HARRISBURG – For Harrisburg coach Brandon White, the start of the high school football season is a joyful time of year.
The Tigers’ 15-year coach and his staff enjoy the challenge of putting together a new team each season. After last year’s season ended in the Class 11AAA semifinals, Harrisburg’s players will be able to return to some key players in 2024 and begin the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason media poll.
“Our guys have worked extremely hard,” said White, whose team finished 8-3 last year. “We’ve implemented some new strategies to play to the strengths of this year’s team.”
“We are excited to be playing football again. It seems like just a few days ago we were in the semi-finals. Of course, it didn’t end the way we wanted, but our kids are excited to be back. It will be a lot of fun to be together as a team again and to embark on this new journey together.”
It all starts with the return of veteran quarterback Sam Knuth, who enters the season as arguably the most experienced quarterback in the Metro Athletic Conference.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
Last year, the 6-foot-4 signal caller completed 166 of 236 passes (70.3%) for 2,491 yards, 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 132 yards and scored six touchdowns on the ground.
“He’s a fighter. He always has been, but now you just see a whole different level of knowledge that he can make those plays,” White said of Knuth, who has committed to play at St. Thomas. “He doesn’t doubt himself anymore. His maturity in the pocket and then leading the huddle is a big thing.
“Because of his speed and athleticism, he has to use his feet at times this year, and I think he really enjoys that as we taught him some new strategies this summer.”
The Tigers’ biggest challenge on offense will be replacing four wideouts who have moved on to the college ranks. That group includes two players who landed at Augustana: Tytan Tryon (853 yards receiving, 12 TDs) and Max Carlson (820 yards receiving, eight touchdowns).
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
The most important returner in the receiving corps is senior Braeden Feeldy, who caught 26 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns last year.
“He’s been a key player on special teams,” White said of Feeldy. “He has to find his way around the field on a lot of plays offensively, so he’s kind of our leader out there.”
Senior Justin Kabera started at cornerback last year but is expected to play wide receiver this season along with Jonah Knuth, Sam’s twin brother. Meanwhile, Kamden Schimmel and Bradley Esser are also expected to fill key roles at wideout.
At running back, junior Josiah Heinz was responsible for the majority of the Tigers’ running game in 2023, finishing with 70 carries for 535 yards and six touchdowns. Senior Isaac Ostrem could also see time in the backfield after playing primarily on defense last year.
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
White was impressed with his team’s length on the offensive line on both sides of the ball. Seniors Eli Detert, Nile Laake, Connor Lagg and Carson Stiff will likely contribute in the trenches on both sides of the ball, while seniors Austin Kippes, Cayden Van Horssen and Kale Vesely are other offensive players to keep an eye on.
Senior linebacker Matai Mageo is Harrisburg’s top returning tackler after finishing second on the team with 44 stops in 2023. Senior Carter Baier had 36 tackles last season and is also back at linebacker, while senior Aiden Costain returns as defensive end.
Kabera had 25 tackles last season and is back in the secondary, where Feeldy is also expected to contribute. Senior Isaiah Tapp and junior Grayer VanHull are two other potential contributors at the defensive back position.
“It seems like our guys are playing with a different level of confidence now just knowing where their teammates are next to them and building a little bit of team chemistry on defense,” White said of his defense. “They’re making up for a lot of mistakes we made during summer camps and stuff, just through pure athleticism. So we’ve got to make sure we put our guys in the right spot every time to play and just let them play freely and relax their minds and just play.”
Trent Singer / Sioux Falls Live
The Tigers open the season on Saturday, August 31, with the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl in O’Gorman. It will be a rematch of last year’s 11AAA state championship semifinals, when the Knights inflicted a 49-34 loss on the Tigers in Harrisburg.
“Our team motto is to finish,” White said. “We thought we made really good progress last year, but then we got into trouble with O’Gorman, who played a very good football game in the semifinals.”
“It’s about not taking anything for granted and doing the details at a higher level and not taking breaks from playing. That’s not something our team did last year. But there was just more emphasis on it if we want to get back to that state championship level. We have to make sure we pay attention to the details and finish every play, every quarter, every half and then of course finish the game the right way.”
LAST YEAR: 8-3
TRAINER: Brandon White (15th year)
OPENER: August 31 at Sioux Falls O’Gorman
Trent Singer is a hockey and sports reporter for The Ice Rink Live And Sioux Falls Live. He focuses his coverage on Augustana men’s hockey, the CCHA and sports in the Sioux Falls area. Singer’s previous positions include Only women’s sportsThe Southeast Missouri and the Kentucky New Era.
