BROOKINGS – The Bobcats closed out the home portion of their regular-season schedule with a 47-0 defeat of Spearfish on a beautiful Friday evening at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Tanner Shepardson threw four touchdown passes on Senior Night.
Fellow-senior Matt Girard ran for a pair of scores, while junior Max Struck hauled in two TD tosses.
Brookings allowed just 13 points in five home games during the regular season, posting a trio of shutouts.
“It went about how we hoped it would go, so we could get everybody in to play – last regular-season home game; Senior Night,” said BHS coach Lee Schmidt. “The older group did a good job – did a lot of good things tonight – and the young kids got in and got a chance to be on a varsity field again.
“So just a good night for everybody.”
The Bobcat defense got a stop to open the game and Preston Helmbolt’s 30-yard punt return set the home team up at the Spartan 27.
Shepardson found an open Struck for a TD on the next play.
Caden McKeown intercepted a pass and took it to the Spearfish 23 soon thereafter; however, Brookings went four-and-out.
Matt Girard found the end zone from 19 yards out and Carter Eidem from 1 yard out later in the first to make it 21-0.
Shepardson connected with a streaking Struck for a 54-yard score at the 8:57 mark of the second to push the margin to 27-0.
Jackson Krogman’s 12-yard reception on a slant put Brookings ahead 34-0 at halftime.
The Bobcats quickly scored out of the break on Helmbolt’s 41-yard reception from Shepardson.
Girard took a handoff at the 16, fumbled around the 5 but recovered the ball in the end zone midway through the third to provide for the final margin.
Brady Ammann had an interception and Hunter Gray recovered a fumble.
Payton Theodosopoulos went 5-of-6 on PAT kicks.
Brookings (7-1), which bounced back from a 54-6 loss at undefeated Pierre last week, plays at Yankton on Thursday at 7 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.
Spearfish (0-8), which has been shut out five times this year, is host to rival Sturgis that night.
The Class 11AA Playoffs begin with the quarterfinals on Thursday, Oct. 31.
Notes: In their first four home games, the Bobcats beat Huron 40-0 on Aug. 30, Lennox 29-6 on Sept. 6, Douglas 49-0 on Sept. 27 and Mitchell 41-7 on Oct. 4.
BROOKINGS 47, SPEARFISH 0
Spearfish 0 0 0 0 – 0
Brookings 21 13 13 0 – 47
First Quarter
B – Max Struck 27 pass from Tanner Shepardson (Payton Theodosopoulos kick), 8:06
B – Matt Girard 19 run (Theodosopoulos kick), 2:58
B – Carter Eidem 1 run (Theodosopoulos kick), :06
Second Quarter
B – Struck 54 pass from Shepardson (kick failed), 8:57
B – Jackson Krogman 12 pass from Shepardson (Theodosopoulos kick), 6:04
Third Quarter
B – Preston Helmbolt 41 pass from Shepardson (run failed), 11:07
B – Girard 16 run (Theodosopoulos kick), 6:02
