As The Year Winds Down

Personal responsibilities have prevented any recent posts, but some good news has occurred in the last month. 

The BHS football team capped off a fine season, earning runner-up honors in the "11AA" state football playoffs on November 16.  Their only loss in the regular season was to Pierre by a rather lop-sided score, something on the order of 53-7.  Both teams were clearly much better than all of the other teams in "11AA" this season (Pierre handily won most games by 45 points or so, even winning one game 103-0).  It was almost guaranteed that they would meet for the championship.  Normally, these championship contests are held at the DakotaDome on the campus of USD because weather can be a factor at this time of the year.  This year, however, the "Dome" was undergoing some remodeling, and would not be available for the play-offs.  Instead, the games were held on the SDSU campus.  Fortunately, the weather cooperated.

The Bobcats played better than most people expected.  Many people thought that if the 'Cats could be within four touchdowns, they would be doing quite well.  They only came up short a couple touchdowns and some extra points, falling 32-16 to the Governors. 

When the all-state "11AA" team was announced a couple of weeks ago, it was no surprise that Pierre and Brookings dominated the selections.  Pierre had nine players on the first team, while the Bobcats had six.  Yankton has five players selected, while Mitchell, Sturgis, and Huron had four each.  Douglas had three, while Spearfish had one. 

The winter activities are just getting started.  Gymnastics is off to a strong start, as usual.  The wrestling team has some outstanding individuals, but is lacking the numbers to adequately fill out the roster at this time.  As the younger wrestlers gain some experience, they may occupy some of those empty slots by February.  Both basketball teams have played a couple of games.  It seems too early to predict how much successful in terms of wins and losses each will have; success, though, is not always measured by that statistic. 

As always, death has reared its ugly recently.  Some familiar faces that have passed away are Rachel (Borstad) Schoepf, Terry Aulner, Doyle Hicks, Ron Olson, Leroy DeBeer, and Adele Sudlow.

Rachel Borstad graduated from BHS in 1959 (Joan Webbenhurst , Nancy's sister, was in that class.  She was the sophomore English teacher for some of us during the 1966-67 school year.  Also in that class were "Skip" Webster and Bob Shelden, two rather talented athletes).  Her parents were Bennie and Barb Borstad.  Bennie sold cars for Kjellsen's for many years.  (My first car, a 1954 Chevy, was purchased from him).  I believe both were rather talented bowlers.  Rachel married Gary Schoepf, whose father Harold owned Harold's Printing.  In the mid-60s, Harold's Printing sponsored an independent basketball team, aptly named the Harold Printers.  They won a number of independent state basketball championships in the mid-60's.  Many players had recently used up their eligibility at SDSU, so they were able to continue to play at a competitive level for another year or longer.  Skip Webster was a mainstay on that team.  Bob Jostad also played some with them.  (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/rachel-schoepf)

Terry Aulner was a year behind us in school.  His dad worked at the Ford Garage, so he seemed to inherit his father's love for cars.  My memory of him is that we were in the same Cub Scout troop.
His daughter Chris was student of ours about 20 years ago.  (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/terrence-aulner) 

Was Doyle Hicks the man who changed the records in the juke-boxes when we were in high school? I believe at that time the business was owned by Elmer Cummings.  Did he then later purchase the business?   (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/doyle-hicks)

Ron Olson owned the Pheasant Café on South Main, just across from the Purple Cow, which he later purchased and rename the Barrel Inn, after the one in Sioux Falls.  (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/ronald-olson)

Leroy DeBeer was an outstanding athlete in White, playing in the late 50's.  Later, he played basketball at General Beadle in Madison, now known as Dakota State University.  Those of us who played slo-pitch softball after high school graduation ran into Leroy very time we played a tournament, as he and his brother-in-law Roger Nelson umpired all of the tournaments in the area.  His wife was a BHS graduate of 1962.  Stew Walz had a brother in that class, as did I.  Was Tom Bozied's sister in that class?  An annual is not handy, so finding those connections will have to be a project for another day.  (https://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/obituary/leroy-debeer)

Adele Sudlow was known as a fantastic piano teacher.  Perhaps some in our class knew her in that respect.  When some relatives were here a few years ago, we visited the Ag Heritage Museum.  There was a magnificent display of pictures of South Dakota farm life that, I believe, her husband (and perhaps she) had taken.  (https://www.eidsnessfuneralhome.com/obituary/adele-sudlow)

 Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out to the families at their loss.

If  something important happens that requires a post, we will comply.  If not, we hope that everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy new year.