Prep football: Ranchers face tough task with Pats

| Tuesday, November 11, 2008

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Joe Kavanaugh, Journal correspondent

Despite an impressive 60-18 Region 4 Class 9B championship win over Dupree on Nov. 3, the Harding County Ranchers’ (9-1 overall) march to the Dakota Dome gets considerably more difficult today.

The Ranchers travel to Tulare for a 3 p.m. MST semifinal clash with the No. 2-ranked Hitchcock-Tulare Patriots (10-0). The winner advances to the state championship game in the Dakota Dome on Thursday against top-ranked Hanson.

A return to the Dome would be Harding County’s first since a three-year run from 1999-2001 during which the Ranchers finished runners-up on each occasion. After a brief downturn in football fortunes, Harding County has earned trips to the semis the last two seasons losing on each occasion — to Colome and Grant Deuel — after also having to travel east to face higher ranked foes. That’s where Harding County head coach, Jeremy Duttenhefer, hopes the pattern ends.

“I knew coming into the season that we would be a pretty good team. We had the athletic, talented kids that could compete. Now, our goal is to get over that final hump and play for a state championship.”

To achieve that end, his squad will have to contend with a very impressive Hitchcock-Tulare offense that has put up 48 points per game and is coming off a huge win over previously No. 1-ranked Dell Rapids St. Mary.

“They spread the field and run the option and the QB—junior Ryan Huizenga—looks to keep the ball quite a lot,” Duttenheffer said. “He looks to be an accurate passer and an excellent runner as well. They are a big play offense, a lot of their drives consist of 3 or 4 plays and the QB makes it all happen. We will need to contain him.”

Huizenga has rushed for over 1,000 yards on the season and thrown for 1,200 more while fullback Connor Skaare, another junior, has contributed over 900 yards on the ground. Lots of those yards, as Duttenhefer mentioned, have come in huge chunks as borne out by the fact that in the DRSM game the Patriots piled up 265 yards on a mere six first downs.

Harding County will counter with an offense that has much more balanced than previous Rancher teams as the rushing of running backs Trent Turbiville, Hazer Burghduff and Jace Jenson has been effectively complemented by the passing of QB Austin Brown.

The Ranchers are averaging 39 points and nearly 427 yards of offense through their 10 games this season.

“On offense, we simply need to do what we have done all year,” Duttenhefer said. “Defensively, we will have to keep focused on our assignments instead of over-pursuing and thinking we need to make the big hit on every play. If we do that and stay calm, we should be all right.”