By Ryan Deal

605 Sports 

The Chargers, powered by junior quarterback Wesley Wittler, showed that on Thursday. The junior quarterback accounted for five total touchdowns. The Joe Robbie MVP and Most Outstanding Back completed 13-of-17 passes for 194 yards and three touchdown passes. He added 18 carries for 158 yards and two more touchdowns. 

Wittler’s brother, Nick, was a member of the previous runner-up teams and his father, Jesse, was on the 1989 state championship team. For Wesley and the rest of the Chargers, it was rewarding to deliver the elusive state championship to a hoops-crazed community. 

“It’s not like we aren’t a football school,” Wittler said. “But we haven’t really got it done. So this sets us back on the map.”

Faulkton Area won the regular-season meeting, 28-8. The Trojans limited Wittler to just one touchdown in the first meeting and Tristen Baloun rushed for 163 yards and a TD.

“The first time we played them they heavily controlled the first half,” Moore said. “We had like six downs in the first quarter offensively. You can’t win games like that. We talked about that all week long that we have to get out to a faster start. So I was happy to see that happen.”

It was all Chargers early and often on Thursday. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Chargers were forced to punt. 

But Wittler, who also handles punting duties, spotted Lucas Arcoren uncovered and threw to him for a 34-yard gain.

“That was huge,” Moore said. “That’s just nice having your quarterback as your punter. They just didn’t cover him, and we had a receiver out there. We threw it to a wide-open person. That was big.”

The fake punt wasn’t scripted, and neither was Sully Buttes’ next play. One play later, Wittler took a quarterback keeper up the field, fumbled on the play and scooped it up for a 17-yard touchdown run. 

The two-play swing gave Sully Buttes an early shot of momentum. 

“That set the pace absolutely, and then I ran there,” Wittler said. “I fumbled it and picked it up, but that set the stage for us.” 

Faulkton Area marched right down the field, scoring on a Gian DiMaria one-yard run to cap off a 10-play drive. 

The Chargers answered right back as Wittler orchestrated another scoring drive, which was capped off by a Wittler-to- Barber 26-yard TD strike. 

Wittler later connected with Barber for a touchdown pass in the third quarter, and a 22-6 lead with 3:47 before halftime. 

“It’s a great feeling when things go your way in football,” Barber said. “We had the momentum early, held onto it and took it from there.”

Barber, who missed the regular-season contest with a hamstring injury, caught seven passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns.  

He made up for lost time, and proved to be Wittler’s most reliable target on the biggest stage. 

“We’ve been best friends for a long time,” Barber said. “It’s just always been a good connection. It’s really nice.”

Faulkton Area, which was receiving the ball after halftime, had a chance to grab back momentum before halftime. But Atticus Miles intercepted a Faulkton Area pass, preserving a 22-6 lead before halftime. 

“That interception at the end of the half was a big momentum shifter,” Barber said. “Just keeping them off the board was real nice.”

The Chargers capitalized on a Trojan fumble in the third quarter. Faulkton Area drove into Sully Buttes territory, but after recovering a fumble, Wittler hit Teghan Westphal for a 68-yard TD reception and a 28-6 advantage. 

Wittler busted loose for a 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and a 34-6 lead. DiMaria added a touchdown pass to Korbin Stark early in the fourth quarter for the final margin. 

Sully Buttes bottled up Faulkton Area’s offensive attack on Thursday. Landon Coyle finished with 79 rushing yards on 19 carries. DiMaria completed 11-of-26 passes for 169 yards. Charlie Deiter had 113 yards receiving on seven catches.  

“I am happy for our defense,” Moore said. “We played well enough to keep them out of the end zone for the most part. So it was good.”

Faulkton Area finished with 293 total yards and finished with its lowest-scoring output of the season. The Chargers also forced Faulkton Area into crucial turnovers where mistakes are magnified on the biggest stage.  

“They were huge for us,” said Sully Buttes senior Bo McGee, who was named the Most Outstanding Lineman. “That’s what changed our attitude and it’s what changed the game.”

It also allowed Sully Buttes to change its luck at the DakotaDome, and bring home a football title to sports-crazed Onida. 

“It’s Sully Buttes, they follow you everywhere,” Moore said. “No matter if you are 0-20 playing basketball, they are going to be there. Everybody wants to be a part of it.”