field,” Hagen said. “We knew Elk Point-Jefferson is a great football team and that they were going to have big plays and have a lot of positive things go their way, we were just going to put that in the rear view mirror and be 1-0.”

The fast-paced marathon kicked off with back-to-back touchdown passes from Wald to McLeod and Sales for an early 14-0 lead. 

EPJ’s Brody Van Roekel and STM’s Grayden Juve each scored two touchdowns on the next four possessions, before sophomore tight end Aiden Hammitt plunged in on fourth and goal to cut the STM lead to three just before halftime.

EPJ took its only lead of the game coming out of halftime with Hanson finding Hammitt for a 67-yard touchdown. Josh Elder found paydirt moments later for the Cavaliers before a momentum-changing interception by Lee gave STM the ball up by four late in the third quarter.

“I had the outside on that play and I saw the running back go out towards the sideline,” Lee said of the interception. “I ran with him cause there was no one else out there and luckily I got it.”

A third touchdown pass from Wald pushed the lead to 11 going into the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach.

Wald, the Joe Robbie MVP of the 11B championship, ended the day completing 15-of-17 pass attempts for 203 yards and three touchdowns, adding 34 yards on the ground. 

“He’s so mature in everything he does whether that’s preparation, classroom, being a leader for us,” Hagen said of Wald. “He puts in the hard work, he’s committed to this program, he’s committed to getting better. He was able to go out here and put this on display.”

McLeod tallied four catches for 37 yards and a touchdown, tossing a 90-yard touchdown as well. 

Sales, the Outstanding Back of the game, had five catches for 167 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-clinching touchdown reception.

“Broeden went out and did what Broeden does,” said Hagen. “We know what we’re going to get with him and just turned him loose and put him on display. He’s meant so much to this team being a senior leader.”

EPJ had three different rushers hit the century mark despite the loss. Beau Schmitz tallied 13 carries for 163 yards, Brody Van Roekel added 111 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries while Luke Schmitz recorded 16 carries for 102 yards. 

Hammitt had two touchdowns, one on the ground and through the air, totaling 113 total yards, while Hanson completed three passes for 103 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and one rushing touchdown as well.

But after the battle of undefeated teams in the Class 11B championship, it was STM hoisting the trophy for the first time in school history in its seventh trip to the DakotaDome.

“It meant everything,” Wald said of the championship. “In front of all the STM people here, seeing the school’s first state championship, it just meant everything to me and all the stuff I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid.”