The Britton-Hecla Junior High football team recently finished its season, posting a 10-1 overall record.
“The Braves had a successful season, showing great teamwork,” said Coach Adam Suther. “I’ve really enjoyed coaching this group. They just show up, work hard, and do their job, playing unselfishly as a team. That’s fun to see and fun to coach. Now it’s time for the boys to hit the weight room in the off season.”
Following is a recap of the 2024 season.
Britton-Hecla 22
Webster Area 14
Drew Heitmann rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns, and Luke Bosse connected on 2 of 4 passes for 30 yards. Defensively, Easton Zuehlke led the charge with six solo and two assisted tackles with Colt Hansen and Drew Heitmann each contributing three. Liam Paxton had two solo tackles, two tackles for a loss, and forced a fumble.
Britton-Hecla 48
Redfield 26
Britton-Hecla rushed for 304 total yards and six touchdowns to beat Redfield. Drew Heitmann had 174 yards and four touchdowns and one touchdown each for Bowen Micko and Easton Zuehlke. Luke Bosse connected on 4 of 5 passes for 55 yards. Colt Hansen led a balanced defensive attack with three solo and three 3 assisted tackles.
Warner Jamboree
(3 games)
Britton-Hecla 16
Aberdeen Roncalli 0
Bowen Micko connected on a 40-yard pass from Drew Heitmann and Cody Chapin connected on a five-yard pass from Luke Bosse for the BH scores. Defensively, Liam Paxton and Carter Nelson led a balanced effort by the team.
Britton-Hecla 16
Hitchcock-Tulare 0
Drew Heitmann scored twice on his way to 57 yards rushing. Max Suther and Liam Paxton led the Braves’ defense with two solo tackles and an assisted tackle each. Dylan Kraft came up big with a sack.
Britton-Hecla 20
Warner 14
The Braves had a balanced scoring attack to take down the Monarchs. Colt Hansen rushed for a 20-yard touchdown. Easton Zuehlke rushed for a 15- yard score, and Drew Heitmann rounded out the trio with a 25-yard TD. Easton Zuehlke, Bowen Micko, and Carter Nelson led a balanced defense.
Groton Area 44
Britton-Hecla 14
The young Braves suffered their sole loss of the season at the hands of Groton Area. Easton Zuehlke had a 40-yard touchdown run and Luke Bosse rushed for a 19-yard TD for the two scores. Max Suther, Easton Zuehlke, and Colt Hansen led the defense with three solo tackles each. Colt Hansen had a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery, and Drew Heitmann had a fumble recovery. Zuehlke recovered a fumble for 15 yards.
Britton-Hecla 28
Wyndmere-Lidgerwood 8
Colt Hansen came up big offensively for the Braves, rushing for three touchdowns, and Drew Heitmann added 149 yards rushing and a touchdown. Defensively, Hansen led the charge with four solo tackles and a sack followed closely by the efforts of Cody Chapin with three solo tackles, a sack, and a tackle for a loss. Drew Heitmann had two fumble recoveries, and Max Suther recovered one, while Luke Bosse got in on the action with an interception.
Britton-Hecla 32
Great Plains Lutheran 22
Luke Bosse connected on 5 of 9 passes with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Cody Chapin and a 24-yard scoring toss to Bowen Micko. Drew Heitmann ran in the other two touchdowns for the Braves. Colt Hansen had two solo and three assists, and Cody Chapin was in on five tackles.
Britton-Hecla 28
Waubay-Summit 12
A balanced Braves offense took down Waubay-Summit with Luke Bosse connecting on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Bowen Micko. Drew Heitmann rushed for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Colt Hansen rounded out the offensive charge with a 68-yard touchdown. Colt Hansen had an explosive game on the other side of the ball, racking up an impressive seven solo and four assisted tackles and recovering a fumble. Max Suther hauled in an interception and teamed up with Liam Paxton for a sack. Paxton also had a solo sack and a couple tackles for a loss.
Britton-Hecla 30
Tiospa Zina 14
Bowen Micko hauled in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Luke Bosse, and Drew Heitmann ran for two touchdowns. Colt Hansen led the defense with four solo tackles and two assisted tackles, and Cody Chapin had a pick six, two solo tackles, and a sack. Bowen Micko grabbed an interception, and Jett Ford a sack.
Britton-Hecla 62
Wilmot 22
Easton Zuehlke had a big game for the Braves with 68 yards rushing and 45 yards receiving for three touchdowns. Zuehlke also connected on 4 of 7 passes for 55 yards. Colt Hansen and Henry Kilker each ran one into the end zone, and Parker Lambertz grabbed a five-yard touchdown pass from Luke Bosse for a score. On the other side of the ball, Colt Hansen, Dylan Kraft, and Jarrik Jones each had two solo tackles. Jake Zuehlke recovered a fumble, and Drew Heitmann, Max Suther, and Liam Paxton all had interceptions with Suther and Paxton running them back for scores.
