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Playoff-bound Big Sandy having one of its best Six-Man football seasons in years

The Big Sandy football team has spent the last few seasons rebuilding and Saturday, the rebuild will be complete.

That's because the Pioneers will be back in the playoffs Saturday, as Big Sandy will host Richey/Lambert of the Eastern C. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

When the Pioneers do tee it up against the third-place team from the Six-Man East Division, it will be the program's first playoff game since 2012, when the Pioneers lost in the Six-Man state championship game.

"It's going to be a really exciting thing for the whole community," Big Sandy head coach Ronnie Simpson said. "People come out every week and they support us. There is not a lot to do around here, so when we play, the whole town seems to come out and cheer us on."

Simpson has been in charge of the program since 2015, following a stint as the head coach of the Box Elder Bears. In his first season, the Pioneers went just 2-6. But last season, Big Sandy took a step forward, finished 4-4 and getting within one win of the playoffs. That success set the stage for this season, especially with the return of All-State running back/linebacker Weston Allderdice.

Allderdice was the Pioneers' top player a season ago and is on his way to earning All-State honors again after another dominant campaign. Allderdice has posted numerous 100-yard games rushing this season and has close to 20 touchdowns. He is also an elite defender and leads a Big Sandy defense that seems to improve each week.

"I am so proud of the team and the way we have come along this year," Allderdice said. "I think that everyone has worked really hard. And it's a really exciting thing to get in the playoffs for your senior year."

Starting this season, Big Sandy was determined to make the playoffs, but an early loss to Power-Dutton-Brady dimmed those hopes.

However, wins over Sunburst and North Star put the Pioneers in prime position to make the postseason.

Big Sandy did suffer another setback against undefeated Valier, 19-7. However, the Pioneers got their biggest win in years, upsetting Geraldine/Highwood Oct. 14. The win eventually got them the No. 2 seed and their first home playoff game in five years.

"That was a really big win for us," Simpson said."Geraldine/Highwood is a good program. I think that gave us a big boost of confidence. We have been building and getting better the past few years, but knocking them off off on the road was huge. That was the biggest win of my tenure here. But it's all about the kids - they have really stepped up."

This week, the Pioneers will face another big challenge as the seventh-ranked Pioneers host the fifth-ranked team in the state in Richey/Lambert. Big Sandy has been solid on defense this season, but it will be tested by the Fusion, who have scored 40 points or more in seven of their eight games and 50 at least five times. Yet, the Pioneers will answer with Allderdice, as well as Kade Strutz, Bryant Jones and Tanner Allderdice, all capable two-way players.

"We need to make sure that we play really good defense," Simpson said. "We need to buckle down, tackle well, run the ball well and just execute our plays. There is nothing too fancy about us. Offense wins games, but defense wins championships."

Certainly, the Pioneers' opponent won't be easy. The Fusion has lost only to undefeated Westby-Grenora and Wibaux, both top-5 teams in the Six-Man rankings. But regardless of who it's against, the Pioneers will be ready. They have waited five years to get back in the playoffs and now, they are determined to take advantage of the opportunity.

"It's going to be the first time in a long time that we have had a home playoff game," Allderdice said. "So it's going to mean a lot to us as football players and to our community as a whole. Hopefully, we can go out and keep this going."

 

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