Last Thursday, Beresford did something in the South Dakota high school football playoffs they had not done in 29 years, win a game. Last night they did something they had not done since 1991, win two playoff games.

For the second week in a row, they did it on the last play of the game, this time on defense as they defeated Aberdeen Roncalli 7-6.

The Watchdogs traveled three hours north for a quarterfinal matchup with the Cavaliers. Possession after possession, and aided by a stiff 20-25 mile-per-hour north wind, both teams' defenses kept the opponent stagnated and well away from the end zone. There was no score after the first 48 minutes of football and the game entered overtime.

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Beresford took the ball first with the wind at their back. Junior quarterback Tate Van Otterloo ran left for six yards on first down. Junior Peyton Fridrich was stuffed with little or no gain on second down. On 3rd and goal from the four, the Watchdogs lined up with five receivers and an empty backfield. Van Otterloo banged his way through the Cavalier defense to get the first score of the game. Isaiah Richards kicked the extra point to make the score 7-0.

Roncalli's turn started with a pass from junior Jackson Isakson into the end zone for Andrew Brennan was overthrown and fell harmlessly incomplete. It ended with Isakson running up the middle into the end zone on the very next play for 10 yards making the score 7-6.

If overtime wasn't dramatic enough, the Cavaliers decided to make the first overtime the final act by going for two on the point-after try.  The game would be decided right there.

Isakson kept the ball and followed his Roncalli blockers to the left side behind a nice initial surge, gaining momentum. Beresford linebacker Jaxsen Tadlock shed his blocker, collapsing the play, and was first to hit the 6'3" signal-caller up high. Nehemiah Wipf came from his tackle position shortly after to get into the runner's legs, stopping him cold at the one. The rest of the Watchdog defense then arrived and drove Isakson backward, causing him to make a desperation lateral that went nowhere.

The stats were nearly as even as the score. Beresford was able to get 191 yards of offense. 118 of them came on the ground, Fridrich getting 96 of those and Van Otterloo throwing for 73.

Roncalli put up 179 yards, of which 148 of them came on the ground.

Beresford, now 7-3, will play seventh seed Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan on November 5 in the semi-final.

Keep that chip on your shoulder, Purple.

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