Miracle in Martin: Bennett County Uses Wild Walk-Off Lateral Play to Reach First State Championship

Ralph Garcia November 8, 2026 at 12:41 am 3 minutes read

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MARTIN, S.D. — High school football postseason games are often decided by thin margins, but what unfolded Friday night in the South Dakota Class 9A state semifinals will be remembered as one of the most unbelievable endings in prep football history.

With six seconds remaining on the clock and their season hanging by a thread, the Bennett County Warriors staged a miracle three-lateral, walk-off touchdown play to defeat the Kimball/White Lake Wildkats 45-44 in front of a stunned home crowd. The dramatic victory punched Bennett County’s ticket to the DakotaDome in Vermillion for the Class 9A state championship game for the first time in school history.

The Setup: A Fourth-Quarter Rollercoaster

The thrilling finish capped off an explosive fourth quarter between two relentless squads. Bennett County had previously erased a 12-point second-half deficit, tying the contest 38-38 with just 1:44 left in regulation when quarterback Maddux Risse connected with star wideout Rush O’Neill for a breathtaking 93-yard touchdown pass.

However, Kimball/White Lake answered right back. The Wildkats marched down the field and punched in what appeared to be the game-deciding touchdown with only six seconds remaining. Holding a 44-38 lead, Kimball/White Lake needed just one final defensive stop to seal their trip to the state finals.

Starting from their own 34-yard line with time for only a single play, Bennett County needed an absolute miracle.

The Chaos: Pitchy-Pitch-Woo-Woo and a Frozen Defense

With no room for standard play-calling, Risse took the shotgun snap and threw an initial pass down the middle to wide receiver Ryker Heath, who gained about 10 yards before instantly lateraling the ball back to Risse.

Risse scrambled toward the right sideline and pitched the ball out to O’Neill. As defenders closed in, O’Neill hurled a frantic lateral back toward his quarterback.

That is when the play took its wildest turn. O’Neill’s backward pass hit the turf and bounced freely on the grass.

Believing the pass was incomplete and the game was officially over, the Kimball/White Lake defense completely froze. Wildkat defenders stopped pursuit, threw their hands up, and began celebrating what they thought was a trip to the championship game.

The Mastermind: Risse’s High-IQ Walk-Off

Because the final toss was a backward lateral rather than a forward pass, the football remained live on the turf under high school rule guidelines.

While the defense celebrated around him, Risse stayed composed. Hearing no official’s whistle, the senior quarterback realized the ball was still live, scooped up the bouncing football, and took off sprinting down the sideline completely untouched past a stationary defense. Risse crossed the goal line for a 57-yard walk-off touchdown as time expired, sending the Bennett County sideline into absolute bedlam.

With the score tied 44-44 after regulation expired, O’Neill stepped up under immense pressure and cleanly kicked the game-winning extra point to seal the 45-44 victory.

Next Stop: The DakotaDome

The 45-44 victory caps a remarkable 10-1 season for Bennett County, while Kimball/White Lake finishes a hard-fought campaign at 7-4.

With the historic win, Bennett County now advances to the Class 9A State Championship game at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, where they will square off against Freeman. While a state title remains the ultimate goal, the Warriors have already etched their names into South Dakota football lore with one of the most legendary trick-play finishes the gridiron has ever seen.