Rise of the Thorpes: Pine Ridge clinches first All Nations state title berth
Over the past three years, Pine Ridge head coach Teddy Pedregon slowly built up his program. Since finishing 1-6 back in 2022, the Thorpes took on a steady climb.
This season, the Thorpes put it all together.
In their All Nations Class A State Semifinal contest with archrival Mahpíya Lúta, held on Nov. 1 at Jim Thorpe Memorial Stadium in Pine Ridge, the Thorpes overcame a sluggish start to put together a 46-22 victory.
Tied at 22-22 early in the fourth quarter, Pine Ridge disrupted a pass from Mahpíya Lúta senior quarterback Josh Anderson, before senior utility man Delbert Peters dove and captured an interception.
The pick amplified the Thorpes' 32-point run in the second half, and provide the final push needed to clinch the school's first state championship appearance.
"I want to give credit my defensive line," Peters said of the crucial INT. "They got pressure and batted it up. Then, it was the tip drill. I went for the ball and dove for it. That gave us the confidence we needed. (Mahpíya Lúta) was loud. We got punched and we punched back."
"We ran a three-three throughout the season," Peters added, noting the defensive adjustments made in the second half. "We trust our d-line to get pressure. This game, we got a little greedy and we said, 'let's go four down.' The second half came and our coach said, 'let's go back to the basics.' We went back to our three-three and I played middle linebacker. We got it done."
Pedregon praised his senior standout.
"I can brag about Delbert sideways, up and down," Pedregon said. "Going back to peewee, he was just a little, chubby guy running up and down the field. The turning point was everybody pulling their heads out and just wanting out. They wanted to battle for it, and they wanted to win. It was a long process to build this program, from where it started to where it is now. It's an amazing feeling."
By landing the knockout blow, the Thorpes improved to 8-1 overall and will face Winnebago, Neb., for the Class A State Championship. The title game is set to kickoff at 4 p.m. CT on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
Mahpíya Lúta, who put up a valiant fight and had the Thorpes on the ropes in the first half, finishes its season with a 3-7 record.
According to Pedregon, the rise of the Thorpes was years in the making.
"I've coached most of these guys since middle school," Pedregon said. "I wouldn't want it any other way. It's a really emotional win for us."
"I can't say enough about our seniors," continued Pedregon. "They're wolves, and they're out for blood. This is their revenge tour, is what they're saying. These seniors have come to play this season, and we're not backing down from anybody."
Before kickoff, Pine Ridge honored junior wideout Domonic Ghost Bear for compiling more than 3,000 receiving yards. Ghost Bear was given a commemorative banner and football for achieving the feat.
"He's just him, man," said senior Anthony Steele. "He's the best wide receive in the (All Nations Football Conference). If he was in this league for four years, he'd be at 6,000 yards. He's only been here for two years. I want to give him a shoutout, because he's bound to go to big places."
The beginning stages of the game was dominated by the home team, as the Thorpes took a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
With 10:31 on the clock, Peters rushed into the endzone from nine yards out. Four minutes later, Steele connected with Ghost Bear for a 25-yard touchdown.
Mahpíya Lúta fought back, led by Anderson's efforts. With 36 seconds left in the initial period, Anderson linked up with junior Baylee Little for the four yard touchdown.
After an exchange of drives, Anderson again struck paydirt with a 20-yard touchdown scamper with 5:47 left until halftime. After Anderson found junior Braylon Little in the endzone, Mahpíya Lúta tied the contest up at 14 points apiece.
Mahpíya Lúta then took the lead, Anderson tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to sophomore tight end Christian Jack with 1:39 to go until intermission. With the successful two-point conversion, Mahpíya Lúta held a 22-14 lead at the break.
Despite the lack of depth, Mahpíya Lúta head coach Robert Brave Heart Jr. knew that his team had to leave it all on the field.
"With the number of guys we had, we had to come in and fight," Brave Heart said. "That's what we had, and that's what we did. I couldn't be more proud of of these boys, they went out and played hard."
Brave Heart was also quick to praise Anderson.
"He stepped up," said Brave Heart. "Towards the middle of the season, we had some injuries. He stepped into the position, as if it was his already. I can't complain about the way he played."
Returning from intermission, Pine Ridge regained the fire that cooled off a bit in the second quarter. It took a little bit, but the Thorpes found that next gear with 3:30 left in the third period.
Switching Steele into the backfield while junior quarterback Marvin Richard III took over the signal caller position, Pine Ridge saw the two connect for a 34-yard touchdown. On a fourth and nine, Richard III dumped off a short pass to an open Steele, who jogged into the endzone untouched.
As Richard III scored the two-point conversion, the game was tied once more at 22-22.
With the switch, Steele was supportive of his younger teammate.
"Marvin is good, man," Steele said. "Once he's healthy and looks over the entire field, he's going to be unstoppable. I'm not jealous, at all. I get the ball, no matter what."
Following Peters' interception, Pine Ridge cashed in on the opportunity, as Steele scored the go-ahead touchdown from 34 yards out. As Peters rumbled into the endzone for two points, the Thorpes took command of the game with a 30-33 lead with 10:53 left.
On the ensuing kickoff, Mahpíya Lúta lost possession of the ball, which returned to Thorpe hands. With 10:14 left to play, Richard III provided another touch pass to Steele, who went on to score a 35-yard touchdown.
As another two-point conversion was successful, Pine Ridge extended their lead to 38-22.
Along with his second touchdown catch, Steele passed for one TD and rushed for another. However, the senior felt like there's room to improve.
"I feel like I could do better," Steele said, after his impressive performance. "Especially on defense and with my temper. It's a lesson learned and onto the next."
The Thorpes put the finishing touch on their big second half, as Richard III fired a pass to Ghost Bear, who outflanked his opponents for a 25-yard touchdown with 8:05 remaining.
Before leaving the game with an injury, Anderson kept Mahpíya Lúta going. Finishing the game with two touchdown passes and one TD run, Anderson helped his team knock out Todd County the week before with a five-touchdown pass performance.
"He came in and played really well," Brave Heart said. "He got hurt, but things happen. He's an outstanding player."
Brave Heart also praised sophomore Daniel Weston, who spearheaded the defensive effort for Mahpíya Lúta.
"He's a good player, and he'll be back next year," Brave Heart said.
When the clock struck all zeroes, the Thorpes celebrated with a photo of the team pointing up at the scoreboard. However, the Pine Ridge players and coaches know that there is one more game ahead of them.
In their initial meeting with Winnebago, which took place on Sept. 5 in Nebraska, the Thorpes fell short in a 40-34 thriller. Pedregon believes that this time around, Pine Ridge will return with the state championship trophy.
He guarantees a victory, much like Joe Namath did before Super Bowl III.
"We're going to have to be physical," Pedregon said. "(Against Mahpíya Lúta) we started slow, and we started shaky. A lot of things were falling apart. But we overcame that. I guarantee you that we're going to come back with a win. We're going to bring it home to Pine Ridge, because that's where it needs to be."
Mahpíya Lúta's head coach also commended Pine Ridge, and will be rooting for the Thorpes in the title match.
"Pine Ridge is a good team," Brave Heart said. "I wish all the best and hopefully, they bring the championship back to our territory. Pine Ridge is no slouch, is all I can say. They have a good defense and they have a good coach. They're good, and they have a lot of players."
Brave Heart is also optimistic for the future of his program, who battled back following a 0-7 campaign last year. Given that Mahpíya Lúta will return playmakers such as Braylon Little, Baylee Little, Jack and sophomore Daniel Weston, Brave Heart has plenty to work with.
"(Anderson) is probably the only major piece of the offense who will be leaving us," Brave Heart said. "We want to put these guys in a couple of camps. Hopefully, that works out for us. Hopefully, we get a couple of younger guys. The system works and all of these younger guys are going to be better next year."
According to Brave Heart, Mahpíya Lúta will be searching for more depth next year.
"We'll probably be a force to be reckoned with next year, and we have a core to build from," Brave Heart added. "If we can get some backups, we'll be in great shape."
What will it take for the Thorpes to return home with some hardware for the trophy case? According to Peters, it's about cleaning up mistakes and limiting the penalties.
"We kept on giving up penalties," Peters said. "If we just stay disciplined, play football and be the athletes that we are, I believe that we can come home with (the state championship)."
For Steele, it's about battling alongside your brothers.
"It'll take a lot of brotherhood," Steele said. "We have to have a fist, and we have to close our fist. If they punch us, we have to punch back even harder. It's just a team effort at this point, and it'll take a big team effort to win this game."
Within the Pine Ridge football program, it's merely the beginning. With the renewed success of the Thorpes, there's an excitement around the program.
"We're building something here," Steele said. "A program for these little guys. So whatever we can pass down to them, it's for the best."
All Nations Football Conference Scoreboard
No. 4 Little Wound at No. 1 Winnebago, Neb., held at Winnebago High School. (All Nations Class A State Semifinals)
Final Score: Winnebago 34, Little Wound 20.
Records: Little Wound 6-4, Winnebago 9-0.
Quick Notes: Winnebago returns to the Class A State Championship for the second straight year, and make its third state title appearance since 2021.
Next up: The 2024 season has now concluded for the Mustangs, who rebounded following a 2-6 record last year.
Winnebago advances to the All Nations Football Conference Class A State Championship, set for 4 p.m. CT on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
No. 4 Crazy Horse at No. 1 Lower Brule, held at Lower Brule High School. (All Nations Class B State Semifinals)
Final Score: Lower Brule 66, Crazy Horse 0.
Records: Crazy Horse 6-4, Lower Brule 9-0.
Quick Notes: The season has come to an end for the Chiefs, who improved from a 2-6 record in 2023.
Lower Brule advances to its third straight Class B State Championship, where they will face White River (8-2) at 7 p.m. CT on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
No. 3 White River at No. 2 Omaha Nation, Neb., held at UMÓnHOn Nation Public School, Macy, Neb. (All Nations Class B State Semifinals)
Final Score: White River 36, Omaha Nation 0.
Records: White River 8-2, Omaha Nation 6-3.
Quick Notes: In their first season as a member of the All Nations Football Conference, the Tigers punch a ticket to their first All Nations Class B State Championship.
Next up: White River advances to the All Nations Class B State Championship, where the Tigers will challenge a Lower Brule (9-0) team looking to claim a three-peat at 7 p.m. CT on Friday at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.
The season has come to an end for the Chiefs.
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