Kindt and Johnson play well at All-Star Football game
By Carrie Moritz, Gazette
Last weekend, South Dakota All-Star Football was played at University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD, where Assistant Coach Tad Heitkamp was honored as Assistant Coach of the Year for 9AA.
Heitkamp, a 1990 graduate of Adrian High School in Adrian, MN, and 1995 graduate of Mankato State University, started with the Blue Dragons in 2002 as Assistant Boys Basketball Coach and was promoted to Head Boys Basketball Coach in 2019. Heitkamp has been Assistant Football Coach for the Dragons since 2005.
When congratulated about the honor, Heitkamp commented, “I want to thank my high school coaches like Dean Schnaible, Randy Strand, Kevin Nowotny, and the late Joe Lenz for teaching me how to play the game to the best of my ability, and most of all with integrity. These are the same values I still try to teach every young man that I come across on the football field and basketball court each and every year. I would also like to thank the head coaches that I have had the privilege to coach under in Garretson- Tim Hughes, Kevin Steckler, and Chris Long for football, and Jeff Ganschow and Matt Schrank for basketball. Most of all I need to thank my wife, Michele, and daughters Peyton and Aftyn for their ongoing support over the years, as none of this is possible without them in my corner.” He also thanked his parents Ching and Cindy Heitkamp of Adrian, sister Tracy Altman, son-in-law Coby Ockenga, and family/friends for their ongoing support.
The 2021 All-Star Football team players for Garretson High School were 2022 GHS graduates Dylan Kindt (quarterback) and Gabe Johnson (offensive line). Both athletes were on the Red team, which just missed the W by a few points after a spectacular comeback in the second half.
After sitting at 10-0 at half-time with the Blue team ahead, the Red team held Blue to their points and gathered 8. Unfortunately, they were unable to pass the Blue team and lost 8-10.
"Gabe Johnson played pretty much every other series on the offensive line and did a nice job with his blocking assignments throughout the game," said Heitkamp. "Dylan Kindt played quarterback and was on the same alternating rotation. He made some very nice passes that fell through the hands of his receivers on three different occasions that could have made a difference in the outcome of the game. Unfortunately, the Red Team fell to the Blue Team 10-8 in a defensive battle. These two men did a nice job representing the Garretson Blue Dragons, which we all can be very proud of…great job guys!!"
Johnson will be attending Northern State University in the fall and has signed his intent to play football with the Wolves. Kindt will be attending SDSU and majoring in Ag Business.
All-Star Football is organized by the South Dakota High School Football Coaches Association.
