MITCHELL, S.D. – The Watertown Arrows earned their first win of the 2025 season in dominant fashion Friday night, jumping out to a fast start and never looking back in a 46-18 victory over the Mitchell Kernels at Joe Quintal Field
Watertown running back Lincoln Schutt exploded out of the gate with touchdown runs of 33 and 52 yards on the Arrows’ first two possessions, setting the tone early and giving Watertown to a 16-0 lead just six minutes into the game. Schutt finished with 111 yards on just seven carries.
Mitchell answered late in the first quarter with a 16-yard touchdown run by Luke LeBrun, cutting the deficit to 16-6.
A 19-play Mitchell drive late in the second quarter stalled inside the five-yard line, and Watertown capitalized. Quarterback Markus Pitkin engineered a 95-yard drive in under two minutes, capping it with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Kye Paulson just three seconds before halftime. That gave the Arrows a 22-6 lead at the break.
Watertown kept their foot on the gas to start the second half, recovering a surprise onside kick and scoring just a few plays later on a 5-yard Pitkin touchdown run. That extended the lead to 30-6 with 9:53 left in the third quarter.
Mitchell’s defense provided a spark midway through the third when senior linebacker Colton Smith picked off his third interception of the season and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown, trimming the lead to 30-12.
But the Arrows answered with two more scores in the fourth – a 29-yard touchdown pass from Pitkin to Keslar Swenson and a 2-yard run from tight end Hunter Peterson, stretching the lead to 46-12.
Mitchell closed the game with a final play touchdown as sophomore backup quarterback Brady Hoesing found Colton Smith in the end zone for a 10-yard score, set up by a 53-yard reception from Kendan Skinner. Smith finished the game with two catches for 11 yards and a touchdown, while Skinner had two grabs for 70 yards.
Mitchell’s ground game was spread across multiple backs, with Kaiden Allen leading the way with 45 yards on 8 carries. Logan Bessler added 44 yards on 11 carries, and Mason Kempf chipped in with 42 yards on 5 attempts.
With the win, Watertown improves to 1-3, while Mitchell falls to 1-3 on the season.
Up Next:
Mitchell will look to bounce back on Homecoming hosting Tea Area on Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. The KORN Booth pregame show starts at 6 pm on KORN News Radio FM 101.3/AM 1490 and KORNRadio.com