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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits add 19 for football
2/6/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
South Dakota State University football coach John Stiegelmeier announced Wednesday that 19 high school standouts have signed a National Letter of Intent or been accepted for admission, indicating they will enroll at SDSU in the fall and compete for the Jackrabbit football program.
“We are excited for two reasons,” Stiegelmeier said. “First of all, recruiting is intense for both the student-athletes and our staff, so the end is welcome. Secondly, the end is very special when we are able to welcome into our program a class of student-athletes like this. In this signing class, we have added all the ingredients we had hoped for our program. They will be an important factor in South Dakota State University football's pursuit of excellence.”
The 2008 recruiting class includes:
? Will Castle, 6-3, 275, offensive line, Brandon, S.D.;
? Seth Daughters, 6-6, 220, tight end, Hamill, S.D.;
? Jonathan Fick, 6-5, 255, offensive line, Doon, Iowa;
? Josiah Fitzsimmons, 6-4, 240, defensive line, Ames, Iowa;
? Kyle Harris, 6-2, 185, kicker, Florissant, Mo.;
? Bo Helm, 6-0, 180, defensive back, Childress, Texas;
? Joe Kennedy, 6-4, 225, defensive line, Wall, S.D.;
? Tyrel Kool, 5-10, 180, running back, Yankton, S.D.;
? Michael Lien, 6-1, 220, linebacker, Castaic, Calif.;
? Tyler Luethje (pronounced LOO-chee), 6-5, 250, offensive line, Gladbrook, Iowa;
? Andy Mink, 6-3, 220, defensive line, Greenwood, Neb.;
? Keegan Nesvacil (pronounced NEZ-vah-chill), 6-3, 220, tight end, Middleton, Wis.;
? Thomas O'Brien, 6-3, 200, quarterback, Winona, Minn.;
? Alex Olinger (pronounced OH-ling-er), 6-4, 270, offensive line, Ames, Iowa;
? Aaron Rollin (pronounced RAWL-in), 6-2, 200, wide receiver, Lee's Summit, Mo.;
? Dan Schmidt, 6-4, 195, wide receiver, Brookings, S.D.;
? Ross Shafrath (pronounced SHAFF-rath), 6-2, 200, linebacker, Hampton, Iowa;
? Chris Tracy, 6-2, 205, linebacker, Larchwood, Iowa;
? Julian Wagner, 5-9, 180, defensive back, Fort Worth, Texas
Castle anchored the offensive line at Brandon Valley High School, earning all-Eastern South Dakota and all-state honors each of his last two seasons. A three-year letterman, Castle was named to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 squad as a senior. He intends to major in education.
Daughters has excelled athletically and academically at Winner High School. An all-state selection at tight end and a member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 as a senior, he caught 48 passes for 792 yards and six touchdowns over his final two seasons. A two-time all-Big Dakota Conference selection in football, Daughters also has competed in basketball and track, making two appearances in the state track and field meet in the 110-meter hurdles. Academically, Daughters is an honor roll student and academic all-state selection. He plans to pursue a degree in athletic training.
Fick was a dominant player on both sides of the ball during his prep career at Boyden-Hull Community High School. He earned first-team all-district honors as a defensive lineman in 2006 and as an offensive lineman in 2007, while also being named to the all-Northwest Iowa Second Team as an offensive lineman this past season. In addition, Fick, who was a Class 2A first-team selection by the Iowa Sports Connection as a defensive lineman, has been selected to play in the 2008 Iowa Shrine Bowl. An academic all-district honoree, he plans to major in business economics.
Fitzsimmons earned all-conference honors at linebacker for Ames High School each of the past two seasons, racking up totals of 156 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions. The team's leading tackler as both a junior and senior, he was honored as the team's defensive MVP. A multi-sport athlete, Fitzsimmons also has competed in soccer and track and field at the prep level. Fitzsimmons also has performed well in the classroom, receiving the American Legion Certificate of Distinguished Academic Achievement two times. He has yet to choose a major at SDSU.
Harris was a four-time all-conference and three-time all-state selection as a placekicker at Hazelwood Central High School in the St. Louis metro area. As a senior, he connected on 8-of-11 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards. In addition, 80 percent of his kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. An honor roll student, Harris plans to major in business economics.
Helm has compiled an impressive list of athletic and academic credentials at Childress High School. In football, he earned third-team all-state honors as a running back from the Texas Associated Press during the 2007 season. In 2006, he was a unanimous first-team all-district pick as both a running back and defensive backs. Helm also has been a regional finalist in the long jump and several relays in track and field, and was the team's defensive player of the year in basketball in 2007. Planning to major in physical therapy, Helm is ranked second in his high school class, is a member of the National Honor Society and was honored on the Texas High School Coaches Association Academic All-State First Team.
Kennedy was a force on the defensive line for state Class 11A runner-up St. Thomas More High School in Rapid City. In his lone season with the Cavaliers, Kennedy tallied 94 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 13 1/2 sacks to earn first-team all-state honors and a spot on the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45. He also recorded three interceptions and blocked two punts. An all-around athlete, Kennedy has placed as high as fourth at the state track and field meet in the high jump, while also running on two state-qualifying relay teams. He plans to major in business economics.
Kool will join the Jackrabbits after a four-year career at Yankton High School, where he ran for more than 3,300 yards and averaged nine yards per carry. He was a two-time all-Eastern South Dakota honoree and was selected to the Class AA all-state team as a defensive back in 2007. Kool also has competed in basketball and track, winning a state title in the 300-meter hurdles as a sophomore and finishing as runner-up his junior year. An honor roll student, Kool plans to major in either business economics or education.
Lien had a nose for the football at Valenica High School, notching 190 tackles with 4 1/2 sacks to earn a spot on the all-California Interscholastic Federation Northern Division Team and claim league player of the year honors. A first-team all-league selection as a junior, Lien also returned an interception for a touchdown this past season. An academic award winner, Lien intends to pursue a major in sociology with an emphasis in criminal justice.
Luethje excelled on both sides of the ball for the Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School program that reached the state playoffs twice. Defensively, Luethje tallied 61 tackles, including 18 for loss and a school-record 10 sacks, while earning all-state honors from Iowa Preps and Iowa Sports Connection. He also has been selected to play in the 2008 Iowa Shrine Game. A three-time academic all-district honoree, Luethje plans to pursue a degree in the health and physical education field.
Mink has dominated on both the gridiron and wrestling mat for Ashland/Greenwood High School. A first-team all-district selection on three occasions, Mink racked up 114 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks this past season to also earn Huskerlandprep first-team recognition. In wrestling, Mink has qualified for the state tournament three times, winning a state title at 215 pounds as a junior.
Nesvacil earned all-Big Eight Conference honors in 2007 after catching 16 passes for 275 yards. He added 18 receptions for 360 yards as a junior, helping his Middleton High School team to the playoffs three consecutive seasons. Nesvacil also has lettered in basketball. He plans to major in business economics.
O'Brien is a prized recruit at quarterback hailing from Winona Cotter High School, where he set a single-season conference record with 35 touchdown passes a as a senior. With career totals that include 5,505 passing yards and 69 touchdowns, O'Brien earned all-area and honorable mention all-state honors two times. He also has played on conference championship teams in basketball and baseball, compiling a 12-0 pitching record with a .397 batting average on the diamond. An honor roll student, O'Brien is undecided about his college major.
Olinger led the offensive line at Ames High School, gaining unanimous first-team all-conference honors his senior season. A two-year letterman in football, he also has lettered three times in wrestling. Academically, Olinger is a member of the National Honor Society and was a Class 4A academic all-state selection in football. He plans to pursue a degree in either biology or business economics.
Rollin possesses big-play ability, averaging nearly 22 yards every time he touched the ball during his senior season for Missouri Class 4A state champion Lee's Summit West High School. An all-conference wide receiver and kick returner, he caught 30 passes for 427 yards and two touchdowns, and averaged 38.5 yards on kickoff returns and 34.3 yards per punt return his senior season. As a junior, Rollin recorded 40 receptions for 647 yards and seven TDs. He intends to major in business marketing at SDSU.
Schmidt follows in the footsteps of the his father, Lee, who lettered for the Jackrabbits from 1980-82. In his career at Brookings High School, he caught 90 passes for 1,352 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also averaging nearly 12 yards per punt return. A two-time all-state selection, Schmidt was honored on the Brookings Register all-area team and the Sioux Falls Argus Leader Elite 45 squad. He also has competed in basketball and track and field, placing second on the 400-meter relay and third in the high jump at the 2006 state meet. An honor roll student, he plans to major in political science.
Shafrath put up big numbers on offense under his coach and father, Jerry Shafrath, at Hampton-Dumont High School, but will play linebacker at the collegiate level. He racked up 4,346 career rushing yards and 60 touchdowns, earning all-state honors in both his junior and senior seasons. Defensively, Shafrath tallied 307 career tackles. He also has qualified for state meets in wrestling and track and field, placing fifth in the 189-pound weight class at the state wrestling meet, while also running on three state-qualifying relay teams. An honor roll student, Shafrath is undecided about his college major.
Tracy was honored as the district defensive player of the year during his senior season while earning all-state honors for the second consecutive year as a member of the perennial state title contender West Lyon High School football team. He was the team's leading tackler in 2007 and returned two interceptions and one fumble for touchdowns. On offense, Tracy compiled 3,136 career rushing yards with 28 touchdowns. He has put together an all-around impressive athletic career by earning all-conference honors in basketball and track, while also competing in baseball. Academically, Tracy was an academic all-district selection for football and is a member of the National Honor Society. He plans to pursue a degree in health promotion.
Wagner played all over the field during his prep career, but is expected to settle into a defensive back role with the Jackrabbits. He was a two-time all-district selection at free safety for Eastern Hills High School, while also earning second-team all-district recognition as a running back in 2006 and wide receiver in 2007. Wagner ran for 800 yards in 2006 and added 700 yards receiving this past season. He also has competed on two district championship track and field teams and has been a regional qualifier in the sprints. For his efforts in the classroom, Wagner has been selected to the National Honor Society and received the State Farm All-State Academic Award. He has narrowed his major options to business management and computer technology.
South Dakota State finished the 2007 season with a 7-4 overall record, winning the Great West Football Conference with a 4-0 record. The Jackrabbits will move to the Gateway Football Conference for the 2008 season and will be eligible for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision postseason for the first time. SDSU is scheduled to open the 2008 campaign at Iowa State, marking the first time the Jackrabbits have faced a Bowl Subdivision opponent since moving to the D-I ranks at the start of the 2004 season.
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