ELKTON After coming up short the past three seasons, Elkton-Lake Benton got over the hump on Friday night as the Elks beat Parkston 14-8 in the Class 9AA semifinals.
ELB had made it to the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals once over the past three seasons. First-year head coach Kaleb Haas was relieved after the game, but said there is more work to be done.
It feels really good [to finally win in the semifinals]. Our kids have put all of the work in. Theyve earned this moment, but we didnt just put the work in to make [the championship], we put it in to win [a title], Haas said.
Neither team scored in the first quarter as No. 3 seeded Parkston punted twice and No. 2 seeded ELB had a fumble and an interception. The Elks broke the scoreless tie on the first play of the second quarter as senior quarterback Colt Beck ran 85 yards to the end zone. ELB mishandled the snap on the extra point and failed to convert a pass so it was 6-0 with 11:48 to go in the first half.
Each team traded punts on their next drive and the Trojans then worked their way down the field as the half was coming to a close. A 25-yard pass from Brycen Bruening to Gage Jodozi put Parkston on the doorstep. Then with five seconds left Mason Jervik scored from a yard out. He threw the two-point conversion to Jaxon Leischner to give the Trojans an 8-6 lead at halftime.
The Trojans got the ball to start the second half and were moving it down the field efficiently until Gage Reichert fumbled and Savion Stephens fell on it at ELBs 22 yard line. The Elks gave the ball right back to the Trojans as Beck tried to find a receiver deep down the field and Bruening picked it off at the Parkston 31.
Each team then punted and Parkston had the ball in its territory to start the fourth, still leading 8-6. It was third and two and Reichert fumbled again. This time Caden Crofutt recovered it and ELB took over at the Parkston 24.
Our defense was pretty good, Haas said. We fell asleep in pass [coverage] a couple times, but overall, we held a great team to that low of points is really impressive.
The Elks picked up a first down on fourth and short but then a holding penalty and a sack put them up against a third and 32. Beck tried to find a receiver near the 10 yard line but it fell incomplete. However, there was a roughing the passer penalty and that gave the Elks new life.
The moved the ball down to the four yard line on a pair of runs and then Beck was tackled just short of the goal line, setting up a third and goal. Beck scored on the next play and he also ran in the two-point conversion to make it 14-8 with 3:36 to play.
ELB forced Parkston into a fourth and two with just over two minutes to go. Bruening dropped back to pass and had Jervik open downfield. It hit Jervik in the hands but fell incomplete and the Elks took over with 2:08 to play.
ELB then picked up a first down and Beck was able to take a knee, knowing he just punched the Elks ticket to the DakotaDome.
This was an emotional one, Beck said. Me and the seniors, this our third time [in the semifinals] and we needed to get over the hump and we finally did that, so were really excited. It felt so good [to take that last knee]. It felt surreal. I feel on top of the world right now.
ELBs mantra this season is five more, reminding the team of how they came up five yards short of a game-winning touchdown in the semifinals against Hamlin last season. Beck said he wasnt going to come up short this year.
I was gassed, but weve been preaching five more the whole year. We ended up five yards short against Hamlin last year and were down there on the five yard line again and that was all that was going through my head and it drove me into the end zone, Beck said.
The Elks will take on No. 1 seeded Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy on Thursday in the championship game as the Phoenix beat No. 5 seeded Hamlin 45-12 in the other semifinal on Friday night.
ELB is 10-1 on the season and its only loss came to FMFA in the third week of the season, 42-28. Haas said hes excited to not only play for a title, but get another shot at the Phoenix, who have not lost this season.
Were excited to face them again. We know that they have a lot of athletes, but so do we. Were excited to meet them in the dome, Haas said.
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