Cole Peterson hits last-second field goal to give Pierre T.F. Riggs its fifth straight state title
PIERRE, S.D. (BVM) — Cole Peterson was not happy with himself following a blocked PAT late in the SDHSAA Class 11AA state championship.
Pierre T.F. Riggs had just scored on Tea Area to tie the game up at 27-27, capping off a 20-point comeback for the Govenors after being down 27-7 early in the third quarter. Peterson’s extra point would have given Pierre the lead with a little more than three minutes left in the game.
“I was very frustrated because I could’ve put us up ahead,” Peterson said.
However, his teammates rallied around him, telling him to keep his head up and to stay positive. With the game tied and time running out, there was the possibility of overtime and the Governors would no doubt need Peterson if it came to that.
It turned out Peterson’s talents would be called upon earlier than that. On Tea Area’s drive after the blocked extra point, Jacob Mayer intercepted Tea Area quarterback Cael Lundin on the Governors’ own 26-yard line.
“When we got that interception it came full circle and I was like, ‘OK time to get ready,’” Peterson said.
Peterson began warming up on the sidelines as Pierre tried to get into field goal range. With just four seconds left on the clock, the Governors spiked the ball and Peterson headed out to attempt a 40-yard field goal.
“I was very, very nervous coming into this kick,” Peterson said. “I never really took it as a normal kick, I knew it was a big kick coming up.”
With the clock ticking down to zero, Peterson sent it not just through the uprights, but almost above them, with how he drilled it from 40 yards. The career-long kick gave Pierre a 30-27 win over Tea Area.
The leg of COLE PETERSON wins it for Pierre! #SDFootball21 pic.twitter.com/GtLb27vie7
— SDPB Sports (@SDPBSports) November 13, 2021
“I can’t even explain how the emotions were during that final kick and how amazing it felt to look up and finally see it go in,” Peterson said.
The win gave the Governors their fifth straight state title as well as a 10-2 record on the season. For Peterson and his fellow seniors, it was a special moment, not only because they got to finish their careers with a win, but they also were able to carry on the winning tradition they have been a part of for the last four years.
“We didn’t want to be the team to end it,” Peterson said.
And at the beginning of the season, there were some concerns that they would be the team that ended the streak. The Governors entered the 2021 season a little unsure of themselves after losing the seniors from last year’s team.
“We really didn’t think we were going to win many games,” Peterson said.
However, the boys banded together. They had a great time at their annual Downstream Camp, a highlight of every season according to Peterson and then got to work on getting back to the Dakota Dome. It was a process that took all season but as the practices and games went on, the Governors began to believe in themselves a little bit more.
“Everything just started to work better and just kept getting better and better as the season moved on,” Peterson said. “I feel like that’s what really pushed us to feel like we were a good team.”
By the time the playoffs began, the Governors were a three seed. They beat Watertown 38-9, then won 28-21 in the state semifinals against Aberdeen Central, setting them up for their state championship matchup against undefeated, No. 1-seeded Tea Area.
The Governors came out flat and the Titans took advantage of it getting out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Pierre would respond in the second quarter with a touchdown of its own but when the teams went to their locker rooms for halftime, Tea Area led 21-7.
In the Governors’ locker room the players were upset and a little crestfallen, but their coaches were energized. The game wasn’t over yet and when Pierre went into the third quarter, the attitude on the Governors’ sideline had changed.
“On the sidelines in the second half you could tell that the energy was so much different,” Peterson said.
The Pierre crowd was louder, the players were pumped up and the Governors, after going down 27-7, began their comeback.
It was a thrilling way to end a high school career and for Peterson it was the perfect way to thank the family he had become a part of through his time on the football team.
“From my freshman year to now, I’ve never had a better experience on a team through all the teams I’ve played for in multiple sports,” Peterson said. “This team has always been family.”
