By Matt Gade

605 Sports

VERMILLION — Coming into the Class 9A state championship game, the Wall Eagles were still holding a grudge from more than a year ago.

That grudge was the fuel for the Wall Eagles all season as they ran through their competition in the regular season and the playoffs into a matchup with the Howard Tigers.

This season, the Eagles only failed to score less than 50 points once, in a quarterfinal win to Castlewood, which forfeited down 41-0 in the third quarter.

It wasn’t much different at the DakotaDome as the Wall Eagles downed Howard 60-6 for the school’s second state championship in four years.

“It's just special, just to finally get over that hump and get back to the Dome and to just take it to Howard, kind of get the revenge for our 2021 team,” senior Jace Mohr said. “You know, we kind of still had that trip on our shoulder from a few years ago. So, you know, to just come here this morning, get, you know, just take care of the job. Just get it done. Feels pretty special.”

While the Howard loss was a part of the fuel for Mohr, a year ago in the semifinals, Wall lost to Wolsey-Wessington 30-28 and from that point the Eagles were on a mission, according to senior Trevor Schulz.

“It motivated us. Motivated us a lot,” Schulz said. “We would go in the gym; Younger (Amiotte),  Jace (Mohr), Dawson (Handcock) and the rest of the team. We'd have team lifts, coach would push us to go to the gym a lot. And just had a chip on our shoulder the entire time, and we did not want to lose again.”

During Friday’s win, the Wall Eagles set a single-season 9A record for most points in a season with 656 points, beating Wolsey-Wessington’s record of 637 set in 2014.

The key to this year’s success has been the players’ mentality, head coach Lex Heathershaw said.

Their focus, work and dedication since that Wolsey-Wessington loss was at another level, according to Heathershaw.

“That was a tough loss last year. Everyone took it to heart,” Mohr said of the loss to Wolsey-Wessington. “But you know, nothing's going to come easy. We had to put in the work this offseason, those early morning lifts and everything. So just to put in that work and to finally get back here and win how dominantly we did today, it feels pretty special.

“We still had our mistakes, but that's gonna happen. It's football. So just to come out here and be dominant, you know, we're super dynamic as an offense, as a defense, we're all flying around. So to just come out here and do our job, each and every one of us, it feels really good.”

Mohr, who was named the game’s Most Outstanding Back and Joe Robbie MVP winner, finished with 211 yards rushing on 11 attempts with three touchdowns. Mohr also finished with four tackles from his linebacker position.

Junior quarterback Tanner Volmer was 7-for-8 passing for 176 yards and four touchdowns through the air while rushing for 65 yards on eight carries and scoring two more on the ground. Volmer finished with four tackles, two tackles for loss from his safety position on the defensive side. Senior wide receiver Dawson Handcock had two receptions for 83 yards and a score, junior Teelan Kjerstad had three catches for 63 yards and two scores, with senior tight end Younger Amiotte scoring a touchdown on his lone reception for 27 yards.

“We have so many weapons that it's just like, ‘How do we take advantage of that?’” Heathershaw said. “We're talking constantly on the sideline as coaches of how we can do that and just how we can continue to attack offensively. And I'd have to look at the stats, but I don't even know what they look like. I'm sure it's kind of crazy, but multiple guys making multiple plays.”

Wall's Teelan Kjerstad (12) makes a touchdown reception during the Class 9A state championship game against Howard on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)

Defensively, the Eagles take pride in only allowing three touchdowns against their varsity this season. That includes the Tigers’ lone score in Friday’s game. 

“The credit there goes to Coach Chris Bessette. He's done a fantastic job,” Heathershaw said. “He watches a ton of film, gets us ready every week, along with all of our coaching staff. But then, most importantly, those guys just being hungry, right?! At all three levels, our defensive line, our linebackers are back in, you know, they're just all solid. It's like, you try to attack a defense in a certain spot, and when you look at our defense, it's like, man, there's not a lot of holes there. So, like, it's pretty hard to attack us.”

Heathershaw said he felt almost the entire town of Wall was in Vermillion for the game, showing their support.

“It means everything to our community to just bring (the state championship) back to them,” Mohr said. “It's not only us. It's for our community. It's the parents, all our family and friends. So it feels really good.”

As the Wall Eagles finish a perfect 12-0 and second state title in four years, Heathershaw said the team, parents and community are going to cherish this one.

“It feels unreal, a little surreal here right now. And something that you know this year for me was a focus, was just to enjoy every moment,” Heathershaw said. “...The moment's real now, right?! Standing right behind me. These guys are taking pictures, and it's just surreal, you know, but it's like the community support that we have in Wall, it takes a village. We wouldn't want to be in any other village than Wall. So props to the town of Wall and happy to bring it home to West River.” 

Wall's Jace Mohr (2) shakes a Howard defender during the Class 9A state championship game on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Matt Gade/605 Sports)