Stevens runs past Sturgis

By Jason Gross, Meade County Times | Sunday, September 09, 2007

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Rapid City Stevens, one week removed from a loss to Spearfish, turned the tables on a West River rival in Saturday’s Rushmore Bowl finale.

The Raiders led by only six points with 4-1/2 minutes left. Eight plays later, Stevens had sewn up a 21-7 Greater Dakota Conference victory over Sturgis. Rapid City is now 1-1 in the Greater Dakota Conference, 2-1 overall.

Kyle Chapman and Jeff Moran accounted for every inch of Rapid City’s game-clinching effort. Moran’s 20-yard dash to paydirt put the exclamation point on a 77-yard drive. Chapman scored the two-point conversion with 1-1/2 minutes to go.

Sturgis (1-1 in the conference, 1-2 overall) trailed only 13-7 after scoring its first touchdown in the last three Rushmore Bowl contests. Seth Mulvehill caught a short fourth-down pass from Tyler Jensen and turned it into a 27-yard touchdown with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Tyler Bertsch’s extra point kick brought the Scoopers within 13-7.

Chapman’s 1-yard TD run in the second quarter accounted for the halftime score. Alex Ferdinand booted the extra point as the Raiders went ahead 7-0.

An interception at the Sturgis failed, but the Spartans were able to convert on two-point attempts the rest of the way.  

Central got on the board late in the first half with a 51-yard drive highlighted by a 25 yard pass from quarterback Chapman Ham to Jesse Holz and a 13-yard run by Derek Hientz.

Tyler Schulke capped the march with a 4-yard run with 1:59 left in the half, and Alan Genzlinger’s kick gave Central its only lead of the game at 7-6 at the half.

As in last week’s 16-0 loss to Sturgis, the turnover bug bit Central against Spearfish.

The Spartans cashed in on two fumbles and a pair of interceptions.

“The last two weeks we gotten the benefit of turnovers and we’ve been able to take care of the ball,” said Syverson. “Turnovers will cost you a game or win you a game.”

The first miscue, a mishandled Cobbler option pitch deep in Cobbler territory, was recovered by the Spartans’ Mitch Bradley.

Masters scored two plays later on a 1-yard keeper.

Spearfish’s Tony Garcia fell on another loose ball, this time the result of a hard hit on Schulte at the Cobbler 15-yard line. Johnson found paydirt on the next snap    

“Turnover after turnover, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing you just can’t give other teams the opportunities that we’re giving them and expect to be successful,” said Central coach Trent Pikula.

“We’re in the right places. We just didn’t make the plays.”

The Cobblers closed out the scoring in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard pass from Jordan McArthur to Joe Phillipe. McArthur and Ham shared signal-caller duties for Central.

“Jordan’s a good quarterback and Chap’s a lot better than what he’s been showing,” Pikula said.

“We just want to get someone on the field that’ll make a play,” he said. “We’re not making the right reads right now.”

Central, 0-3 overall, 0-2 in the Greater Dakota Conference, travels to Sioux Falls Lincoln for another GDC contest on Sept. 14. Spearfish, 2-1 overall and 2-0 in the GDC, hosts defending Class 11AA champion Sioux Falls on Sept. 14 at Lyle Hare Stadium.