The Aberdeen Central football team won well-deserved praise, but Sioux Falls O'Gorman won the game Friday in Aberdeen.
The fifth-rated Knights won their fifth game in a row, nipping Central 11-0. For the Central, it was a tough loss to swallow, especially its 15 seniors on Senior Night.
"We had some really good drives, but we just made some mistakes that really knocked us out," said Central standout senior offensive and defensive lineman Schyler Kumpf, wiping away a tear or two. "But still, this is definitely a confidence builder because all the Sioux Falls teams are good, and O'Gorman is always tough. They got that one touchdown right away, and take that away, and this may have been a different game. We're going to get back to practice and work hard and get ready for Brookings."
O'Gorman used its running game to control the clock and score most of its points. The Knights' first touchdown came on Nic Steffl's one-yard, first-quarter run on a 12-play, 63-yard drive that took more than five minutes. Steffl carried the ball 38 times for 147 yards in the game.
But the Knights' knockout punch came in the fourth quarter, when Alex Pujado kicked a 34-yard field with 8:18 left in the game to give O'Gorman a 9-0 lead. O'Gorman used a 17-play, 62-yard drive that took 8 minutes and 12 seconds over two quarters to set up the field goal.
The last O'Gorman points came on a safety when the Knights tripped up Central quarterback Michael Stotz in the end zone.
"It was ugly," said O'Gorman coach Steve Kueter, who won game number 268 in 32 seasons. "We have been dealing with some injuries, but we hope to have starters Tanner Schulte (junior quarterback who broke his leg in first quarter of second game Sept. 1 against Sioux Falls Roosevelt) and Eion Donelan (junior running back who suffered a hip pointer Sept. 28 against Brookings) back next week. They are our speed guys on offense.
"But I have to hand it to Aberdeen because they did a really good job of defending us," Kueter continued. "They have played hard all year long and tonight was no exception. They are a good group who are hanging in there and fighting hard. Central will make the first round of the playoffs and I tell you what, they are one of those teams you don't want to play."
Central had its chances. Three times, the Golden Eagles marched the ball inside the O'Gorman 20-yard line:
Trailing 6-0, Central drove to the SFO 16 in a 10-play drive, but fumbled the ball away.
In the third quarter, Central used a 44-yard pass play from Stotz to Anthony Buechler to get into the red zone again. But mistakes drove the Golden Eagles back.
Central again had a drive going when the game ended.
"We missed two scoring opportunities," said Central coach Mike Flakus. "That was a big deal, and that might have been the game. We did some good things defensively, and we did some good things on offense at times. But we just blew a couple of opportunities to win the game. But I am proud of the kids. They didn't back down. O'Gorman is a very good football team, but right from the start, we were as physical as they were."
Aberdeen Central (2-6) will play at Brookings (3-5) at 7 p.m. Thursday in the regular-season final. In an all-Sioux Falls doubleheader Thursday at Howard Wood Field, O'Gorman (5-3) will play Sioux Falls Lincoln (6-2) at 5 p.m. followed by Washington (8-0) vs. Roosevelt (7-1) at 8 p.m.
S.F. O'Gorman (5-3)| 6 0 0 5-11
Aberdeen Central (2-6)| 0 0 0 0- 0
|First Quarter|
SFO - Nic Steffl 1 run (conversion failed), 4:41.
|Fourth Quarter|
SFO - Alex Pujado 33 field goal, 8:18.
SFO - Safety, tackled quarterback in end zone, 3:51.
|INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS|
RUSHING - O'Gorman 49-168, Nic Steffl 38-147. Central 30-53, Michael Stotz 12-24.
PASSING - O'Gorman 3-4-0 for 40, Blake Hilmoe. Central 7-17-1 for 114, Stotz 5-13-1 for 93.
RECEIVING - O'Gorman 3-40, Tyler Pals 2-36. Central 7-114, Anthony Buechler 2-62, Josh Hilgemann 4-34.
FIRST DOWNS - O'Gorman 10. Central 11.
FUMBLES - O'Gorman 4 (one lost). Central 5 (one lost).
PUNTING - O'Gorman 5-157. Central 5-127.
PENALTIES - O'Gorman 3-45. Central 5-41.