The Brandom Podcast

The Hereford Volunteer Fire Department will host its third annual coyote calling contest Jan. 16-17, featuring separate night and day hunts to raise money for the department, organizers said.Dusty Hatch, chief of the Hereford Fire Department, and Jake Dupree, president of the board, said the event drew strong participation last year despite harsh weather, including temperatures near minus 10 degrees with rain and sleet. The contest will again include a night hunt on Friday, Jan. 16, and a day hunt Saturday, Jan. 17. Teams may enter either hunt or both.The night hunt costs $150 for one- to three-person teams and awards the team with the most coyotes. An optional $30 “varmint” side pot will pay out for the most varmints turned in, organizers said.The day hunt costs $125 for one- to three-person teams and includes a three-coyote limit, with winners determined by the total weight of the three coyotes turned in. Optional side pots include $25 entries for “little dog,” “big dog,” “most dogs” and a varmint category, Dupree said.Organizers emphasized the contest is a calling event, requiring hunters to call coyotes in rather than use dogs or other methods.“We want you to go out and make sets and call them in to you,” Dupree said.Rules also prohibit shotguns and ban the use of aircraft or chasing coyotes with vehicles, organizers said. To deter cheating and ensure fairness, teams must use supplied bite blocks secured behind a coyote’s canines, mark the date and time of the kill, and record a video showing the block in place along with a “shake test” to demonstrate the animal was recently taken.“With every contest you have, there’s people that are going to try and cheat,” Dupree said. “We have to put some rules in place to keep that from happening and keep it fair for everybody.”Friday night check-in is scheduled from about 5 to 7 p.m., followed by a rules meeting at 7 p.m. Organizers said attendance at the meeting is required and rules will be strictly enforced.“That is their time to ask,” Hatch said. “If they come back the next day … that wasn’t videoed, well guess what? It don’t count.”The event also includes meals and prizes. Friday night will feature a free-will donation supper of sausage and pancakes. Saturday’s check-in will include a chili and soup feed, organizers said.Dupree said sponsors donated “overwhelming” amounts of door prizes last year, ranging from ammunition and apparel to firearms. One of this year’s featured prizes is a custom-built AR-platform rifle in .22 ARC from King’s Custom Guns, available only to contestants. The fire department is also holding a gun raffle for a Ruger American 6mm Creedmoor with a Vortex scope, along with a separate raffle for a “coyote hunting pack” expected to include a gun, scope, call, tripod and hunting seat.Organizers said businesses and individuals can still sponsor or donate items. Sponsors will be recognized during the event and in online spotlights, they said.For information, teams can contact Dupree at 605-490-9862 or Hatch at 605-484-5112, or find the Hereford Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook. Raffle ticket sales run until about 6 p.m. Jan. 16, organizers said.

Rapid City Central Cobbler Wrestling Program Making Great Moves on the Mat. By Brandon JonesRAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City Central wrestling coach Lance Pearson says the school’s program is climbing out of a rebuild — and the rapid rise of girls wrestling has become one of its biggest strengths.Pearson, in his 24th season as head coach, said Central has leaned on strong individual performers while working to restore overall team depth. He pointed to the girls team as a sign of progress, noting several athletes have already surpassed 100 varsity wins despite the sport being sanctioned in South Dakota only in recent years.“We’ve got probably three girls on our team right now with more than 100 varsity wins already,” Pearson said. “That says a lot about the girls that we have in our program.”Central junior Anna Henstein, who has wrestled for four years, said the sport quickly became a fit after Pearson visited her school to recruit athletes.“I just fell in love with it,” Henstein said. “Once you get on the mat, everything disappears. You’ve just got to focus on that match.”Pearson said his practices are fully integrated, with girls completing the same training as the boys.“We run the practice. They do the exact same practice our boys do,” he said. “It’s just wrestling.”He said girls wrestling has also opened new doors for participation and confidence, calling it a valuable form of self-defense and personal accountability.“The confidence that we can give girls … is one of the things that I try and encourage people to have their daughters come try it out,” Pearson said. “There’s nobody else you can really blame. It’s you out there — win or lose.”Henstein said the sport has helped her mentally as much as physically, including at home with her twin sister.“She won’t even wrestle with me anymore,” Henstein said, laughing. “The first move I put her in, I put her in a split … and now she’s like, ‘Don’t ever touch me again.’”Henstein said her biggest motivation this season is a rematch with a Canton wrestler she chased all the way to the state finals. After getting pinned in their first meeting, she said she closed the gap over multiple matches and lost the championship bout 2-1.“I want to wrestle her again,” Henstein said. “I want to see how much better I’ve gotten.”Pearson said Central’s aggressive schedule — with competitions in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, along with trips across South Dakota — helps accelerate growth by giving wrestlers more mat time early in the season.“The more times you can get on the mat, the more things we can see as coaches,” Pearson said. “The more things they can feel … and we can improve upon.”Pearson also credited youth wrestling for building the pipeline, saying Central’s youth club has topped 200 participants this year. He encouraged families to focus on learning before chasing constant competition.“Don’t get too anxious to compete,” he said. “Treat it like a club. When they feel they’re ready to compete, then go do some competitions.”Henstein said she hopes her success encourages more girls to try the sport — and to ask questions without feeling intimidated.“A lot of people are intimidated by me,” she said. “But I’m probably one of the nicest people in the room.”Looking ahead, Henstein said she wants to continue wrestling after high school, even if it isn’t at the Division I level.“I most likely want to wrestle at a college level,” she said. “I enjoy the sport.”Pearson said he often hears the same thing from athletes who join later,  “Their only complaint would be, ‘I wish I’d have started earlier,’” he said.For the full interview go The brandoM Podcast available anywhere. If you are a coach of any local sport in the Black Hills area Brandon would love to chat with you.  Email him at brandon@katradio.com to schedule an interview.

I sat down with Kyle and Jason at Monument Health Sports and Fitness institute Powered by EXOS to chat about Holiday diets and the New Year!

watch this entire thing on my You tube Channelhttps://youtu.be/4MyRza-xAeM?si=vXOj0mY7lrqxIKUB

Black Hills Badges for Hope is turning tragedy into hope by strengthening the bond between first responders and local youth in the Rapid City area. Founded after the loss of three officers in 2018, the grassroots nonprofit now serves hundreds of at-risk and underserved children each year through programs like its annual “Badges and Kids Christmas” shopping event and support for school, sports and family needs. By creating positive connections and removing everyday barriers, the organization is helping change lives one act of kindness at a time.get o there website and make a donation or become a monthly donor if you can! https://www.bhbadgesforhope.org/