By Rich Winter

605 Sports

MISSION — When Todd County senior Ty Valandra was introduced to the sport of football in the sixth grade he immediately knew running back was his position. Faster than most of his friends Valandra said he “tried it out” and everything went from there. 

On Sept. 12, in front of Falcon fans in Mission, Valandra surpassed 3,500 career yards and became the All-Nations Football Conference all-time leading rusher. 

“We have the best offensive line in the conference and I would not be doing what I’m doing without those guys,” Valandra said. “Aden Good Voice has been paving the way since my sophomore season and our head coach Bob Kornely is our offensive line coach and is really good with the blocking schemes.” 

Just three games into his senior season, Valandra surpassed the previous All-Nations Football Conference rushing record held by former Winnebago, Nebraska’s Antrell Harlan, who finished his career with 3,364 total yards. 

Valandra played sparingly as a freshman, rushing for just 160 yards. He blossomed as a sophomore rushing for 1,188 yards and 14 touchdowns. Valandra exploded for 1,748 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior, leading the Falcons to a second consecutive All-Nations Class 9A championship. 

“He’s relentless, really plays hard and has a lot of fight in him,” Kornely said.  “He does everything right whether that’s in the weight room or in the classroom.” 

Valandra entered high school as a 150-pound freshman and has worked his way up to chiseled 180 pounds. Valandra is also a starter on the Falcon basketball team and qualified for the state track meet last spring in the 100-meter dash.

It’s been a number of years since Valandra has missed a single summer workout with the Falcon football team. 

“I work hard because I love to see the results and the self improvement,” Valandra said. 

Kornely noted that Valandra has become an exceptional leader and the other kids follow his lead. On Thursday night, sophomore Bane Yellow Eagle opened the scoring against Mahpiya Luta with a 70-yard touchdown run. 

“He’s only a sophomore but he’s been putting in the work in the weight room and didn’t miss a single summer workout with me,” Valandra said. 

Coach Kornely added to the team leader conversation. 

“He wants the team to succeed,” Kornely said. “Don’t get me wrong, he wants his carries and he likes when those big guys block for him.” 

The Falcons (3-0) are riding a 23-game winning streak and haven’t lost since dropping a 62-12 decision to Winnebago in the 2021 All-Nations Class 9A championship game. 

“The rushing record means a lot but it’s not for me it’s for the whole school and all of my teammates,” he said. “I’m just grateful to be part of Falcon football and I wouldn’t be where I am without my teammates and coaches.” 

Valandra plays the outside linebacker position on defense but says assistant coach Ryan Kornely often keeps him rested for offense. 

“When I'm on defense my job is to get the defensive line all riled up,” he said. 

Valandra is receiving collegiate interest from schools like Dakota State, Waldorf University in Minnesota and the South Dakota School of Mines. Valandra is currently ranked No. 1 in his Todd County graduating Class of 2025 and has a 4.0 grade point average.