VERMILLION — The Class 9A All-Nations Football Conference championship game featured a matchup of two familiar foes as the No. 1 Winnebago Indians faced the No. 2 Todd County Falcons, a couple of squads that have split two previous 9A All-Nations championship contests. And the teams met during the regular season with Winnebago posting a 38-8 victory.

That script played similarly on Friday night as Winnebago scored early and utilized points off turnovers to pad the margin enroute to a 36-8 victory, a win made all the sweeter in light of a heartbreaking 42-40 double-overtime loss to Pine Ridge in last year’s 9A championship game. And perhaps a little payback over a Todd County team that defeated the Indians in the 2023 All-Nations 9A title tilt.

“It was heartbreaking last year for sure,” Winnebago coach Dusty Welsh said. “But first hats off to Bob Kornely and his staff, they do a great job over there which makes it fun when we play them, but, yes, this win is pretty sweet.”

The Indians got on the board quickly recovering an opening kickoff fumble on the Todd County 34-yard line. Surprisingly for a team that typically eschews the forward pass, Winnebago quarterback Elijah Whitebear connected with Rahkim Free-Bass for 28 yards on the first scrimmage play of the game. Five plays later, Whitebear tallied the first score of the contest on a one-yard plunge and a 6-0 lead after a failed PAT attempt.

“I did throw a little bit tonight didn’t I,” Welsh said with a grin pointing out that his team had thrown only 24 passes in the regular season. “And even though they covered it pretty well we were able to make some big plays.”

Another Todd Country turnover stymied a possible scoring drive and set up Winnebago’s second tally. Opting to go on 4th and 8 from the Winnebago 48, a desperation pass was picked off by Whitebear.

A 71-yard touchdown from Whitebear to Free-Bass quickly followed a pass that seemed to have interception written all over it, but Free-Bass came down with the throw near the sidelines and danced untouched.

Up 14-0, Winnebago extended the lead midway through the second quarter, a score again set up by a Falcon fumble in their own territory. Three plays later, Adarius Flemister scored on a three-yard scamper to put Winnebago up 20-0 at intermission.

Thoughts of a Todd County comeback were doused early in the third quarter as Whitebear again connected with Free-Bass on a 11-yard scoring toss. Following another Winnebago score early in the fourth quarter, a Whitebear 17-yard TD pass to Free-Bass, Todd County finally got on the board with 4:03 remaining as Chris Ellert scoring strike to Oniya Whirlwind Soldier.

Winnebago rushed for 304 yards in the game, the bulk of it coming via the 204 yard effort by senior Adarius Flemister, the game MVP. Quarterback Elijah Whitebear throw sparingly but competed all four of his passes for 122 yards and two scores. A stout defense aided the cause holding Todd County to 36 yards rushing and 57 yards through the air.