VERMILLION — The streak, is over.

Watertown ended Pierre’s streak of seven straight Class 11AA championships Friday night at the DakotaDome, topping the Governors 14-13.

It took everything Watertown had to slay the giant, but a key defensive stop in the closing minutes pushed the Arrows past the dynasty.

“Pierre’s always a different team in the playoffs,” said Watertown running back Spencer Wientjes. “I feel like they proved a lot from week three to now, they really picked up the pass game so that was something we had to kind of work more on for practice.”

With 1:39 to play, the Govs had the ball at their own 33-yard line with no timeouts, desperately needing a score.

With the help of a 43-yard completion to receiver George Stalley, the Govs set up a 5-yard Elijah Boutchee touchdown run to cut the Watertown lead to one with 50 seconds remaining.

Watertown celebrates after defeating Pierre 14-13 in the 11AA championship at the DakotaDome Friday night. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

An extra point would’ve tied the game, but the veteran Pierre team were aware of the situation, and tried for two.

“I knew they were going for two and not to think twice about it,” said Watertown coach John Hodorff. “I just know that if you got the momentum going in that situation, you’d probably go for two. I definitely know that we probably would’ve done the same thing.”

The Govs ran a similar play with Boutchee around the right side, but this time, was sniffed out by a stifling Watertown defense.

Wientjes fielded the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory for the Arrows, and clinched Watertown’s first football championship since 2001.

“Even with our last offensive drive, if anybody was going to hit us we were going to go down right away, didn’t want to force a fumble,” said Wientjes. “I knew as soon as I got that ball I was going to sit on the ground and end the game.”

Wientjes played a big role throughout the game for Watertown, but had no bigger impact than midway through the fourth quarter, when Wientjes scored the go-ahead touchdown from 17 yards out.

“I didn’t even really think about the touchdown, I just thought, how are we going to stop them,” said Wientjes.

Watertown had to dig deep into its bag of tricks a couple of times this game, including a second quarter 28-yard touchdown pass to running back Marcus Fossum.

“We just had Marcus run down the middle of the field,” said Hodorff. “You hope he catches it or you hope he gets a pass interference, but he came down with it.”

Fossum came into the DakotaDome having just three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown on the season, but made a huge play with a Pierre defender tightly guarding him.

“I think that’s just about the only pass play that we have put in for me,” said Fossum, who also rushed for 82 yards in the win.. “I’ve run that play one other time this whole season. And maybe they just weren’t ready for it but I can catch the ball too.”

Out of the halftime break, the Governor offense started clicking, with quarterback Kaleb Lounsbury finding Stalley on a 28-yard equalizing touchdown.

This game played out as a defensive battle, and it came down to which team would make just one more play.

Watertown's Treyton Himmerich hoists the 11AA trophy during the 11AA trophy presentation. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

When it comes to the past seven championships, that team was Pierre. This season, the arrows have re-written the story.

“It’s a great feeling to be state champs with this crew of kids,” said Hodorff. “They’re a bunch of guys who work hard on the field, they work hard off the field, and they work hard in the classroom.”

Coach Hodorff says a lot of credit goes to the Arrow defense, which allowed just 20 points across three playoff games.

“Defensively we were really good. Had a great scheme every single week throughout the entire season,” said Hodorff. “And this group of kids is a real physical crew.”

Arguably the biggest difference in Friday night's 11AA championship was controlling the line of scrimmage.

Watertown was the more physical team, limiting Pierre to -13 rushing yards while providing holes for Fossum, the game’s Outstanding Back and Joe Robbie MVP, as well as Wientjes.

“There’s a lot of plays I get a little frustrated about when I think I should’ve got more yards,” said Fossum on the run game. “But overall, those big guys in front of me, they do everything. I’m so happy and glad to run behind those boys.”