In Play with Craig Mattick

For more than a decade, Sturgis wrestling was arguably the top program in the state. From 1998-2011, the Scoopers were state champions six times in Class A, five of those coming over the span of six years. They also were runner-up three-times as well over this fourteen year stretch. Longtime Sturgis wrestling coach Steve Keszler and former Scooper wrestlers Seth Lange, Nate Oviatt, Josh Keszler, and Caleb Chapman all joined the program to reminisce about this historic run. 

Long time coach Larry Luitjens is one of the most successful coaches in South Dakota high school history. Throughout his 45-year career of coaching boys basketball, he won 748 games, which is the state record in boys' high school hoops for the Mt. Rushmore state. He also won seven state titles throughout his career.

The Sioux Falls Roosevelt girls basketball program went on a record breaking run of 111 consecutive wins from 1997-2001. During this span, Fred Tibbetts' Rough Riders also won five-straight state championships. Assistant Coaches Larry Toft, Denise Klein, and Nate Malchow, and former player Courtney Farrell all joined ‘In Play with Craig Mattick’ to talk about this historical run. 

He's one of the most physically gifted wrestlers in South Dakota history. Randy Lewis, a native of Rapid City, was a three-time state champion at Stevens high school, a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Iowa, and an Olympic gold medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games for Team USA. He truly is 'the toughest kid on the block.'

Since 1976, the Lakota Nation Invitational has been the top high school basketball invitational in South Dakota. What started as purely a basketball event, the LNI now consists of everything from cultural and academic events to a multiple arts and crafts competitions as well. The action on the court, though, still drives fans, players, and schools to Rapid City each December for this annual event.

Northwestern, Sioux Falls Christian, and O'Gorman all won state volleyball championships in 2020. Between the three of them, they combined for only two losses on the year. Both Northwestern and Sioux Falls Christian only saw one defeat, and it was against the Lady Knights.

Lions and Tigers, and Bears – oh my. Mascots have been part of school pride for a very long time, and in South Dakota – it’s no different. Jerry Miller, who wrote the book ‘South Dakota High School Mascots, Nicknames & Logos Past and Present’ joined the program to discuss some of the trends he’s seen with mascots in the Mt. Rushmore State over the years.

Jill Christensen is the all-time winningest high school coach in South Dakota history with 837 career wins. Throughout her 36-year career with Volleyball in Parker, she led the Pheasants to 14 state volleyball tournament appearances, which included a state championship in 1990.  Guests include Jill Christensen, Rylie Christensen, and Laurel Laubach. 

The Claremont Honkers to this day hold the longest football win streak in South Dakota history. Over a span of six seasons, this 6-man football team won a remarkable 61 straight games.

Marc Rasmussen, Marv Rasmussen, Lyle Cutler, and Roger Andrews all joined 'In Play with Craig Mattick' to discuss this remarkable run that was known throughout the nation.

From 1993 through 2007, the West Central Trojans won 11 state football championships.  Jim Uttecht, Kent Mueller and Chad Morrison join Craig Mattick to discuss that unprecedented title run.

When you think of basketball and Murdo, South Dakota , Harold Thune has to be one of the first things that comes to mind. Growing up, he was one, if not the best basketball player in the state. Harold Thune recently passed away at the age of 100, but his legacy as a player, a Navy Fighter Pilot, and then later a basketball coach, will live on in history forever.

It was unknown if South Dakota was going to have high school sports and activities this fall. While the landscape of the current format was set up through the South Dakota High School Activities Association, it's up to the individual schools to create their own protocols. Also, football amongst the native schools has been moved to the spring.