TEA – Aberdeen Central got a good bounce on the opening kickoff, but could not figure out a way to capitalize, and Tea Area took over after that on the way to a 39-7 Eastern South Dakota Conference football victory Friday evening in Tea.

After garnering good field position to begin the game after Tea Area kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, the Golden Eagles began going backwards almost immediately. Central drew a false start penalty on its first snap, then fumbled the ball away on the next.

The Titans took over from there, scoring on all five of its first-half possessions while shutting down Central’s offensive efforts.

“We had trouble moving the ball in the first half,” said Central coach Justin Briese. “Combine that with, you know, they did what we thought they were going to do in the first half, and we couldn’t stop them.”

Tea Area, coming off a surprising road loss at Spearfish in Week 1, came into Friday’s contest with an opportunistic bent. After scoring off Central’s fumble in the first, the Titans converted a 3rd-and-11 with a 50-yard screen pass on their next possession, a play that set up what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

The Titans then recovered a botched punt snap in the second quarter, setting up inside Central’s 10-yard-line.

Brenner Konrad ran it in from short yardage two plays later, followed by a Daschle Lowery run on the next possession. Konrad then found Riley Svanda from 55 yards out with 37 seconds left before the half.

“We knew they were going to run the ball predominantly,” Briese said. “Then they come at you with the play-action stuff. … It was tough to come out of that hole.”

Central’s lone touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter when Ridley Waldo barged into the endzone from a yard out to cap a 14-play, 89-yard drive.

Briese said it was nice to put together the sort of drive he knew his squad was capable of.

“It was too little too late,” Briese said, “but it was still good to get some positives out of it.”

Waldo finished with 17 carries for 62 total yards for the Golden Eagles. Brenner Waldrop was 13-for-31 for 160 yards, 108 of which went to Colby Dauwen on seven catches. Brody Aesoph had four catches for 44 yards.

Tea Area got a 100-yard rushing effort from Konrad from his quarterback position, as he finished with 14 carries for 101 yards and a score. Sam Werdel had seven carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

Through the air, Konrad was 3-for-7 for 115 yards.

Central will host Brookings next Friday at the Brownell Activities Complex.

“We didn’t quite play a complete game against Pierre (in Week 1), and we didn’t play a complete game against Tea,” Briese said. “We’ll look at film and get better as a team and as individuals.”

Aberdeen Central 0 0 7 0 – 7

Tea Area 13 20 0 6 – 29

First Quarter

TA – Riley Svanda 10 pass from Brenner Konrad (Griffin Wiebenga kick).

TA – Sam Werdel 4 run (kick blocked).

Second Quarter

TA – Konrad 7 run (pass failed).

TA – Daschle Lowery 3 run (kick blocked).

TA – Svanda 55 pass from Konrad (Konrad run).

Third Quarter 

No scoring

Fourth Quarter

AC – Ridley Waldo 1 run (Joey Dallman kick).

TA – Sam Werdel 51 run (kick blocked).

OFFENSE: Aberdeen Central, rushing 29-19 (Waldo 17-62), passing 13-31-0 for 160 (Waldrop 13-31-0 for 160), receiving (Colby Dauwen 7-108, Brody Aesoph 4-44); Tea Area, rushing 41-275 (Konrad 14-101), passing 3-7-0 for 115 (Konrad 3-7-0 for 115), ); receiving (Riley Svanda 2-65, Carter Brown 1-50).
DEFENSE: Aberdeen Central, Tate Huff 5 tackles, Brandon Schwan 4 tackles; Tea Area, Sam Werdel 10 tackles, Konrad 7 tackles, and 1 forced fumble.