The Gregory Gorillas (11-0) and the Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central Blackhawks (10-1) will face off on Thursday afternoon for the class 9AA football title. Gorillas Head Coach Brian Allmendinger said he’s proud of the team he has this year and the work they put in.
“It’s a huge thing for us and for the community as a whole,” said Allmendinger. “We’ve lost in the semi-finals the past two years, so breaking over that hump has been huge for us.”
Allmendinger explained the importance of staying strong mentally and keeping with the status quo.
“Our motto is one-more, and that has been our mental focus,” said Allmendinger. “[Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central] has a good running team, we’re going to have our work cut out for us.”
Jason Kolousek is the head coach of the Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central Blackhawks. He said Gregory is strong in a lot of ways.
“Outstanding team, strong on both sides of the ball,” said Kolousek. “Offensively they can run and throw the ball well, they’re very explosive.”
Coach Kolousek said he feels his guys have a real opportunity in front of them. He said his Blackhawks should be able to match up well against the Gorillas.
“I feel we can mix it up pretty good offensively, and defensively we’re pretty solid,” said Kolousek. “We’ve talked to our guys about the climate change of moving indoors and keeping hydrated. Mentally we need our focus to be on the game and Gregory.
Gregory and Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central are scheduled to play at 1:30 pm CT on Thursday November 13 at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion, SD. The game is available on SDPB TV or through web stream at sdpb.org/football.
Who do you think is destined for the 9AA state title? Does Gregory have the better team or are the Blackhawks ready to take a stand? Join the conversation by following @SDPBSports on twitter, and using the hashtags #SDFootball14 and #GRYvWWS
