SPEARFISH, S.D. — One week after nearly completing a 19-point comeback, the Spearfish Spartans didn’t need one Friday night.
They simply took over.
Spearfish erased an early 7-0 deficit by scoring 40 unanswered points, using an explosive rushing attack, big plays through the air and a defense that repeatedly created turnovers to roll past the Mitchell Kernels, 47-27, at home.
The victory improves the Spartans to 1-1 on the season after opening the year with a 26-20 loss at Watertown.
Spearfish showed plenty of offensive potential in that season opener, scoring all 20 of its points in the second half and nearly overcoming a 19-point deficit. Read the full Odrix Sports recap of the Week 1 matchup against Watertown here: Spartans Rally From 19-Point Deficit, Fall 26-20 to Watertown in Season Opener.
Against Mitchell, that offense didn’t wait until the second half to come alive.
Mitchell Strikes First
Spearfish moved the football on its opening possession but couldn’t turn the drive into points.
Graham Hughes picked up an early first down on the ground before Thomas Hughes connected with Karsen Seyer for 20 yards and Kade Vavruska for 24. A holding penalty wiped out another promising Graham Hughes run, however, and an end-around to Vavruska lost eight yards.
The drive eventually stalled with a turnover on downs in Mitchell territory.
The Kernels capitalized.
Mitchell moved down the field despite several penalties before a lapse in the Spearfish secondary resulted in a 30-yard touchdown connection to give the Kernels a 7-0 advantage.
That would be Mitchell’s last score for a long time.
Hughes Brothers Ignite the Offense
Spearfish answered by turning to its ground game.
Graham Hughes broke loose for a 43-yard run and followed it with another four yards. Thomas Hughes then connected with Vavruska for 17 yards before keeping the football himself and scoring on a 16-yard touchdown run.
The touchdown tied the game and started an avalanche.
Spearfish’s defense created the next opportunity.
Brock Lewis delivered one of the biggest defensive plays of the first half when he recorded a tackle for loss and forced a fumble. Payton Jones recovered it for the Spartans.
Spearfish needed just one play to make Mitchell pay.
Thomas Hughes took off for a 59-yard touchdown run, giving him two rushing touchdowns and 75 yards on just two carries at that point.
Suddenly, the Spartans had the lead.
And they weren’t close to finished.
Spartans Keep Pouring It On
Spearfish continued generating explosive plays in every phase.
Seyer returned a punt 31 yards to give the offense strong field position. Hughes then connected with Jones for 19 yards before breaking free for another 33-yard run.
Graham Hughes continued grinding away on the ground before Thomas Hughes found him for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
It was Hughes’ third total touchdown of the game and his first through the air.
Spearfish went back to the big play on a later possession.
Graham Hughes ripped off a 27-yard run before Thomas Hughes connected with Seyer for a short gain.
Then came another strike.
Hughes found Seyer for a 45-yard touchdown, extending the Spartans’ advantage and giving the quarterback his second touchdown pass of the game.
Spearfish had gone from trailing 7-0 to completely controlling the game.
Defense Joins the Scoring
The Spartan defense made sure the momentum stayed on Spearfish’s sideline.
Thomas Hughes intercepted a Mitchell pass and returned it 15 yards, adding a defensive takeaway to a night in which he was already doing damage at quarterback.
Later, Ethan Foote broke into the backfield for a tackle for loss and forced another Mitchell fumble.
Ziah Torpy scooped it up.
Thirty-two yards later, Torpy was in the end zone.
The scoop-and-score continued a run of 40 unanswered Spearfish points after Mitchell had taken the early 7-0 lead.
Spearfish’s defense continued creating problems for the Kernels throughout the night. Seyer added a tackle for loss and forced fumble, while Jack Scharf and Ethan Diedtrich each recorded interceptions.
Lewis was consistently around the football, finishing with eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Hughes to Seyer Strikes Again
Even with a commanding advantage, Spearfish continued finding explosive plays offensively.
Thomas Hughes connected with Vavruska for 32 yards, giving Vavruska 73 receiving yards on three catches.
Hughes then found Seyer for another touchdown, this time from 26 yards out.
The score gave Hughes three touchdown passes to go along with his two rushing touchdowns at that point.
Seyer finished his night with four receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 23.5 yards per catch.
Mitchell eventually stopped Spearfish’s 40-point run and put additional points on the board, but the Spartans had already created too much separation.
The Kernels were given another opportunity when a botched Spearfish punt snap allowed Mitchell to take over at the Spartan 33-yard line.
Spearfish’s starters eventually returned to the field offensively, and the Hughes brothers delivered one more exclamation point.
Thomas Hughes broke loose for 19 yards before Graham Hughes followed with runs of three and 49 yards.
Thomas Hughes finished the drive himself, scoring on a 15-yard run for his third rushing touchdown of the night.
It capped a six-touchdown performance for the Spearfish quarterback.
Ground Game Overwhelms Mitchell
Spearfish’s rushing attack produced two 150-yard rushers, with Graham and Thomas Hughes combining for 317 yards on just 18 carries.
Graham Hughes finished with 159 yards on 12 attempts, averaging 13.3 yards per carry.
Thomas Hughes was even more explosive.
The Spartan quarterback rushed six times for 158 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 26.3 yards every time he carried the football. His night included touchdown runs of 16, 59 and 15 yards along with gains of 33, 16 and 19 yards.
He was equally dangerous through the air.
Hughes completed 9 of 16 passes for 191 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
That gave him 349 total offensive yards and six touchdowns between his passing and rushing production.
Seyer was Hughes’ leading receiver with four catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Vavruska added three receptions for 73 yards, Jones caught one pass for 19 yards and Graham Hughes added a 5-yard touchdown reception.
Complete Performance Gives Spearfish First Win
Spearfish showed flashes of what it could become during its Week 1 loss at Watertown.
Against Mitchell, those flashes became sustained stretches of dominance.
The Spartans produced explosive plays on the ground, through the air, on special teams and defensively. Spearfish had two players eclipse 150 rushing yards, scored three passing touchdowns and three Thomas Hughes rushing touchdowns, and added a defensive score from Torpy.
The defense created turnovers throughout the night, including interceptions from Thomas Hughes, Scharf and Diedtrich, while Foote, Lewis and Seyer each forced fumbles.
Most importantly, Spearfish responded after things didn’t initially go its way.
An opening drive ended on downs. Mitchell responded by scoring first.
Spearfish answered with 40 straight points.
By the time the Kernels finally found another answer, the Spartans were firmly in control on their way to a 47-27 victory and their first win of the 2026 season.
Spearfish improves to 1-1.
Spearfish Spartans Final Stats
Passing
Thomas Hughes: 9-of-16, 191 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Owynn Meredith: 1-of-3, 8 yards
Karsen Seyer: 0-of-1
Rushing
Graham Hughes: 12 carries, 159 yards
Thomas Hughes: 6 carries, 158 yards, 3 TD
Noah Suda: 6 carries, 12 yards
Jack Scharf: 3 carries, 6 yards
Owynn Meredith: 1 carry, 4 yards
Kade Vavruska: 1 carry, -8 yards
Receiving
Karsen Seyer: 4 receptions, 94 yards, 2 TD
Kade Vavruska: 3 receptions, 73 yards
Payton Jones: 1 reception, 19 yards
Brody McCann: 1 reception, 8 yards
Graham Hughes: 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 TD
Defensive Leaders
Brock Lewis: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Thomas Hughes: 7 tackles, 1 INT, 15-yard INT return
Kade Vavruska: 6 tackles
Karsen Seyer: 5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Ethan Foote: 1 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Ziah Torpy: 32-yard fumble return TD
Jack Scharf: 1 INT, 3 tackles
Ethan Diedtrich: 1 INT
Payton Jones: 1 fumble recovery
Final: Spearfish 47, Mitchell 27