DUPREE TIGERS vs. CHEYENNE-EAGLE BUTTE BRAVES
As far back as I can remember I have yet to see a Varsity Boys Match-up between these two programs. Dupree is about a 12-minute drive from Eagle Butte. The Tigers are in their 2nd year as a member of South Dakota Class A Basketball, Region 6A to be exact. Dupree Senior SG Kingslee Parker played for a (2-19) Braves team a season ago, and the Tigers weren’t too far ahead finishing (4-17). Dupree Head Coach Jeremy Meeks has multiple returning starters in PF Randen Eagle Chasing, the athletic rebounding power and son of one of the greatest athletes from Cheyenne River in Orlando Morrison. Another returning starter in Kion Pretty Weasel, KIPI selection for the ALL CRST TEAM and KIPI Radio POTG last February dropping an easy 27 on the Sky Hawks. The Tigers have increased their scoring power with Sophomore Jayden Marshall and Timber Lake transfer #10 Senior Elijah Brewer. Elijah was big on last year’s post season Panther team that fell to Kris Meeter’s Tiospaye Topa Thunder Hawk team in the Region 8B quarterfinal. The Timber Lake and Dupree regular season match-up will be an exciting game (Feb.12@Timber Lake live on KIPI 93.5 FM) Powerhouse #11 Braydan Turveen-Smith the Running back brings strength to the Tiger Post Game. The Tigers fell in their season opener but to a good New Underwood team with 4 solid scorers. Their 2nd game the Tigers defeated St. Francis and then Wakpala in a OT thriller at the Barnett Arena. The Tigers would get their second loss against the HeSapa Bracket Champion Santee Warriors in the Semi-Final before meeting up with Cheyenne-Eagle Butte for the 3rd place spot.
Saturday December 16th at the Barnett Arena was a 3rd place Cheyenne River match-up for the ages, especially if you’re from Four Band Land (CRST). Braves Senior Center #50 Braxton Kennedy would win the jump ball, and the Braves would get on the board first with two made free-throws from Easton Lawrence. The Tiger Seniors Elijah Brewer and Randen Eagle Chasing would go on a 22-6 run with 14 from Brewer by the end of the first quarter.
At the start of the 2nd quarter Braves Sophomore #25 Dayson Kennedy would hit a deep 3 that would light a spark throughout the Barnett Arena. Captain of Ohitika Basketball #3 Levi Elk Nation turned up the D in the second and held Elijah Brewer scoreless after a 14 pt 1st quarter. Elk Nation is one of the best in the State at drawing charges. Levi is one of those special athletes that holds himself to a higher standard on and off the court and Lakota Nation got to see the best Cheyenne River High School athletes compete for more than just 3rd place in the HeSapa Bracket. We got to witness a perfect example of how much pride and love Cheyenne River has for the game of basketball. The Sophomore class from Cheyenne-Eagle Butte has got to be one of the coldest group of Sophomores since the 2004 Pine Ridge Thorpes crew led by 2006-07 1st Team All-State selection Daelan High Wolf. Before transferring to C-EB High Wolf was named LNI MVP after winning the LNI Championship with fellow Thorpes Ryan Pourier and the late Vinny Brewer. The Rapid City Journal headline read “SUPER SOPHS.”
To start the 2nd half Cheyenne-Eagle Butte hit 4 threes from Elk Nation, Clown, Johnson and Veaux. Dupree Sophomore Jayden Marshall and Senior Kingslee Parker would keep the score close until Braves Junior Easton Lawrence went to work downlow. Lawrence hit multiple buckets down the stretch to keep the Braves in a comfortable lead and finishing with 10pts and 8 reb., and after the Tigers leading 22-6 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Braves would would capture 3rd Place in the He Sapa Bracket. Most importantly Ohitika Basketball would defeat the Dupree Tigers 61-48 in a rare match-up between the two respected programs. Although they dont meet up again in the regular season, the Tigers and Braves could possibly see each other down the road in the SD Region 6A post-season tournament.
The Dupree Tigers have made the South Dakota High School Boys Basketball State Tournament a total of 4 times. Twice in the mid-80s and 2 more times in 2012-2013. The Dupree Tiger 80s team featured KIPI’s very own Siouxpernatural’s father, Mr. Troy Eagle Chasing Sr., and the ’12 & ’13 Tiger teams led by the Widow twins had back to back 20 win seasons.
The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves reached the South Dakota High School Boys Basketball Tournament a total of 19 times, and bringing home the SD State “B” title in 1959 led by C-EB legend Fred Knife. (’59 is the first year Cheyenne River Boarding School merged with Eagle Butte High School) Many names have contributed to the list of great C-EB teams, the Knife’s from Fred to Phil, the Mendoza tiospaye Jess, Rob, Waylon, Gideon, etc..the Logg Brothers Jason, Lee, Less, the Veaux’s Leon, Caleb, the list can go on for days all the way up to Daelan High Wolf, Grant Kohlus, Xavier Norris, etc… the history of Braves Basketball isn’t mentioned as much as it should be, but Ohitika Basketball is due for another trip to the State Tournament and this could be the year.
Ohitika -D.Kennedy 13pts., L. Elk Nation 9 pts. 4 stl., N.Veaux 8 pts. 3 stl., B. Kennedy 6 pts. 8 reb., A. Johnson 3pts. 2 stl., D. Grass 5pts., D. Clown 3pts. J. Taken Alive 2 pts., D. Diver 1pt. 2023 Lakota Nation All-Tourny Levi Elk Nation. Braves Basketball (4-1) next game is December 21 @ Miller.
Tigers- E.Brewer 19 pts., R. Eagle Chasing 8 pts., J. Marshall 13 pts. K.Parker 6 pts. B. Smith 2 pts. 2023 Lakota Nation All-Tourny Elijah Brewer. Tiger Basketball (2-3) Next Game January 4 vs. Little Wound
