MITCHELL — Fresh off a third Class AA title game appearance in as many seasons, the Mitchell High School boys basketball team was welcomed home by its closest supporters on Monday night at the Corn Palace.
Though the Kernels came up just short of a championship repeat, falling 53-45 to Brandon Valley on Saturday night in Rapid City, there was still plenty to celebrate. Three state qualifier plaques, two Eastern South Dakota Conference plaques, two state runner-up trophies and the 2024 state championship hardware still adorned with a cut-down net from the Premier Center stood front and center to serve as a reminder of what the program has accomplished over the past three years.
As players, coaches and administration reflected on those feats, teammates took friendly verbal jabs at one another and lighthearted stories were shared. Here are some more highlights from Monday’s remarks:
Ryker Kreutzfeldt, MHS head coach, on memories meaning more than winning: “It was April or May last year, and I was in (Athletic Director Cory) Aadland’s office, and he asked me, ‘Is winning the state championship everything you thought it would be?’ No, it’s not. I thought winning a state championship would make my world unbelievable, like it was everything. It was awesome for that night. It was great for the next week. It was pretty cool for a month, but it fades away quickly. These past three years have given me a lot of perspective. People always say that at the end of the year, you’re going to miss the bus rides and all this little stuff. I thought that was just something you’re supposed to say … that it’s just a bunch of crap, but it’s not.”
Colton Smith, junior forward, on his favorite off-court memory with MHS basketball: “When we went to the University of Kansas (for a team camp), coach thought we were all sleeping, but we walked around the whole city campus. We ended up dancing in front of one of the security cameras. … I don’t think you’ll find that footage.”
Kreutzfeldt, on the high expectations that faced the 2024-25 Kernels: “Everyone thinks that you start where you ended the last year. It never works that way. You have to restart every year, and things are always changing. We learned early in the year that we were going to have to go through some hard times and learn some lessons if we were going to get to where we wanted to go. I was warned how difficult it is to repeat, and that lived up to the hype. There was nothing easy about this season. The hardest part was that nothing was good enough. If you won, you didn’t win by enough. If you won but didn’t play well, then you didn’t look good. You lose appreciation for how far we’ve come when the expectation is so high. Coach (Pat) Moller said there are more people here (at Monday’s welcome home) than there were at home games not that long ago.”
Landen Soulek, senior guard, on the impact of the MHS fanbase: “You guys have been great every year. Nobody does it like you, and it’s easy to tell. Coach says it all the time at the pep rallies, but I hope you all take it to heart because we really appreciate you.”
Cory Aadland, MHS activities director, on Markus Talley: “I have a tremendous amount of pride in having one of ours announced as the Spirit of Su winner, the highest honor in South Dakota high school sports. Markus Talley, congratulations. When you look at the last four years, we’ve had three Spirit of Su winners — Caden Hinker in 2022; last year Sawyer Stoebner; and now Markus Talley. I think that shows the kind of kids that we’re raising here in Mitchell.”
Kreutzfeldt, on MHS basketball’s 2025 senior class: “When I think about this group of seniors, they defied the odds to get to where they’re at. Five of the six seniors played heavy (B-team) minutes as freshmen. They were not supposed to be here, but they weren’t afraid of the high expectations or hard work that it takes to get there.”
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Aadland, on coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt: “Eighty-one percent. That’s Ryker Kreutzfeldt’s current career record of 79 wins and 19 losses. Incredible. Not bad for a guy who was just a 25-year-old kid when we hired him. He’s still a kid, but what he’s accomplished in four years is absolutely incredible. … He watches opposing coaches and knows what they’re going to run based on their calls. I’m pretty sure he knows the opposing team’s playbook better than all of their players and half of their coaches. His preparation and dedication are unmatched.”
Kreutzfeldt, on his confidence in the future of MHS basketball: “I’ve seen how a season ending can motivate that next group, so I’m excited to go forward. We say goodbye to a special, special group that means a lot to me, but I think we’ve got a lot left. Losing that last one gave me a lot of juice, and I know it gave our guys a lot of juice. … I think a lot of people around the state were happy to see us lose on Saturday night, but I promise you we are not going anywhere.”
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