NO. 3 ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDERS HOLD OFF YANKTON BUCKS WITH SECOND-HALF SURGE

The schedule wasn’t kind to Yankton on Friday night. Limping in at 0-3, the Bucks couldn’t have found themselves in a worse spot than making the 75-mile drive north to Sioux Falls. Upon arrival, Yankton met Class 11AAA No. 3 ranked Roosevelt, and the Rough Riders made things anything but hospitable, especially in the second half. Roosevelt turned a three-point halftime lead and were never threatened in the second half, winning 34-17. But the win didn’t come without some anxious moments and concern, especially from Roosevelt head coach Kim Nelson. Although the Riders outgained Yankton 353-268, Nelson was less than impressed with his team’s offensive production. “I’m very concerned,” Nelson said. “We’re not playing very well, especially on offense. We have to find a way to be more consistent and maybe simplify things or something, because we’re not moving the ball very well. You can’t rely on big plays and throw the ball deep to score. Good teams take that away from you, and we’ve got good teams coming up.” The Riders used a mix at quarterback with Carter Lohr and Brady Dannenbring sharing the load. Lohr was 7-for-13 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Dannenbring was 9-for-15 for 123 yards and a touchdown. Nick Hoekstra led the Riders (3-1) on the ground with 47 yards on 12 carries. Roosevelt got out to a quick 13-0 lead, and following their second score, they had outgained Yankton 128-7 in total yardage. A 3-yard score from Dannenbring, and an 80-yard touchdown strike from Lohr to Nathan Varns in the first quarter looked to be an early knockout punch for the Riders (3-1). But Yankton (0-4) finally got something going on offense on its fourth offensive possession. With 1:15 to play in the opening quarter, the Bucks registered their first first-down of the game. Two plays later, Garrett Tennant hit Rex Ryken, who pulled in a one-handed beauty, for a 68-yard score, and Yankton showed life. Cole Sawatzke hit a 32-yard field goal late in the half to cut it to 13-10, and Roosevelt was badly in need of the halftime break. Following its opening two scores that registered 128 total yards, the Riders gained just 54 total yards in its final possessions the rest of the half. “We didn’t change anything. We just tried to change the way we played,” Nelson said when asked if his team made any halftime adjustments. “Our effort was poor in the first half. We were inconsistent on offense in terms of making mistakes and bad plays. I think we just thought the game was over. It’s a mental thing with us and we have to figure it out.” The Riders opened the second half with back-to-back long touchdown passes on their first two possessions, both coming on fourth down. Lohr hit Hoekstra on a 4th-and-8 for a 43-yard score, and Brady Dannenbring hit Nathan Varns on a 4th-and-3 for 24 yards and the Riders went on to cruise. But again, Nelson wanted no part of feeling good about the big plays. “That just demonstrates how inconsistent we are. To have to go for it on fourth down, to try and score,” he said. “We’re just sputtering on offense, and I have to fix that.” Yankton pulled to within 27-17 with 4:39 to play when Tennant hit Ryken again from 24-yards out, and the Bucks weren’t finished. They attempted an onside kick moments later in hopes of cutting into the lead, but Roosevelt’s Travis Pearson scooped up the short kick and ran it back for a score to push the lead back to 17. “We just have to keep working and try to hang together and try to get better every week,” Nelson said. “We have to play better than we’re playing right now.” Tennant finished the game going 12-for-22 for 170 yards. He also led the Bucks on the ground with 30 yards rushing on five attempts. Ryken finished with three catches for 97 yards and two scores. Roosevelt hosts Brandon Valley next Saturday at 1 p.m.

NO. 3 ROOSEVELT ROUGH RIDERS HOLD OFF YANKTON BUCKS WITH SECOND-HALF SURGE

Photo Credit: Roosevelt High School Athletics

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