House Commemoration 8004
Introduced by: Representatives Reisch, Emery, Moore, Uhre-Balk, and Walburg and Senators Crabtree, Deibert,
Duhamel, and Perry
A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Recognizing the Howard Tigers as the 2024
Class B boys basketball state champions.
WHEREAS, the 2023-2024 season marked sixty years since the Howard Tigers basketball
team last won a state title, but despite that, their head coach, Nick Koepsell believed the team
had the talent and dedication to make a deep run; and
WHEREAS, the Howard Tigers qualified for the state tournament as the fifth seed with a
20-3 record and defeated the fourth-seeded Wessington Springs Spartans in the first round
of the state tournament by a score of 53-38; and
WHEREAS, the Howard Tigers advanced to the finals by defeating the top -seeded White
River Tigers by a score of 48-42; and
WHEREAS, despite the Howard Tigers leading the defending champion De Smet Bulldogs
in the championship game for most of the first four quarters, the Bulldogs scored a last -
second three-pointer to send the game into overtime; and
WHEREAS, during overtime, the Howard Tigers demonstrated that they had the hearts of
champions and the skills to match, overpowering the Bulldogs by a score of 60-55;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the One Hundredth Legislature of the State
of South Dakota, that the Howard Tigers are the 2024 Class B boys basketball state
champions.