SPEARFISH, S.D. — The Spearfish Spartans turned an early deficit into a runaway victory Friday night, scoring 40 unanswered points to defeat Mitchell 47-27 in a Class 11AA matchup at Lyle Hare Stadium.
After Mitchell struck first on a 30-yard touchdown pass late in the opening quarter, Spearfish quickly responded behind senior quarterback Thomas Hughes and never looked back.
Hughes accounted for six touchdowns in a dominant all-around performance. The senior rushed for 152 yards and three scores on just six carries while completing 9 of 16 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. He also added an interception on defense as the Spartans improved to 1-1.
The Spartans tied the game on a 16-yard touchdown run by Hughes before taking control in the second quarter. Following a Mitchell turnover, Hughes broke loose for a 59-yard touchdown run that gave Spearfish the lead for good.
The Spartans continued to pile on before halftime. Hughes connected with twin brother Graham Hughes for a 5-yard touchdown pass, then found Karsen Seyer for a 47-yard score to send Spearfish into the break with a 27-7 advantage.
Spearfish put the game away in the opening moments of the second half. On Mitchell’s first offensive snap of the third quarter, Ethan Foote forced a fumble that was recovered and returned 32 yards for a touchdown by Ziah Torpy, extending the lead to 34-7.
Later in the quarter, Hughes and Seyer connected again, this time on a 26-yard touchdown pass to make it 40-7.
Mitchell mounted a fourth-quarter rally with three touchdowns, trimming the deficit to 40-20 at one point, but Spearfish answered with a final scoring drive capped by Hughes’ third rushing touchdown of the night, a 15-yard run.
The Spartans finished with more than 500 yards of offense. Graham Hughes rushed for 160 yards on 13 carries and added a touchdown reception, while Seyer caught two touchdown passes and Vavruska added 73 receiving yards.
Defensively, Spearfish forced five turnovers, intercepting three passes and recovering two fumbles. Hughes, Jack Scharf and Ethan Diedtrich each recorded interceptions, while the Spartans’ pressure up front consistently disrupted the Mitchell offense.
The performance was a strong bounceback for Spearfish after its season-opening loss at Watertown, showcasing the explosive offense and opportunistic defense that helped the Spartans earn their first victory of the season. Spearfish will be back in action Friday, September 11th, in Rapid City for a Rushmore Bowl contest with 0-2 Rapid City Stevens. Kickoff is at 7:00 pm, with coverage on KDSJ Sports to start at 6:3o. The game will be broadcasted on KDSJ 980 AM, 103.5 FM, kdsj980.com, and streaming on KDSJ-TV on YouTube and on Facebook Live:
Replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/A_cqhV8lzB0?si=IFIQI_tyH0SY4oqQ
