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2024 Wartertown High School Football Team Season Preview

Posted on by Vaseline

What will the Watertown High School football team do in 2024 as an encore after having one of its best seasons in more than a decade?

That’s the big question facing head coach John Hodorff and his staff when the Class 11AA Arrows open their season with a visit to Class 11AAA Sioux Falls Jefferson on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Howard Wood Field.

Watertown went 7-4 last fall and defeated Aberdeen Central in the first round of the playoffs. It was the Arrows’ best season since they went 7-4 in 2013 and finished second in the Class 11AA state championship.

Some key pieces are gone and others are back, along with a whole host of others that will play a bigger role.

“We hope to build on last year and even win a few more races,” said Hodorff.

Let’s start with who’s not back

The most recognizable loss for the Arrows is two-time all-state running back Juven Hudson, who threw for 3,071 yards and 31 touchdowns in his career. He is now a freshman football player at Morningside University in Sioux City, Iowa.

Last year, Hudson was the focal point of the offense with 1,351 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns.

“Juven is a very special player and when you have a player like that in your squad, you give him the ball,” said Hodorff.

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Other graduates who have been cut include linebackers Austin Johnson and Simon Hendricks, defensive backs Owen Spartz and Peyton Buisker, wide receiver Kohen Kranz and All-Eastern South Dakota Conference lineman Caden Beauchamp.

Another loss is that of sophomore running back/defensive back Lincoln Schutt, who will miss the 2024 season with a knee injury.

A pretty solid returning cast

Sure, Hudson was the primary focus of Watertown’s offense last season, but the 2024 Arrows should have an array of weapons at their disposal.

Senior Spencer Wientjes earned all-state honors as an H-back (220 rushing yards, six TDs and 14 catches for 340 yards) and All-ESD honors as a linebacker (43 tackles).

Senior quarterback Treyton Himmerich is back to run the show after throwing for 1,449 yards and 13 TDs last fall. The receiving corps includes seniors Nathan Briggs (13 catches for 269 yards and three TDs in just four games), Mitch Olson (18-229 with four TDs) and junior Markus Pitkin (10-177 with two TDs).

Seniors Malique Decker and Marcus Fossum are expected to see significant playing time in the backfield, where they could fill much of the void left by an offensive line that features South Dakota State’s 6-foot-1, 300-pound senior Micah Hach and 300-pound senior Karter Engels at tackle, 245-pound senior Jayden Lambert and 280-pound junior Caleb Thronson at guard and 225-pound senior Nash Berg at center.

“Losing someone like Juven is hard to replace, but Malique and Markus are going to surprise some people and Biggs, Olson, Pitkin and Cole Hansen are all good receivers,” Hodoff said. “There are a lot of weapons, not to mention Spencer, who is one of the best running backs in the state. We’re going to be pretty solid up front.”

A number of these players are listed as potential starters in defence for Friday’s game, so the Arrows, like many other teams, will need to add some depth in case they suffer injuries.

“This team has a good mix of experience and youth in the squad,” Hodorff added. “The leadership and willingness to get better every day is exciting to see.”

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The schedule, teams to beat and other things you need to know

After Friday’s season opener, the Arrows have two more big tests over the next two weeks. On Sept. 6, they host Yankton, the reigning state runner-up in Class 11AA, and on Sept. 13 they visit Pierre, the seven-time reigning state champion in Class 11AA.

Watertown also has home games against Mitchell (Sept. 20, homecoming), Spearfish (Oct. 4), Tea Area (Oct. 11) and Aberdeen Central (Oct. 24) and away games against Douglas (Sept. 27) and Sturgis (Oct. 18). State playoff games are Oct. 31 and Nov. 8, with the Class 11AA state championship on Friday, Nov. 15.

Kelly O’Connor, Will Castle, Devon Fortin, Brandon Hooth, Matti Kranz, Chris Tracy and Carter Buelow serve as assistants on the varsity team, while JJ Clendein, Justin Harte and Parker Schmidt also serve as coaches in the program, along with strength and conditioning coach Aaron Jung.

Pierre, as expected, is the preseason No. 1 and the team to beat again until another Class 11AA team stops the Governor’s streak. Yankton is No. 2, followed by Tea Area, Watertown and Aberdeen Central.

“I think Pierre and Yankton have had their fair share of graduation losses, but they’ll still have good kids. Tea Area should be solid, Aberdeen Central could be one of the scariest teams at the end of the season and Sturgis could be good,” Hordorf said.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]

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