WATERTOWN, S.D. — In a showdown between two Class 11AA top-three contenders, No. 2 Tea Area outlasted No. 3 Watertown 28-21 on Friday night behind a four-touchdown night from quarterback Mitch Grant.
Tea Area opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Devyn Rhodes connected with Grant for an 81-yard touchdown pass with 2:32 remaining. Watertown answered on its next drive as Lincoln Schutt punched in a 2-yard touchdown run at the 9:08 mark of the first frame to tie the game 7-7.
The Arrows took a 14-7 lead with 3:02 remaining in the second quarter when Kaeden Himmerich found Braden Jenc for a 20-yard touchdown pass.
Tea Area pulled even midway through the third quarter on a 77-yard touchdown pass from Grant to Griffin Wiebenga at 8:31. Grant then put the Titans ahead 21-14 with 1:32 left in the third period on a 14-yard quarterback keeper.
Watertown evened the score at 21-21 with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter on Schutt’s second touchdown of the night, a 1-yard plunge. However, Grant answered for Tea Area, scoring the decisive 22-yard touchdown run with 5:17 left in the game.
Tea Area dominated the stat sheet, outgaining Watertown in total offense 425-209. The Titans’ defense held the Arrows to 25 net rushing yards while Tea Area accumulated 151 yards on the ground.
Himmerich finished 14 of 26 passing for 184 yards and a touchdown for Watertown. Tyson Miller led the Arrows in rushing with 24 yards on five carries, while Schutt added 11 yards and two scores on 11 carries. Hunter Preston caught three passes for a team-high 56 yards, Kutler Swenson added five receptions for 54 yards, and Jenc finished with two catches for 30 yards and a score.
Defensively, Schutt recorded a team-high seven tackles and a sack for Watertown. Mason Anderson and Charles Whiting added six tackles each, with Whiting recording a sack. Maxx Sears contributed five tackles.
Watertown hosts top-ranked Pierre on Friday at Allan Mitchell Field.
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