Aberdeen Central had a lot of reason to celebrate its 34-21 homecoming football win over Yankton Friday.
Such wins over the Bucks are rare - it was only the fourth time the Golden Eagles had beaten Yankton since 1972.
On Friday night, a number of Central players turned in big moments, including Chase Severson, Logan Stubbe and Anthony Buechler on defense and Jacob Goehring, Curtis Paysen and Greyson Phillips on offense.
Central's other three wins over Yankton - all coming in the coach Mike Flakus era - were:
Oct. 16, 2009: In its 37-20 win over the Bucks, Central got three touchdown passes, a TD run and 198 yards passing from Jared Hannigan; a safety from Nick Schipke; and five point-after-touchdown kicks from Evan Nolte.
Oct. 3, 2003: Todd Lamont and Dirk Remily ran for TDs and Taylor Mehlhaff kicked the PATs in Central's 14-0 win over Yankton.
Sept. 11, 1998: "It feels like we just won the Super Bowl," said Matt Gates after he led the Golden Eagles to their first win over the Bucks in 26 years. Gates rushed for 210 yards and three TDs, including Central's last TD in the extra period in the 28-27 overtime game. Ryan Axlund kicked the game-winning PAT.
In another one of the more dramatic Aberdeen Central vs. Yankton football games, the Golden Eagles nipped the Bucks 13-12 on Oct. 27, 1967. That night, both teams were 5-0 in the Eastern South Dakota Conference when they ran onto Simmons Field in Aberdeen.
It was a classic game with classic coaches: Central coach Don Reshater vs. Yankton coach Max Hawk, a former star center for the Northern State football team.
Central scored first in the second quarter when quarterback George Amundson found Dave Sletting on a 16-yard screen pass. According to American News accounts, Sletting benefitted from two great blocks on the play, one from Chuck Anderson and the other from Bill Axlund (Ryan's dad). After the failed extra point, Yankton speedster Dave Skalberg tied the game at 6 when he returned the kickoff 83 yards.
In the fourth quarter Yankton's Kevin Auld broke the tie with a one-yard touchdown run. Central would later answer with another Amundson-to-Sletting touchdown pass. That 56-yarder was made possible when Sletting got a wonderful block from Rich Baumann. Amundson ran in the extra point, and Central won the game.
Yankton would drive to the Central six-yard line, but the Eagles held. Amundson also blocked Chuck Curtice's attempt at a game-winning field goal. Aberdeen stopped Yankton 14 times on the night when the Bucks had the ball inside Central's 10. In the third quarter, Yankton had a three-yard touchdown run by Curtice nullified because the Bucks were offside.
Central ended with 255 yards offense - 192 through the air - and Yankton had 210, including 154 rushing. The following week, however, Pierre would upset Central 38-13 and Yankton beat Brookings 20-7. So Aberdeen and Yankton shared that 1967 ESD title.
Rare moment II
Pierre (4-0) got its first win, 16-14, over Sioux Falls O'Gorman (2-2) since 1964. SFO scored with 19 seconds left, but its two-point run attempt to tie the game was stopped. Pierre got a 49-yard FG from Garrett Pochop and 135 yards passing and 17 tackles from Alex Gray, who had a hand in both of the Governors' TDs.
Battle of unbeatens
The Dane Campbell to Logan Weisser TD combo led Leola-Frederick (4-0) to a tough 12-7 win over Potter County (3-1). Replay: aberdeennews.com/sports.
Another great area game was Faulkton (3-0) in its 22-16 win over Langford Area (3-1). Lane Meyer had 20 tackles for Faulkton.
Despite playing without injured starting QB Wes Dvorak, Parkston (4-0) got a 30-12 win over Wagner (2-1). Parkston had had five interceptions and all 30 points came from brothers Andrew and Miles Semmler, with Andrew returning two interceptions for TDs.
Odds and ends
Aberdeen Roncalli did not punt and eight players had a hand in the scoring in the Cavaliers 48-7 win over Mobridge-Pollock.
Webster is turning heads with its 3-1 start and large list of weapons.
Newell had four TDs of 50 yards or more in its 32-19 win over Timber Lake.
Watertown got ahead of Sioux Falls Lincoln 14-0, only to see the Patriots go on a 56-3 run to rally for the 56-24 win.
Brandon Valley rallied to score all its points in the second half in its 16-7 win over Brookings.
Stats of week
Chase Bronson led Wilmot over Great Plains Lutheran with four TDs, 139 yards rushing, 261 yards passing and four TD passes, having a hand in 58 of Wilmot's 66 points. Teammate Landon Hammer had 190 yards receiving, four TD catches, one TD pass (to Bronson) and one PAT catch (from Bronson).
2-minute drill
Sioux Falls Washington scored 23 points in a disastrous couple of minutes for Rapid City Stevens. In that time frame, Stevens also lost its starting QB to injury, had snaps over the heads of its punter and reserve QB, threw an interception returned for a TD and saw SFW convert a fourth and 11.
Stars of week
Herreid-Selby Area (3-0) got two long TD passes of 64 and 51 yards from Brady Fiedler to Dakota Thorstenson in its 28-6 win over Lemmon-McIntosh.
Sully Buttes quarterback Scott Senftner completed six of eight passes for 245 yards and four TDs in his team's win over Highmore-Harrold.
Tyson Jenkins had 159 yards rushing, 150 yards passing and a hand in 34 of Clark-Willow Lake's 48 points in its win over Deuel. Teammate Nick Young had five sacks.
Riley Hanson had 367 yards rushing and five TDs in Deubrook Area's win over Elkton-Lake Benton.
Luke Loudenberg had six TDs in Howard's win over Mount Vernon/Plainkinton.
Yankton senior J.J. Hejna broke two school records Friday in the game against Central, both held by 1970s Yankton star David Bitterman. Hejna is now the career leader in catches (60) and receiving yards (1,087).
Games to watch
Roncalli (4-0) will play Tiospa Zina (1-2) in Agency Village at 7 p.m. Friday for the first meeting ever between the teams.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt (3-1) at Aberdeen Central (2-2), 7 p.m. Friday at Swisher Field.
Potter County vs. Herreid/Selby Area at Selby.
Langford Area vs. Eureka/Bowdle at Eureka.
Class 11A No. 1 West Central (3-0) at No. 2 Madison (4-0).
Garretson (3-0) at Alcester-Hudson (4-0).
Howard (3-0) vs. Menno-Marion (3-0) at Marion.
Corsica/Stickney (3-0) at Parker (3-0).
Winner (3-0) at Parkston (4-0).
Avon at Canistota.
Dakota Valley at Dell Rapids.
Hot Springs at Pine Ridge.
Brandon Valley at Sioux Falls Washington.
Hamlin at Wilmot.
Sioux Falls O'Gorman at Yankton.
John Papendick is the managing news-sports editor for the American News: jpapendick@aberdeennews.com.
Twitter: @jpapendick