STURGIS, S.D. – Reece Jacobs and Gunner Rohloff wrapped up their senior football seasons just a few months ago, ending their high school football careers with a quarterfinal playoff loss to the eventual state AA champion Pierre Governors. Now, both athletes are taking their talents to the next level, Jacobs to Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, and Rohloff to the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City.
The Scooper football program held a signing ceremony on Wednesday, Feb. 1st in the West Gym lobby in front of classmates, teammates, family and friends, where Rohloff and Jacobs made it official. Sturgis head coach Chris Koletzky says Chadron State and the School of Mines are lucky to get these two young men on their roster.
“They’re character kids, they’re going to come with their lunch pail in hand and work hard every day,” Koletzky said. “Gunner is a kid that isn’t going accept what most people say about him, he’s going to out work and prove people wrong. Reece Jacobs is one of the hardest workers you’ll see. He led our team for the last three years and all the younger players looked up to him. It’s nice that they’re going to local schools that people care about.”
Jacobs earned a handful of awards during his football career at Sturgis Brown High School, including the 2022 Doug Miller Award, All-State and All-Conference honors, and was named Most Valuable Linebacker by his coaches. Jacobs visited Chadron State and the coaches there told him they would like to play him at inside linebacker or at a hybrid linebacker-safety type position. Jacobs considered Black Hills State, the School of Mines and Mount Marty, but ultimately decided to join the Eagles, where he will study Business.
“A big part of it was the coaches, the coaches are all great,” Jacobs said. “I liked the chemistry that the football players have together, I liked the home type feeling of Chadron, it’s a small town. I’m excited to go down there and get to work and get to know people.”
Rohloff also had an outstanding senior campaign as the Scooper running back, scoring 10 touchdowns with 883 yards rushing. Rohloff looked at Jamestown, North Dakota and Dakota State for football and South Dakota State and Montana State for academics but decided to play football as he studies Metallurgical Engineering at the School of Mines. He says head coach Charlie Flohr is looking at him to run the ball for the Hardrockers, and he knows that he will miss his time as a Scooper football player.
“It wasn’t the biggest bunch of kids (at Sturgis Brown High School) but we all knew each other by name, we supported each other every day and it was so tight that you felt it throughout the team,” Rohloff said. “I hope that I feel that at the School of Mines.”
