Dell Rapids/Madison: The Takeaways

<strong>MADISON, SD-- </strong>We took our talents to Madison, South Dakota last night to watch a battle of 11A between #5 Dell Rapids Quarriers (4-2) and the number #1 ranked team in 11A, the Madison Bulldogs (6-0). This is a long-standing rivalry between these two teams and according to my records, Dell Rapids has usually had the upper hand, but certainly not last night. We will go into the takeaways and scoring that broke this game down at Trojan Field in Madison. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Takeaways</span></strong> <strong>1) Control the Tempo</strong> Although it was just a 7-0 score with the Madison Bulldogs ahead in the 1st quarter, this game had the makings of a lopsided effort even early during the game. The Bulldogs cashed in on the lack of offensive efficiency that the Quarriers brought to Trojan Field, and were very solid defensively led by senior ballhawk linebacker <strong>Trey Smith </strong>(2022), who although I lost count, gobbled up double-digit tackles in last night’s game against Dell Rapids. <strong>2) Athleticism</strong> What I liked most about the Madison Bulldogs offensively was their ability to be multi-dimensional. The combination of bursty running back <strong>Bruce Galde </strong>(2023) and athletic quarterback <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] </strong>(2022) shed some light on why the Bulldogs were so efficient running the ball between the tackles and then getting to the outside lanes. <strong>Galde </strong>showed his combination of power and then the acceleration of speed to get downhill once he get thru the inside. <strong>3) QB Competition</strong> I have said this on several occasions, I rarely factor in rankings when I am out covering games because I care more about which kids performed well than where I had them ranked on our list. Last night, I looked at our rankings slightly more as the two quarterbacks in [player_tooltip player_id="56473" first="Austin" last="Henry"] and [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] were relatively close in our Class of 2022 rankings. Based on what the eyes could see, I thought [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] looked more polished than the two with a quicker release and solid mobility. The Bulldog’s secondary also made it difficult for [player_tooltip player_id="56473" first="Austin" last="Henry"] to make the throws he wanted and forced him into making some off-balance throws that the Bulldogs intercepted. Look to see movement upwards our 2022 rankings for [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] when the rankings update comes out later this month. <strong>5) Team-Oriented</strong> I have scouted plenty of talented kids across four different states in my time as a scout with Prep Redzone, but I don’t think I have watched in person a more team-oriented team like the now 7-0 Madison Bulldogs based on the conversations I had at Trojan Field. I have realized, you might not find that flashy highlight tape on Hudl or Twitter, but they make the play where it counts: on the field. The "We Not Me" attitude this team possesses, will not only carry these young men very far this season as we get into the final weeks of the season and playoffs but also for the rest of their lives as that is an attitude that should be taught across every football program in America. Well done by the Madison Bulldogs. <strong><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Box Score</span></strong> <strong><em>First Quarter</em></strong> <strong>Madison- </strong>After running back <strong>Bruce Galde </strong>(2023) ran for 38 yards to start up the tone for the Madison Bulldogs offense on the night, it was the quick release by [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] with a throw to wide receiver Dillon Bickett who did the rest, for a 25-yard receiving touchdown. <strong>Madison 7, Dell Rapids 0.</strong> Madison’s <strong>Trey Smith</strong> (2022) had another ballhawk effort, logging 7 tackles in counting in just the first quarter. <strong>Madison 7, Dell Rapids 0. End of the first quarter.</strong> <strong><em>Second Quarter</em></strong> <strong>Madison- </strong>After a long drive down the field, Madison quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] slid in between the tackles for a 1-yard punch-in from near the goal line. <strong>Madison 14, Dell Rapids 0.</strong> After a big sack on third down by Madison defensive lineman <strong>Jack Johnson</strong> (2022), the Quarriers were forced to punt back to the threatening Madison Bulldogs. <strong>Madison- </strong>In the next play, Madison quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] sprinted up the field for a 52-yard rushing touchdown marking his third touchdown before halftime. <strong>Madison 21, Dell Rapids 0.</strong> <strong>Madison- </strong>No sir, [player_tooltip player_id="93078" first="Nate" last="Ricke"] was not done throwing touchdowns against the Bulldogs arch-rivaled Quarriers. He connected with wide receiver <strong>Mike Peters</strong> (2022) for a 42-yard passing touchdown as the Bulldogs would go into halftime up four scores with full momentum in their direction. <strong>Madison 28, Dell Rapids 0.</strong> <em><strong>Third Quarter</strong></em> <strong>Madison- </strong>The final score of the game from the Bulldogs came from <strong>Bruce Galde </strong>(2023) with a 3-yard punch-in. <strong>Madison 35, Dell Rapids 0.</strong> Late in the third quarter, Madison defensive back <strong>Mike Peters </strong>(2022) logged one of the multiple interceptions the Bulldogs defense had on the night from Dell Rapids quarterback [player_tooltip player_id="56473" first="Austin" last="Henry"]. <em><strong>4th Quarter</strong></em> <strong>Dell Rapids- </strong>Dell Rapids running back <strong>Jade Anstine </strong>(2023) stopped the chance of a Madison Bulldogs shutout when he sprinted down the sidelines into the end zone. <strong>Madison 35, Dell Rapids 7.</strong> <strong>Final Score: Madison 35, Dell Rapids 7.</strong> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 36.8332%; height: 106px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 79px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;"><strong>#1 Madison Bulldogs (7-0)</strong></td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;">21</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;">0</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 79px;">35</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 27px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;"><strong>#5 Dell Rapids Quarriers (4-3)</strong></td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;">0</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;">0</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;">0</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; height: 27px;">7</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> &nbsp; Find out who made the cut for our <strong>Big Dogs of the Game</strong> in our next article coming out today on PrepRedzone.com/Dakotas from the Madison Bulldogs and the Dell Rapids Quarriers!