Flandreau Indian School, 1939 Class “A” Champions

From Program of Memories, 1978, State Class A tournament program; by Jim Quinn

1939: The 1939 title went to a non-public school for the first time as Syd Beane’s Flandreau Indian School won the championship by defeating Euc Cobb’s Cobblers on the Rapid City floor in the final in an overtime 32-30 thriller. Lead took third as Joe Dunmire’s crew defeated Paul Marshalk’s Pierre Governors 24-23. This was the year of the big ‘split’. ESD teams had withdrawn for SDHSAA sanctioned tournament play over difference in policy.

(From an article in the Rapid City Journal by James Running) —

The eastern loop members, who, as Coach Euclid Cobb expressed it, “took their ball and went home,” after becoming disgruntled at the decision of the state athletic board of control to limit Eastern contenders to four teams,have certainly gained little by their revolt against the official association authority.

The ESD teams had their own meet and Aberdeen won by defeating Huron 27-20. They had a narrow escape nosing ahead of Watertown 27-26 in the semi-finals. Flandreau, on the other hand, swamped the Huronites, 25 to 10 late in February, and also beat Watertown a short time before.

The Cobblers, on the same basis, can rightfully be proud of their position as runners-up in state competition. They trounced Huron 27-17 on their eastern invasion early in the season, and yet the Huron team walked all over the supposedly strong Sioux Falls giant, 29-19 in the Eastern loop semi-finals.