Wagner

Seahawks

Last Week

In a back-and-forth battle, Beresford edged BEE 21-20 in Bridgewater. The Watchdogs struck first with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ashton Oberle to Hayden Schilling in the opening quarter. BEE answered in the second with two rushing scores—an 11-yard run by Jaxx Kurtenbach and a 3-yard keeper by Holden Wollmann—but Beresford tied it before halftime on a 7-yard run by Malachi James, making it 14-14 at the break.

Kurtenbach broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run early in the fourth to give the Seahawks a 20-14 lead, but the conversion failed. That left the door open for Beresford, and Oberle capped a late drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. The extra point proved the difference as the Watchdogs held on, 21-20.

Beresford finished with 274 total yards (168 rushing, 106 passing), while BEE totaled 220 yards (153 rushing, 67 passing). Oberle led the Watchdogs with 59 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also throwing for 106 yards and a score. James added 53 rushing yards and a TD, plus 38 receiving yards.

For BEE, Kurtenbach carried 11 times for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns while also catching 3 passes. Wollmann rushed for 52 yards and a score and completed 8 of 10 passes for 67 yards. Jackson Weber was his top target with 40 receiving yards.

Defensively, Coltyn Raymond paced the Seahawks with 15 tackles. Brady Jager added 8 stops and 2 interceptions, returning one for 20 yards. Creighton Klumb and Wollmann each forced fumbles, while Thiago Juarez had a 30-yard fumble return.

This Season

Through three games, the Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan Seahawks have shown balance on offense and toughness on defense, outscoring opponents 64-40 and averaging 225 yards per game.

The Seahawks are 1-2, with a one-point loss to W/WS/SC, a convincing 32-6 win over Lead-Deadwood, and a heartbreaking 21-20 defeat to Beresford. The offense has leaned on the ground game, rushing for 467 yards and 9 touchdowns, while the defense has forced 7 takeaways and held opponents to just 107 rushing yards per game.

Offensive Leaders

Holden Wollmann has been the engine, rushing for 262 yards and 6 touchdowns while also completing 21 of 36 passes for 208 yards and a score. He leads the team with 470 total yards.
Jaxx Kurtenbach adds explosive balance, posting 112 rushing yards, 83 receiving yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns. He’s also contributed a 47-yard TD reception and 84 kickoff return yards, totaling 279 all-purpose yards.
KJ Ripley has chipped in 67 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards, while Jackson Weber leads the receivers with 61 yards.
Carter Glanzer has provided depth with 20 rushing yards, one touchdown, and steady play on both sides of the ball.

Special Teams

Creighton Klumb has been perfect on extra points (2-for-2).
Ripley has handled punting duties, averaging 24.6 yards per punt with four pinned inside the 20. He also has 31 punt return yards.
Kurtenbach leads in kick returns with 84 yards (28.0 average).

Defensive Standouts
The defense has been opportunistic, snagging 5 interceptions and recovering 2 fumbles.

Creighton Klumb leads the way with 31 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks.
Coltyn Raymond has tallied 28 stops and a pass breakup.
Wollmann has been active defensively as well, with 19 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble.
Brady Jager is the ballhawk, picking off 4 passes for 36 return yards.
Thiago Juarez has added a fumble return for 30 yards and a blocked kick.

By the Numbers

Offense: 225 yards per game (155 rushing, 69 passing)
Defense: 209 yards allowed per game
Turnover Margin: +7 (7 gained, 0 lost)
Third Down: 47% conversion rate

Last Week

Second-ranked Wagner held off Mount Vernon/Plankinton last Friday, earning a 20-8 victory in a Class 11B matchup.

The Red Raiders struck first when quarterback Gannon Knebel connected with Shea Kjeldgaard on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Despite two first-half interceptions, Wagner’s defense stepped up, with Bennett Kuhlman recovering a fumble to help preserve a 7-0 halftime lead.

Knebel extended the margin with a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, but the Titans answered as Tyce Feistner found Cole Sandland for a scoring strike to trim the deficit to 14-8.

In the final minutes, Wagner sealed the game when Ky Arpan returned an interception for a touchdown. Knebel finished with 103 passing yards, a touchdown through the air, 54 rushing yards and a rushing score. Carlos Galindo paced the receiving corps with 58 yards, while Kjeldgaard added 30 yards, a touchdown reception, and a forced fumble.

This Season

The Wagner Red Raiders have opened the 2025 season with a 4-0 record, climbing to No. 2 in the Class 11B rankings under third-year head coach Hunter Hewitt. Through four games, Wagner has outscored opponents 134-47, averaging the third-most points per game in Class 11B while allowing the fifth-fewest points defensively.

Wagner opened the season with wins over Chamberlain (45-12) and Hot Springs (35-7), followed by a 20-8 victory against Mount Vernon/Plankinton. The team’s results reflect contributions from both offense and defense, with several players making significant impacts on each side of the ball.

The roster includes nine returning seniors, five juniors in starting roles, and several key underclassmen. Quarterback and linebacker Gannon Knebel (Sr., 6-1, 190 lbs) has contributed on both offense and defense. Senior Shea Kjeldgaard (Sr., 5-11, 175 lbs) has played as a receiver, defender, and on special teams, while seniors Brayden Kreber (Sr., 6-0, 210 lbs), Johnny Redlightning (Sr., 6-2, 205 lbs), Kobe Drapeau (Sr., 6-0, 200 lbs), and Treyton Drapeau (Sr., 6-0, 195 lbs) have provided consistent presence throughout the lineup.

Junior wide receiver Carlos Galindo (Jr., 5-10, 160 lbs) and running back Javian Pesicka (Jr., 5-11, 180 lbs) have added offensive support, and lineman Trasin Dilts (Jr., 6-1, 210 lbs) has anchored the offensive front. Defensively, the Red Raiders have recorded several momentum-changing plays, including a late interception return for a touchdown by senior Ky Arpan (Sr., 5-9, 170 lbs).

Last Match-Up

Last season, BEE defeated Wagner 20-6 in Bridgewater in a game where all the scoring came in the first half. The Seahawks built a 20-6 halftime lead on two rushing touchdowns by Macklen Weber and a 50-yard interception return by Jason Zeeb, and neither offense scored again.

BEE finished with 199 yards of offense while holding Wagner to 150. Holden Wollmann threw for 101 yards, Weber added 43 rushing yards and 2 TDs, and Zeeb had a standout defensive game with 7 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and the pick-six. For Wagner, Carlos Galindo passed for 118 yards and a touchdown, with Shea Kjeldgaard catching three passes for 95 yards and the score.

The defenses controlled the second half as both teams struggled to sustain drives, sealing the 20-6 Seahawk victory.

Today in Seahawk History

2003 - Emery/Ethan improved to 3-0 with a dominant 46-0 home win over Menno. The Seahawks scored in every quarter except the fourth, putting up 46 points while holding Menno scoreless.

Daniel Duba led the rushing attack with 152 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries, while Russell Fergen added 50 yards and 1 touchdown. Quarterback Gerad VanLeur completed 6 of 10 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, connecting with Fergen and Jerod Ensz in the passing game. Defensively, Duba also paced the team with 12 tackles, and Fergen added 11, helping Emery/Ethan shut down Menno’s offense, which managed just 38 rushing yards and 69 passing yards.

2014 - Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan exploded for 79 points, setting the record for the most points scored in a single game by the Seahawks in 9-man football, in a decisive road win over Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian. The Seahawks led from start to finish, scoring in every quarter and building a commanding 40-point halftime advantage.

Jordan Grosdidier was the standout, tying the Seahawks 9-man individual records with 46 points and 7 touchdowns in a single game. He rushed for 172 yards and 5 touchdowns and added a 75-yard kickoff return and a 35-yard interception return for additional scores. Ethan Riggs contributed 90 rushing yards and a touchdown, and Jonah Bailey added 40 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Seahawks limited PGDC to 198 net rushing yards and 102 passing yards. Ethan Riggs led the defense with 14 tackles, while Jordan Grosdidier had an interception and a pass break-up. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan dominated offensively and defensively, totaling 537 all-purpose yards.

Game Bits

This is the fourth all-time matchup between the Seahawks and Red Raiders. BEE defeated Wagner 49-0 in 2019, 50-6 in 2020, and 20-6 last season.
Big East Conference teams in action tonight include:
Baltic @ #1 Elk Point-Jefferson
McCook Central/Montrose @ Flandreau
Parker @ HM Clark/Willow Lake
One other big game in 11B tonight will be in Wessington Springs, where the Bucks will host 5th ranked Winner. Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central is currently ranked 3rd and was honorable mention in the latest media poll. Meanwhile Winner is 2-2.
The forecast at kickoff tonight in Wagner calls for intermittent clouds with a temperature of 64 degrees and winds out of the northwest around 10 mph.
Tonight's game will be livestreamed and broadcast on KOOL 98.3 FM. Links for both can be found on the home page.
The Seahawk Junior high team is 3-0 on the season. This week they defeated Beresford 48-6. Their game yesterday against Winner has been postponed to Thursday, October 9th in Winner at 4:30 PM. Next action for the Seahawk JH is on Monday in Wagner at 4 PM.
The Junior Varsity team is also 3-0 to start this season after defeating Beresford 18-0 this week. The JV team will take on Wagner on Monday, immediately following the JH game.