This photo shows Freeman wresting standout Kirk Wallman competing in the state tournament back in 1989 — his senior season. Wallman memorably finished his high school career with a 201-0 record and six state championships — the first South Dakota wrester ever to achieve that accomplishment (and there has been only one since). Wallman, of course, was part of a Wallman wrestling dynasty that started with his father, Gary "Smoky," and also included older brother Troy and younger brother Cory, who each won four titles.

And just like that, the Canistota/Freeman Pride are no more. Five weeks after the football cooperative played in its fourth consecutive state championship game and in its fifth postseason in as many years, the Canistota School Board voted 4-1 to dissolve the partnership. The action came Monday night, Dec. 13.

The competition phase of the 2021-22 winter sports season starts this Friday night, Dec. 3 when the Freeman Public girls host Colman-Egan and the Freeman Academy/Marion girls travel to Colome. The Menno boys and girls will follow suit by hosting Tripp-Delmont/Armour in a doubleheader on Friday, Dec. 10, and the FA/Marion boys will start their season at Centerville on Dec. 14. More than two months of basketball action will follow as boys and girls teams from Freeman Academy/Marion, Freeman Public and Menno take to a season with varying expectations.

Freeman High School juniors Kate Miller and Erin Uecker have been named to the Cornbelt Conference First Team for their play on the volleyball court this past season. The all-conference teams were announced earlier this week. Miller and Uecker are joined by Bridgewater-Emery’s Julia Weber (MVP), Taylor Schallenkamp and Casey Meyer and Irene-Wakonda’s Willa Freeman and Nora O’Malley on the first team.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER The Canistota/Freeman 2021 football season will be remembered largely for its peaks and valleys — exciting come-from-behind victories, losses that should have been wins, setbacks and surprises, and the raw emotion that goes with both expectations and reality. In that regard, last week’s Class 9AA championship game was a microcosm of the past three months — a hard-fought battle in which fans clung tightly to hope, relished in optimism, were never too comfortable, and nervous about how it all might end. The end? 

Here are a few fun facts in anticipation of tonight’s Class 9AA championship game between Canistota/Freeman and Platte-Geddes.

JEREMY WALTNER  - PUBLISHER Tage Ortman was in middle school when his oldest brother, Trey, led Canistota/Freeman to back-to-back football championships in 2018 and 2019, and a freshman last year when his other brother, Tyce, quarterbacked the Pride to a third-straight Class 9A title. This Thursday in Vermillion, the youngest of the three Ortman boys will have his chance to lead Canistota/Freeman to glory once again — this time in the Class 9AA ranks.

No. 11 Canistota/Freeman (7-4) will face No. 9 Platte-Geddes (9-2) tonight (Nov. 9) for the Class 9AA championship. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at the DakotaDome. Doors open one hour prior to the start of the game and tickets will be available for purchase at the gate. Like all the championship games, the 9AA championship will be televised by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and can be heard on 107.3 FM and 98.3 FM, both out of Mitchell. Canistota/Freeman’s cheering section will be on the east side of the DakotaDome.

Freeman High School led at least once in each set and fought hard against a dangerous Arlington team, but couldn’t hang with senior hitter Hadley Carlson, senior setter Grace Parry and the Cardinals. Carlson tallied 30 kills and Parry had 40 set assists to lead No. 3 Arlington to a 3-1 win over No. 14 Freeman in the SoDak 16 Tuesday night, Nov. 9 at Sioux Valley.

An upset-minded, senior-heavy Irene-Wakonda played really well against Freeman Public on Thursday night. The Flyers played just a little bit better.