Dec. 5—BRANDON, S.D. — For the first time in the 40-year history of the award, South Dakota’s Gatorade football player of the year is a repeat winner.
Brandon Valley senior offensive lineman Hudson Parliament was named the award winner for the second time on Friday following the Lynx’s Class 11AAA championship season.
Advertisement
A 6-foot-4, 325-pound offensive guard, Parliament is a four-star recruit who has signed a national letter of intent to play college football at the University of Iowa.
“This kid’s just fast,” Brandon Valley coach Matt Christensen said
when Parliament was honored as the Sioux Falls Live 25 player of the year
. “He’s 325 pounds with great balance, great speed, great agility. He never eats out. He just constantly lifts and cares about his nutrition. He has NFL goals. He’s made it clear since he was a freshman, if not earlier. He just understands he’s been gifted with a lot of natural ability, and he loves using it for the team. He’s got a lot of friends on the team, and when he gets them yards, he takes a lot of pride but doesn’t look for any accolades.”
Advertisement
Parliament was recently named as South Dakota’s selection as a National High School Athletic Coaches Association All-American. Parliament turned in a total of 109 pancake blocks and was the leading player in the trenches for a Lynx team that claimed its first state championship since 2020, finishing the season with an 11-1 record. He did not allow a sack at his right guard position for the second year in a row. On the ground, the Lynx rushed for 48 touchdowns and an average of 7.5 yards per carry.
Away from football, Parliament has a 3.65 grade-point average. He is a member of his school’s powerlifting and trapshooting teams and has volunteered locally as a youth football and wrestling instructor and on behalf of a backpack food program for the underserved. He has also donated his time at a homeless shelter in association with his church youth group and has served with the Special Olympics and the Best Buddies International.
South Dakota Gatorade football players of the year
2025: Hudson Parliament, OL, Brandon Valley
Advertisement
2024: Hudson Parliament, OL, Brandon Valley
2023: Jack Smith, WR, Lincoln
2022: Lincoln Kienholz, QB, Pierre
2021: Jacob Knuth, QB, Harrisburg
2020: Tate Johnson, RB, Brandon Valley
2019: Garrett Stout, QB, Pierre
2018: Canyon Bauer, WR, O’Gorman
2017: Seth Benson, LB, Sioux Falls Washington
2016: Spencer Neugebauer, RB/LB, Mitchell
2015: Matt Farniok, OL, Washington
2014: Luke Loudenburg, RB, Howard
2013: Caden Quintanilla, RB/DB, Lincoln
2012: Cole Langer, LB/RB, Dell Rapids
2011: Alex Schultz, QB, Lincoln
2010: Matt Hermanson, QB/S, Washington
2009: Austin Sumner, QB, Brandon Valley
2008: Dustin Lotzer, QB, Sisseton
Advertisement
2007: Riley Reiff, LB/TE, Parkston
2006: Tony Bock, LB, Aberdeen Roncalli
2005: Quincy Christie, RB/DB, Pierre
2004: Josh Mahoney, FB/LB, O’Gorman
2003: Taylor Mehlhaff, QB/FS, Aberdeen Central
2002: Ryan Schuler, TE/OT/DE/DT, Washington
2001: Adam Wolff, OG/DT, Dell Rapids
2000: Chad Greenway, QB, Mount Vernon
1999: Paul Tschetter, TE/DE, Washington
1998: Jon Montoya, FB/LB, Brandon Valley
1997: Scott Nedved, RB, Yankton
1996: Mark Vedral, DB/FB, Gregory
1995: Brady McDonnell, DE/TE, Wall
1994: Peter Martin, QB, Rapid City Stevens
1993: Zach Carter, OT/DT, Spearfish
1992: Shawn Dupris, QB, Rapid City Central
Advertisement
1991: Chris Long, QB/S, Wessington Springs
1990: David Behan, FB, Brandon Valley
1989: Ryan Folsom, TE/DE, O’Gorman
1988: Chad McConnell, QB, O’Gorman
1987: Chad Anderson, RB, Washington
1986: Jon Bos, OT/DT, Yankton
1985: Scott Boyens, RB, Washington
.webp?ssl=1 "The state of play at McLaren after three rounds of the 2026 season")
