WATERTOWN, S.D. — The Spearfish Spartans showed plenty of resilience in their 2026 season opener Friday night, battling back from a 19-point deficit before falling to the Watertown Arrows, 26-20, in a Class 11AA showdown at Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex.
Watertown controlled much of the first half with a dominant ground game and long, clock-eating drives. The Arrows opened the scoring on a pair of Conner Schlaht field goals from 38 and 41 yards before Tyson Miller added a 6-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, giving Watertown a 12-0 halftime lead.
The Arrows extended the advantage to 19-0 early in the third quarter when a Spearfish turnover set up a 29-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kaeden Himmerich to Kyle Paulson.
The Spartans responded with their best football of the night.
Behind the running of Graham Hughes and quarterback Thomas Hughes, Spearfish mounted a comeback. Graham Hughes capped a long drive with a 1-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, then added another 1-yard scoring plunge early in the fourth quarter after big completions from Thomas Hughes to Kade Vavruska and Karsen Seyer cut the Watertown lead to 19-14.
Watertown answered when senior running back Lincoln Schutt took over on a crucial late drive. After converting a key fourth-and-one, Schutt scored on a 9-yard touchdown run with 2:19 remaining to push the Arrows’ lead to 26-14.
Spearfish wasn’t done.
Thomas Hughes guided a final scoring drive, completing passes to Vavruska, Payton Jones and Seyer before connecting with Seyer on a 5-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds remaining. The Spartans were unable to recover the ensuing onside kick as Watertown held on for the victory.
Thomas Hughes finished 13-of-22 passing for 198 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding 56 rushing yards. Vavruska was his top target with eight catches for 101 yards, while Seyer hauled in three receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Graham Hughes rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Defensively, Jack Scharf led Spearfish with 10 tackles. Brock Lewis added seven tackles, while Vavruska recorded six tackles and a sack. Keller Vega finished with three tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.
Watertown piled up nearly 250 rushing yards, led by Schutt’s 143 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Miller added 60 yards and a score on 15 rushes, while Himmerich contributed 41 rushing yards. Himmerich completed 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The Arrows’ defense was equally impactful, forcing four turnovers. Charlie Whiting recovered two fumbles, Gage Robison intercepted a pass, and Schutt added a fumble recovery. Whiting and Miller each recorded sacks, while Gavin Robison forced a fumble.
For Spearfish, the difference came down to mistakes. Three turnovers and several costly penalties stalled promising drives throughout the night. Still, the Spartans showed plenty of offensive firepower in the second half, scoring 20 points and turning a game that seemed out of reach into a one-possession contest.
Spearfish opens the season 0-1 and will look to build on its strong second-half performance when the Spartans host 1-0 Mitchell on Friday. That game will be live on KDSJ 980 AM, 103.5 FM, kdsj980.com and streaming on KDSJ-TV on YouTube and on Facebook. Watertown improved to 1-0 with the season-opening win, and will head to 0-1 Brookings on Friday.
Rewatch the game here: https://www.youtube.com/live/wPx_1LVLHXs?si=d5CSfPqXg31aeeDU
