The Stars and Studs of South Dakota: Week 7
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The elite players were out last week and they sure put on a show when the brightest lights were on them in SD and they did not let down at all. There were so many great performances and those who…
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Continue ReadingThe elite players were out last week and they sure put on a show when the brightest lights were on them in SD and they did not let down at all. There were so many great performances and those who could have made this list, but let’s look at the best of the best last week. So, let’s take a look at who this week’s South Dakota’s Star and Studs of Week 7.
Jack Smith Jack Smith 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR Sioux Falls Lincoln | 2024 State SD – WR, Sioux Falls Lincoln
Much like his teammate, whom we will talk about in due time, this was a record-setting night for Smith for the show that he put on the field. What Smith did last week was something that is once in a lifetime to see happen and it was simply spectacular for the show that he had put on the field. Smith was unguardable, no sugar coating or beating around it, no one even came close to stopping him and once you see the box score you will see what I mean. His stats were simply jaw-dropping with him tallying 21 receptions in the game and having those catches go for 377 total receiving yards. While this on its own would be something that would be once in a generation type of performance, Smith had a casual 4 touchdowns on top of that making this night once in a lifetime. I looked through old record books and plenty of other records in South Dakota football, this might be the greatest single WR performance that we have ever seen and most likely will never see again. Smith is this week’s Co-South Dakota Stars and Studs Player of the Week with a special teammate of his who made this performance happen.
Tate Schafer Tate Schafer 6'1" | 180 lbs | QB Sioux Falls Lincoln | 2024 State SD – QB, Sioux Falls Lincoln
Here is the other side to the coin that we saw with the Smith performance and that was his QB was on another level of play last week. Without each other, these two would not have had the games that they did and it will forever intertwine them. Schafer really made everything happen in this game and it was impressive to see how locked in he was when it came to playing like a deadly QB. I do not know where to start with what Schafer did but 453 passing yards seems like a great start to that. Having that many yards at the AAA level is simply insane and the fact that I read it on the stat sheet surely blows my mind. He linked up with Smith for most of those yards as those two were simply in sync last week and nothing it seems was able to break up that connection. Schafer made great reads and throws throughout the game to always march the ball down the field and set up his team for points just about every single time. Oh not to mention having 5 passing touchdowns on top of the passing yards that he had made this night one that he will never forget for the rest of his life. This also allows Schafer to be the Co-South Dakota Stars and Studs Player of the Week. A big congratulations to these young men for putting on a show and allowing themselves to forever be remembered in the South Dakota High School Football record book.
Beau Giblin Beau Giblin 6'0" | 185 lbs | DB Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2023 State – S, Sioux Falls Jefferson
Giblin was locked in last week and played so well that his defense performance landed him on this list for just how lockdown he was throughout the game. Giblin moves with fluidity but is also very precise with his movements which shows me how high his defensive IQ is and seeing it in action showed me how deadly he can be when he can read offenses. Giblin showed me what it means to be a versatile safety and he did that in a number of ways no matter if that is stopping the run or covering over top, he was not allowing offense to be generated. He, in turn, generated points for his team which was down by his interceptions which was returned and scored for a touchdown, always nice to have a pick-six on the game against an elite QB that the O’Gorman Knights have. Giblin was using his wits and his skills in tandem with this game to be a truly elite player on all levels of defense and seeing him working is something you should all do since this kid has some serious skills under his belt.
Sam Kooima Sam Kooima 5'11" | 175 lbs | ATH Lead-Deadwood | 2024 State SD – QB/LB, Lead-Deadwood
Kooima did so much for his team in this game and that lands him as the final South Dakota Stars and Studs player on the list. To start while he did not see much passing action, he did make the most of it when he had the chance to with him throwing 5-7 having 164 yards along with 2 passing touchdowns on the night. In the running game, he was just as deadly with being his teams leading rusher on the night with him having 16 rushes for a total of 78 yards along with a rushing touchdown. Kooima has always struck me as more of an underrated dual threat as a whole and seeing this in action justifies my thinking of seeing him as one of the more underrated QBs and team players in the state. He led his team overall on the night by having 242 total yards and the next highest player besides him having 170. He was the key for his team on offense and on the defensive side of the ball that was no different. While it was not the flashiest stat he had 11 total tackles on the night along with having 2 TFLs, both of which of those stats he led his team in. Kooima was a key piece for both sides of the ball and was the MVP for his team, with him filling into the last spot on this list, well deserved.