Band of Brothers: No. 3 Spartans credit strong start to camaraderie, mentality

SPEARFISH — Going into the season, the Spearfish football team possessed a sense of optimism.

The Spartans had put together a pair of 4-6 seasons under the watch of athletic director and former head coach Dalton Wademan.

Last year, Spearfish did start with a 4-1 record. Then, the maroon, black and white came up short in their final four games of the season, before bowing out of the playoffs against Pierre.

Things are looking up for the Spartans, who have rolled out to a 3-0 record and a No. 3 ranking in Class 11AA. Already, Spearfish has captured victories over Tea Area and Mitchell, two teams that they lost to last season.

The season opening win over the Titans resulted in a solid 39-29 triumph, while last week's Kernel Bowl meeting between the Spartans and Mitchell resulted in a lopsided 43-0 decision in favor of Spearfish.

Compared to previous years, things feel a little different for the Spartans, who are under the direction of head coach Tom Tieszen, who was promoted to the helm over the offseason.

But it all starts with having the right culture. It was also something that the Spartans had prioritized during the warmer months of the year.

"Culture is such an important part of anything here," Tieszen said. "The guys have done a great job of building that. We dedicated some time over the summer into building that brotherhood and culture. Our mindset coach, Cecily Barnaud had done a great job of helping implement that culture."

According to senior running back/linebacker Hunter Walters, the inner workings of the Spartans' culture became accessible to everyone.

"All of us are very tight knit," Walters said. "Last year, if you were an underclassmen, you didn't really have an opportunity to hang out and talk with the upperclassmen. When our group of seniors took over, we decided that we didn't want that anymore."

"If you're a part of this team, it doesn't matter if you're a freshman benchwarmer or if you're an all-state senior," Walters continued. "You have a part on this team, and we want to close with you and we want to fight for you."

Walter goes deep into what makes Spearfish tick. The philosophy is very reminiscent of their namesake.

"When you go into a football game, we think of it as going into battle for your brother," Walters said. "You'll do everything that you can to protect him. You'll do everything in your power to not let that guy down. That's what really makes us a special team."

"I'm going to give my all, and they don't want to let me down," Walters added.

Walters has been the tip of the Spartans' proverbial spear so far this year, recording nine tackles, two interceptions and one quarterback sack, along with two touchdowns. That was just his first game as linebacker.

"I didn't really have an explosive game," Walters said. "Our backup running back, (junior) Mick Bosh, as doing great that game. He did a great job. As a team, we all had kinks to work out."

In week two against Rapid City Central, Walters rushed for 180 years and two trips to paydirt on 25 carries. The senior also scored the go-ahead touchdown against the Cobblers to take a thrilling 26-22 win in the Rushmore Bowl.

"I came back with that mentality that I wanted to get better," said Walters. "I just trusted (assistant coach Brady Sudbeck) to help me come out and perform.

Last week, Walters collected 94 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries. On defense, Hunter picked up a pick six.

Walters won't take all of the credit, though. He heaped a ton of praise on his teammates.

"I've just come to trust all of my teammates," Walters said. "They're going to do their jobs, and they're going to fill their roles. That way, I can go do my job. Everyone has done a great job, and they make my life really easy."

Tieszen was quick to praise his senior standout.

"He's a stud athlete," Tieszen said. "He's a great kid and he understands the concepts that we're running. He's a great leader, too. Anytime that an opponent stops him in one area, he finds a different role where he contribute. He's a great kid with a great work ethic, and he's willing to do the little things that make the team better."

The Spartans aren't just limited to Walters, though. They have a whole arsenal of playmakers at their disposal.

There's junior quarterback Jack Coauette, sophomore Thomas Hughes, senior wideout Dylon Doren and a whole host of solid contributors.

"We have a ton of great athletes who are all over the field that we just haven't been able to get the ball too just yet," Tieszen said. "(Sophomore) Kade Vavruska is someone that we need to get the ball to, he's a great athlete in space. (Sophomore) Karsen Seyer, we're starting to see his name pop up a little more and more."

"We have a whole bunch of tight ends who are doing a lot of the dirty work," Tieszen said. "The stuff in the trenches that sometimes don't get a lot of credit. We have guys like (senior) Markus Medina, (senior) Drace Eisenbarth and (senior) Ruben Lucio are all doing a great job in the trenches. Our offensive and defensive line are such a great unit who are really getting after it and really setting the tone for the game."

"If you can't control the line of scrimmage, nothing else really matters," Tieszen added.

Tieszen can't do everything alone. He has a whole staff — Darren Douglas, Cody Powers, Sudbeck, Bailey Norton, Brice Harkless, Mason Kaitfors and Barnaud — who help make the dynamo go.

"Another big reason that we're finding success is our coaching staff," Tieszen said. "On the defensive side, we have coach Douglas, coach Harkless and coach Power, who do a great job getting those guys ready. Offensively, we have coach Norton, coach Sudbeck and coach Kaitfors, who have put in a ton of time in giving us the matchups that we need. They really invest in these kids."

Another aspect of the Spartans' game is "the reset button."

"Whether things are good or bad, we just got to be able to focus on the next play," Tieszen said of the concept. "We just reset our mental focus, and we know that the next play is the most important play. Then, we keep going. It's something that we say a lot, and now, we're trying to rachet up our reset."

Walters echoed his coach's words.

"We have this cool mental technique that coach Tieszen taught us for mental conditioning," Walters said. "If you make a big play, forget that it happened. It's cool, let's go to the next play. If you make an awful play, reset. It doesn't matter."

"We had a big week one win against Tea, nobody expected that," Walters continued. "We came in that next Monday and we said, 'reset, it doesn't matter anymore, next one up.'"

This past Friday, the Spartans will look to extend their stellar start with a matchup against Aberdeen Central, which took place at Golden Eagle Field in Aberdeen.

At 6 p.m. next Friday, Spearfish will bring Huron into Lyle Hare Stadium.

You can contact Sports Editor, Tyler Anderson, at .