Freeman soars to Class 9A state title over Bennett County

VERMILLION, S.D. — For the first time in 27 years, Freeman is soaring solo to the top of South Dakota high school football. The undefeated, No. 2-seeded Flyers captured their first state championship as a standalone school since 1999, defeating the No. 5-seeded Bennett County Warriors in the Class 9A state championship game 57-12 on Thursday at the DakotaDome. The victory also marks Freeman’s second consecutive state title after winning last season as part of a co-op with Marion and Freeman Academy. Behind a dominant first-half performance, the Flyers put themselves in position to make history, capping an undefeated season with a state championship and proving Freeman could reach the mountaintop on its own for the sixth time in program history. “Our coaches were a part of those '90s teams, and they just told us they were still better,” Freeman quarterback Tayden Kerrigan said with a smirk. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t think so. No way.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.