Football: Custer headed to SDSU; Schramski signs with C-SP

After a season that saw Lake City reach the Section 1AAA finals, win a second straight Hiawatha Valley League Gold Division title and garner a top 10 Class 3A ranking, the Tigers’ Christian Custer and Ben Schramski will represent the team on a new platform: college football.

Custer, the 2012 Republican Eagle All-Area Player of the Year, is headed to South Dakota State, a top 20 Football Championship Subdivision team, as a preferred walk-on. Schramski will sign with Division II Concordia-St. Paul on Wednesday for national signing day.

During a junior day in Rochester last season, Custer was undecided on what his college football options were. Then, he saw South Dakota State, and his path to becoming a Jackrabbit was set.

“I got some information then ended up at a football camp there,” said Custer, who finished the 2012 season with 106 total tackles (12 for loss) and 3.5 sacks. “I kind of just kept talking with them and let them know that I was interested in playing for them.”

SDSU, located in Brookings, S.D., went 9-4 overall in 2012 and reached the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Jackrabbits ended the season ranked 17th in the coaches’ poll.

Along with SDSU, Custer said there was interest from Minnesota State University, Mankato and St. Thomas, but ultimately, the chance to play linebacker at the Division I level was too appealing to pass up.

Meanwhile, for the last two years, Schramski has been focused on Concordia-St. Paul, going to camps and corresponding with the coaches.

Quarterbacking a Tigers’ offense that ranked second in Class 3A in points per game (42.3), Schramski threw for 1,427 yards and 17 touchdowns.

An appealing prospect for Schramski was the Golden Bears’ offense, which tied for fourth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with 387 passing attempts last year on the way to a 2-9 record.

“It’s very exciting,” Schramski said. “I’ve been fortunate and blessed to not be injured and have the guys I played with at Lake City to be put in this position. It’s a great feeling, I feel really blessed.”

Tags: lake city, sports, prep, football