Do you believe in miracles? The Bennett County Warriors (SD) surely do after Friday night as a crazy multi-lateral play to end the game ultimately resulted in the team advancing to the state championship in a play you have to see to believe.
Trailing by six after Kimball/White Lake scored the go-ahead touchdown with six seconds remaining, Bennett County had to resort to laterals to try and get anything going for the comeback.
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Solon’s Maddox Kelley (4) celebrates with Kaden Hoeper (5) and Sawyer Hancox (28) after scoring against the Fairfield Trojans Oct. 30, 2026 during an Iowa high school football playoff game in Solon, Iowa.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
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High school football playoffs are here: Best photos from across the country
Solon’s Maddox Kelley (4) celebrates with Kaden Hoeper (5) and Sawyer Hancox (28) after scoring against the Fairfield Trojans Oct. 30, 2026 during an Iowa high school football playoff game in Solon, Iowa.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
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High school football playoffs are here: Best photos from across the country
Great Plains Lutheran’s Jeremiah Martens (25) chase after Lead-Deadwood’s Enzo Stone during their first-round Class 9AA high school football playoff game on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, at Allen Mitchell Field in Watertown. Great Plains Lutheran notched the first playoff victory in the history of the program, winning 22-7, and also broke the school record for wins in a season (7-2).
(Roger Merriam/Public Opinion)
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North Hardin High School’s Konnor Meredith (6) warms up at Bell Field during the first round of KHSAA football playoffs Friday, November 6, 2026.
(Matt Stone/The Courier Journal)
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Scarsdale’s Shane Kelly (2) celebrates with teammate Lars Burrows (8) after catching a first half touchdown pass against North Rockland during playoff football action at Scarsdale High School Oct. 30, 2026. Scarsdale won the game 15-13.
(Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News)
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High school football playoffs are here: Best photos from across the country
Scarsdale and North Rockland battled in playoff football action at Scarsdale High School Oct. 30, 2026. Scarsdale won the game 15-13.
(Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News)
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High school football playoffs are here: Best photos from across the country
Copley Players take to the field to at the start of the Division III playoff football game against Padua Franciscan at Copley High School, Ohio on October 30, 2026.
(Akron Beacon Journal)
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Copley’s Dane Wininger (17) fires off a pass under pressrure during the Division III playoff football game at Copley High School, Ohio on October 30, 2026.
(Akron Beacon Journal)
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The Solon student section dressed in their Halloween costumes to cheer on the football team Oct. 30, 2026 during an Iowa high school playoff game against the Fairfield Trojans in Solon, Iowa.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
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High school football playoffs are here: Best photos from across the country
Copley band members in costume play the pregame show at the Division III playoff football game between Copley and Padua Franciscan at Copley High School, Ohio on October 30, 2026.
(Akron Beacon Journal)
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The Brighton student section kept the cheers coming throughout the game during their Section V Class A1 football sectional semifinal playoff game Friday October 30, 2026 at Brighton High School.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
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Green Bay Notre Dame’s Michael Witczak (16) against Menasha High School during their Division 2 playoff football game Friday, October 30, 2026, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Notre Dame defeated Menasha 45-13. Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent
(Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent)
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Revere High School quarterback Carter Hajdu releases a pass as a Parma Heights Holy Name defender pressures him during the second half of an OHSAA Division III playoff football game on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Richfield, Ohio.
(Nicholas McLaughlin, Special for the Akron Beacon Journal)
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Green Bay Notre Dame’s Jackson Bouthilet (12) against Menasha High School during their Division 2 playoff football game Friday, October 30, 2026, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Notre Dame defeated Menasha 45-13.
Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent
(Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent)
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Brighton running back Justin Medina steps through the Victor tackle attempt by Carter Abbate during a 70-yard run down to the two yard line during their Section V Class A1 football sectional semifinal playoff game Friday October 30, 2026 at Brighton High School.
(Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
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Green Bay Notre Dame’s Quinn Blom (3) against Menasha High School’s Shamir Senyange (1) during their Division 2 playoff football game Friday, October 30, 2026, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Notre Dame defeated Menasha 45-13.
Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent
(Wm. Glasheen/Appleton Post-Crescent)
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Farmington’s Bradyn Brewer celebrates a touchdown against Pleasant Plains in the second half of their Class 2A high school football playoffs opener Saturday i Farmington. The Farmers defeated the Cardinals 22-16.
(MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR)
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The Metamora Redbirds take the field against the Alton Marquette Explorers in the opening round of the Class 4A high school football playoffs Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 in Metamora. The Redbirds defeated the Explorers 56-7.
(MATT DAYHOFF/JOURNAL STAR)
After snapping the ball and a pair of laterals to keep the ball alive, the ball was thrown from Rush O’Neill back to Maddux Risse. However, the ball bounced on the ground. Kimball/White Lake players began to celebrate thinking that the play was an incomplete pass.
Instead, because it was a lateral, the play was technically a fumble. Risse realized this and after acting like it was incomplete while his opponents celebrated, he took off towards the end zone, scoring the long touchdown. The Warriors would kick the extra point after the buzzer, securing their spot in the South Dakota Class 9A state championship game.
See the crazy play for yourself:
Not only did it secure their spot in the state championship game, it secured the Warriors’ first ever trip to the DakotaDome.
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The crazy play was also the latest in what’s been a complete turnaround of a season for the Warriors. They enter the state championship with a 10-1 record after going 3-6 last season.
This is the program’s first winning record since 2016. During that stretch in between, the Warriors compiled a total record 20-52, with one winless season in 2022.
The Warriors will play Freeman (9-1) for the title on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
