Nov. 13: Long-time Hanson football coach Jim Haskamp has retired. Since 1988, he has served as head football coach at the school in Alexandria, leading the Beavers to four state titles (2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010). He will continue teaching and officiating. Haskamp, a Michigan native who had a 210-134 career record, also taught and coached at Todd County and Sully Buttes.

Nov. 20: Watertown native Braxton Lacher of Dakota State won the first-ever long-snapper of the year award in football in the North Star Athletic Association.

Nov. 26: USD’s Bob Nielson was named the Missouri Valley Football Coach of the Year. He is the first coach to win the honor at two different schools as he also won the award as the coach of Western Illinois in 2015.

Dec. 1: Former Sioux Falls Canaries play-by-play man (1999-2002) Kris Atteberry has been promoted to the play-by-play radio voice of the Minnesota Twins. The Michigan native has hosted the Twins’ pre- and postgame shows since 2007.

Dec. 1: Milbank native and Washington coach Kalen DeBoer and his Huskies held off Oregon 34-31 to improve to 13-0, win the PAC-12 Championship, and secure a spot in the four-team college football playoffs. The Huskies will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl and national semifinals on Jan. 1.

Dec. 2: USD got its first football playoff win at the FCS level and advanced to its first national quarterfinals with a 34-24 win over Sacramento State, led by former USD quarterback Carson Camp. USD jumped on the Hornets 17-0 until Sacremento starting quarterback Kaiden Bennett left the game due to an injury in the second quarter. Camp rallied the Hornets to 24 points by passing for 168 yards, running for 39 and orchestrating three long touchdown drives. But it wasn’t enough as the Coyotes made several big plays offensively (75-yard TD pass from Aidan Bouman to JJ Galbreath) and defensively. USD’s Josiah Ganues intercepted a Bennett pass that led to a Coyote touchdown while teammates Blake Holden and Stephen Hillis forced a fumbled that Mi’Quise Grace scooped up and raced 56 yards for another USD touchdown. Camp, the first true freshman to ever start a season opener at QB in USD history, started 23 games for the Coyotes (included seven last season). He passed for 4,123 yards, threw for 24 USD TDs and ran for three more during his seasons at USD. His most famous TD pass was his 57-yard, “Hail Mary” walk-off score to Jeremiah Webb that beat fourth-ranked SDSU 23-20 on Senior Day at the DakotaDome on Nov. 13, 2021. It was selected as the Sports Illustrated Play of the Year.

Dec. 5: Milbank native Kalen DeBoer was named the PAC-12 coach of the year for the second time in a row. The Washington football coach shared the award with Jonathan Smith of Oregon State last year. The last PAC-12 coach to win the award in back-to-back seasons was David Shaw of Stanford in 2011-12. Washington has the longest winning streak in the FBS with 20 games. SDSU has the longest winning streak in the FCS and DI football with 26 straight games.

Dec. 5: Defending PAC-12 Tournament defending champion Washington State ended the SDSU women’s basketball team’s 16-game home winning streak at Frost Arena in Brookings. SDSU lost 69-64 to the No. 21 Cougars. The Jacks last lost at Frost Arena was 78-69 to No. 21 Creighton on Nov. 7, 2022.

Dec. 5: Northwestern College (31-3) of Iowa was defeated 3-2 by Indiana Wesleyan (38-0) in the NAIA national championship game. Team members on the Red Raiders include Presentation College transfer Grace Tobin (Mason City, IA) and freshmen Logan Miller of Jefferson and Emma Van Regenmorter of Dell Rapids.

Dec. 6: Rodeo Rapid City won the PRCA annual award for Large Indoor Rodeo of the Year at the annual pro rodeo awards night prior to the start of the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Dec. 7: SDSU football coach Jimmy Rogers has won the Eddie Robinson Award as the FCS national coach of the year as the first-year coach has guided the Jacks to a 12-0 season so far. Bob Nielson of USD finished fourth in the voting. Rogers’ mentor, Selby native John Stiegelmeier, won the award last year as he guided the Jacks to the national title. In the 37-year history of the award, SDSU is only the second school to have coaches earn the honor in back-to-back seasons (Craig Bohl of NDSU was the winner in 2012 and 2013).

Dec. 8: South Dakota native Billy Etbauer of Ree Heights was honored as a Vegas NFR Icon at the start of the 2023 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Etbauer, whose career covered parts of four decades, won five saddle bronc world titles (1992, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2004) and won a NFR-record 51 rounds and earned more than $3 million in 21consecutive years of qualifying for the NFR. Ebtbauer was the middle brother of three world-class bronc riders (Robert and Dan).

Dec. 8: Oklahoma All-American gymnast Danielle Sievers and her No. 1-rated Sooners showed off their new routines in their annual intrasquad meet. Sievers, a Deuel High School graduate from Gary, SD, has played a key role in helping the Sooners win the last two national championships.

Dec. 8: Milbank native Kalen DeBoer won the Home Depot National College Football Coach of the Year award on ESPN. He has coached Washington to a 13-0 record so far this season and the PAC-12 championship. Winning the Maxwell Award as the best player in college football was Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was named the Heisman runner-up the next night to LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

Dec. 8: The NSU women’s basketball team rallied to defeat visiting St. Cloud 67-59 in overtime while the Aberdeen Wings rallied to defeat host St. Cloud 3-2 in a shootout after a scoreless overtime. With about nine minutes left in regulation, the Huskies had a 44-32 lead over the Wolves. The Wolves were lead by Rianna Fillipi and Madelyn Bragg, who combined for 40 points. With about five minutes left in regulation, Simon Pollock tied the game for the Wings to send it into overtime. In the shootout, Aberdeen’s Grant Kohnen scored the only shootout goal in the eighth round to give the Wings the win.

Dec. 8: In their season openers, the Canistota boys’ basketball team defeated Centerville 56-41. The two coaches in the game, Pat Jolley of Canistota and Bill Marquardt of Centerville, had 922 wins between them in a combined 70 seasons.

Dec. 9: In a game played in sustained winds of 30 mph or more in Brookings, SDSU advanced the national semifinals with a 23-12 win over Villanova. The Jacks (13-0, 27 wins in a row) were led by Isaiah Davis with 192 yards rushing, including a 66-yard touchdown run, and a momentum-changing blocked punt by Matthew Durrance, who returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.

Dec. 9: NDSU rolled past USD 45-17 in the national quarterfinals to end the best Coyote football season in its FCS era. USD ended 10-3 as the Bison avenged a 24-19 loss to the Coyotes on Sept. 30.

Dec. 9: Madelyn Bragg and Rianna Fillipi combined for 39 points to push NSU past Bemidji 81-61. The Wolves improved to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in the conference. It is the best start of the women’s basketball season for NSU since the Wolves started 9-1 in 2017.

Dec. 10: Well-known South Dakota high school football coach Harvey Naasz died at age 84. Naasz was born in Java March 24, 1939, and was an all-state football player at Mobridge, where he graduated in 1958. He played football first at Nebraska, and then three seasons at USD where he graduated in 1962. He coached and taught at Gettysburg, Custer, Gregory before becoming an icon in Winner. In 17 seasons, his Warrior football teams won three state titles (1981, 1987 and 1989) and finished as state runners-up in 1986. Naasz, who was a long-time athletic director at Winner as well, compiled a 169-58-3 career record as a football coach.

Dec. 10: Watertown was awarded the State A American Legion Baseball Tournament for July 29-Aug. 2, 2025. Watertown last hosted that state tourney in 1991.

Dec. 11: For the third straight year, DWU senior Ady Dwight of Langford was named a first-team NAIA All-American. She was an honorable mention All-American as a freshman. She led the nation in kills during the regular season and is the first player in DWU history to be a four-time All-American and first-team All-Conference player. She was the Great Plains Athletic Conference attacker of the year as a senior and the GPAC freshman of the year in 2020. She ended with 1,841 career kills and 444 blocks. She played in 122 matches and 440 sets for the Tigers, helping to turn DWU into a volleyball powerhouse. With Dwight in the lineup, the Tigers for the first time in school history: reached the NAIA national tourney quarterfinals, won NAIA national tourney matches and hosted NAIA national tourney matches as well as conference playoff matches. The Tigers were 81-42 in the past four seasons.

Dec. 11: An Ethan seventh-grade bareback rider finished as the world runner-up at in the Junior World Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Hunter Hohn finished second to world champ rookie bareback rider Ryder Topolinski of Canada. Hohn also finished fourth in rookie saddle bronc. In the 14-15 bull riding division, Tanner Christian of Woonsocket finished ninth after registering his age group’s top score (86) for the entire competition in the second of three rounds.

Dec. 13: Ben Noland became the first South Dakota Tech football player in its Division II era to earn a spot on the DII All-American Team. A NSU transfer, the Georgia native had 92 catches for 1,184 yards and 16 touchdowns to earn second-team honors for the Hardrockers this season.

Dec. 13: Sioux Falls O’Gorman graduate and Nebraska freshman setter Bergen Reilly was named as a second-team All-American. The Cornhuskers, with no seniors and six freshmen, finished the year 33-2 and as national runners-up after losing to Texas 3-0 in the national championship game on Dec. 17.

Dec. 15: Defending champion SDSU crushed the University of Albany 59-0 to earn its third trip to the FCS national championship football game in the past five seasons. For 18 Jackrabbit seniors, it was their final game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings. The seniors: twin WRs Jaxon and Jadon Janke (Madison); RB Isaiah Davis (Joplin, MO); OL Jharett Bloomenrader (Highmore); OG Mason McCormick (SF Roosevelt); TE Zach Heins (SF Washington); OT Garret Greenfield (Rock Valley, IA); OT John O’Brian (Eaton Rapids, MI); TE Michael Morgan (New Lenox, IL); DE Cade Terveer (Brandon); DT Ryan Van Marel (Sheldon, IA); CB DyShawn Gales (North Chicago, IL); DE Caden Johnson (Wahoo, NE); LB Saiveon Williamson (Waseca, MN); LB Isaiah Stalbird (Kearney, NE); DT Brian Williams (Chipley, FL); LB Jason Freeman (Zion, IL); DE Quinton Hicks (Wichita, KS).

Dec. 15: After 44 years behind the microphone at SDSU home football games, public address announcer Tom Manzer is stepping aside. He called his last game in Brookings as his Jackrabbits defeated Albany 59-0 to advance to the FCS championship game. He announced at 270 home games either at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium or Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, which opened in 2016, from 1979-2023. “Tom’s voice is synonymous with Jackrabbit football,” SDSU athletic director Justin Sell said. “He has added so much to our gameday atmosphere and his long commitment to SDSU and our athletics program is greatly appreciated.”

Dec. 15: The SDSU football team sold out four of its nine home games (Montana State: 19,332; UND: 19,231; Northern Iowa: 19,357; and NDSU: 19,431) at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2023. In addition, the Jacks drew 16,258 (vs. Western Oregon) and 15,637 (vs. Missouri State) fans to home games. SDSU also drew a combined 32,652 fans to its three home playoff games. Total home attendance for the season was a record-shattering 141,898 fans.

Dec. 16: The Red Cloud girls’ basketball team won its third straight title at the prestigious Lakota Nation Invitational, defeating Wall 67-43. Ashlan Carlow-Blount (10 points, 10 rebounds and three steals) and Kennedy Fridia (15 points, eight rebounds and two steals) led the Lady Crusaders of coach Matt Rama.

Dec. 16: The 46^th annual Lakota Nation Invitational boys’ basketball title was earned by coach Casey Means’ Pine Ridge crew. The Thorpes defeated defending champion Rapid City Christian 80-66 to win its first LNI boys’ title since 2013. Pine Ridge guard and tourney MVP Marvin Richard III scored 29 points for champion Pine Ridge.

Dec. 16: Three South Dakota cowgirls dominated the barrel racing competition on the final night of the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas. Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs won the round; Summer Kosel of Glenham finished second; and Jessica Routier of Buffalo finished fourth. Routier went over the $1 million career earnings mark on the night while Lockhart became the all-time winningest barrel racer in the history of the sport with more than $3.4 million in earnings, passing Arizona cowgirl Sherry Cervi’s record of more than $3.3 million. The three South Dakotans finished second (Lockhart), seventh (Kosel) and ninth (Routier) in the world standing.

Dec. 16: Aboard Levee, South Dakota cowgirl Lisa Lockhart of Oelrichs won her third (2014 and 2016) National Finals Rodeo Average Championship. She won rounds 3 and 10 and was the only barrel racer to keep barrels standing in all 10 rounds. Lockhart, 58, had a combined time of 137.18 seconds in the 10 rounds and finished in the money in six of the 10 nights in Las Vegas. She won almost $210,000 dollars in her 10 nights in Las Vegas to move from fifth in the 2023 world standings to finish second with $343,657.58 in earnings in behind Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi of Texas, who earned $496,498.37 this season. This was Lockhart’s 17 th consecutive NFR qualification.

Dec. 18: The Dell Rapids St. Mary’s boys’ basketball team defeated three-time defending State B champion DeSmet 60-56 behind 23 points from Trevon Beckman. It was the Bulldogs’ first loss to a Class B team since Canistota defeated De Smet 57-48 on Feb. 15, 2020. De Smet had won 62 consecutive games against Class B teams during the streak.

Dec. 19: SDSU will play former NCAA DII rival Augustana on Sept. 14, 2024, in Brookings as part of the Jacks’ football season next fall. The teams last met Nov. 6, 2004, when SDSU defeated the Vikings 38-9 in Brookings. Augie last defeated SDSU 39-33 in overtime at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls on Oct. 19, 2002.

Dec. 19: The Hills City girls’ basketball team defeated St. Thomas More 44-34. St. Thomas More had won the past 28 consecutive games since 2006 against the Rangers.

Dec. 19: The Winner girls’ basketball team defeated Bon Homme 58-35 to give coach Larry Aaker his 200th career win. Kylie Sachtjen led the winning Warriors with 22 points and seven steals.

Dec. 20: A former Coyote has returned to the USD den. Jon Schemmel will begin as the USD athletic director on Jan. 2, 2024. Schemmel, the USD senior associate AD for development from 2012-2017, had been serving in a leadership and fund-raising role at Dakota State since 2021.

Dec. 20: Milbank native and Washington football coach Kalen DeBoer won his fourth national college football coach the year award this season. He was named the Eddie Robinson national coach of the year and earlier won the same award from the Associated Press, The Sporting News and Home Depot. His PAC-12 champion Huskies (13-0) are headed for the national semifinals.

Dec. 21: Sully Buttes High School held a dedication ceremony to rename its high school basketball court in honor of Mark Senftner. He died on Oct. 15, 2022, of brain cancer at the age of 60. The McLaughlin and NSU graduate was a long-time teacher and coach at Roscoe, Gregory, Timber Lake and Sully Buttes (from 2005 until the time of his death). His Sully Buttes football teams won more than 100 games and were state runners-up in 2015, 2017 and 2018 while his girls’ basketball Charger teams won four state titles (2007, 2008, 2016 and 2017) and two state runner-up finishes (2012 and 2015). His basketball career record was 481-190 and football record was 101-42.

Dec. 21: Jozie Dana of Spearfish executed a three-point play with 18 seconds left to give the Spartans a 49-48 girls’ basketball win over Rapid City Stevens. It was Spearfish’s first win over the Raiders in nine years (a 64-60 Spearfish win over RCS on Jan. 3, 2014).

Dec. 21: The visiting Ethan girls’ basketball team (No. 4 in Class B) defeated Wagner (No. 1 in Class A) 63-49. It ended Wagner’s 29-game home winning streak as Wagner’s last loss at home was a 49- 46 decision to Andes Central/Dakota Christian on Feb. 4, 2021. Ethan got 55 of its points from Marissa Storm, Ava Lingemann, Maddy Bartscher and Ella Pollreisz.

Dec. 28: The North Star Athletic Association said it will disband following the 2024-25 season. The NAIA conference started in 2013 with Dakota State, Jamestown, Mayville, Presentation College and Valley City. Earlier this year, NSAA discovered not only was Presentation College closing, but that it would be losing four teams to other conferences: Waldorf of Iowa; Viterbo of Wisconsin; Dickinson (to the Frontier Conference); and Jamestown (to the Northern Sun in 2025). That would leave the NSAA with only a handful of schools.

Dec. 29: The two athletes who sold the most gear at the University of Nebraska NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) store in 2023 were from South Dakota. Football player Nash Hutmacher (Chamberlain) was the top-selling Cornhusker male athlete and volleyball player Bergen Reilly (Sioux Falls O’Gorman) was the top-selling Cornhusker female athlete. The store said in its announcement that “you couldn’t stop shopping their locker rooms,” but did not provide dollar amounts.

Dec. 29: The Dakota Valley boys’ basketball team ended 2023 with its 59-game winning streak intact. DV defeated Hill City 86-56 behind 37 points from Jaxson Wingert. The Panthers have won the last two State A tournaments in a row.

Dec. 31: Timber Lake got 60 seconds of national exposure on Sunday Night Football thanks to hometown hero Tucker Kraft. NBC NFL play-by-play man Mike Tirico and analyst Cris Collinsworth showed millions of viewers pictures of Timber Lake while talking about the community that helped raise the former SDSU and now Green Bay rookie tight end Kraft. The Packers and Kraft, who had six catches for 48 yards and made several key blocks, defeated Minnesota 33-10 to keep their playoff hopes alive going into the final week of the NFL regular season.

Jan. 2: Mitchell native and former Aberdeen Roncalli and Aberdeen Central coach Derek Robey was honored for his 300th career win at O’Gorman on a night that his boys’ basketball team defeated Brookings 71-61. Robey is in his 38th season as a boys’ coach. Robey has been coaching the Knights since 2005, winning six state titles in his 19 seasons at SFO.

Email us at dave@sdsportscene.com if you think we missed something or if you have an event you would like us to consider for this feature.