It's Quarriers vs. Cardinals in basketball and volleyball

Brothers Mike and Pete Entringer used to referee basketball games together in South Dakota decades ago. After Mike died in 1990, Pete and the Entringer family started the Entringer Classic, a basketball event in remembrance of Mike. Funds raised during the events are used to reward student-athletes with scholarships.

The Dell Rapids vs. St. Mary boys basketball games from the 1980s and 90s were memorable, and Pete Entringer said he and his brother refereed many of them.

So last year, they added the game to the event, and it was an immediate classic again. Dells trailed by seven in the second half before pulling out a 67-64 win.

“Back when we were the refs at that game, it was a good and intense rivalry,” Entringer said. “Both schools had good teams last year, and they do again this year, so we’re doing it again.”

The Quarriers and Cardinals will square off in an Entringer rematch on Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. at Brookings High School.

Last year’s event was played in front of a packed Brookings gymnasium with plenty of orange, red and black in the stands. Despite the setback, St. Mary coach Colby Fitzgerald said it was a good measuring stick for the Cardinals. He’s hoping for the same this year.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to play a good, quality opponent,” Fitzgerald said. “I think the kids want to play in those environments. It was definitely a playoff atmosphere last year. As a coach, I’d rather have my players play in front of a full gym instead of an empty gym.”

The Quarriers used the win last year to get things pointed in a solid position. Dell Rapids won nine of its next 11 games after defeating St. Mary and eventually qualified as the No. 6 seed in the Class A tournament.

“It’s a great game for our community,” Dell Rapids coach Jason Fersdahl said. “I know the kids get up for it and we’re looking forward to it again this year.”

The first year of the event in 1994, two scholarships of $250 were given out. In 2019, 53 scholarships were awarded at $1,000 each. A total of 998 student-athletes have been awarded with a scholarship for a total of $857,000 since the classic began.

Girls game added to event

The girls portion of the Entringer Classic began in 1998. Because of the success of the Dell Rapids city clash last year, organizers have added a Dells vs. St. Mary girls game this year scheduled for Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. at Colman-Egan High School.

“Having two schools in the community getting a chance to square off in a neutral site game should be exciting,” said first-year Dell Rapids coach Dustin Steckler. “When you have a lot of people in the community that can show up and watch both teams, it does bring a little different environment to it.”

Asked if it’s a game that’s circled on the Dell Rapids schedule, Steckler downplayed it, but said it’s still an important matchup for the Quarriers.

“It’s one we’re definitely aware of,” he said. “But right now we’re really just going into the season worried about us and we’ll take it one game at a time.”

Volleyball matchup added

Although not the Entringer Classic, Dells and St. Mary volleyball will play each for the first time in history later this month. They were scheduled to play on Sept. 14, but a positive COVID-19 test on the Quarriers’ roster postponed the game. It has been rescheduled for Monday, Sept. 28.

Unlike the Entringer, the volleyball matchup wasn’t created out of fanfare or anticipation for an intracity rivalry. Because of the pandemic, volleyball teams around the state were forced to cancel tournaments. In July, the South Dakota High School Activities Association encouraged schools to find alternate plans and schedule additional dual matches.

With the cancellation of the Canton tournament originally scheduled for this season, Dell Rapids officials were looking to add games. A date with St. Mary seemed like a perfect fit with no travel, according to coach Erica Fersdahl.

“This one came more out of necessity than rivalry,” Fersdahl said. “A lot of teams have canceled tournaments this year because it’s just too hard to have a lot of teams coming in. At that point, it was just trying to pick up a match or leave our schedule a little short.” 

For St. Mary, having the original date postponed put a massive gap in the Cardinals’ schedule. St. Mary went two full weeks without a match after starting the season 4-0.

For first-year coach Sandra Heinitz, the pending match with Dell Rapids next week is a significant one. She coached some of the Dell Rapids players in fifth- and sixth-grade league.

“There’s probably a little more buildup to it,” Heinitz said of the game vs. Dells. “It’s just fun to play a team with a lot of players that you know, and it’s good to play good competition. I think it’s something our players are looking forward to playing.”