VERMILLION — On its seventh try, St. Thomas More finally won a state high school football championship game.

In a back-and-forth offensive slugfest , the second-seeded and second-rated Cavaliers (12-0) used two defensive stops in the final 3 1/2 minutes and a 90-yard halfback pass from Kain McLeod to Broeden Sales to nail down a 48-38 win over Elk Point-Jefferson in the state Class 11B title game in the DakotaDome on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.

EPJ, top-rated and top-seeded, closed out its season with an 11-1 record.

Plenty of offense to go around

For most of the game, the two teams took turns scoring. Not counting offensive kneel downs at the end of each half, St. Thomas More scored on seven of its eight offensive possessions. EPJ found the end zone on five of its first seven possessio

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