The Jim River Trappers were held to just 76 yards of total offense on an average of 2.1 yards per play, and two touchdowns in the first half by Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central was all the Blackhawks needed to come away with a 14-0 win in 11-man action Friday night, Aug. 26. The win improved W/WS/SC to 1-1 while the Trappers fell to 0-2.

As was the case in the season opening game at Burke one week earlier, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy used a strong second half to slam the door on their gridiron opponent and pull off another inspiring win — this one in Freeman against Iroquois/Lake Preston Friday night, Aug. 26. Leading 12-8 at the half, the Phoenix went on a 32-0 run to emerge with a 44-8 win.

Oct. 27 Football: Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 14, Elkton-Lake Benton 52 (7-3)   Oct. 25 Volleyball: Freeman 3, Alcester-Hudson 0 - 25-17, 25-18, 25-19 (18-9)   Oct. 24 Volleyball: Freeman 3, Canistota 1 - 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-18 (17-9)   Oct. 20 Volleyball: Menno 1, Avon 3 - 19-25, 21-25, 25-21, 19-25 (5-19)   Oct. 20 Football: Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 36, Florence/Henry 30 (7-2)

The Freeman Academy soccer team, which is in a cooperative with a number of area schools, defeated Custer 7-0 on the road Saturday Aug. 20. The Bobcats saw a nice all-around effort, with Jonathan Lopez leading the way with four goals. Chris Cardona had two goals and two assists, Lester Richards added a goal and Emma Tuschen and Albert Kolonji each tallied an assist. And keeper Liam Ortman had a perfect game in the goal with eight saves in the shutout win. The Bobcats play at Vermillion on Tuesday and are home against Dakota Valley at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27.

The Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy Phoenix are 1-0. Competing in Burke Friday night, Aug. 19, the brand-new football cooperative shrugged off a slow start and cruised to an impressive 34-12 win over the Cougars less than nine months after the Canistota School Board dumped Freeman Public by voting to dissolve the Pride cooperative.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER A member of the 1975 Freeman High School boys basketball state championship team and a highly successful coach from West Central will be on the sidelines once again, this time as the assistant girls basketball coach with the Freeman Flyers. Kent Mueller has been hired by the district to work alongside second-year head coach Jenny Peters starting with the 2022-23 basketball season; his contract was to be formally approved by the Freeman School Board at its regular monthly meeting Wednesday night, Aug. 10.

Freeman held a 3-1 lead after five innings but Lake Norden got one back in the sixth, two more in the seventh and an insurance run in the eighth en route to a 5-3 victory in the opening round of the 2022 Class B State Amateur Baseball Tournament in Mitchell Saturday night, Aug. 6.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER They play each other every Fourth of July in Menno, often square off in the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament, and now two old South Central League rivals find themselves in the same place yet again — this time in Mitchell.

Wynot came away with the District 6 championship after defeating Freeman 4-2 in amateur baseball action Friday night, July 30 in Freeman. The Expos and Blacksox both move on to the South Dakota Class B Amateur Baseball Tournament in Mitchell that starts Aug. 3, Wynot as a district champ and Freeman as Rep. No. 1 coming out of the South Central League.

Menno finally came out on top in a close game, and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. Playing in an elimination game in the District 6 Amateur Baseball Tournament in Freeman Thursday night, July 28, the sixth-seed Mad Frogs upset top-seed Lesterville 4-3 in 11 innings to earn their ticket to the state tournament.