Landon Dierks: Kernels’ season-opening win feels like ‘big step in the right direction’
Sep. 1—MITCHELL — Friday night’s season opener for the Mitchell High School football team was just one game, but it surely felt like a significant outcome for the Kernels.
Mitchell beat Brookings 28-13 and was in control much of the contest. It was the MHS program’s first win over a team that wasn’t Douglas since Oct. 19, 2023.
In the immediate aftermath of the win, there were glimpses of joy and a lot of smiles, to be sure, but the celebration was noticeably muted for a team that was 2-16 over the prior two seasons.
“They were excited, absolutely, but they understood it was the first step to something bigger,” said head coach Pat Larson. “It wasn’t like ‘Oh man, we haven’t won in so long that we’re going to lose our minds.’ It was a controlled celebration.”
The Kernels expected to win on Friday night, and they expect to win again this season.
“This is a big win, and it’s a big step in the right direction,” said junior lineman Owen Schelske after the game. “We’ve just got to keep it rolling. We can celebrate this one for now, but come (Saturday), it’s on to the next week. We’ve got to keep that mentality.”
And yet, the victory was far from a flawless performance. There were untimely penalties and missed assignments that likely prevented the Kernels from putting a little more distance between themselves and the Bobcats. At the same time, that negative can be viewed as a positive.
There was the opening play from scrimmage, where a Brookings rusher went untouched up the middle for a 75-yard touchdown. Or the delay of game penalty immediately following a timeout that derailed a prime scoring chance in the second half.
In recent seasons, those miscues might have rattled the Kernels, but that wasn’t the case this time around.
“These kids believe in each other and believe in the message that we’ve been preaching, Larson said. “They know they’re on the cusp of this becoming something bigger than just one season of success. This may be putting this program back to where we think it should be moving forward for the long term.”
It was a two-way success that was true to the identity the Kernels have been striving to establish since prior to last season. On offense, the ground game was punishing. The offensive line regularly opened up big holes for the backs to run through to the tune of 303 total yards rushing split between six ball carriers, four of whom scored touchdowns. Defensively, Mitchell’s defense was stout, allowing 259 total yards and just seven first downs. Of the Bobcats’ yardage, half came on two explosive plays totaling 129 yards.
“I really just think we’re a lot better. Our guys are bigger, stronger and faster, all-in-one, compared to years past from our work in the offseason,” said senior lineman Bryer Stach.
One game in August won’t define an entire season, as the Kernels have eight more opportunities to show why this team can be the one to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. But based on the first game on the field, there’s a strong base to build on.
“I was very encouraged by the performance. You have a good feeling going through fall camp, but you never really know how you’re going to come out to start the season,” Larson said. “It was great to see our kids come out get to see where were stack up. Now we have to figure out the areas where we can improve for next week and beyond.”