(cheery music) - [Announcer 1] This is a production of South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

(cheery music) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] Since 1981, this building has played host to the State Football Championships in South Dakota.

It's more than just a building.

It's a symbol of memorable moments, dreams coming true, and champions being crowned.

Tonight, we're taking you on a journey where we will meet some of the amazing people who surround some of our football fields in South Dakota.

Welcome to "Tails of the Gridiron."

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - [Announcer 2] This program is made possible with support from our members.

Thank you.

With help from.

- [Announcer 1] Donors to the Explore South Dakota Fund.

Support the production of local documentaries and other programs of local interest presented by SDPB.

Friends of STPB appreciates their support of this program.

- [Announcer 2] And by.

First Dakota is here for the shared community experiences, the competition, longstanding rivalries, the players, the coaches, the officials, and concession crew.

Seeing friends again and cheering on our favorite teams.

It's what makes life here great.

And First Dakota is here for it.

- Plenty of football programs in South Dakota have a strong tradition.

This is especially true in the Winner.

For years, the Warrior's football teams have been a pinnacle of greatness, and a lot of that is because of the principles and values set forth by longtime coach, Harvey Naasz.

(lawn mower revving) - Yeah, it's still his field.

He'll get after Coach Gardner about the watering schedule.

Game week against Tri-Valley a couple weeks ago.

He mowed it three times in one week.

- See, I'm an old farm boy.

Hay and what's my favorite job?

So long as the rattlesnakes stayed away.

(lawn mower whirring) People know that they probably shouldn't come on the field - [Interviewer] Except South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

Right?

- Right, yes.

Yeah.

- [Narrator] Even in 2023, the name Harvey Naasz needs little introduction in South Dakota.

Years ago, he began a tradition.

Today, that tradition remains.

Harvey is still part of the team as well, but in a different way.

- The Chatterers won't like this, but nobody else can do it, right?

No, I just enjoy it and that way I still have a key to the watering place.

Depending on the weather and the moisture sometimes, every other day.

Sometimes twice.

Finish it, oh, we gotta drop it down some more and go again.

- Over the years, the last few years, my brothers have said that, you know, maybe dad doesn't need to mow the lawn or the football field anymore.

Somebody else can do it.

And I said, "No, he's gonna keep mowing until he doesn't want to."

If he would take his last breath on this field, what could be better, you know?

- [Narrator] Harvey coached football for 24 years with stops in Gettysburg, Custer, and Gregory.

But winner is where he spent a majority of his time.

As Warriors head coach, he won three state titles and was runner up once as well.

- That's the goal of all of our coaches and players.

Again, we may not win it all, but we're gonna be in every ball game and when the game's over, you're gonna know you are in a ball game.

And we always tell 'em, "Work hard.

That scoreboard take care of itself."

Our athletes, the last half of the year have really turned it around.

I mean, this just shows you what mental toughness can do.

You know, we maybe been short on some mobility, but I guarantee, our heart was there in the middle.

Our toughness was there, the second effort was there, and that's all it took.

- [Narrator] Harvey's son, Brian, would follow in his father's footsteps.

- The one thing that's understood in Winner is, is you have to work at it.

X's and O's comes down to execution.

You know, you could go double tight power angle and 46 power all night.

You could go double wing, you know, heaven forbid Winner would ever go empty backfield and spread you out every play.

But if that's what it took to win the game, then you would do it.

But I didn't feel any intimidation, any extra pressure at all.

- [Narrator] Fast forward to today and a third generation of the Naasz family has joined the Winner coaching journey.

- My wife and I are both, grew up in Winner, went to school here, graduated here, and we always knew that eventually, we're gonna come back.

It was never a matter of if, it was always a matter of when and one day we just were kind of talking about it and we're like, "You know, it's probably time that we go back."

And yeah, so being back here with both sets of grandparents for our daughter, helping out with my wife's family's ranch, and yeah, getting to coach the Winner Warriors.

- [Narrator] Nathan Naasz was a player for Winner during one of the most dramatic finishes in state football history.

- It's still cool to think about and like, yeah, every now and then you just have to go watch it, go back and watch the video just because.

- [Commentator] The quarterback, he'll go under center.

No doubt he's gonna drop roll right side the throw, he'll throw it as far as he can.

Horseman, tip, in the out!

Touchdown!

(audience cheering) The Winner Warriors!

Jayd Knodell!

Touchdown Winner Warriors!

(audience cheering) - [Nathan] I think that was probably the first and only time all year that we were in trips to one side.

And yeah, it was just surreal, the tip.

And then Jayd Knodell, who lives back in the area, so I get to see him every now and again and bring it up with him and yeah, catches it and goes in, and then it just was mayhem, the doggy pile in the end zone and it was just, yeah.

(audience cheering) - [Narrator] Nathan isn't just part of a coaching legacy, he's part of a teaching legacy as well.

- When we first decided to move down here, I was still waiting on interviewing down here for a teaching job and yeah, the thought of, "Okay, I can be the third one."

And it was always the dream growing up, was always to get to coach the Winner Warriors.

And so it's, yeah, like living a dream right now of getting to be that guy that is the third generation coach and knowing dad and grandpa are up on the hill and it's kind of been surreal.

The way everything's fallen into place.

The third generation football coach and now third generation in Winner High School, room 203.

- [Narrator] The Naasz family has definitely left its roots in Winner.

And while it's fun to look at where the family coaching tree is today, it's fun to look back and remember where its traditions began.

- If two people compete, you always want to be number one.

Anybody can be number two.

Being around athletes, that's the most fun.

Yeah.

Again, like I keep saying, it keeps me young.

(gentle music) - Jason Leber played the most football games of anybody in this building.

From his days in Vermilion playing for the state champion Tanagers to his career in college with the University of South Dakota.

He was also a three time recipient of the Joe Robbie MVP award.

Another three time Joe Robbie winner was Lincoln Kienholz of Pierre, who is now a Buckeye at the Ohio State University.

The Governors are another program that display dominance, discipline and excellence at a consistent pace.

This year's peer team has a kicking duo that is making some history of their own.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Meet Ryann Barry and Brianna Sargent.

Both seniors for the Pierre Governor's girl soccer team.

(group cheering) - All in on me, all in on three!

- [Group] One, two, three, all in!

(group cheering) (upbeat music) And while each is athletic and skilled in their own way, together, they make a dominating pair.

- We're more like sisters than friends, so we do, we fight like sisters.

So, I mean, like, we get through it and like, it honestly makes us stronger and like, it makes our relationship stronger and like, there's nobody else I'd rather have on the field with me than her.

- Yeah, we can get to bickering sometimes, but we usually get past it pretty, we don't really hold any grudges or anything, so we get past it pretty quickly.

- [Narrator] They've grown up together and been friends for a long time.

- Since first grade, I think.

- [Brianna] Probably, well, since we were like what, seven, eight years old?

Seven years old, so-- - [Ryann] So first grade.

- [Brianna] Yes, so like 10 years.

- [Narrator] This year, the duo tried something different.

They went outside of the comfort zone of their shin guards and fell into shoulder pads by being kickers for the Governor's football team.

- Kicking a soccer ball and kicking a football are actually pretty similar.

Like, if you want the ball to go high, you gotta get underneath it and like if your hips are too wide facing one way, then it's gonna go like a shank sideways.

Like, so it wasn't really too difficult, I don't think.

Just getting our steps down and probably timing was probably the most difficult part.

- [Narrator] One handles the kickoffs.

- Ooh, windows.

You want the last one or do you want me to take it?

- [Narrator] While the other handles the extra points.

- We both took reps in practice of each, and then on the day of our first game, Steele told us that I would be kicking PATs and she would be kicking kickoff and we think it's gone pretty smoothly since, so we haven't changed it.

- Bria had kicked one just kind of sporadically, you know, randomly in the middle of the season and just, it showed me a picture actually and one of her study halls of just like, "Hey, watch, you know, I can do this."

And then, you know, Ryann in the summer had come over and said, "Hey, can I come and try?"

And, you know, I think everyone kind of understands that, you know, we don't really care who's kicking as long as they're the best ones for it and you know, so we don't turn away anyone that wants to try and, you know, they both came out and throughout the course of summer and then, you know, obviously into the season, they both showed that they were good enough to do it.

- [Narrator] Back in 2018, Mackenzie Rath kicked for the Pierre football team as well.

- [Commentator] Now here's Mac Rath.

- [Narrator] Not only did her presence make headlines, but she also made history by being the first female in state football history to score points in a state championship game.

- [Commentator] It's good.

- We've kind of like talked about it throughout high school, like thinking it was a pretty cool idea because Mac Rath, who also used to play soccer, she was a kicker on the football team and like, since we were young, we liked that.

Like idea of being on the football team.

And this summer at strength and conditioning, like we kind of talked to Steele about the idea and he had us come down and try it.

- [Commentator] She has said that she wants to, hopefully, this would encourage more girls to come out for football.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] Brianna and Ryann are now creating their own path for Pierre.

And while there's a big difference between the strategy and rules of soccer and football, being competitors and strong members of a team is a consistent aspect between the two.

- They were kind of doubtful of it at first.

They were just like making jokes and stuff, but then when we proved ourselves, they were open to the idea and now, like Matthew Coverdale told me that he's happy to have me on the team and that like meant a lot to me.

- We didn't just expect to have their respect right away.

Like, we knew we were gonna have to earn it.

And I think that they all know that we've earned it by now and they show us respect just as we would show them respect, which is really nice.

- Come on, Barry!

You know, they just wanna come in and work, and obviously win.

You know, that's the fun part about this is, you know, I think everybody's pretty easy going on it because they know that at the end of the day, the goal, everybody's the same.

You know, they want to be here to be a team and win football games and, you know, I think that they see the benefit of that they can add to the team and the team sees the benefit that they can add to the team and because of that it works because they know that there's not any other reason for them being out here.

- [Narrator] At the end of the day, the girls are thankful to have each other, to share the experience with.

- Honestly, on the sidelines.

Like when we're stressing, like we have each other to, and we know how to calm each other down and stuff.

And like, it's the same way with soccer.

Like, we just know each other because we've been best friends since we were little.

So like, it helps having her on the sideline with me and in the game.

- And since we've been playing together for so long, like basketball, soccer, and now football, it's kind of almost like how it should be.

Like, it would be weird to not have her on the sidelines.

Like I couldn't even like imagine it.

Down, set, cut!

(upbeat music) Whoa!

Chase, bump, chase bump!

(girls laughing) Powder, pop, quarterback.

I could get her up in the game.

- [Brianna] In Douglas, can I run wide receiver?

- For those who have ever been a part of a team, it can feel very much like a family at times.

In Mission, South Dakota, Todd County's football team quite literally has that connection from its coaching staff to its players.

(upbeat techno music) - In All Nations, you know, when it first started out, you know, we didn't know how it would go.

I think it's the concept has worked well.

The goal was to get more kids to play.

We're just fortunate that we were able to get into it at a time where, you know, our numbers went all the way down to 14 players at one point.

And so it was necessary for us to make that move and join the All Nations conference as well.

Currently, we're up to 44, so again, you see, that big jump from 14 three years ago, all the way up to 44 now.

(upbeat techno music) - [Narrator] For more than three decades, Bob Kornely has been involved with coaching football at Todd County in Mission.

- Hey guys, be ready over here.

Okay, now if we need somebody, guys.

We'll be on the scout team if you're ready.

All right, we ready to come in on the defense.

- Probably playing got me into coaching.

I was fortunate as a football player to start as a freshman in high school and play all four years.

And I was fortunate again to, I don't know if this ever happens anymore, start as a freshman in college and play all through those years as well.

So that was one thing.

Had some success with it and had a lot of good mentors.

I had a lot of good coaches that were in high school.

My high school coach was somebody I really looked up to.

My high school coaches and my college coaches as well.

I really looked up to them, enjoyed what they did, enjoyed being around them.

The other thing is my dad was a coach, my dad was a coach, he was a elementary coach and you know, he was somebody I looked, you know, obviously looked up to, and another reason why I went into coaching.

- [Narrator] Bob's story, however, is different than most.

He has two sons on the team, Jaycob, who is currently a sophomore for the Falcons and Ryan, who was a player but is now an assistant coach on the squad.

- It's definitely a reason.

I'm glad I did keep coaching all these years.

You know, it's something that just kind of happened and as is, I could see it coming a little bit possibly.

I knew my youngest son Jaycob was gonna play, be a player at our high school.

So that was something I wanted to stick around.

And just happened at Ryan, you know, after he got done in in college, he decided to move home and it just happened that we had an opening in.

- Hey, remember, if they crossed like that, let 'em know.

- Unique, I'd say.

But it's a blast.

Just like he talked about.

A lot of guys don't get this opportunity.

And being a player and a coach, both with him and it's been pretty awesome.

Learned everything I know about football from him, so, /\ and he's the reason why I love the game.

If he wants to go that way, let him go and just keep him on the sideline, okay?

- [Jaycob] Well, when we get on the field, he just be the coach basically.

So, he's not really a dad on the field, but he's coaching me, pushing me hard.

He makes me be a player instead of a son.

So it brings more fun into the game instead of being a son out there.

- [Interviewer] Since you have a dad, who's a coach, and a brother, who's a coach, does that involve more conditioning for you in the offseason and such?

- Sometimes, sometimes.

Every time I go off to the sideline, he's the first person I go to for advice and for jokes and all that.

So, and then, as a coach, he pushes me, like I said for my dad.

- [Narrator] In 2022, Todd County advanced to the All Nation State Championship game.

They turned in their best overall performance of the season to claim the title.

- I don't know if we thought, you know, that would be the result when we first started the season and we went along that way.

Our goal every week is just to go 1-0 every week when we talk about, you know, the next opponent after the game was over.

I just enjoyed looking around at all the people and seeing the smiles on their faces and that the fact that they enjoyed it as well.

- Joyful.

Like I was happy for my dad and his first championship and my brother's first championship.

But for me, it was my first championship.

But like, I didn't get that much playing time, but I was happy for the players, like the seniors and all that.

- I would just say I'm thankful to have both these guys on my team.

Like I said, I've said it multiple times, but it's special and I look forward to it every single day and when football's not happening, I do coach other sports, but it's definitely not the same 'cause I don't have the family here with me.

So, I love it, it's fun.

- Every town in South Dakota probably has a diehard fan when it comes to high school sports.

In Beresford, this is especially true.

Our final story of the night focuses on a gentleman who's been attending watchdog games for so long that the mascot is literally named after him.

Roger Krause is a true jam in South Dakota.

Let's take a look into Mr. Roger's neighborhood.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator] This is Beresford.

This is their homecoming parade.

(firetruck honking) - Levi!

- [Narrator] And this is Roger.

- [Host] Welcome to tonight's high school football contest featuring the visitors on the school-- - Watchdog athletics.

And Roger Krause, number one fan.

- Yep.

- Yep, he's the number one.

- He's been a staple for years and years and years.

If we don't have Roger, then we are concerned.

- [Narrator] Mr. Roger Krause has always been Beresford's number one fan.

(upbeat parade music) This year, he was crowned homecoming king of his nursing home.

- So he got his hair cut right before they had coronation out of Bethesda.

And I asked him, I go, "Well, what if you get King?"

He said, "I will be so happy, but I'll be happy with whoever gets it."

So, my heart was happy when he got it.

- Did you have candy to throw out?

- Yeah, they brought candy.

- How come you didn't throw one to me?

- It wasn't up to me.

- They were in your hand.

- Yeah.

- [Interviewee 1] I grew up in Beresford.

He has come to everything since I was a little kid.

- He was at every baseball game running the score clock.

If Roger's not there, people are asking, "Where's he at or what's he doing?"

And it's typically if he's only not feeling well that he's not there.

- [Roger] He always see to it that I get the best seat in the house.

- Close to the action and close to the concession stand.

- Right, Roger?

- Yep, right.

- [Interviewee 2] Roger's always in the front.

He's always standing up and cheering, always clapping and screaming when something good happens.

- He embodies what you want people to be in a fan.

He's passionate, he's caring, he wants the best for the kids.

He loves sportsmanship and I get the opportunity to pick him up and take him home.

- Now he has Uber drivers.

- Roger Express!

- That pick him up and take him.

- [Narrator] Principals, teachers, fans, everyone pitches in to make sure Roger is at that game.

- Even the kids do, don't they watch?

- Yeah, I want to know while the kids will pick me up.

- [Narrator] But it's mostly Roger's cousin, Esther, who's been watching him since they were playing around on the family farm.

- To his dentist and to his haircuts and sometimes, he rides the bus.

Life is pretty good, isn't it, Rog?

- Yeah.

It's all fun for me.

Fun to see all my friends play basketball and that, and football and baseball, especially the seniors.

- Beresford embraces Roger, but Roger really embraces Beresford too.

They've known him for so many years, ever since he was really little.

He was always super special.

And if any other kids were picking on Roger, there were always people there to protect him.

And definitely, Roger's been there to protect kids.

He's always loved little kids.

Roger's been a kind of a mascot to the town.

- [Narrator] And well, he kind of is the mascot.

- [Host] Welcome to tonight's high school football contest.

- Yeah, he's made such an impact on boost that we even named our mascot after him.

So.

- Yes, he is known not only in our town, but by surrounding communities as well.

He's just that much a part of our sports programs.

- [Narrator] Beresford's mascot and poet.

- Roger is famous for poems and anytime we had a pep rally or a team was getting sent off for something, guaranteed on the agenda is a Roger Krause letter or poem.

- And I tell 'em like, "I can't be with you... At the softball game, but I will be be thinking of you and praying for you as you play.

- The experience to hear like the words that he can put and like how the environment just changes around you because of like the things that he has to say in the impact that it holds on everyone's heart in the room.

- [Narrator] To every graduating senior, this faithful message.

From, Roger.

- Life is a highway on which the years go by.

Sometimes the road is level, sometimes the hills are high, but as you travel onward to the future unknown, may you take Christ with your travel and make him his heavenly stepping stone.

- Kids that I run into that I taught in school that have been away for a while, throughout the conversation, they'll always say, "Is Roger still coming to the games?

How's he doing?"

He always comes up.

- They always remember you, Rog.

- That means a lot to me to know that I got a lot of friends.

- High school football is more than just a sport in South Dakota.

It brings our communities together.

It teaches life lessons and most importantly, it's a place where our kids get to have fun as a team.

So when it comes to football, where we're from, just remember, every strong tradition started somewhere.

It's never too late to carve out your own history, love your family, and remember to cheer loud the next time here today.

We wanna thank you for joining us tonight for "Tales of the Gridiron."

I'm Craig Mattick.

Goodnight.

(upbeat music) (girls shouting) - And you know, the kid believed him.

(upbeat music) - If he ever learns how to do it.

(upbeat music) - What!

(whistle blowing loudly) - I love you, it's fun.

(upbeat music) - [Ryann] Bria!

(upbeat music)