​Over the past week, Argus Leader readers weighed in to crown their Mount Rushmore for South Dakota high school football running backs, and the results are in. Mount Vernon/Plankinton’s Jesse Hastings, Herreid/Selby Area’s Brenden Begeman, Sioux Falls Lincoln’s Caden Quintanilla, and Sioux Falls Washington’s Tupak Kpeayeh emerged as the four top vote-getters for the Argus Leader South Dakota High School Running Back Mount Rushmore. Bon Homme’s Josh Ranek, Brandon Valley’s Levi Veskrna, and Vermillion’s Jason Leber just missed the cut. Here’s a closer look at the four selections who stand tallest among the state’s prep running backs in history.
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton’s Jesse Hastings finished his high school career with a staggering 83 rushing touchdowns in 11-man football, a mark that remains the all-time record and cemented his place as the top rushing threat in South Dakota history. He also racked up 5,008 rushing yards over four seasons, placing him first in 11-man history for career rushing yards. Hastings’ dominance stretched across multiple classifications; his 30 rushing touchdowns in 2019 are tied for the best in 11B history, and his 26 rushing scores in 2018 rank eighth in 11-man history. The 316-yard breakout game he delivered in 2018 stands as one of the most memorable single-game performances from that era. Hastings attended North Dakota State after high school as a walk-on fullback, later transferring to Morningside College, where he played three games, rushing 11 times for 89 yards and a touchdown. He finished his collegiate playing career at Briar Cliff University, recording two carries across three seasons.
Brenden Begeman, a standout from Herreid/Selby Area, committed to play at South Dakota State on Tuesday, marking his transition to the next level after a storied 9-man career. Begeman’s legacy includes surpassing Howard’s Luke Loudenberg by one yard to claim the 9-man career rushing record, finishing with 6,807 yards to Loudenberg’s 6,806. His 2022 season stands as the most prolific rushing year in 9-man history, when he rolled up 2,997 yards as Herreid/Selby Area reached the Class 9B state championship game. Begeman has since elected to pursue college football at South Dakota State and is entering his redshirt junior season, having logged 35 rushing attempts for 111 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons.
Caden Quintanilla stands out as the only South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year among the Mount Rushmore selections, winning the honor during his senior season at Sioux Falls Lincoln. He piled up 1,893 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in the 2013 state title-winning campaign, a dominant performance that helped propel Lincoln to the top of the Class 11AAA field. Quintanilla finished his 11AAA career ranked fourth in rushing yards (3,693) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (57). Those totals place him 19th and ninth, respectively, in all-time 11-man history. After high school, Quintanilla spent four seasons at Augustana University, where he contributed 538 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 134 attempts, along with 23 receptions for 226 yards and a receiving score as a Viking.
Tupak Kpeayeh is arguably the most prolific 11-man rusher in the state’s recent memory, finishing with 5,796 career rushing yards across four seasons to lead the 11-man history books. His passing ability is less documented here, but his rushing production alone solidifies his rank as one of South Dakota’s greatest running backs of all time. Kpeayeh’s combined impact on his teams’ offenses, in terms of both yardage and scoring, underscores why he earned a spot on this Mount Rushmore alongside Hastings, Begeman, and Quintanilla.
Taken together, these four players exemplify different eras and styles of South Dakota high school football, yet each left an indelible mark on the state’s running-back legacy. Hastings’ record-setting efficiency and longevity, Begeman’s unrivaled 9-man dominance, Quintanilla’s polished two-way impact and national recognition, and Kpeayeh’s all-time rushing yardage demonstrate the breadth of excellence across the state’s history.