The football season at Big Sandy is playing out like a great drama.
In Act I, the Pioneers were matched with bit players and the action lacked suspense as they rolled to 3-0.
After a three-week long intermission, Big Sandy met opposites with whom they could have some give-and-take.
And the second act climaxed Friday with a second consecutive North Division title for the Pioneers, won 46-29 on their home field against Power/Dutton-Brady.
Finally, the Big Sandy starters were challenged to play the entire four quarters without giving way to their understudies. Their performance did not disappoint as Kade Strutz had another star outing, rushing 21 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns. Scene-stealer Parker Proulx also topped the century mark with 101 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown of his own making on the ground. He tossed another by way of air mail to Strutz the Younger from 28 yards to open the second quarter.
Speaking of Kody, his 72-yard interception return for a pick-six wrapped the victory up with a nice bow, extending the lead to an insurmountable 44-21 in the last stanza.
Along the way, however, another quick receiver tried to play the villain against Big Sandy with an intriguing amount of success. The Titans' Spencer Lehnerz caught seven passes for 114 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown from the arm of Nicholas Widhal that put the Pioneers on the wrong side of the scoreboard for the first time in 2020. A two-point kick conversion on the PAT ensured it more than matched Kade Strutz's opening salvo for six from 45 yards out.
Proulx tallied his rushing TD from more than half the length of the field as well, getting Big Sandy back on top for good with a well-considered lateral from Kade setting up the go-ahead score. Proulx's pass to Kody added to the lead, as did a 27-yard scamper to the end zone by Kade for a 24-8 halftime edge.
Lehnerz struck first in the second half from 6 yards out and the teams then matched each other score-for-score, Kade adding TD runs of 1 and 39 yards for the Pioneers, until Kody's interception and runback put the decision much too far out of reach for the visiting Titans.
Proulx and Kody Strutz each picked off two passes on the night and the Pioneers won the crucial turnover battle, 5-1. Braydon Cline added three QB sacks. The Pioneer defense bent but refused to break and Big Sandy out-gained PDB 411-258 yards for the contest.
All the action set the stage for a third and final act, one which Big Sandy and its fans hope leads to redemption and glory.
The state playoff brackets are not yet filled out but as the top seed from the North, the Pioneers know they will host the fourth-place finisher from the East Division after a bye next week. That game will take place either Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24. In the current MaxPreps.com standings, the Wibaux Longhorns, who defeated Big Sandy in the 2018 state quarterfinals en route to the championship, currently hold the fourth slot with a 2-3 record. These - ladies and gentlemen - are not your father's Wibaux Longhorns.
As for last season's archnemesis, the Jordan Mustangs (0-5) are already eliminated from playoff contention as their fall from penthouse to the outhouse has been remarkable this season.
Should Big Sandy prevail in the first round, they will play again Oct. 30 or 31 at home in the quarterfinals, against the second-place finisher from either the South or West division. The West runner-up presents an interesting story line as Hot Springs defeated the Pioneers for the 2012 6-man state title.
Due to the "tiebreakers" between same seeds across divisions determined prior to the season, if the top teams from either the new Central Division or the traditional powerhouse East advance to the semifinals, Big Sandy would have to travel Nov. 6 or 7, as far as five hours' drive if it's surprising undefeated 5-0 Froid/Medicine Lake.The coop team is back in the state tournament for the first time since 2006.
In the championship game, the opposite side of the bracket is likely to produce either South champion Shields Valley or West winner White Sulphur Springs, who join Big Sandy and Froid/Lake as the last remaining undefeated teams this season. Big Sandy would have to travel to meet the West champ but could host the South winner on Nov. 13 or 14.
Hot Springs and PDB are the most recent undefeateds to pick up their first loss, the Savage Heat downed 53-15 at White Sulphur Springs Saturday in their second game in a three-day span due to COVID-19 postponement makeup games. Similar makeup games next week could continue to shape the bracket in unexpected ways. The bracket is available at http://www.mhsa.org/footballpostseason by clicking "2020 Class C - 6 Player Championship Series - Bracket" midway down the page.
