Dell Rapids Public School News

01/29/2007

Reflections on the Road to the Dome by Niklaus Guenter (foreign exchange student)

The road to the Dome started on a rainy Friday night, when the first football game was played on September 1. The Quarriers hosted the Madison Bulldogs. It was a tough game in which the Quarriers lost 21-12. It would be the only loss at home for the season. The players practiced hard to get better, and each game saw improvement. Every player was motivated to give their best, and team spirit helped the team become successful.

After they won the last regular season game against Harrisburg, the Quarriers received the Big Sioux Conference title. The Dells team went to the playoffs with a record of 6-2. The first round was at home against Milbank. The Quarriers defeated the Bulldogs 44-6 qualifying for the region championship. It was another freezing and very windy night when the football players drove to Madison. Bad memories came up, but the team was ready to avenge their first loss. The game was very close, and the score remained 0-0 after 4 quarters throwing the game into overtime. In overtime the Dells team scored a touchdown and also the extra point. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown, but failed their attempt for a 2 point conversion. It was cold, but the Quarriers were hot!

The next action for the football team was the semi-final game at home against Custer. The stands were full, and the cheerleaders cheered the team on. The Custer Wildcats came a long way to Dell Rapids and were ready to play football. The Quarriers played excellent and won deservedly 21-6. At the end of the game there was no doubt about it, the Quarriers were going to the Dakota Dome to play the State Football Championship final for the first time in school history.

Everybody was excited about the final, and the town was full of congratulatory signs for the football team. On a Friday evening, the football team rode in style to the Dome in two charter busses. The players were getting ready in the locker room, and the coaches gave some last minute advice for the team. The game started; the Canton C-hawks scored a touchdown in the first quarter, but missed the extra point. In the second quarter the C-hawks fumbled the ball; James Ernesti recovered it and scored a touchdown. Frederick Wolff added the extra point finishing the half with a 7-6 Quarrier lead.

In the third quarter, Ernesti recovered another fumbled ball and scored the second touchdown. In the same quarter the C-hawks scored a touchdown and made the PAT. The game was tight - tied at 13. The game was sent into overtime. The Quarriers started on offense. Levi Reiff passed to Jason Rausch, and he scored the touchdown. Wolff made the PAT, and the score was 20-13. The C-Hawks had to score at least 7 points, and they did sending the game into another overtime.

In the second overtime, the Canton team started on offense and made a touchdown and extra point. The Quarriers tried to match C-Hawk touchdown with a pass. Sadly, the C-Hawks intercepted the ball ending the game.

It’s always hard to lose any game, especially a tight game for the state football title.  However, the Dells team can be proud. They won the runner-up trophy, and started a proud tradition of sending our football team to the Dakota Dome championship. It wasn’t just the football players who made this season so successful, it was also the coaches, the parents, the fans, and everybody that supported the Quarrier football team.