by Carrie Moritz, Garretson Gazette
This spring, a new team will be calling the Garretson Football Complex home. The Tri-State Buffalos, a 9-man amateur football team, has signed a contract with the Garretson School District to have the local football field be its home field.
Established in 2012, the Tri-State Buffalos are a part of the Southern Plains Football League (SPFL), and is a non-profit organization that donates a portion of its proceeds to local charities. The team also does community outreach, volunteering and doing fundraisers in its home community.
Members of the Tri- State Buffalos come from all over the tri-state area, including Rock Rapids, IA, Luverne, MN, Vermillion, SD, and even from Rapid City. They play eight games throughout their season, which runs from April 21 through June 30, with play-offs and a final All-Star game in July, and a fun thank-you game in the fall at the Vikings Stadium.
The Tri-State Buffalos are a member of the West Conference of the SPFL, along with the Dakota Bulldogs in Mitchell, Watertown Rebels, Buffalo Ridge Wildcats in Lake Benton, MN, and Sioux Empire Crusaders in Sioux Falls, SD. The Buffalos are run by a six- member board and owned by Matt Klinger, a father of two who played six years of football at West Central School District in Hartford. He joined the Buffalos as a middle linebacker in 2014, and has been instrumental in signing on with Garretson School District as the Buffalos new home field.
"Our team used to play out of Hills, MN," he said, "but that field was plowed under last fall, and when I was looking for a new field for us, a couple of the guys mentioned Garretson as a possibility." Klinger presented his proposal at the School Board meeting on February 12, and the contract was signed on Thursday, February 15. The school board was at first leery, as a prior team had once used the facilities and was not prompt in paying its lease, but this team has a great reputation and is well-liked in the area.
With this field, the Buffalos will be one of only three teams out of 11 that get to play on turf. "The rest are all grass," Klinger said.
He believes the move will be a good one for the team. Besides the facilities, Garretson is easier to drive to, and has some great attractions. Games in Hills used to have approximately 200 fans in attendance, and he believes that number could easily increase due to the new location.
The Buffalos will be having try-outs on Saturday, February 24 at 3:00 pm at GreatLIFE Performance Center on 5901 S Southeastern Ave in Sioux Falls. Anyone aged 18 and over is encouraged to try out for the team. Cost for tryouts is $20.
Their home games will be held on May 5 and 12 with a bye weekend on May 26, June 2, and June 30 at 6:00 pm at the Garretson Football Complex. For more information, visit Facebook.com/tristatebuffalos.
