Viborg-Hurley

Seahawks

Last Season

The 2025 BEE Seahawks finished 2–6, scoring 188 points while allowing 223. Their record did not fully reflect how competitive they were: three losses came by one score, including heartbreaking one-point defeats to W/WS/SC (13–12) and Beresford (21–20), followed by a six-point loss to Parker (34–28). Had a few late plays gone differently, the season could have taken a very different direction.

Offensively, the Seahawks averaged 23.5 points and 231 yards per game. Holden Wollmann led the attack with 602 rushing yards, 835 passing yards, and 13 rushing touchdowns. Jaxx Kurtenbach added 237 rushing yards, a team-high 390 receiving yards, eight total touchdowns, and 959 all-purpose yards. The defense produced eight interceptions and recovered five fumbles, with Brady Jager recording five picks and Coltyn Raymond leading the team with 76 tackles.

Despite the difficult results, the Seahawks continued competing through the final quarter, outscoring opponents 43–35 in the fourth period over the course of the season. Still, the close losses proved costly, and the year ended without a postseason appearance—the first time since 2006 that the Seahawks did not make the playoffs.

This Season

Sophomore Brady Jager takes over at quarterback after making his biggest impact in the secondary last season, where he led the Seahawks with five interceptions. He will be surrounded by an experienced group of playmakers. Junior Jaxx Kurtenbach returns after producing a team-high 959 all-purpose yards and eight touchdowns, while senior KJ Ripley contributed 257 all-purpose yards despite playing only six games. Junior Carter Glanzer adds another dependable option in the backfield after rushing for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Senior Creighton Klumb should provide Jager with a reliable target at tight end. Klumb caught 15 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns last season and also made 58 tackles with three sacks on defense. The Seahawks should have valuable experience and size in the trenches, led by 6-foot-3, 305-pound junior Joe Kayser. Seniors Coltyn Raymond, Ethan Longe and Thiago Juarez also return up front. Raymond led the team with 76 tackles, while Longe recorded 30 tackles and tied Klumb for the team lead with three sacks.

The Seahawks will also look for larger contributions from juniors Sutton Williams, Parker Sanderson, Tait Roth and Jackson Weber, along with sophomore Landon Stahl. With a productive group of juniors and seniors surrounding a sophomore quarterback, the roster offers a promising balance of varsity experience and young talent. If Jager adjusts quickly to leading the offense and the veteran line controls play on both sides of the ball, the Seahawks have the pieces to compete for a return to the playoffs.

The Seahawks will face an immediate test in their first season back in the nine-man ranks and their first in Class 9AA since 2014. Seven of their eight opponents received recognition in the South Dakota Prep Media preseason polls, including four teams ranked among the top two in their respective classes. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan also earned the No. 5 ranking in Class 9AA, signaling that media members believe the Seahawks can be competitive despite the challenging transition.

The difficulty begins with three road games in the first four weeks. BEE opens at Viborg-Hurley, which received 10 points in the 9AA poll, before hosting Garretson, another team receiving votes. The Seahawks then travel to preseason No. 1 Parkston, which collected 19 of the 20 first-place votes in Class 9AA, followed by a road game against Sioux Falls Lutheran, which also received preseason votes.

The second half of the schedule offers little relief. BEE hosts Howard, the No. 2 team in Class 9A, and later welcomes preseason No. 1 Freeman, whose program emerged from the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy co-op that won the 2025 state championship. After traveling to Baltic, the Seahawks close the regular season at home against Hanson, another 9AA team receiving votes. With nearly every opponent earning preseason recognition, the Seahawks’ return to nine-man football will provide a demanding test from opening night through the regular-season finale.

Viborg-Hurley enters 2026 after a 6–2 regular season and a first-round playoff appearance, but the Cougars must replace a large and accomplished senior class. Nine seniors graduated from last year’s 34-player roster, including quarterback Brady Schroedermeier and fellow captains Brenner Gerdes, Jake Austin and Reese Simonsen. The losses also include several experienced players at the skill positions and along both lines. Overall roster size has fallen from 34 players last season to 24 this year.

The Cougars are not starting over, however. Twenty-one players return from last year’s roster, including all seven members of the current senior class: Gage Schoellerman, Godwin Johnson, Josue Menezes, Kyson Mansfield, Camden Nelsen, Noah Werdel and Maxx Holm. Junior Lincoln Vannorsdel, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback, appears positioned to take over the offense. Viborg-Hurley also retains good size up front with Holm, Nelsen and juniors Anthony Clark-White and Tavian Klawonn, along with 265-pound sophomore Tryg Goettertz and 320-pound sophomore Maguire Nelsen.

Although the Cougars lost considerable senior leadership and have less overall depth, their seven seniors and four juniors give them an experienced upperclass core. Viborg-Hurley received votes in the preseason Class 9AA media poll, suggesting it is still viewed as a postseason contender. The season opener should provide the Seahawks with an early measuring stick against a program replacing several prominent players but returning enough experience and size to remain dangerous.

Previous Match-Up

The last meeting between the Seahawks and Viborg-Hurley came with a state championship at stake. On Nov. 11, 2010, Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan defeated the Cougars 48–34 at the DakotaDome to claim the Class 9AA title. Jordan Connor powered the Seahawks’ offense with 295 yards on 31 carries, setting championship-game records in both categories at the time. Connor received the Joe Robbie Most Valuable Player Award, while teammate Darin Bartscher was selected as the game’s outstanding lineman.

Viborg-Hurley’s passing attack kept the Cougars within striking distance, but senior Tyson Kayser delivered the decisive plays for BEE. Kayser broke up two passes to force a fourth-quarter turnover on downs and later returned an onside kick 51 yards for a touchdown, helping secure the 48–34 victory. The win gave the Seahawks their fourth nine-man championship since 2001 and provides a fitting historical backdrop as the programs prepare to meet again in BEE’s return to Class 9AA.

This Day in Seahawk History

2010 - The Seahawks opened their 2010 state championship season with a dominant 42–8 victory over Freeman, building a 36–0 halftime lead and outgaining the Flyers 274–84. Jordon Connor accounted for four touchdowns—three rushing and one receiving—while Justin Grosdidier ran for a score and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Connor. BEE’s defense allowed only three first downs and recorded four sacks, including two apiece from Darin Bartscher and Tyson Kayser.

2020 - The Seahawks opened the 2020 season with a dominant 50–6 road victory over Wagner, scoring the game’s first 50 points and outgaining the Red Raiders 440–81. BEE rushed for 414 yards and six touchdowns, led by Bodie Burnham with 129 yards and a score, while Koby Kayser ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Kaden Klumb added 45 rushing yards and a touchdown while completing 3 of 4 passes, including a scoring toss to Eric Gustafson. The Seahawks’ defense held Wagner to seven first downs, recorded two sacks and intercepted one pass.

Game Bits

BEE is 1–0 against the current Viborg-Hurley program, winning the teams’ only meeting 48–34 in the 2010 Class 9AA state championship game.
The 2010 championship was not only the only meeting—it came during the first season for both programs in their current forms. Bridgewater joined the Emery/Ethan partnership that year, while Hurley reunited with Viborg after ending its six-year football co-op with Marion. The newly configured programs immediately met for the Class 9AA title, with BEE winning 48–34.
The rivalry has additional history through the predecessor co-ops. In 2008, Emery/Ethan defeated Hurley/Marion 28–8 during the regular season, but the Cobras reversed that result with a 22–16 victory in the Class 9AA quarterfinals. Hurley/Marion went on to win the state championship.

Back in the 9AA ranks for the first time since 2014, the Seahawks are also back in the Cornbelt Conference where they won 11 conference titles from 1988-2014.

The forecast at kickoff tonight in Viborg calls for sunny skies with a temperature of 82 degrees and winds out of the north at 5-10 mph.

Tonight's game will be livestreamed on LiveTicket.TV. A livestream link is on the home page of this website.
The BEE JH team will kick off their season on Monday in Viborg. The JH game will start at 4pm. The JV game Monday at Viborg has been cancelled due to them not having enough players.