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Argus Leader readers spent the last week putting together their Mount Rushmore of South Dakota high school football quarterbacks, and the results are in. Pierre's Lincoln Kienholz, Brandon Valley's Austin Sumner, Sioux Falls Lincoln's Brody Schafer and Sioux Falls Lincoln's Neil Graff were the top four vote getters for the Argus Leader South Dakota High School Quarterback Mount Rushmore.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt's Taryn Christion and Aberdeen Central's Josh Heupel just missed the cut.
Here's a deep dive on the four selections for the top prep quarterbacks in South Dakota history.
Kienholz was voted the top quarterback in South Dakota history after breaking the state's career passing yards mark.
Kienholz was named the 2023 USA Today National Boys Athlete of the Year during his senior year after throwing for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns while running for 1,435 yards and 24 scores. He guided Pierre to three consecutive Class 11AA state championships and finished his career with 9,100 passing yards and 104 touchdowns in three years.
He committed to Ohio State out of high school after being ranked as the No. 13 quarterback in the nation. Kienholz threw 17 passes in 10 games over three years a a Buckeye, and transferred to Louisville for this season. He's the presumed starter for the Cardinals.
Kienholz was also an all-state basketball player for the Governors and was the 2023 SDHSBA Class A baseball player of the year.
Sumner rewrote the record books during his time at Brandon Valley despite not winning a state championship.
The gunslinger broke 14 school and program record and eight state passing records, including the passing yards (7,612) and passing touchdowns (88) marks. Sumner was a two-time all-state quarterback and the 2010 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, while also being nominated to play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Sumner then went north to Brookings and had a record-breaking career for South Dakota State. He played in 44 games in four years, throwing for 9,458 yards with 65 touchdowns to 36 interceptions. The Jackrabbits went 32-20 from 2011 to 2014, going 3-3 in three FCS playoff appearances.
Schafer's career isn't over yet, but he's made an impact at Sioux Falls Lincoln in his two seasons under center.
The three-sport athlete has led the Patriots to a 21-1 record over his two seasons as the starting quarterback, including a Class 11AAA state championship in the 2024 campaign.
Schafer threw for 3,023 yards and 39 touchdowns as a junior and 1,976 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore. He's added 1,288 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in 2025 and 815 yards and 13 scores rushing in 2024.
Schafer is committed to South Dakota State.
[IMG alt="
Former NFL quarterback Neil Graff now works as a financial adviser in Sioux Falls.
"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/argus-leader/77368a45e916aefc5d71662ae1e5d2a8[/IMG]
Graff is the oldest member of this Mount Rushmore, having been born on Jan. 12, 1950. He didn't play football until his seventh-grade year at Whittier Junior High School, and was only the quarterback because he had the biggest hands.
He quarterbacked Sioux Falls Lincoln to a 1966 state championship and was an all-state selection at quarterback. Graff was then chosen as a defensive back on the 1967 all-state team.
Graff then went to Wisconsin and graduated in 1972. He was an All-Big Ten selection and was the Badgers' team MVP as a senior and set the career records, at the time, for passing yards (3,699) and touchdown passes (23).
He then got drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 16th round of the 1972 NFL Draft. The Lincoln graduate played with Minnesota for one year, spent two years each with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers and had brief stints with both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Graff was also a two-time all-state selection as a basketball player and played baseball.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Who is on the Argus Leader South Dakota high school QB Mount Rushmore?
Continue reading...
Sioux Falls Roosevelt's Taryn Christion and Aberdeen Central's Josh Heupel just missed the cut.
Here's a deep dive on the four selections for the top prep quarterbacks in South Dakota history.
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Lincoln Kienholz (Pierre Class of 2023)
Kienholz was voted the top quarterback in South Dakota history after breaking the state's career passing yards mark.
Kienholz was named the 2023 USA Today National Boys Athlete of the Year during his senior year after throwing for 3,422 yards and 46 touchdowns while running for 1,435 yards and 24 scores. He guided Pierre to three consecutive Class 11AA state championships and finished his career with 9,100 passing yards and 104 touchdowns in three years.
He committed to Ohio State out of high school after being ranked as the No. 13 quarterback in the nation. Kienholz threw 17 passes in 10 games over three years a a Buckeye, and transferred to Louisville for this season. He's the presumed starter for the Cardinals.
Kienholz was also an all-state basketball player for the Governors and was the 2023 SDHSBA Class A baseball player of the year.
Austin Sumner (Brandon Valley Class of 2010)
Sumner rewrote the record books during his time at Brandon Valley despite not winning a state championship.
The gunslinger broke 14 school and program record and eight state passing records, including the passing yards (7,612) and passing touchdowns (88) marks. Sumner was a two-time all-state quarterback and the 2010 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year, while also being nominated to play in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Sumner then went north to Brookings and had a record-breaking career for South Dakota State. He played in 44 games in four years, throwing for 9,458 yards with 65 touchdowns to 36 interceptions. The Jackrabbits went 32-20 from 2011 to 2014, going 3-3 in three FCS playoff appearances.
You must be registered for see images attach
Brody Schafer (Sioux Falls Lincoln Class of 2027)
Schafer's career isn't over yet, but he's made an impact at Sioux Falls Lincoln in his two seasons under center.
The three-sport athlete has led the Patriots to a 21-1 record over his two seasons as the starting quarterback, including a Class 11AAA state championship in the 2024 campaign.
Schafer threw for 3,023 yards and 39 touchdowns as a junior and 1,976 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore. He's added 1,288 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in 2025 and 815 yards and 13 scores rushing in 2024.
Schafer is committed to South Dakota State.
[IMG alt="
Former NFL quarterback Neil Graff now works as a financial adviser in Sioux Falls.
"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/argus-leader/77368a45e916aefc5d71662ae1e5d2a8[/IMG]
Neil Graff (Sioux Falls Lincoln Class of 1968)
Graff is the oldest member of this Mount Rushmore, having been born on Jan. 12, 1950. He didn't play football until his seventh-grade year at Whittier Junior High School, and was only the quarterback because he had the biggest hands.
He quarterbacked Sioux Falls Lincoln to a 1966 state championship and was an all-state selection at quarterback. Graff was then chosen as a defensive back on the 1967 all-state team.
Graff then went to Wisconsin and graduated in 1972. He was an All-Big Ten selection and was the Badgers' team MVP as a senior and set the career records, at the time, for passing yards (3,699) and touchdown passes (23).
He then got drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 16th round of the 1972 NFL Draft. The Lincoln graduate played with Minnesota for one year, spent two years each with the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers and had brief stints with both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Graff was also a two-time all-state selection as a basketball player and played baseball.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Who is on the Argus Leader South Dakota high school QB Mount Rushmore?
Continue reading...
