The Class 11A championship game featured two teams that played nearly identical  offenses, and had very good defenses coming into Vermillion's Dakota Dome. Dell  Rapids was riding a hot streak ignited by thier loss in Tri-Valley earlier in the  season, while Winner simply took care of business after an opening night loss to  Belle Fourche.

Dell Rapids took the ball first began their game plan of power rushing. Winner  appeared ready for the challenge, as the Quarriers found no room on the inside. So  they called an outside run to the right side to running back Tate Bunkers, who ran  for 45 yards on the game's fourth play. Quarterback Preston Davis then hit Bunkers on  a flag route for a 17-yard touchdown a few plays later. The extra point snap was  fumbled but holder Davis's recovery pass was off the hands of Chris Curry and the  Quarriers held a 6-0 just under three minutes into the game.

Winner answered that series with a 17-yard run by Braden Gardner on the Warriors'  first play from scrimmage. Winner moved the ball to the Dell Rapids 30-yard line  before getting stalled, and they punted the ball into the end zone for a touchback.  The teams traded punts, but Bunkers broke a 63-yard punt return for Dell Rapids with  2:35 to go in the first quarter that put the ball at the Winner 15-yard line. They  only moved the ball two more yards and turned the ball over on downs.

The Warriors couldn't make anything of that opportunity, but did strike a connection  when John Farner completed a 51-yard pass to Zach Horstman down the middle of the  field to the Quarriers' 1-yard line. Gardner picked up the last yard on the next  play, but the extra point kick clanged off the left upright, and the score stayed  tied at six with 6:18 to play in the first half.

On the next drive Dell Rapids called Winner's long pass, by completing a 47-yard pass  to Kyle Tibke. That put the ball at the WInner 15 yard line, and three plays later  were in the Warriors' end zone when Bunkers scored on an 11-yard run. Kevin Berg  added the two-point conversion, and Dell Rapids had a 14-6 lead.

The last two minutes of the first half saw the ball turned over three times, twice by  Winner, and once by Dell Rapids. The last of these turnovers, a Josh Fiedler fumble  recovery, gave Dell Rapids the ball at Winner's 6-yard line with 23 seconds to go  before halftime. Davis made the turnover count, adding a third touchdown for the  Quarriers by throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Huska and the Quarriers led  21-6 at halftime.

Winner mishandled the second half kickoff, and had to start from their own 4-yard  line to begin the third quarter. Both teams' defenses locked down in the third  quarter, as well. Winner defender Ted Wonnenberg intercepted a pass, but Dell Rapids  was ready for the Warriors' attacks, and Winner only gained seven yards in the third  quarter. Only a Bunkers 35-yard run near the end of the quarter put the Quarriers  over 50 yards of offense. Neither team scored, and Dell Rapids would hold the lead  and the ball at Winner's 17-yard line going into the final 12 minutes of the 2008  season.

On the third play of the fourth quarter, Davis found Bunkers in the end zone for the  second time on a 13-yard touchdown pass that capped a 7-play, 71 yard drive. The  extra point try missed the mark, and the Quarriers had a firm 27-6 lead with 10:29 to  play in the game.

The Quarriers' defense did not give an inch to Winner on the next drive, stopping the  Warriors at the Dell Rapids 48, and taking the ball back on downs. From there the  Quarriers' offense simply chewed up as much time as they could. Curry iced the Quarriers' first-ever state football championship with 4:50 remaining when he scored on a 17-yard run that made the score 34-6. They went on to win by that same score.

Bunker was named the Joe Robbie Most Outstanding Player of the game, carrying the ball eight times for 101 yards with a touchdown, and catching two passes for 30 yards, both for touchdowns as well. Gardner led the Warriors with 154 yards rushing on 23 carries and the team's only touchdown on the night. The teams played a very even statistical game, except in the one stat that really counts.

Dell Rapids wins battle of big plays