LEAD, S.D. – A scoreless first half gave Lead-Deadwood hope on homecoming night, but Timber Lake took control after the break and defeated the Golddiggers 36-10 on Friday.
The two teams were locked in a defensive battle through the opening two quarters, with neither side able to find the end zone before halftime.
Timber Lake finally broke through in the third quarter and built a 36-0 lead with a strong second-half offensive effort. Lead-Deadwood answered with a touchdown in the third quarter and added a field goal in the fourth, but the Panthers had already created too much separation.
The loss drops the Golddiggers to 2-3 on the season, though Lead-Deadwood has still won two of its last three games after snapping a 10-game losing streak earlier this year.
Timber Lake remained undefeated with the victory, improving to 4-0.
Despite the final score, Lead-Deadwood showed resilience by continuing to fight after falling behind, avoiding the shutout with seven points in the third quarter and three more in the fourth.
The Golddiggers will look to bounce back next Friday when they host Lemmon/McIntosh at 6 p.m. Timber Lake returns home to face North Central as it tries to keep its perfect record intact.
