The Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central Bucks opened their season with a win Friday night, defeating the Bridgewater-Emery-Ethan Seahawks 13-12 in front of a home crowd.
Quarterback Luke Larson powered the Bucks’ offense through, completing 12 of 22 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, though he was also intercepted once.
Larson’s scores came on strikes to Grant Edwards and Hayes Havlik. Colby Flowers contributed two receptions for 57 yards, and Wesley Molnar was a steady target with five catches for 59 yards.
Edwards hauled in a 31-yard touchdown reception, while Havlik added three catches for 76 yards, including a touchdown. Havlik suffered a catastrophic ankle and lower leg injury during the game and later underwent surgery.
“We had a tragic moment in the game when one of our seniors was injured. The team kept him in their hearts through the entire rest of the game and played as a team. They never gave up,” said Bucks Head Coach Michael Schmitz.
On the ground, the Bucks spread the ball around with multiple players contributing to the rushing attack.
Defensively, Hunter Fenske set the tone with a game-high 12.5 tackles. Edwards was equally impactful with three pass breakups, while Flowers and Molnar each contributed with four tackles.
After the game, Schmitz reflected on the gritty win.
“Sitting here after the game, I reflect on our first win of the season. It was not a pretty win, but a win is still a win,” he said. “This team competed. It was a back-and-forth game, and they battled. We definitely have some things to address, but the rest of the coaching staff and I are the lucky ones that get to work with them this season. The Bucks are off and running!”
This season also brings changes to the Bucks’ offensive approach. With former coach Eriq Swiftwater moving on to Lakota Tech, the staff introduced a new scheme blending elements of the veer and speed option run game, with a few wrinkles added in.
“The kids are picking it up really fast, but there is a little learning curve,” the coach explained. “This week was really good for us to be able to see where we did well and things we need to work on. I am excited to see where we go this year.”