By Matt Gade

605 Sports

HILL CITY — Following the Rangers’ best football season in years, Hill City knew it had a glaring hole to fill at the quarterback position with the graduation of Devin Buehler last spring.

Buehler led Hill City to an 8-2 record, including a 36-26 loss to Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy in the 9AA quarterfinals last season.

Head coach Brett Eckert had most of his weapons coming back for the 2025 season, but knew he had to find someone to take over under center.

Eckert went to his all-state tight end, Brensen Veneklasen.

“Brenson's done a great job stepping in at a pretty important spot,” Eckert said. “The fact we had so many weapons coming back, you know, and to kind of make a shift from moving him from tight end to quarterback, we just felt that he can throw the ball, he can run the ball, so he gives us a nice little one two punch with that, but we needed the right guy in there, and I think we found him.

“He's been able to take on that leadership role because, like, last year, he was a tight end, but having to take on that leadership of leading our offense, with having so many highly explosive guys around him, is a lot of pressure, but he's handled it very well.”

Buehler was recognized as an all-state honorable mention last year for the Rangers.

Veneklasen was a first-team all-state tight end for the Rangers. Standing 6’4” and 180 pounds, Veneklasen is also the team’s best pass rusher, according to Eckert.

While Veneklasen switched positions on offense, he is still rushing after quarterbacks and getting in the backfield for the Rangers’ defense.

“We said he was a good football player last year in regards to playing D-end for us, and we were not going to move him,” Eckert said. “So it's kind of like, well, ‘he's also the guy who gives us the best chance to have the most success now.’ So we just love the fact that he's kind of, he's used to the grittiness and the toughness that happens on the defensive line.”

“I just, I love getting sacks. I love getting in there and just making a big play. I love that. I love D-end,” Veneklasen said.

Eckert said Veneklasen played quarterback a few years ago before moving to the tight end position the past couple of seasons. Still, during summer camp, he knew Veneklasen was his guy.

As the Rangers get ready to hit the mid-way point in the season, Veneklasen has led the Rangers to a 3-0 start with wins over Stanley County (72-32), Lemmon/McIntosh (43-6) and Dupree (51-0). 

Veneklasen is 22 for 43 for 474 yards and seven touchdowns through the air while rushing for 187 yards on 29 carries and for 7 touchdowns.

A large part of Veneklasen’s success has been his teammates and skill players, including running backs Mason Weise, who has rushed for 247 yards on 20 carries and four touchdowns, along with Caleb Sobolik, who is averaging over 9 yards per rush on 17 carries and a touchdown. 

Down the field, the Rangers look to their senior wide receiver duo of Zane Messick, with 254 yards on 10 catches and 5 touchdowns, and Nick Schroeder, with 145 yards on four catches and one touchdown, when they air it out down the field.

Hill City's Zane Messick (1) scores a touchdown against Dupree. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

“Those are my guys from day one,” Veneklasen said. “I got a lot of trust in my guys. I mean, I'll throw it up and let them go get it because, I mean, I trust them. I played with them for a lot of years, and just that chemistry we've connected through, just with each other.” 

Veneklasen said he and the seniors wanted to prove last year’s team wasn’t a fluke and were willing to do whatever the team needed of him. 

“We just want to keep going with our culture. I had to step up. But I mean the guys around me, they support me, and it's just all about us bonding as a team. It's never “me,” it's never an “I.” It's always one team.”

On Friday, the No. 4-ranked Rangers will meet the Ranchers from Harding County/Bison (2-1) at home at 6 p.m. in what will be a rematch of one of Hill City’s two losses last season.