Aug. 20—BRIDGEWATER, S.D. — After more than a decade competing with 11 players on the field, the Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan Seahawks are returning to familiar territory in 2026.
BEE is moving back to the nine-man ranks at the Class 9AA level, bringing with it a proud history in the smaller classification and a renewed sense of excitement surrounding the program.
The Seahawks made the jump from Class 9AA to Class 11B in 2015. The move proved to be a successful one, as Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan reached five consecutive state championship games and captured the 11B state ******* le in 2019. But after finishing 2-6 a season ago, the Seahawks are making another transition, back to where the program's success first started.
"We're just excited about the speed of the game, obviously, and you can score a few more points when you have two less players on the field," BEE head coach Jeff VanLeur said. "We are also excited to have those rivalries again in the Cornbelt Conference with those other close nine-man programs, because it is a great conference to compete in with a lot of great, local teams in it."
For longtime coach Jeff VanLeur, the move represents a return to the level where he has spent much of his career. VanLeur has coached 35 years at the nine-man level, all within the Seahawk program and its various cooperatives.
#seahawks #vanleur #level #jeff
BEE is moving back to the nine-man ranks at the Class 9AA level, bringing with it a proud history in the smaller classification and a renewed sense of excitement surrounding the program.
The Seahawks made the jump from Class 9AA to Class 11B in 2015. The move proved to be a successful one, as Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan reached five consecutive state championship games and captured the 11B state ******* le in 2019. But after finishing 2-6 a season ago, the Seahawks are making another transition, back to where the program's success first started.
"We're just excited about the speed of the game, obviously, and you can score a few more points when you have two less players on the field," BEE head coach Jeff VanLeur said. "We are also excited to have those rivalries again in the Cornbelt Conference with those other close nine-man programs, because it is a great conference to compete in with a lot of great, local teams in it."
For longtime coach Jeff VanLeur, the move represents a return to the level where he has spent much of his career. VanLeur has coached 35 years at the nine-man level, all within the Seahawk program and its various cooperatives.
#seahawks #vanleur #level #jeff
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