FORMER LA BOSS GETS STATE TITLE

    After 39 years and over 600 coaching wins former Langford Area boys basketball coach Paul Raasch picked up his first state championship on Saturday.
    Raasch guided the Castlewood Warriors to a Class B title in Aberdeen with a 52-31 victory over Viborg-Hurley.  One of the Warriors’ two losses this season was to Viborg-Hurley 49-44 on Jan. 25.  Castlewood, which finished third a year ago, was the number one seed in the tournament and Viborg-Hurley was the three seed.
    Both the Class AA and Class A championship games were rematches from 2024 and both of last year’s runners-up avenged those defeats from a year ago.  Number two seed Brandon Valley ousted defending champ and fourth seed Mitchell for the Class AA crown 53-45, while #1 seed  Sioux Falls Christian turned the tables on #2 Hamlin in the Class A title affair 61-51.
    Other Class B placing games saw #2 Dell Rapids St. Mary’s stopped #4 Wessington Springs 71-54 for third place, #5 Wall downed #6 Freeman 79-67 for fifth, and #7 Aberdeen Christian stopped #8 Lyman for seventh 64-46.
    In Class AA #1  Sioux Falls Lincoln defeated #3 Harrisburg 81-52 in the third place contest, #10 Sioux Falls Jefferson edged #7 Huron 61-60 for the consolation title, and #8  Spearfish got past #6 Sioux Falls O’Gorman 61-55 for seventh.
    Class A placing games had #3 Rapid City Christian over #5 Lennox 60-58 for third, #4 West Central downed #7 Hill City 59-54 for fifth, and #8 Groton Area topped #6 Clark-Willow Lake 64-52 for seventh.