The 2023 high school football season kicked off Aug. 17-19 in South Dakota. 

Here are this week’s top performers across South Dakota for games held on Aug. 17-19. 

• Avon’s Paxton Bierema finished with 139 passing yards, rushed for 39 yards and scored four total touchdowns. Bierema threw touchdown passes to Landon Thury and Trace Pelton, while Bierema rushed for a score and returned a kickoff for a touchdown. 

• Parkston’s Kolter Kramer scored a touchdown three different ways on Aug. 18, scoring a rushing score, hauling a touchdown reception and running back a 75-yard kickoff for a score. 

• De Smet’s Britt Carlson completed 11 of 20 passes for 120 yards and tossed three touchdowns. He added 86 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, while posting five tackles on defense on Aug. 18. 

• Elk Point-Jefferson’s Keaton Gale completed 11-of-20 passes for 195 yards and three touchdown passes on Aug. 18 vs. Parker. 

• Hitchcock-Tulare’s Erik Salmen logged 10 carries for 125 yards and scored two touchdowns on Aug. 18 vs. Northwestern. 

• Hitchcock-Tulare’s Brendan Nowell scored five total touchdowns vs. Northwestern, rushing for two scores and throwing three passing touchdowns. He had 43 rushing yards and 151 passing yards.

• Howard's Taiden Hoyer fires a pass against Hanson on Aug. 18 in Alexandria. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)
  
  

• Howard’s Taiden Hoyer tossed three passing touchdowns and threw for 161 yards in the season opener on Aug. 18. 

• Wall’s Burk Blasius totaled seven touchdowns on Aug. 17. The Eagle quarterback completed 13 of 15 passes, threw for 252 yards and tossed four touchdown receptions. He added 131 rushing yards and three more scores. 

• Harding County/Bison’s Rylee Veal rushed for 253 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns on Aug. 17. Veal had six tackles on defense and returned two fumbles for touchdowns. 

• Sioux Valley’s Brock Christopherson racked up 127 rushing yards on 11 carries and scored two touchdowns on Aug. 17. Boden Schiller added 121 rushing yards on six carries and scored a rushing touchdown.

• Estelline-Hendricks’ Mattix Hausman rushed for 247 yards, passed for 92 yards and had two passing touchdowns on Aug. 18. 

• Corsica-Stickney’s Waylon Bolle racked up 295 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns on Aug. 18. Teammate Carter Wright added 173 rushing yards and three touchdowns. 

• Elkton-Lake Benton’s Colt Beck rushed for four touchdowns in the season opener on Aug. 17. 

• Freeman-Marion/Freeman Academy’s Rocky Ammann hauled in three touchdown receptions and 176 receiving yards. 

• Stanley County’s Colton Brady racked up 200 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on Aug. 18 vs. Sully Buttes. 

• Rapid City Christian’s Simon Kieffer tossed four passing touchdowns and 334 passing yards, while rushing for two touchdowns in the season opener. 

• Potter County’s Carter Luikens rushed for four touchdowns 108 yards, while he hauled in 110 receiving yards in the season opener. 

• Deuel’s Trey Maaland passed for 204 yards and three passing touchdowns.