(KWAT - Watertown, SD) Watertown Superintendent Dr. Jeff Danielsen issued a news release Tuesday with a simple message–if you’re attending a school district sporting event this winter, wear a mask, or stay home and listen to the game. or watch it online.

The policy applies only to high school activities, with an announcement forthcoming on middle school activities.

Danielsen says, “since we are bringing in members of the public, including visitors from out of town, we want them to feel safe attending Watertown activities.”

He went on to say, “we are taking this step to continue to allow our students to participate in as many activities as possible, and keeping everyone healthy is the best way to do this.”

Watertown Activities Director Craig Boyens says the school district wants to keep open attendance for winter sports, which means any and all fans can attend, but he says they may need to limit attendance if they don’t have cooperation from the public in wearing masks.

The Aberdeen Wings have announced the signing of another tender player in forward Landry Schmuck for the 2021-22 season.  Landry is 5’9, 155lbs and a Huntsville Alabama native currently playing for the Nashville Jr. Predators U18 team.  He tallied 47 goals and 42 assists in 84 games played.  Wings head coach Scott Langer says Landry is above average when it comes to skating and has the ability to finish at the net. 

Dawson Schmidt, a wide receiver from Watertown announced via his twitter account Monday he has committed to play football at Northern State University.  Schmidt also plays cornerback on defense for the Arrows.  He is a senior who was named to the 2020 All-Eastern Couth Dakota Conference Football Team.  He was also named to the Argus Leader’s Elite 45, its ranking of the best high school football prospects in the state.  Schmidt caught 38 passes this past year for 790 yards and 12 touchdowns over eight games. 

Boys Basketball
Class AA
1. Roosevelt (9) 64
2. Yankton (5) 61
3. Brandon Valley 36
4. Washington 17
5. Harrisburg 13
Receiving votes: O’Gorman 7, Mitchell 5, Rapid City Central 5, Aberdeen Central 2. 

Class A
1. Dakota Valley (11) 67
2. SF Christian (3) 55
3. Tea Area 38
4. Dell Rapids 15
5. Sioux Valley 14
Receiving votes: Vermillion 11, St. Thomas More 7, Red Cloud 3

Class B
1. De Smet (11) 66
2. White River (1) 47
3. Platte-Geddes (2) 38
4. Viborg-Hurley 17
5. Dell Rapids St. Mary 16
Receiving votes: Aberdeen Christian 14, Canistota 5, Howard 5, Hanson 2.

Girls Basketball
Class AA
1. O’Gorman (10) 65
2. Washington (4) 56
3. Harrisburg 43
4. Brandon Valley 21
5. Stevens 13
Receiving votes: Aberdeen Central 9, SF Lincoln 2, Mitchell 1.

Class A
1. Winner (13) 69
2. St. Thomas More (1) 55
3. Hamlin 30
4. Tea Area 23
5. West Central 17
Receiving votes: Flandreau 5, Lennox 4, Red Cloud 4, Dakota Valley 2, Hill City 1. 

Class B
1. Corsica-Stickney (14) 70
2. Castlewood 48
3. Colman-Egan 26
4. Faith 23
5. De Smet 18
Receiving votes: Ethan 5, White River 4, Viborg-Hurley 4, Howard 4, Bridgewater-Emery 4, Deubrook Area 2, Waubay/Summit 2. 

The University of Minnesota has announced it has canceled this weekend’s rivalry game against the University of Wisconsin.  The cancelation is due to several positive COVID-19 tests inside the Minnesota football program.  The game will not be rescheduled and per Big Ten rules this year it will go down as a no contest.  This is the third game Wisconsin will not play this year due to cancelations.  The cancellation also alters history as it ends the longest uninterrupted series in FBS history, with Minnesota and Wisconsin playing one another every year for 113 years from 1907 to 2019.  The two teams play for the Paul Bunyan Ax which is a traveling trophy, Wisconsin leads the overall series 61-60-8.    

The Minnesota Vikings have placed wide receiver Adam Thielen on the reserve-COVID-19 list.  The list was created this year for players who have either tested positive for COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who tested positive.  The team did not announce if Thielen had tested positive for the virus or not. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves held the first overall pick in Wednesday night’s NBA draft.  The Wolves ended up making the selection and chose…

Edwards is 19 years old stands 6’5, 225 pounds and averaged 19.1 points per game along with 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the three point line. 

He said after getting drafted he is not a cryer, but is overcome with emotion...

Edwards had portraits of his late mother and grandmother by his side as he was selected first overall.  He lost both of them just months apart growing up.

Edwards says he is eager to prove himself and show he belongs in the NBA...

As the night went on Minnesota got active in the trade market, moving the 17^th overall pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Ricky Rubio along with the 25^th and 28^thpicks.  Rubio started his career in Minnesota and now returns.  

Following that Minnesota used the picks they got with Rubio to select Argentinian guard Leandro Bolmaro.  Bolmaro is 21 years old and currently plays in Barcelona Spain. 

Then with the last pick the Wolves had in the first round, Minnesota selected Washington power forward Jaden McDaniels.  In McDaniels one season in Washington he averaged 13 points and two assists while shooting 45 percent from the field.    

South Dakota State women's basketball announced its nonconference schedule for the 2020-21 season on Tuesday. The Jackrabbits' slate features nine total games, including five home contests and three versus preseason ranked opponents.  
 
SDSU continued its winning ways last season, turning in its ninth straight 20-plus win season. State went 23-10 overall and 13-3 in Summit League action, finishing as runner-up in the Summit League Tournament. The Jacks return three starters and seven additional members from last year's squad, while adding four newcomers. 
 
The Jacks will kick off the season with a three-game homestand, beginning Saturday, Nov. 28 against Iowa State at 2 p.m. in Frost Arena. The home stretch will wrap up against Creighton (Nov. 30, 6 p.m.) and Gonzaga (Dec. 6, 2 p.m.).  
 
The Cyclones were tabbed No. 14 in the AP Preseason Poll, while Gonzaga was ranked No. 21.  
 
SDSU will begin road play the following week as it travels to Kansas State (Dec. 10) and Northern Iowa (Dec. 12).  
 
From there, the Jacks will return home to face Drake, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. Last season, the Bulldogs went 22-8 overall and 14-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play.  
 
Closing out the non-conference road slate are games at Missouri State (Dec. 19) and Montana State (Dec. 21). Missouri State was picked No. 24 in the AP Preseason Poll after finishing last season at 26-4, 16-2 MVC. 
 
The Jackrabbits will wrap up their non-conference schedule at home Dec. 23 against Northern Iowa. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.  
 
SDSU will begin Summit League play as it hosts Western Illinois Jan. 8-9. 
 
All game dates and times are subject to change.  

The SDSU Athletics Department is currently working with campus officials on capacity and social distancing plans. Single-game and conference doubleheader basketball tickets will only be available to purchase once attendance limits are established. Purchasing information will be e-mailed to season ticket holders once schedules become finalized. 

South Dakota women's basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is pleased to announce nonconference matchups with Lipscomb, Wichita State and Bradley this December.
 
The Coyotes play host to Lipscomb for their home opener on Dec. 6 at 1 p.m., while both Wichita State (Dec. 10) and Bradley (Dec. 18) will be road games.
 
"We are really looking forward to tipping off our season in less than two weeks," said Plitzuweit. "We have a very challenging nonconference schedule this season and that is highlighted by playing in the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic against the No. 1 team in the nation in South Carolina, No. 21 Gonzaga and the storied program of Oklahoma. We then return home for a matchup against Lipscomb, which will be the first time we have faced the Bisons and it will certainly be great to be back home in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Then we go on the road to start series with two very good teams in Wichita State and Bradley.
 
"We are also in conversations with a few teams about one or possibly two more games yet, so stay tuned on our social media accounts!"
 
Bradley, coming off a 22-7 season, was picked a program-best second in the Missouri Valley preseason poll. The game will feature a battle between the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Hannah Sjerven for the Coyotes and MVC Preseason Player of the Year Lasha Petree for the Braves. Petree, one of 50 women named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List, averaged 16.5 points, four rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game last year. The Braves return more than 80 percent of their scoring from last season's squad.
 
Wichita State was selected sixth in the American preseason poll, the highest preseason nod for the Shockers as a member of the American. The Shockers are led by senior guard Mariah McCully who was picked to the preseason all-American Conference second team. She led the Shockers last season in scoring (12.6 ppg) and steals (56).
 
Lipscomb was picked seventh in the ASUN preseason poll. The Bisons are led by preseason all-ASUN pick Taylor Clark. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game last season while shooting 50.4 percent from the field. She also led the Bisons in rebounding with 5.2 boards per game. Clark was also the fan-voted ASUN Preseason Player of the Year for the second-straight season.
 
This marks the program's first meetings with Lipscomb and Bradley. South Dakota and Wichita State will meet for the seventh time with the series currently tied 3-3. The Coyotes have won both games with the Shockers during Plitzuweit's tenure.
 
The slate is in addition to the Coyotes' season-opening tournament, the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, from Nov. 28-30. The addition of these three games brings the Coyotes' total for regular season contests to 22, with room to add up to three more games for the NCAA maximum of 25 this season.
 
South Dakota tips off the season on Nov. 28 with No. 1 South Carolina.

The Northern State University men's basketball team opens the season sitting at No. 8 in the NABC Top-25 Coaches Poll. The Wolves earned 255 votes and are the lone member of the NSIC in the top-10.
 
The Wolves kick off the year at Wayne State on January 2 and 3, and then open their home campaign versus Bemidji State the following weekend.
 

Others receiving votes: Augusta (Ga.) 37, Truman State 33, Saint Anselm 25, Southern Nazarene 25, Chico State 24, Findlay 24, Seattle Pacific 22, UNC Pembroke 22, Angelo State 20, Indianapolis 17, Mercyhurst 16, Lubbock Christian 13, Miles 13, Washburn 12, DBU (Texas) 11, Jefferson (Pa.) 9, Shippensburg 9, Biola (Calif.) 7, Cal Poly Pomona 6, Black Hills State 4, Western Oregon 4, Minnesota State 3, Concordia (Calif.) 2, Colorado Mesa 2, Daemen 2, Stonehill 2, Union (Tenn.) 2, Embry-Riddle 1, Fort Lewis 1, Rogers State 1, Walsh 1.

Aberdeen Wings forward and captain Clayton Cosentino has been named the NAHL's Bauer Hockey Central Division Star of the week for Nov. 9th through the 15th.  

Cosentino scored two goals and added an assist in the Wings' weekend sweep of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.  He currently has 13 point sin 8 gam es played, leading the entire NAHL.  

(Gowatertown.net - Watertown, SD) Two Castlewood coaches have resigned as part of a sexual harassment settlement.

Hamlin County Publishing reports that head coach Barry Jacobsen and assistant coach Chris Lather have resigned as part of a settlement reached between Castlewood School and a sexual harassment grievance filed on behalf of the patients of a high school student at the school.  The pair have admitted responsibility for social media content and inappropriate comments made in the classroom to several students in early September 2020.

Castlewood will be forming a hiring committee to begin the search for their replacement.  The first allowable date of practice in South Dakota for boys basketball is November 30th.

 The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released this morning the projected men's and women's basketball schedules for the 2021 season, kicking off in January. The Wolves will play a 16-game league slate, featuring eight home contests. Full schedule information, as well as fan information for Wolves home games is listed below.
 
Teams will play the same opponent at one site on back-to-back days. The season will start with two non-conference games against one NSIC out-of-division opponent. The conference schedule will then consist of 14 games with teams playing each member of its division twice. For this season, the NSIC will only crown a North Division and South Division Champion. The conference will continue to monitor the landscape and conditions surrounding the pandemic, locally, regionally, and nationally, and make any decisions or announcements, at a later date, as necessary.
 
The Wolves open the year on the road at Wayne State College January 2 and 3 and kick off competition from Wachs Arena the following weekend versus Bemidji State. The full season schedule is listed below. Game times will be posted for away contests when they become available.
 

 
The NSIC / Sanford Health Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championships are set to take place Thursday-Sunday, February 25-28 at the Sanford Pentagon. Women's quarterfinals will be played on Thursday/Friday at 12 & 2:30 p.m. while men's quarterfinals will be played on Thursday/Friday at 5:30 & 8 p.m. Women's semifinals will be Saturday at 12 & 2:30 p.m. while men's will be 5:30 & 8 p.m. The women's championship will be Sunday at 5 p.m. and the men's at 7:30 p.m.
 
Wachs Arena will have limited attendance at games, with Wolves Club members, student-athletes families, and Northern students taking top priority.
 
The athletic department is finalizing a seating plan that will be communicated to each Wolves Club member in the next month. The reserved seating section will be set up to allow for social distancing and the ability for members to move to open seats/sections depending on who is in attendance for each game. Members will also be able to sit anywhere in the lower bowl of the Arena to ensure proper social distancing. We will not have courtside seats this season, with those individuals being moved to open spots in the reserved section. This will allow the most flexibility in seating for each date of competition. 
 
Many of you have already been contacted by the athletic department to talk about different seating arrangements. It is very important that all Wolves Club memberships be paid as soon as possible to ensure you are on the priority list for seating for this season.  With the limited attendance requirement, contests may be limited to only season ticket holders.  A detailed letter and bill will be sent to each member who has not paid for their membership soon. 
 

Flowrestling released earlier this week their 2020-21 Preseason NCAA Division II rankings, with two Northern State Wolves landing on the list. Junior Caden Moore landed at No. 12 (149), while sophomore James Burks came in at No. 14 (157).
 
Moore went 20-7 overall a season ago. He won the DWU Alumni Open at the start of the season and placed fifth at the Jamestown Jimmie Invite. He finished the year with a fifth place finish at the NCAA Super Region 5 Tournament and spent time ranked by the NWCA during the season.
 
Burks went 16-3 in his first season with the Wolves, recording a 6-1 record in the NSIC. He won the Jamestown Jimmie Invite and placed sixth at the DWU Alumni Open. He spent time ranked in the NWCA Individual Rankings throughout the season.

The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild today announced it has extended its ECHL affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans Professional Hockey Club for the 2020-21 season.

"We are excited to extend our ECHL affiliation agreement with the Allen Americans," said Minnesota Wild Assistant General Manager and Iowa Wild General Manager Tom Kurvers. "Allen had a tremendous season last year and we look forward to the Americans serving as a development affiliate for our players again this season."

"Minnesota is not only committed to developing players but also to winning," said Allen Americans Head Coach and General Manager Steve Martinson. "Young prospects like Tyler Sheehy, Alex Breton and veterans Matt Register and Olivier Archambault help to insure our winning tradition."

Under the affiliation agreement, the Americans will serve as a resource for the development efforts and personnel needs of both the Minnesota Wild and Iowa Wild. The agreement allows Wild prospects to be assigned to the Americans for developmental purposes throughout the season. Minnesota's primary development affiliate is the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL).

"Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) is a premier sports and entertainment brand and we are excited to extend our relationship with the Minnesota Wild on the ice," shares Americans President & Alternate Governor Mike Waddell. "Craig Leipold, Bill Guerin, Dean Evason and Tom Kurvers are all outstanding hockey minds and we look forward to working together and making this a championship relationship."

Since the affiliation agreement began for the 2018-19 season, the Minnesota Wild have sent several key players to Allen through Iowa. Last season Matt Register, Dereck Baribeau and Mitch McLain all saw significant ice time in Allen.

The Summit League has released its basketball schedule for the upcoming season.  The league plans a full 16-game conference schedule in both men and women’s basketball.  Games will begin January 2^nd.  With one exception, the league schedule will follow a Friday-Saturday men’s and women’s doubleheader format with a two –game series against the same opponent at the same location.  The Summit League championships are set for March 6^th through the 9^th at the Denny Sanford PREMIER center in Sioux Falls. 

The Aberdeen Wings have postponed this weekend’s game against the Austin Bruins.  In a statement from the team, the game has been rescheduled to March 30^th and 31^st due to complications caused by COVId-19. 

PIERRE, S.D. (GoWatertown.net) -- The Board of Directors of the South Dakota High School Activities Association met Wednesday in Pierre.

One item approved by the board was the on time start to winter sports but with some restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Assistant Executive Director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association John Krogstrand talks about some of the changes you will see this winter to ensure the safety of students in gymnastics and wrestling:
 

Basketball will be more open-ended:
 

November 30th is the first allowable contest in the state of South Dakota for wrestling and gymnastics.  The first allowable contest for basketball is December 10th.

The Wisconsin Badgers has canceled its second consecutive game due to COVID-19.  The Badgers announced Tuesday it would not play its game Saturday against Purdue.  The team has also canceled all group activities, pausing the program indefinitely, because of the number of positive COVID-19 cases within the program. 

(Twinsbaseball.com) Even before the night of Aug. 18, the Twins had quickly learned that Kenta Maeda would be the most important piece of their starting rotation in 2020. He'd been acquired from the Dodgers for his consistency, durability and playoff experience. Minnesota had already gotten more than that baseline.

But that night, Twins Territory found out that they truly had something special on its hands.

In his fifth start of the season, facing the Brewers at his new home park, Maeda's slider darted and his split changeup dove as he carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning before a bloop over the shortstop's glove ended his bid for history. A second dose of history, that is -- earlier in the game, Maeda had struck out eight consecutive batters, setting a franchise record and falling one shy of the American League mark.

That marked one of the most dominant pitching performances in club history, and it was representative of Maeda's first season in Minnesota. The consistency, durability and playoff experience all came as advertised, and it turned out that the upside was also nearly unmatched in the league. That's why Maeda was named one of three AL Cy Young Award  finalists, announced live on MLB Network on Monday night joining Cleveland's Shane Bieber and Toronto's Hyun Jin Ryu. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. CT.

Maeda is also a finalist for the gold glove award among AL pitchers. Those results will be announced on Tuesday.

"I think Kenta was everything we asked for and then some," president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said after the season. "He was a tremendous teammate. He was a tremendous fit in our clubhouse. He did everything the pitching coaches and [manager] Rocco Baldelli asked of him. He was eager to learn and grow. This guy has now won 150 professional games between pitching in Japan and here. He's been phenomenal for us on so many levels."

The Twins haven't had a Cy Young Award winner since Johan Santana won his second in 2006. They'll likely need to wait a while longer for that to change, as Maeda will almost certainly fall short of Bieber, the Major League Triple Crown winner who also became the fastest pitcher to ever reach 100 strikeouts in a season and punched out at least eight in all 12 of his starts, the second-longest such streak to start a season in MLB history.

Maeda would be a worthy winner in many other seasons with his career-best 2.70 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. He paced the Minnesota rotation in ERA, innings, wins and strikeouts, and his 0.75 WHIP marked the second lowest in MLB history by a pitcher qualified for the ERA title, behind Pedro Martínez's 0.74 mark in 2000 (albeit with a much lower innings threshold).

The 32-year-old did not allow more than three runs or six hits in a start all season. He never failed to pitch five innings and was the only Twins pitcher to complete seven innings in multiple 2020 appearances.

In recognition of those accomplishments, Maeda has become the first Twins pitcher to receive Cy Young votes since Ervin Santana in 2017 and the first to finish in the top three since Johan Santana in '06. Maeda did not receive any Cy Young votes in his four seasons with the Dodgers.

Before Maeda arrived in Minnesota in the offseason trade that sent top pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol to the Dodgers, Los Angeles had moved him into the bullpen for September and the playoffs in each season since 2017, using him as a high-leverage specialist against right-handed hitters. The narrative that he was less effective against lefty bats initially followed him to Minneapolis.

Instead, Maeda turned that narrative on its head by holding righties to a .484 OPS and lefties to a stingy .525 OPS this season, well below the career .740 OPS that he has allowed to left-handed hitters. He relied on his fastball less than ever and fed batters a much larger diet of his slider and changeup.

"He found ways to adapt and pitch even better against left-handers," Falvey said. "He's always been dominant against righties, but what he did against righties, the ability to pitch deeper in games, to change his mix at times, to use different pitches, I felt like what we got out of Kenta was tremendous."

Most importantly, Maeda was still at his best as a playoff starter, something that the Twins have mostly lacked amid their extended playoff losing streak, which now stands at 18, following the 2020 season. Maeda did his best to pitch the Twins out of that skid with five shutout innings of two-hit ball against the Astros in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series before the Minnesota bullpen gave way.

How's that for a big first impression on a new organization?

With Maeda signed to a team-friendly contract to lead the Minnesota rotation through the 2023 season, Twins leadership is hopeful that the veteran can serve as the foundation for several of those playoff runs yet to come.

"We're excited about his future because he's a part of us now for a number of years ahead," Falvey said. "With he and José [Berríos], both those guys, what they did as starters over the last two days [of the playoffs], that is something exciting to build off of. I think both of those guys showed they could be proven playoff performers and pitch us into a good position. Kenta was tremendous, and we're really happy to have him."

Max Welch (SO/Highlands Ranch, CO) has been named the North Star Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week on Nov. 2. 

Welch was 2-for-2 in field goals in the Saints loss to Waldorf on Oct. 31. Following a made 32-yard attempt in the first quarter to give the Saints the lead, Welch set a new school record, making a 47-yard field goal in the third quarter. The previous longest field goal was a 45-yard attempt made in 2018. 

Welch had three kick-offs in the game for 167 yards (55.7 yards per kick-off). 

Welch and the Saints conclude the 2020 season at Dickinson State on Nov. 7. 

Class AA
1. O’Gorman (12) 19-0 60 1
2. S.F. Washington 13-4 48 2
3. Huron 13-4 35 3
4. Watertown 18-3 25 4
5. Brandon Valley 15-6 12 5
 

Class A
1. S.F. Christian (12) 23-1 60 1
2. Madison 14-4 43 3
3. Dakota Valley 13-5 35 2
4. Hill City 24-2 23 4
5. Winner 20-4 14 5
RECEIVING VOTES: R.C. Christian (26-4) 3, Parker (16-7) 2

Class B
1. Northwestern (12) 23-1 60 1
2. Warner 19-1 47 2
3. Chester Area 18-2 37 3
4. Bridgewater-Emery 18-2 21 4
T5. Colman-Egan 21-3 6 T5
T5. Faulkton Area 15-5 6 T5
RECEIVING VOTES: Hitchcock-Tulare (15-4) 2, Elkton-Lake Benton (19-4) 1

Days after the Arizona Coyotes renounced their draft rights to fourth round pick Mitch Miller, the University of North Dakota has kicked him off the hockey team for the upcoming season.  Miller’s past of physically and emotionally bullying a disabled student of color while in high school came to light, leading Arizona first to cut ties with the prospect and UND to follow shortly after.  Miller and another boy bullied their classmate so bad they were found guilty of breaking the Ohio student laws in juvenile court. 

The Lennox vs. Tea 11A first round playoff game has been canceled by Lennox.  According to the school, the cancelation is due to "internal cases of COVID-19."

Tea wil be given a first round bye to the quarterfinals of the 11A playoffs.