Pierre beat Mitchell 47-7 on Thursday night at Hollister Field in the opening round of the high school football playoffs. The win advances the Governors to the state semifinals and extends their record to 10-0 on the season.
Junior quarterback Jerren Deal ignited the Pierre offense early, throwing for over 275 yards and three touchdowns entirely within a blistering first half. Head Coach Steve Steele noted that the game plan shifted immediately once Mitchell’s defensive alignment became clear.
“We weren’t sure exactly what coverage we were going to get. When they showed what they did, then that was the matchup that we wanted to exploit. The guys did a great job making those plays,” Steele said.
Early Fireworks and Ground-and-Pound Efficiency
The onslaught began just a minute and a half into the contest when Deal kept the ball on a left-side keeper, broke an ankle tackle at the line of scrimmage, and scampered 10 yards for the opening score and a 7-0 lead. On Pierre’s very next offensive snap, Deal connected with junior running back Porter Hunsley on a 73-yard go ball with six minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Mitchell’s subsequent drive stalled instantly when Hunsley ripped a fumble straight out of the ball carrier’s hands, recovering it at the Kernels 30-yard line. Pierre capitalized on the turnover immediately with another one-play drive, as Deal floated a 30-yard touchdown pass over a defender to senior tight end Cooper Terwilliger, stretching the lead to 20-0.
Pierre senior tight end Cooper Terwilliger catching the ball over the top of a Mitchell defender in a 47-7 win.
Deal delivered his third and final touchdown pass with 9:26 left in the second quarter, finding senior wide receiver Will Danburg for a 33-yard strike featuring a one-handed fingertips catch. Following a Mitchell punt, senior wide receiver Hudson Stoeser returned the kick 60 yards for a touchdown, building a commanding 34-0 advantage by halftime.
At the break, Deal completed eight of 11 passes for 277 yards alongside his three passing scores and one rushing touchdown. Steele praised his signal-caller’s accuracy and deep-ball development.
“A little bit of an overthrow is an incomplete pass. A little bit of an underthrow could be a pick. So, he’s done a great job being able to build that timing and that consistency of those deep balls, because with as deep as we’re throwing, it’s not usual that you’re going to throw such a high percentage, but he is doing that,” Steele said.
Defense Holds Fast as Starters Rest
Terwilliger led all Pierre receivers with 75 yards, followed closely by Hunsley with 73, Stoeser with 70, and Danburg with 33. Hunsley opened the second-half scoring with a 45-yard touchdown scamper down the left sideline, making it 40-0.
With a running clock established, the Governors pulled their starters to prevent injuries. Sophomore quarterback Brecken Fuhrman capped Pierre’s scoring with a 32-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, pushing the margin to 47-0 before Mitchell scored on a four-yard touchdown run by senior wide receiver Kyson Herrmann.
While the offense piled up points, Steele expressed equal admiration for a varsity defense that didn’t allow a single point and forced two turnovers.
“In terms of varsity guys, they won every drive. That’s the goal. Porter had an insane play just taking the ball away from a guy. They played extremely well tonight. Didn’t have a ton of yardage. When they’re able to get a quick stop, it just allows us to go right back and keep building that momentum,” Steele said.
Semifinal Showdown Looms
Mitchell concluded its campaign with a 4-6 record. Meanwhile, Pierre advances to host five-seed Sturgis Brown next Friday in the state semifinals with a berth in the DakotaDome on the line.
The two teams previously met in the season opener on August 29, a game the Governors won 42-6. However, Steele expects a vastly different challenge this time around.
“They’re going to be a completely different team. That was week one. It seems like a year ago. I mean, it’s going to be a full-on re-scout for both teams, and we’re excited,” Steele said.
