WATERTOWN — Thirty-four northeastern South Dakota standouts have been selected to the 2025 South Dakota Football Coaches Association's all-state teams.
The group features seven repeat all-state selections, including the Public Opinon's Tri-Players of the Year in seniors Jackson Wadsworth of Hamlin, Colt Beck of Elkton-Lake Benton and Jesiah Baum of Warner.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOther repeat honorees are Watertown senior linebacker Kaden Decker, Elkton-Lake Benton senior defensive lineman Quintin Westley, De Smet senior offensive lineman Grant Wilkinson and Faulkton Area senior fullback/H-back Tristen Baloun.
Wadsworth led Hamlin to a 9-2 record and a semifinal berth in the state Class 9AA playoffs, closing out his career by passing for 2,480 yards and 30 touchdowns. He finished his career with 4,631 yards passing with 69 TDs (only 7 interceptions) and 861 rushing yards and 19 TDs.
"Jackson is the person who made our offense click. He is one of the smartest players I have coached and was a true leader of this team," Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan said.
Beck led Elkton-Lake Benton to a 10-2 record and a berth in the state Class 9AA champion, throwing for 2,363 yards and 21 TDs (only 1 interception) and rushing for 879 yards and 17 TDs. He threw for 4,003 yards and 44 TDs in his career. Both Wadsworth and Beck were selected to the Class 9AA team as athletes.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Colt's capacity on offense was limited due to injury for five weeks throughout the season and he still managed to put up a significant rushing stat line this season. His great decision making and accuracy passing the ball are reflected in his completion percentage and touchdown-interception ratio," Elkton-Lake Benton coach Kaleb Haas said.
Baum led Warner to a 9-1 season and earned Class 9A all-state honors by rushing for 972 yards and 22 TDs and catching 21 passes for 425 yards and another five TDs. He rushed for 2,587 yards, caught 80 passes for 1,462 yards and scored 59 TDs in his career.
"Jesiah is the true meaning of a game breaker. He can take it the distance from anywhere on the field," Warner coach Derek Hoellein said.
Another 23 area players received honorable mention on the all-state teams. There were no area honorees (Tiospa Zina) on the All Nations Conference all-state teams.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOther area honorees by class include:
Hamlin quarterback Jackson Wadsworth scrambles against Freeman-Marion/Freeman Academy's Karter Weber during their Class 9AA semifinal high school football playoff game on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Freeman. Freeman-Marion/Freeman Academy won 45-12.Class 11AA
Decker repeated as an all-state linebacker by tallying 81 tackles (31 solos), 6.5 quarterback sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a blocked punt he returned for a TD for a Watertown team that went 5-5.
Junior tight end Hunter Peterson also made the team for Watertown with 28 catches for 365 yards and five TDs.
"Kaden was our best defensive player, good leader and hard worker. After a tough start to the season and a position change, he had a very good end to the season," Watertown coach John Hodorff said. "Hunter was the best overall player we had. His work ethic is one of the best I've ever had."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJaxon Henley, a 6-foot-1, 270 senior, also earned all-state as an offensive lineman for Aberdeen Central.
"Jaxon is what we look for in an offensive lineman. He is smart and physical and loves to finish blocks down the field," Aberdeen Central coach Justin Briese said.
Junior Lincoln Schutt (937 yards rushing, 12 TDs), senior Keslar Swenson (16 catches for 309 yards and 3 TDs, 41 tackles) and senior quarterback Markus Pitkin (1,394 yards passing, 13 TDs and 395 yards rushing, 4 TDs) each received honorable mention for Watertown.
Class 11A
Senior offensive lineman Carter Gloe and senior punter Layten Osowski each made the all-state team for a 6-4 Milbank team. The 6-4, 234-pound Gloe was a two-way starter and Osowski averaged 35 yards per punt with five downed inside the 20.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Carter is truly a team player and ideal offensive lineman. He understands schemes, corrects mistakes and makes sure his teammates are lined up correctly," Milbank coach Mick Thompson said. "Layten was an excellent punter for us and had some very important punts pinning opponents or flipping the field."
Senior Braylen Bowsher (quarterback plus 25 tackles) and junior Sam Rick (43 catches for 792 yards, five TDs) each received honorable mention for Milbank.
Deuel's Oliver Fieber catches a pass in warmups for a Northeast Conference football game against Clark-Willow Lake on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Clear Lake. Clark-Willow Lake improved to 5-1 with a 20-14 win over Deuel (now 5-1).Class 11B
Area all-state selections include senior running back Emmerson Larson and senior offensive lineman Michael Severson of Clark-Willow Lake and senior receivers Troy Jensen and Oliver Fieber of Deuel. Both teams went 9-2 and reached the state semifinals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLarson rushed for more than 600 yards and gained more than 500 yards receiving while scoring 12 TDs for the Cyclones. Severson anchored the lines for CWL.
"For a year or two, Emmerson was our dude. This year, we had other guys step up and get some yards but teams still had to know where Emmerson was at all times," CWL coach Dave Severson said. "Michael anchored an offensive line that was very effective this year. He is big, athletic and physical."
Jensen caught 48 passes for nearly 700 yards and three TDs and Fieber 56 for 658 and eight TDs.
"Troy is a precise route runner with exceptional hands. He consistently found ways to get open and make tough catches in critical moments," Deuel coach Dusty Hourigan said. "Oliver is a dynamic playmaker with elite speed and great hands, capable of changing the game at any moment."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement2024 AREA ALL-STATE FOOTBALL PLAYERS: Hamlin's all-state football honorees include area player of year Jackson Wadsworth
Senior offensive lineman Preston Top of Sioux Valley (four-year starter who blocked for a running game that produced 11,136 yards during that time), linebackers Mitchell Guthmiller of Sioux Valley (77 tackles in 2025, 181 career) and Matthew Mount of Webster Area (66 tackles, 44 solos) and junior running back Mack Saxon of Mobridge-Pollock (1,041 yards rushing, 7 TDs this fall and 2,838 career with 39 TDs) also made the team.
"Preton is a high-motor player that teams had to account for in their scouting plan. He often performed his best against some of the best teams in Class 11B," Sioux Vlley coach Jordan Fast said. "Mitchell has committed to play football at South Dakota State is one of the best players in the state regardless of class. He has played every position in his career except offensive lineman."
"Matthew has been the backbone of our program for four years," Webster Area coach Tyler Wagner said. "He's a rare, generational-type talent and one of the best kids that I've ever had to the privelege to coach."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Mack has been the centerpiece of our offense over the last two yars and is a punshing runner who has the ability to score every time he touches the ball," Mobridge-Pollock coach Donovan Flaherty said.
Area honorable-mention selections are Deuel junior QB-DB Aidan Sievers (1,600-plus yards passing), junior RB Gavin Kloos (nearly 1,600 yards rushing), senior linebacker Carson Marko (104-plus tackles) and junior OL Nathan Fieber; Mobridge-Pollock senior OL Wyatt Ziegler; and senior WRs Keegen Tracy of Groton Area (34 catches) and Cooper Pommer of Clark-Willow Lake (390 yards receiving, 7 TDs).
Class 9AA
Elkton-Lake Benton (seniors RB Eliot Erickson, OL Taiton Boersma, LB Myles Poindexter and Westley) and Hamlin (junior WR Boden Stevenson and senior DL Aiden Abraham) also made the team along De Smet's 6-8, 320-pound senior Grant Wilkinson.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementErickson ran for 1,537 yards and 23 TDs, Westley made 72.5 tackles including 8.5 QB sacks and Poindexter added 101.5 tackles.
"Eliot was our main running option throughout the season and Tait is a three-year starter and the anchor of our offensive line," ELB coach Kaleb Haas said. "Myles' ability to shed blocks and make sure tackles was a huge piece of our defense this year and Quintin did a great job setting the edge on the run and pressuring the QB on the pass."
"Boden can play multiple positions on the field and he does it at a high level," Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan said. "Aiden is a true leader who will do what is best for the team. He is a great motor player and works hard at everything he does."
"Grant has been an impactful player for us throughout his entire high school career," De Smet coach Brendon Pitts said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArea players who received honorable mention include senior RB Bryce Hawkinson (1,223 yards, 13 TDs), LB Jaxon Zuehlke (77 tackles) and OL-DL Graham Fosness (28 tackles) of Britton-Hecla; senior RB Slayten Wilkinson (1,300 yards rushing, 13 TDs) and senior kicker Wanner Enriquez of ELB (41-48 point-after kicks with two field goals).
Castlewood's Kamden Keszler turns the corner against Estelline-Hendricks' Cooper Schaefer during their high school football game on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Estelline. Castlewood won 38-8.Class 9A
Area all-staters include Ipswich senior running back Kyle Hettich, Castlewood senior tight end Leonard Wernke, Warner senior defensive end Noah Bakeberg, Castlewood junior linebacker Kamden Keszler and Warner junior kicker Alec Mikkelsen.
Hettich rushed for 1,194 yards and 18 TDs and also caught 35 passes for 545 yards and nine TDs for an Ipswich team that went 8-2.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It's always exciting when Kyle had the ball in his hands. He had a chance to go the distance whenever he touched it," Ipswich coach Brian Hogie said.
The 6-6, 200-pound Wernke is a late bloomer who is attacting college attention after stepping up with 13 catches for 416 yards and eight TDs for a Castlewood team that went 8-2. Keszler was the team's quarterback and also shined with 79 tackles on defense.
"Leonard is a high-upside player who was a great leader for us this season, his first as a major contributor for the team," Castlewood coach Nick Ernstad said. "Kamden was a leader for our team on both sides of the ball."
2025 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL LISTS: All-state teams released for state's seven football classes & All Nations Conference
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBakeberg was a key lineman for the Monarchs. Mikkelsen went 35-for-40 in point-after kicks and added two field goals while also handling the kickoff (nearly 50-yard average) and punting (32-yard average) duties.
"Noah was a tone setter for us and an anchor in the middle of our defense," Hoellein said. "Alec is a weapon for us a a special teams players. He has put in a lot of time and effort into becoming the kicker-punter he is today."
Junior RB Regan Schwartz (1,083 yards rushing, 18 TDs) and senior OL Owyn Ebbers of Estelline-Hendricks and senior RB Casey Geditz of Ipswich (726 yards rushing, 12 TDs) each received honorable mention.
Watertown's Hunter Peterson turns upfield after making a catch during a high school football game against Douglas on Friday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex. Watertown capped homecoming week with a 48-0 win.Class 9B
Baloun repeated as the all-state fullback/H-back by rushing for 697 yards and eight TDs for a Faulkton Area team that reached the state semifinals after back-to-back runner-up finishes.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTeammates Spencer Melius (senior defensive back, 80 tackles and five interceptions) and Kamryn Rhodes (junior linebacker, 83 tackles) also made the squad for Faulkton Area.
"Tristen is a good blocker out of 'I' and could go and get the tough yards," Faulkton Area coach Shayne Geditz said. "Kamryn worked hard to become a very good linebacker. He did a good job of finding the ball and is a good tackler. Spencer did a great job on the back end of our defense. He played the pass and run equally well."
Linebackers Jared Weisbeck of Herreid-Selby Area (junior, 74 tackles, four interceptions) and Ben Curd of Iroquois-Lake Preston (senior, 79 tackles) and senior offensive lineman Tom Loehr of Colman-Egan (which went 7-4 and reached the state semis) also are area all-state picks.
"Jared is a little undersized for a linebacker but his instincts and willingness to learn/adapt/study film for each game puts him at a top-tier level linebacker," HSA coach Josh Sayler said.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Thomas was definitely the focal point of our offensive line," Colman-Egan coach Chad Williamson said.
Receiving honorable mention are senior OL Brennon Bickett of Oldham-Rmona-Rutland, junior Kaden Russell of Herreid-Selby Area (68 tackles), junior Lucas Peskey of Iroquois-Lake Preston (1,412 rushing yards, 15 TDs) and junior Rhyder Behnke of Colman-Egan (71 tackles).
Note — Saxon (Class 11B), Abraham (Class 9AA), Hawkinson (Class 9A) and Hettich and Mikkelsen (Class 9A) each were honorable-mention selections in 2024.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Story on area all-state high school football players
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