Class 9AA state champion Phoenix garner five all-state selections

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Nov. 21—FREEMAN, S.D. — After rolling to a 12-0 season and a state championship, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy headlined the Class 9AA all-state football team with five honorees, as decided by the South Dakota Football Coaches Association.

For the Phoenix, seniors Riley Tschetter, Luke Peters and Tate Sorensen were chosen, along with junior Hunter Nankivel and sophomore Easton Tschetter.

Selected at quarterback, Riley Tschetter went 124-for-190 (65.3%) passing with 2,385 yards, 29 touchdowns and just one interception through the air and added 491 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He was also the Joe Robbie MVP in FMFA's title game victory at the DakotaDome. During his career, Tschetter amassed more than 7,600 yards passing, 1,300 yards rushing and accounted for 124 total touchdowns, as FMFA went 30-6 in his starts behind center.

"Riley is the leader of our football team, and when he's on the field, we believe we're going to win," said FMFA coach and father Dustin Tschetter. "There's a confidence he brings to our team that you just can't put into words. He's had a tremendous career and is arguably one of the best players to ever come through Freeman."

Peters, who was tabbed as an all-state running back but is a threat all over the field, had 1,024 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on 116 carries as a senior. He added 217 yards and four touchdowns receiving, plus two interception returns and a punt return for a score.

"Luke has the speed to break a big run at any given moment, the ability to make you miss in the open field and is also a hard-nose runner who will lower his pads and deliver a blow," Dustin Tschetter said. "Luke had to wait his turn, but he took the reins and had a great season."

Sorensen, the Class 9AA all-state tight end, turned nine of his 22 receptions on the season into touchdowns, as he totaled 430 yards at nearly 20 yards per reception. He also tallied 5 1/2 sacks on defense.

"Tate is the one guy who other teams try to double-team," Dustin Tschetter said. "He has the speed to take a short pass the distance and the size to out-jump smaller defenders."

From his center position at a sturdy 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Nankivel helped clear the path for nearly 4,600 total yards for the Phoenix offense, as the Phoenix averaged 47.9 points per game. He was credited with four pancake blocks.

"Hunter is the guy making all our calls at the line of scrimmage," Dustin Tschetter said. "He has done a great job communicating all our calls, creating holes for our running backs to run through and giving Riley time to pick apart defenses."

On the back end of the FMFA defense, Easton Tschetter racked up 116 tackles, including 56 solo stops, to go with three interceptions and four forced fumbles. He had a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown and a punt return touchdown on special teams, tacking on 318 yards receiving and two offensive touchdowns.

"Easton has been all over the field this season making plays," Dustin Tschetter said. "He leads our team in tackles from the secondary and is also our lockdown cornerback when we go man-to-man."

Also representing FMFA, junior defensive lineman Alaric Knittel was an honorable mention pick.

Class 9AA semifinalist Parkston landed three players on the all-state squad in senior Wyatt Anderson and juniors Mason Jervik and Gage Jodozi.

From his spot along the defensive line, Anderson posted 29 solo tackles with seven tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks and a forced fumble. He also played offensive line for a unit that gained more than 3,200 yards on the year.

"Wyatt is fast off the snap, low to the ground and his wrestling background provides great use of hands and awareness," said Parkston coach Matt Grave. "He was our best defensive lineman."

A three-phase standout, Jervik totaled nearly 1,100 yards from scrimmage and 19 offensive touchdowns for the Trojans this fall. He added 27 solo tackles, five pass breakups and five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, on defense, plus had two punt return touchdowns on special teams.

"Mason is our most explosive player. Not many people in the state can run with him on the football field," Grave said. "He is so dynamic in all three phases of the game. With his natural speed, ball skills and coordination, ability to start and stop and tackle in space, he is one of the best players on the field, no matter who is on the field."

Jodozi, an honorable mention defensive lineman as a sophomore in 2024, adapted seamlessly to playing middle linebacker this season. He compiled 47 solo tackles with seven tackles for loss and 5 1/2 sacks, plus one forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a punt block and a safety. On offense, he turned 32 total touches into 273 yards and four touchdowns.

"Gage is our best all-around football player on both sides of the ball. He has a natural football IQ added with his preparation," Grave said. "He is able to take on blockers from every angle with hands and strength and can run sideline to sideline through traffic and finish plays."

Kimball/White Lake also had three picks to the all-state squad in seniors Dalton Deffenbaugh and Dayn Goodman and sophomore Chevy Fees.

At 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds, Deffenbaugh helped clear the path for more than 3,000 total yards by the Wildkats offense. The center was a two-year starter, with KWL gaining more than 4,300 rushing yards across the two campaigns.

"Dalton was a team captain this year and led the offensive line. He had a high win rate at center and was a complete lineman, being able to block on multiple levels," said KWL coach Ryan Skluzak. "He was also a force in the middle of our defense."

From his defensive back spot, Goodman had 58 total tackles, six interceptions and two fumble recoveries for the Wildkats. A three-year starter on defense, he finished with 126 tackles and 12 takeaways. On offense, Goodman offered 314 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season.

"Dayn was our best cover corner, and he was solid in both man and zone coverage," Skluzak said. "Dayn is a smart and instinctual player, and we trusted him to be a shut-down corner and to make plays when challenged."

Just a sophomore, Fees broke the KWL single-season tackles record this fall with 101, including 66 solo stops. He also had two interceptions and three forced fumbles on defense while playing running back and receiver on offense.

"The best way to describe Chevy is that he is a football player. He plays tremendously hard and has no quit in him," Skluzak said. "Chevy is a hybrid player and lines up all over the field for us on defense. He is a true sideline-to-sideline player."

Hanson senior Stetson Riggs was tabbed as the Class 9AA all-state fullback for the second year in a row. Riggs turned 109 carries into 890 yards and nine touchdowns, plus added 44 tackles with 3.5 sacks on defense. For his career, he had over 1,400 rushing yards and 200 tackles.

"Last year, Stetson played more of the traditional fullback position, but this year we got him the ball more, and he was a big part in our offense," said Hanson coach Jacob Giles. "He is a tough runner and a tough kid to bring down. He is also an excellent blocker and was a big part in our pass protection this year."

Jason Porth, a junior, got an honorable mention nod for the Beavers.

Bon Homme junior Isaiah Crownover was picked as a special teams player. Handling all kicking duties for the Cavaliers, he had a 43-yard kickoff average, 32-yard punt average and kicked extra points. He had more than 650 yards from scrimmage and seven offensive touchdowns, plus 67 tackles, one sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a punt block.

"Isaiah has been a cornerstone of our program the last two years," said Bon Homme coach Tom Culver. "He is a hard worker and a true leader on our team."

Fellow junior Major Aarstad was an honorable mention for the Cavaliers.

Rounding out an all-area defensive backfield was Gregory senior Colt Keiser. At 6-foot-6, Keiser notched 53 tackles with one fumble recovery and six interceptions, returning a pair for touchdowns. The 2024 honorable mention all-state receiver also had 26 receptions for 564 yards and eight touchdowns in the passing game.

"Colt is a big, fast defender that could match up with anyone one-on-one," said Gregory coach Mike Murray. "He has a great eye for the ball and the closing speed to get there. He is also not afraid to come up and make a tackle on the run."

Landon Keiser, a junior, was an honorable mention pick for the Gorillas.

Scotland/Menno senior Carter Fischer grabbed a spot on the all-state defensive line. Fischer, at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, had 58 tackles with 12 for loss and six sacks, plus two pass deflections this season.

"Carter is a tough kid who played most of the season with a torn ligament in his hand and led us in most categories on defense," said Scotland/Menno coach Tom Sattler.

Runner-up Elkton-Lake Benton also had five all-state picks, including the Class 9AA All-American honoree, Colt Beck.

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