Aug. 17: Veteran South Dakota broadcaster Joe Van Goor of Vermillion left 5 Star Communications after more than 30 seasons in his 40-plus year career of doing college, high school and amateur games mainly in southeast South Dakota and northeast Nebraska. He is now working as on-stream talent for LiveTicketTV out of Winner. He will continue to call games across South Dakota, primarily in the southeast part of the state, as well as continue to be a public address announcer for numerous sporting activities.
Aug. 23: Irene-Wakonda defeated Sioux Falls Lutheran 40-20 in the SFL Eagles’ first varsity football game after competing in several seasons of junior varsity football. SFL coach is Hamlin graduate Danny Strande, who played college football at Presentation College and DWU.
Aug. 24: Clark-Willow Lake’s Masyn Knock tackled an Aberdeen Roncalli ball carrier in the end zone with 3:39 left in the first half. It produced a 2-0 CWL win. Last year, Roncalli defeated the Cyclones 7-2.
Aug. 24: One of South Dakota greatest athletes has died at age 81. Doug “Pete” Peterson (1942-2024) of Rapid City was a multi-sport standout at Watertown and SDSU in the 1950s and 1960s. He was an all-state performer in multiple sports for the Arrows. He helped Watertown win the State A basketball championship as a junior in 1959 and his quarterbacking skills drew Nebraska to recruit him. At SDSU at a time when freshmen could not compete on the varsity, he earned nine letters in football, basketball and baseball. He was a SDSU co-captain in all three sports his senior year. He was a starter on the 1963 Jackrabbit national championship basketball team. He was inducted into halls of fame at Watertown, SD High School Basketball and SDSU. He was selected as a captain when a team of SDSU’s all-time greatest football players was named.
Aug. 28: Former Hamlin standout Gracelyn Leiseth placed fifth in the discus for Team USA at the Under 20 World Track and Field Championships in Peru. Leiseth registered a throw of 173 feet, 4 inches while Bingyang Han of China won the event with a throw of 188-9. The meet featured more than 1,500 athletes from 130 countries. Leiseth is South Dakota’s all-time record holder in the high school girls’ shot put and discus. She now is a sophomore standout for the University of Florida.
Aug. 29: Former Aberdeen resident Sam Sather has had some rare experiences as a college football player. On Sept. 11, 2021, Sather was a freshman offensive lineman on the NSU football team when the Wolves opened Dacotah Bank Stadium at its $33 million sports complex with a 30-13 win over Southwest Minnesota State. On Aug. 29, 2024, Sather was on the field as a transfer for Dakota State when the Trojans opened its $41 million Miles Beacom Complex with a 34-3 win over Dakota Wesleyan on Blankley Field at the Kern Family Stadium. Sather, a DSU junior, was an all-state football player at Grand Forks Red River High School where he also lettered in basketball and track. His dad, Paul Sather, is a former NSU basketball standout and captain as well as coach who is now the head men’s basketball coach for UND.
Aug. 30: Sioux Falls Roosevelt nipped Rapid City Central 21-19 to open the 2024 football season. It was the first career SFR win for head coach Jason Stahlberg. He took over for Kim Nelson, who retired last year as the winning high school football coach in South Dakota history. Nelson’s teams went 317-153 in 45 seasons of coaching. Nelson has been a head coach his whole life, with his first job at Milbank in 1979 after graduating from DSU. After Milbank (1979-86), he became the head coach at Rapid City Central (1987-92), Sioux Falls Washington (1993-2004), Edina (MN) for four seasons (2005-08), and Roosevelt (2009-23) for 15 seasons. His Rough Riders won a state title in 2011 and his teams have finished as state runners-up five times (1983 at Milbank; 2013, 2014 and 2017 at SFR; and 2002 at SFW).
Sept. 2: The Team USA Teen-age Dream Team of Yankton native/USD freshman Miles Krajewski and badminton partner Jayci Simon of Michigan won silver at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. The Americans, both 19, played in the gold medal match against eventual champions Lin Naili and Li Fengmei of China. It was the first time in history Team USA medaled in Paralympics Badminton. Krajewski and Simon compete in Short Stature Badminton. Krajewski also is a distant relative to former NFL star Tom Brady.
Sept. 5: Host Michigan Tech nipped South Dakota Mines 52-50 in four overtimes. In the third overtime with the score tied at 50, both teams were forced to go for only two-point conversions and neither team was successful. In the fourth overtime, the Huskies got the game-winning conversion on a pass from Alex Fries to Ethan Champney. Mines quarterback Jake Martinelli threw for 443 yards and five touchdowns along with rushing for 62 yards. Tech QB Fries threw for 471 yards and five TDs as well.
Sept. 5: As the 2024 NFL season begins, here are the players with SD connections who are the 53-man rosters: 
Jack Cochrane, LB, KC Chiefs, USD
; Isaiah Davis, RB, NY Jets, SDSU
; Dennis Gardeck, LB, Arizona, USF
; Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia, SDSU/Britton-Hecla; 
CJ Ham, FB, Minnesota, Augustana; 
Myles Harden, CB, Cleveland, USD
; Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay, SDSU/Timber Lake
; Mason McCormick, G, Pittsburgh, SDSU/Sioux Falls Roosevelt
; Trey Pipkins, OL, LA Chargers, USF
; Tip Reiman, TE, Arizona, Sioux Falls O’Gorman
/St. Thomas More; Christian Rozeboom, LB, LA Rams, SDSU
; and Pierre Strong, RB, Cleveland, SDSU. On practice squads: 
Kameron Cline, DE, Buffalo, USD; 
Blake Larson, OL, LA Rams, Augustana; Brock Mogensen, LB, Dallas, USD; 
and Isaiah Stalbird, LB, New Orleans, SDSU.
Players who played in the pre-season, or with NFL teams in training camps or former players who are free agents were Madison twins Jaxon and Jadon Janke of SDSU; NDSU graduate Spencer Waege of South Shore/Watertown; DyShawn Gales of SDSU; Chis Oladokun of SDSU; Garret Greenfield of SDSU; Zach Heins of SDSU/SF Washington; Casey Bauman of Augustana; Don Gardner of SDSU; Cade Johnson of SDSU; Matt Farniok of SF Washington; and 35-year-old Riley Reiff (played in 164 NFL games with 149 starts) of Parkston.
Sept. 6: Watertown defeated Yankton 27-13 in the Arrows’ first football win over the Bucks since Nov. 8, 2013 (32-14 Watertown win). Watertown used Treyton Himmerich’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Nathan Briggs early in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Sept. 6: The first week of the 2024 NFL season featured Philadelphia’s 34-29 win over Green Bay. The starting tight ends in the games were South Dakota natives and former SDSU standouts, Tucker Kraft (Timber Lake) for the Packers and Dallas Goedert (Britton-Hecla) for the Eagles.
Sept. 7: FCS Idaho registered a 17-13 football win over FBS-host Wyoming, the Vandals first win over the Cowboys since 1921. Idaho is coached by former SDSU, Winona and Mankato coach Jason Eck.
Sept. 7: Not only did Northern Illinois collect $1.4 million for playing host Notre Dame, the Huskies stunned No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14 in South Bend (IN). The NIU coaching staff includes assistants Eric Eidsness (former SDSU and Minnesota State Southwest coach), Wes Beschoerner (former USD standout), Nick Benedetto (former University of Sioux Falls standout), Adam Breske (former USF and USD assistant) and Luke Meadows (Hot Springs native who coached and played at SDSU).
Sept. 9: USD threw freshman and Yankton native Miles Krajewski a welcome home parade and party in Vermillion. Krajewski and badminton partner Jayci Simon of Michigan won silver in mixed doubles at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Both are 19 and hope to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.
Sept. 13: In Britton-Hecla’s football win over Florence-Henry, Jace Rein passed for 230 yards and seven TDs while adding a rushing TD as well.
Sept. 13: Brookings defeated Aberdeen Central 8-7 as the Bobcats scored on a 67-yard touchdown pass (Gavin Anderson to Bergan Tetzlaff) with 23 seconds left in the game. The same pass combination provided Brookings with the winning two-point conversion. Central took a 7-0 lead with Cordell Rychlik’s 30-yard interception return at the start of the fourth quarter.
Sept. 14: For the first time in 20 years, SDSU played Augustana in football. The former North Central Conference rivals met in Brookings before 19,376 fans, with the Jacks winning 24-3. A Jacks’ defense featuring Kobe Clayborne and Dawson Ripperda and Amar Johnson (126 yards rushing and a touchdown) led SDSU.
Sept. 14: Webster native Ronette Costain earned her 500 th career volleyball coaching win. The victory also extended the winning streak of Costain’s Harrisburg Tigers to 52 straight matches. Costain has been Harrisburg’s coach for almost 30 seasons and the Tigers are the two-time defending State AA champs.
Sept. 15: With 13 percent of the 16 head coaches in the Southeastern Conference now being from South Dakota, the state is getting plenty of national attention during the college football season. Aberdeen native Josh Heupel is in his fourth season at the Tennessee coach while Milbank native Kalen DeBoer is in his first season with Alabama. As of Sept. 27, both teams were undefeated and ranked in the top five.
Sept. 16: A candidate for NCAA DI volleyball player of the year, Sioux Falls native and Nebraska sophomore All-American Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten setter of the week for the second time this month. The O’Gorman graduate was the three-time South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year who led the Knights to two state titles.
Sept. 20: The NFL will allow Timber Lake native Tucker Kraft to wear the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe tribal flag sticker on his Green Bay Packers’ helmet. Kraft grew up on the CRST Reservation in Dewey and Ziebach counties and is an honorary member of the tribe. The tribal flag sticker features the four Lakota bands (Minnicoujou, Itazipco, Siha Sapa, and Oohenumpa) that are located on the reservation. Also, “Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe” is emblazoned around thunder clouds, a rainbow, eagle feathers, two pipes, two medicine wheels and all the colors of Lakota are visible. The red, yellow, black, and white represent the four major races. The blue is for heaven and the green for Mother Earth.
Sept. 20: In Sioux Falls Christian’s football win over Canton, Cole Snyder had six catches for 212 yards and three TDs. On defense, Snyder had an interception, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and made six tackles.
Sept. 21: South Dakota State running back Kirby Vorhees received conference and national honors Monday, following a three-touchdown performance at Southeastern Louisiana. A redshirt freshman from Lutz (FL), Vorhees was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week as well as Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week. He needed only five carries to rack up 179 rushing yards and score three touchdowns in the top-ranked Jackrabbits’ 41-0 road win.
Sept. 20-21: The 70th season of racing at Casino Speedway in Watertown ended with the seventh Autumn Classic Doubleheader. It drew 104 cars Friday and 102 Saturday. Jason Marko of Watertown won the street stock features each night. Other winners (Friday listed first) were: Watertown drivers Trevor Walsh and Tony Croninger, Gen X Late Models; Scott Hansen of Garden City and Tommy Nichols of Watertown, Midwest Modifieds; Dale Ames of Huron and Mike Stearns of Aberdeen, Modifieds; Minnesota drivers Travis Scott of Glenwood and Matthew Larson of Lake Elmo, Super Stocks; Watertown drivers Scott Ward and Lee Grosz, Late Models; and Minnesota drivers Matthew Dittman of Lake Lillian and Jeff Rohrer of Willmar, Hornets.
Sept. 22: Britton-Hecla and SDSU graduate Dallas Goedert had a career day in leading his Philadelphia Eagles past the New Orleans Saints 15-12. Goedert, one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL, caught 10 passes for 170 yards. He set up the game-winning touchdown with his 61-yard catch to the New Orleans’ 4-yard line with a minute to play.
Sept. 27: In Castlewood’s football win over Oldham-Ramona/Rutland, Camron Eng rushed seven times for 269 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned a punt for a TD.
Sept. 28: At the Sanford Pentagon volleyball tourney in Sioux Falls, Mount Vernon/Plankinton earned Darcy Deinert her 500 th career coaching win. The Titans finished 4-1 on the day, giving Deinert 502 career wins in more than 25 seasons at MVP and Mount Vernon. She’s one of 14 South Dakota high school volleyball coaches to reach 500 career coaching wins. Retired Parker coach Jill Christensen is the all-time leader with an 837-266-14 coaching record in 36 seasons. Others with 500 or more coaching wins: Arlington’s Anita Boeck, Warner’s Kari Jung, Miller’s Linda DeBoer, Pine Ridge’s Nellie Long, Northwestern’s Nora Groft, Sioux Falls Christian’s Darci Wassenaar, Gregory’s Donna Schmitz, Todd County’s Galen Busch, Webster’s Cindy Nelson, Chester’s Jean O’Hara, O’Gorman and Brandon Valley’s Kathy Hunt and Harrisburg’s Ronette Costain. 
Sept. 28: The SDSU volleyball team defeated host Denver 3-1 to start the season 13-0. Sydni Schetnan led the Jacks with 14 kills and five block assists. South Dakota State started 14-0 in 2000. The Jackrabbits current 13-0 mark is the best start in the Division I era and is the longest overall win streak in that same period. SDSU is now one of four unbeaten teams in the country.
Sept. 28: On college football’s biggest stage and the world watching, No. 4 Alabama nipped No. 2 Georgia 41-34 in the Southeastern Conference opener for new Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer. The Bulldogs had erased a 28-0 deficit and took a 34-33 lead with about two minutes left in the game. However, Alabama got a 75-yard touchdown pass (Jalen Milroe to 17-year-old freshman phenom Ryan Willams) to win the game. DeBoer is a Milbank and University of Sioux Falls graduate who led the Cougars to national titles as a player and a coach.
Sept. 30: President Joe Biden hosted Team USA Olympians and Paralympians to the White House for an athlete’s summit. Among the guests were Yankton native, USD freshman and Paralympian Miles Krajewski and his parabadminton partner Jaci Simon. The two were Silver medalists at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. They took pictures with Biden and celebrities such as Olympic host/veteran NFL announcer Mike Tirico.
Sept. 30: The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line has been devastated by injuries this season. That caused the Steelers to bring in linemen for auditions, including former SDSU standout Garret Greenfield. That caused Jackrabbit fans to put their ears up as one of the Steelers OL starters is rookie Mason McCormick (Sioux Falls Roosevelt). McCormick and Greenfield were six-year linemates at SDSU, helping the Jacks’ win back-to-back national titles. Greenfield signed with Seattle after going undrafted in 2024, and played the preseason with the Seahawks before being released.

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.