WATERTOWN, S.D. – Third-seeded Watertown punched its ticket to the Class 11AA state semifinals Thursday night, defeating sixth-seeded Spearfish 35-13 and ending the Spartans’ season in the state quarterfinals.
The Arrows, now winners of four straight games, controlled the action for most of the night and moved one step closer to a return trip to the DakotaDome state championship game for the second time in three years.
Spearfish’s defense came up with an early spark when Kade Vavruska intercepted a Watertown pass on the Arrows’ opening drive. However, Watertown quickly recovered and took a 7-0 lead on a 2-yard touchdown run by standout running back Carter Miller with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter.
The Arrows extended their advantage late in the opening period when Hunter Peterson scored from 11 yards out to make it 14-0.
Spearfish answered early in the second quarter as Graham Hughes broke free for an 11-yard touchdown run, cutting the deficit to 14-7. But Watertown responded before halftime. Following an interception by Braxten Petersen, Kye Paulson capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run with just 36 seconds left in the half, giving the Arrows a 21-7 lead at the break.
Watertown continued to dominate on the ground in the second half. Miller scored his second touchdown on another 2-yard run late in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 28-7. The senior tailback later ripped off a 75-yard run that set up a 5-yard touchdown plunge by Holton Schutt, putting the game out of reach at 35-7.
The Spartans added a late score when quarterback Thomas Hughes connected with Karsen Seyer on a 25-yard touchdown pass with 4:40 remaining, but Spearfish could get no closer.
Watertown’s rushing attack proved to be the difference, piling up 363 yards on 39 carries and averaging nearly 10 yards per play. Miller led the way as the Arrows overwhelmed the Spartan defense with a relentless ground game.
For Spearfish, Thomas Hughes completed 10 of 26 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, while Graham Hughes rushed 18 times for 67 yards and a score. Seyer finished with four receptions for 70 yards, and Vavruska added three catches for 53 yards along with his first-quarter interception.
Defensively, Thomas Hughes paced the Spartans with seven tackles, while Graham Hughes recorded an interception.
The loss ends Spearfish’s season at 5-5 and closes the careers of a senior class that helped reshape the Spartans program and lay the foundation for future success. Watertown advances to face second-seeded Yankton in the Class 11AA semifinals on Nov. 6.
Replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/wPx_1LVLHXs?si=9ZCntUHQLIBZbALr
