South Dakota State Jackrabbits and #75 Jonathon Gruetzmacher were the #1 seed in the country
TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Merrill High School (MHS) graduate, Jonathon Gruetzmacher, played in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) on May 16 in Frisco, Texas, playing for the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits. Formerly known as Division I-AA, the FCS is the second-highest level of college football in the United States and is comprised of 100+ teams in 13 conferences, plus one group of independents as of the 2021 season [according to Wikipedia].
The son of Fred and Jacki Gruetzmacher of Merrill, Jonathon graduated from MHS in 2017 with a 3.75 GPA. During his high school career, he was a three-time All Conference Selection, All Region Selection as a Junior and Senior, All State Offensive Tackle as a Senior, and a Channel 7 All Star. He earned nine Varsity letters for MHS, his dad said, “in football, basketball, and track.”
Jonathon “surrendered only two sacks in his three years as a starting offensive lineman at Merrill High School … was an All State Selection as a Senior when he did not allow a sack, while also earning first-team All-Conference Honors for the second year in a row,” his SDSU bio reads online, suggesting those accomplishments were a significant part of what made him such an attractive pick for South Dakota.
As a result, he “was fairly heavily recruited and attended many school’s camps, as well as earning an invite to the prestigious Nike ‘The Opening’ combine in Chicago,” dad Fred Gruetzmacher said.
“He chose a full five-year football scholarship from SDSU from the many interested schools,” Fred said. Jonathon will graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
At 6’8” tall and 315 pounds, according to the SDSU website, Jonathon is an offensive lineman and takes care of long snap duties.
Jonathon has worn the #75 since the fourth grade, and his dad wore that number, as well, the family shared.
Jonathon originally joined the SDSU team as a Freshman in 2017, then a Redshirt Freshman [an academic Sophomore who is in their first season of athletic participation, although the athlete may have practiced with the team the prior season] in 2018, a Sophomore in 2019, a Junior in 2020-2021, and he will compete as a Fifth-Year Senior in 2022. He has played in 31 College games, according to his father.
According to the SDSU website, Jonathon “shared Scout Offense Player of the Week honors in preparation for [the] Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State” in 2017. Then, in 2018, he, “Played in a reserve role in all 13 games for offensive unit that averaged school-record 42.5 points and 480.5 yards of total offense per game.” As a member of the Jackrabbits, he was on the Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll in both 2017 and 2018.
In 2019, Jonathon “Contributed off the bench in nine games, including seven Missouri Valley Football Conference contests,” the website said.
“After a difficult year skirting and being quarantined because of COVID, SDSU was able to win eight out of nine games to secure the #1 seed in the country,” Fred Gruetzmacher said. The SDSU Jackrabbits got to play in the National Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on May 16, 2021.
“They played an excellent game, but fell just short to Sam Houston State 23-21,” Fred said.
At the end of the first quarter, the Jackrabbits were up 7-0, but in the second quarter, their opponents, the Bearkats, came back and ended the quarter with the lead, 14-7. With 00:37 left on the clock in the third quarter, Sam Huston made a field goal from the 45-yard line. Score going into the fourth quarter was 17-7, with Sam Huston in the lead. In the final quarter, the Jackrabbits made two touchdowns, bringing their score to 21, but it wasn’t enough to beat the two field goals Sam Huston made and added to their tally. Final score: Sam Huston State 23 – South Dakota State 21.