Hamlin’s Evan Stormo, who was designated as All-American, leads a delegation of six members from the state champion Chargers on the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Class 9AA All-State football team announced today.

Hamlin capped off a perfect season by capturing the state title earlier this month.

Here is a look at each of the area players who earned all-state recognition, followed by the complete 9AA list:

Jackson Wadsworth, Hamlin (Quarterback): This junior had a whopping 74 percent completion rate on the way to leading the Chargers to the state championship. He passed for 1,847 yards and 34 touchdowns, and also ran for 245 yards and 7 TDs. “Jackson is as smart of a player as you will find,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “He works hard at everything he does and works to be a perfectionist. He is a leader in every sense of the word, and leads vocally and with his work ethic. Great competitor and teammate.”

Evan Stormo, Hamlin (All-American). Stormo was a threat to score every time he touched the ball. The senior had 842 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns, 249 yards rushing and 8 TDs, and passed for 103 yards and a TD. He finished his career with 2,321 yards receiving and 34 touchdowns. He scored 51 career TDs. “Evan is a game changing player. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “When the pressure is on and we need a big play we look at him. He has been a 4-year starter and he has all of the receiving records at Hamlin School. He will do whatever is asked of him and do it at the highest level. 

Dawson Noem, Hamlin (Offensive Line): Noem helped to move people out on the line for a team that racked up 3,563 yards of total offense and scored 537 points. “He is a big reason why our offense is successful,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “He is a workhorse for us. He is very good at getting to all of the blocks and he is an excellent pulling guard. He is a leader of our team and the team voted him as one of our captains. When we need a play, he is usually the one that opens the hole for our guys to run through.”

Zac VanMeeteren, Hamlin (Defensive Line): Whether catching passes as a tight end or halting traffic as a defensive lineman, the 6-foot-6 Wadsworth was easy to spot on the field. He had 272 yards receiving and 5 TDs, and finished 1,139 yards receiving in his career and scored 23 total touchdowns. “Zac is a dominant football player on both sides of the ball,” said Chargers coach Jeff Sheehan. “He can play a variety of positions at a very high level. He can be a game changer and make plays. He helps us control a side of the line when he is playing defensive end.”

Westyn Thorpe, Leola-Frederick (Linebacker): Thorpe was a factor on both sides of the ball for the Titans. He had 83 tackles, 1 sack, picked off 5 passes, and blocked a punt on defense. He also scored 9 touchdowns on offense. He currently has 139 career tackles and 7 interceptions. “Westyn was our most valuable defensive player this past year, leading our team in tackles and interceptions,” said Leola-Frederick coach Jeff Kosters. “He has lettered the past three years, was voted most improved last year as a sophomore, and was an all-conference selection this season.”

Easton Neuendorf, Hamlin (Defensive Back): This senior, who kicked a 45-yard field goal in the state championship game, was a lockdown defender as a defensive back. He had 19 tackles and a pair of interceptions this past season. He finished with 39 career tackles and 4 inteceptions. “Easton is a pure athlete. He has been on many of the opposing teams’ number 1 receiver,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “He has only played football for two years and has developed into a top notch DB. He is explosive out of breaks and does a great job of playing the ball when thrown at him. He is a true leader and hard worker.

Gavin Nickelson, Leola-Frederick (Defensive Back): Whether scoring touchdowns or preventing them, Nickelson was a key member of the Titans. He rushed for 816 yards and 12 TDs, had 285 yards receiving and 5 TDs on offense. He also had 64 tackles, a sack, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. He finished with 1,622 rushing yards and 153 tackles in his career. “Gavin was our most valuable offensive player and our second leading tackler on defense this past season,” said Titans coach Jeff Kosters. He was a two-time all-conference selection and team captain.

Brooks Dolen, Waubay-Summit (Special Teams): Dolen was an asset in all three phases of the game for the Mustangs. He rushed for 541 yards, had 152 yards receiving and 11 touchdown on offense, had 35 tackles, a sack and recovered three fumbles on defense, and averaged 34.5 yards per punt and kicked a pair of field goals and four extra points, and never missed a kick on special teams.

Bryce Hawkinson, Britton-Hecla (Honorable Mention): Hawkinson rushed for 1,093 yards and 10 touchdowns, and had 153 yards receiving and 2 TDs. His career totals included 2,190 yards rushing and 23 total touchdowns. “Bryce was everywhere for us offensively this year,” said Braves coach Jacob Skogstad. “His stats may not be on par with some of the other nominations, but he didn’t really have a heavy workload, either. We used three different primary runners, with Bryce being the lead of that group. He runs like he weighs 20 pounds more than he does, and he has great vision as a runner.”

Ethan Petrich, Leola-Frederick (Honorable Mention): Petrich made big plays on offense and defense for the Titans. He had 346 yards receiving and 4 TDs on offense, and had 57 tackles, 3 sacks, and forced a pair of fumbles on defense. He also averaged 36.9 yards per punt. “Ethan did not play football until his freshman year. He is a big target to throw to and led our team in receptions and yards,” said Leola-Frederick coach Jeff Kosters. “He is also extremely hard for opposing offenses to block on the end.  Despite teams trying to run away from his side, he still managed to be our third leading tackler this season.”

Aiden Abraham, Hamlin (Honorable Mention): Abraham moved from tight end to center on offense and also was a mainstay on the defensive line. He had 52 tackles, 18 for loss, and 8.5 sacks to run his career totals to 91 tackles, 27 for loss and 11.5 sacks. “Aiden is your blue collar football player. He shows up, gets the job done while working hard and owns everything he does,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “He is a great leader. He put his ego aside from playing TE to start at center for us, because it was best for the team. He is a workhorse and does what is asked, no questions asked.”

Class 9AA

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks — Jackson Wadsworth, Hamlin.

Fullback-HBack — Stetson Riggs, Hanson.

Running Backs — Iden Meyers, Kimball-White Lake; Kolter Kramer, Parkston; and Blake De Vries, Elkton-Lake Benton.

Wide Receivers — Evan Stormo, Hamlin; and Tanner Stein, Elkton-Lake Benton.

Tight End — Brensen Veneklasen, Hill City.

Linemen — Dawson Noem, Hamlin; Grant Wilkinson, De Smet; Taiton Boersma, Elkton-Lake Benton; and Kash Neugebauer, Parkston.

DEFENSE

Linemen — Zac VanMeeteren, Hamlin; Lucas Lenz, Kimball-White Lake; Quintin Westley, Elkton-Lake Benton; and Ty Archambeau, Tripp-Delmont/Armour-Andes Central-Dakota Christian.

Linebackers — Sutton DeWald, Hanson; Sawyer Wipf, Freeman-Marion/Freeman-Academy; Jacob Graves, Viborg-Hurley; and Westyn Thorpe, Leola-Frederick.

Defensive Backs — Easton Neuendorf, Hamlin; Kaden Holzbauer, Parkston; and Gavin Nickelson, Leola-Frederick.

OTHERS

Athletes — Brady Schroedermeier, Viborg-Hurley; and Colt Beck, Elkton-Lake Benton.

Special Teams — Brooks Dolen, Waubay-Summit and Logan Street, Hill City.

HONORABLE MENTION — Devin Buehler and Nick Schroeder, Hill City; Garth Maas and Dalton Westendorf, Tripp-Delmont/Armour-Andes Central-Dakota Christian; Bryce Hawkinson, Britton-Hecla; Ethan Petrich, Leola-Frederick; Christopher Aasen and Riley Tschetter, Freeman-Marion/Freeman Academy; Colt Keiser, Gregory; Bryce Sattler, Scotland-Menno; Gage Jodozi, Parkston; and Aiden Abraham, Hamlin.

All-American — Evan Stormo, Hamlin.