Prep Football Playoff Preview 2023 by Mitchell Republic

Prep football

PLAYOFF PREVIEW 2023

2 | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Breaking down the top firstround matchups in every class

2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

By Landon Dierks Mitchell Republic Memorable matchups aren’t what the first round of football playoffs are known for, but each bracket can usually be counted on to produce at least one classic contest prior to the quarterfinals. From recent championship meetings to regular-season rematches; upstart programs to defending champions looking for an upset, here’s a quick look at my favorite pairing from each of the four playoff brackets.

MATCHUPS: Page 3

Congratulations Beavers! Good Luck In The Playoffs!

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Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy’s Evan Scharberg hauls in a touchdown pass during a nine-man high school football game against Avon on Sept. 1, 2023 in Freeman. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

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2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Gregory’s Landon Keiser, right, carries the football as Parkston’s Kaden Holzbauer attempts to make the tackle during a nineman high school football game on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 in Parkston. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

MATCHUPS From Page 2

Class 11B: No. 10 Rapid City Christian (6-2) at No. 7 Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central (7-1) The powers that be decided that the cool, rainsoaked regular-season finale between the Comets and Blackhawks wasn’t enough, tasking the teams with running it back for 48 more minutes of first-round playoff fun. A touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter provided the lone points in a 7-0 RCC win on Oct. 13, but it didn’t

earn the Comets a home playoff game. So for the second time in seven days, RCC will make a 270mile one-way trip to Wessington Springs, as the Blackhawks look to take the rematch and extend their season into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020. On the other side, the Comets look to win their first playoff game as an 11-man program, having moved up in 2021. Class 9AA: No. 10 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy (6-2) at No. 7 Stanley County (7-1) After playing an instant classic in the first round a season ago, FMFA once again looks to advance out of the 7-seed versus 10-seed contest, this time on the road against an upstart Stanley

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County crew. Though the Phoenix scored a playoff victory in the first season as a program, the Buffaloes are in search of their first postseason win since 2016 (Stanley County was a nine-man outfit at the time, moving up to Class 11B and then back down to Class 9AA in the years since). The Buffaloes played one game against a Class 9AA postseason qualifier during the regular season, a 28-22 loss to No. 13 Bon Homme in Fort Pierre. The Phoenix, meanwhile, do not own a win over the Class 9AA field but have continued to play well despite having to push Karter Weber into quarterbacking duties for the injured Riley Tschetter midway through the season. Class 9A: No. 12 Gregory (4-4) at No. 5 Harding County/Bison (7-1) It was an up-and-down regular season for defending Class 9AA champion Gregory, but the Gorillas should still be a tough out this postseason. Championship experience is a quality that’s hard to come by and something that Gregory isn’t short on. Harding County, for its part, was a Class 9A semifinal team a season ago and is 21-8 since forming the HCB co-op at the beginning of the 2021 season. A meeting between the two West River powers is also something of a strength-on-strength battle. Though Greogry’s offense hasn’t been as consistent this season as it was during its title run last year, the defense is still well within the top-10 in Class 9A. That unit will get a stiff test from a Ranchers’ offense that’s one of four in the class to average upward of 42 points per game. Class 9B: No. 11 Potter County (3-5) at No. 6 Dell Rapids St. Mary (5-3) Two years ago, this was the Class 9B title matchup, providing one of the most entertaining nine-man championships in recent memory. as DRSM survived 44-42 in overtime. A 2021 semifinal was the most recent playoff win for the Battlers, while the Cardinals made it through the first round before being eliminated last season. The Cardinals enter this game having won four of five since a 1-2 start but own three wins against teams that did not qualify for the postseason, in addition to wins over Class 9A No. 9 Castlewood and No. 10 Deubrook Area. Meanwhile, Potter County is a battle-tested bunch that played six straight playoff teams in the heart of its schedule, including losses to Class 9A No. 1 Warner and Class 9B No. 2 Faulkton Area and No. 5 Herreid/ Selby Area and a win over Class 9B No. 7 Sully Buttes.

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4 | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

A team-by-team look at area high school playoff teams

March to the state championships begins on Oct. 19 By Mitchell Republic MITCHELL — After nine weeks, the playoffs for South Dakota high school football have arrived. Nineteen area football teams begin their quest for the DakotaDome in Vermillion, with Class 11B and the three nine-man classes starting playoffs Thursday, Oct. 19. Here’s a preview on each area team in their respective fields, with teams listed by class and alphabetically:

Class 11B Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan

Reaching the Class 11B playoffs for the ninth year in a row (9-for-9 while in 11-man football), Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan returns to the postseason with a 5-3 record for a second consecutive season. For 2023, BEE is a No. 11 seed taking on No. 6 Hot Springs in the first round on the road. The Seahawks have been led by Macklen Weber on the ground, rushing for 485 yards and

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Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan’s Macklen Weber carries the football during a high school football game on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 in Bridgewater. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

eight touchdowns, while Drake Gustafson has 319 rushing yards and nine scores. Gustafson has thrown for 483 yards and four additional touchdowns, with three of those going to Taite Klumb. Jason Zeeb leads the defense up front with a team-best 50 tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season. Gustafson, Holden Wollman, Carson Johnson and Kean Stevenson have each intercepted two passes for BEE, which played four of its final five games of the season against eventual Class 11B playoff teams.

CAPSULES: Page 5

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2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

CAPSULES

for the fourth consecutive year and the sixth time in eight seasons on the strength of victories over Lead-Deadwood, Deuel and McCook Central/Montrose. In a battle of unbeatens in Vermillion, Elk Point-Jefferson earned the state championship with a 21-14 victory over the Warriors.

From Page 4

It is the second time in as many years that the Seahawks and Bison are meeting in the first round of the Class 11B playoffs and the fourth time in five seasons. Playing in the 2022 first round, Hot Springs knocked off the Seahawks 45-6 on a run to the state semifinals.

Mount Vernon/Plankinton

Mount Vernon/Plankinton returns to the postseason with a 3-5 record, claiming the No. 14 seed in the 16-team field. The Titans have played the toughest schedule of any Class 11B playoff team, with an opponent’s winning percentage of .653. MVP started the season 3-1 but lost its last four games, all against playoff qualifiers, scoring six total points. The Titans have rushed for 200 yards per game, the ground game accounting for about 80% of their offense, and averaged 19 points per game this season. Isaiah Olson leads the team at quarterback, with Cain Tobin, Olson and Brady Fox handling the largest share of rushing. Turnovers have told the story for MVP’s wins and losses, with one total turnover in three wins but nine combined giveaways in the three losses that followed. The Titans will take on Sioux Valley in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday, Oct. 19, visiting Volga. In 2022, the Titans defeated Tri-Valley in the first round of the playoffs before falling to McCook Central/Montrose in the quarterfinals.

Wagner

Wagner returns to the Class 11B postseason for the first time since 2021. The Red Raiders compiled a 6-2 record regular season record, earning a No. 8 seed. They’ll host No. 9 Aberdeen Roncalli in the first round. Under first-year head coach Hunter Hewitt, Wagner has had its best showing since it won 10 games in 2010. The Red Raiders have compiled blowout victories over Mount Vernon/Plankinton, Mobridge-Pollock and Scotland/Menno, and have shown significant improvement in overall physicality from a season ago, when they went 2-6. Wagner boasts a productive run-heavy offense, averaging 29 points per game. The Red Raiders are led by dynamic running back Jhett Breen, who notched a six touchdown performance in a win over MVP, and quarterback Gannon Knebel.

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Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/ Sanborn Central

Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central has locked up a fifth consecutive winning season and will be the No. 7 seed in the 11B tournament. In Kenny Huether’s second season at the helm, the Blackhawks won their first seven games before dropping the regular season finale at An opportunity for Wagner to claim home field home against Rapid City Christian. However, advantage through the quarterfinals was squashed WWSSC will get another shot at the Comets, again last Friday when the Red Raiders fell to Tri-Valley at home Thursday in first-round action. The 38-6. Yet to defeat a team with a winning record two teams played late in 2022 in Rapid City, a this season, Roncalli will provide a stiff test. 14-6 Blackhawks victory. Playing six teams that finished the season with losing records, each of Winner For the fifth-straight year, the Winner Warriors the Blackhawks’ victories came by double-digits. have gone through the regular season undefeated, and once again in 2023, the road to the Class 11B CAPSULES: Page 6 championship game will go through Warrior Field. The Warriors have had a top-two seed in the playoffs each season since 2019, and Winner goes into the playoffs with a 34-game home winning streak that dates back to 2018. Sales Every Thursday Winner has scored 38 points per game this season and has the class’ third-best scoring 605-895-2553 defense, allowing 5.6 points per game. The RON VOLMER – 605-381-2501 defense has hit its stride since mid-September, CODY VOLMER – 605-222-9270 outscoring opponents by a combined 162-0. That Owners & Operators included one of the best wins by a Class 11B this Presho, SD season, with the Warriors traveling to Class 11A No. 2 West Central for a 28-0 victory on Oct. 6. www.presholivestock.com Last season, Winner reached the DakotaDome 001786670r1 Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central’s Brock Krueger carries the football was Rapid City Christian’s Daniel Jacobs attempts to make a tackle during a high school football game on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 in Wessington Springs. Jacobs was flagged for a facemask penalty on the play.

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6 | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

CAPSULES

comes as FMFA has adjusted its offense in the wake of losing Riley Tschetter to injury, sliding over Karter Weber as the dual-threat quarterback. Dominic Sperling has been a key running back, with Luke Peters, Evan Scharberg, Christopher Aasen and Rocky Ammann proving to be passing targets. Last season, FMFA won 36-30 over Florence/ Henry in one of the first round’s best games before falling to Elkton-Lake Benton 52-14 in the quarterfinal round. Facing the 7-1 Buffaloes to start the 2023 postseason, it is the most combined wins in a nine-man first-round playoff matchup.

From Page 5

Quarterback Holden Havlik has facilitated much of the team’s success, averaging 234 passing yards and three touchdowns in WWSSC’s final three wins over Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/ Dakota Christian, Mobridge-Pollock and LeadDeadwood. Two-way players Ryder Michalek, Brock Krueger and Tyson Eddy are also key contributors in the skill positions. WWSSC enters the postseason looking for better luck than last year, when it lost in the first round to Redfield 7-6.

Hanson Wagner’s Jhett Breen, right, carries the football as Winner’s Zac Olson attempts to make a tackle in a high school football game on Aug. 25, 2023 in Wagner. Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic

Class 9AA Bon Homme

It’s been a bumpy road, but the Bon Homme Cavaliers return to the playoffs as well-tested as anyone in Class 9AA. All eight opponents Bon Homme (3-5) played made the playoffs, including six of them in Class 9AA, with an opponent’s winning percentage of nearly .700, which was tops for any nine-man team’s schedule. Four opponents were seeded in the top-seven places, including Stanley County, which took its only loss of the season to the Cavaliers in Fort Pierre on Sept. 15 by a 28-22 score. Jackson Caba has emerged as a leading rusher for Bon Homme, rushing for 284 yards and three touchdowns in the regular-season finale against Gregory, an 18-0 home win. Landon Schmidt also has led the team in rushing, including 153 yards in the win over the Buffaloes. The playoffs represent the final run for coach Byron Pudwill, who has indicated he will step down as the Cavaliers’ coach at season’s end. Pudwill has coached football at Bon Homme for 41 years, including 23 as the team’s head coach.

Along with the legendary Russ Morrell, the Cavaliers have only had two head coaches for football in their school history. In 2022, Bon Homme won its first round game at home over Ipswich before falling to eventual state champion Wall 20-12 on the road in the quarterfinals. The 2023 first-round matchup will feature plenty of Columbia Blue in the uniforms, as Bon Homme travels to Hayti to take on fourthseeded Hamlin.

Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy

Off its first playoff win in team history last season, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy is back in the postseason in Class 9AA. The Phoenix have earned the No. 10 seed in the bracket, traveling to take on No. 7 Stanley County on Thursday. Since the team’s formation ahead of the 2022 season, FMFA has posted a 13-5 record, including a 6-2 mark this year. The Phoenix have been the third-highest scoring team in Class 9AA, scoring 44.5 points per game. That

Hanson reeled off four-straight wins to close the regular season with a 6-2 record. The Beavers will return to the postseason as the No. 9 seed, traveling to play Leola/Frederick Area in the first round of the 9AA playoffs Thursday. After graduating much of its production from last year’s 8-2 team, Hanson had some early growing pains, getting shut out by Howard 26-0 in the season opener. However, the Beavers have been competitive in every game since, with five of their six wins coming by 44 or more points. One of Hanson’s most impressive performances came in a losing effort, when its defense held No. 1 Parkston to 16 points — the only game the Trojan’s have scored less than 46 points. The Beavers also picked off previously unbeaten Class 9A No. 1 Canistota 38-28 on the road, in a game in which fullback Brock Tuttle rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns. The Beavers have proven depth at the back position, with Tuttle, Weston Kayser and Sutton Dewald taking a brunt of the carries, while the defense has proven to be among the most physical groups in 9AA.

CAPSULES: Page 7

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CAPSULES From Page 6

In 2022, the Beavers reached the second round before falling to 26-20 Hamlin in an overtime quarterfinal game. A win over Leola/Frederick Area on Thursday would likely set up a rematch with Parkston.

Howard

Howard goes to the Class 9AA playoffs as winners of six consecutive games in a row, carrying the No. 3 seed into the postseason. The Tigers have shutout three opponents this season and took their only loss at home to rival Canistota 30-18 on Aug. 25. Since then, they’ve scored 40-plus points in five of six games. Taiden Hoyer has led the Tigers in both passing and as a rusher, with Karsyn Feldhaus, Jackson Remmers and Tate Miller leading the way in the rushing attack. For the season, Howard is sixth in Class 9AA for scoring offense at 39.6 points per game and has allowed 11.9 points per game on defense. The first round will be a matchup of Tigers, as Ipswich visits Howard. Home playoff games in Howard have become commonplace, as Thursday’s contest will be the 11th home postseason game for the Tigers since the start of the 2019 season. Last season, Howard defeated Britton-Hecla in the first round before falling to Parkston 34-7 in the quarterfinals.

Kimball/White Lake

Battle-tested once again and one of two nineman teams in the state to play nine games this season, the Kimball/White Lake football team could be a tricky opponent in the postseason. The Wildkats (4-5) picked up the No. 12 seed in the Class 9AA field, facing Wall in the first round.

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KWL started 1-3 on the season but played the eventual No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the first four weeks of the season. The last of those was a 17-14 double overtime loss to Platte-Geddes on the road on Sept. 8. KWL won three of its final five games, including victories over Potter County and Dell Rapids St. Mary. Iden Myers has been one of the feature players for KWL, rushing for 263 yards twice in the final five games of the season, and posting four 100-yard rushing games late in the year. The Wildkats also have one of nine-man’s top tight end threats with 6-foot-6 Blake Leiferman. The Wildkats will take on defending state champions Wall in the first round of the playoffs, a rematch of a 37-8 game just two weeks ago won by the Eagles. In 2022, KWL traveled to Elkton-Lake Benton and challenged the Elks in a 32-18 loss, in which Myers rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Parkston

Parkston comes into the Class 9AA playoffs with a No. 1 seed, which is deserved after a strong regular season and standing as the last remaining undefeated team in the division. Parkston will open the playoffs by hosting Viborg-Hurley. The Trojans are the top scoring defense in the state — regardless of class — with 20 points allowed over eight games (2.5 per game) and less than 100 yards per game to opponents. The season has included six shutouts and five games ended by the 50-point rule. On offense, Parkston has averaged 48 points per game, behind a strong, multi-faceted running game, which is averaging 290 yards per game on the ground from Brayden Jervik, Luke Bormann, Kolter Kramer and others, with Bormann and Carter Sommer leading the pass game to Maddux Brissette, Kramer and Brady Boettcher.

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It is the second time in the last three seasons that Parkston has earned a top-two seed for the postseason, with a 26-5 combined record on the field in that time. In 2022, the Trojans defeated Leola/Frederick at home and then won road games at Howard and Elkton-Lake Benton to reach the DakotaDome before falling 34-14 to Wall in the Class 9AA championship game.

Platte-Geddes

Platte-Geddes emerged atop a six-team pileup with 7-1 records on the season, claiming the No. 2 overall seed in the Class 9AA playoffs. That comes after winning seven consecutive games to close the regular season. After winning back-to-back 9AA state championships in 2020 and 2021, the Black Panthers took a step back last season, going 4-5 and losing to Hanson in the first round of the playoffs. However, a strong regular season has P-G in a position to make another postseason run, beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday in Platte against Great Plains Lutheran. Following a 46-0 loss to Parkston to open the season, the team beat playoff teams Kimball/ White Lake, Viborg-Hurley and Bon Homme to climb to No. 4 in the rankings entering a regular season finale against Canisota. Against the Hawks, P-G proved its a dangerous team to face in a poor-weather environment, stymieing Canistota’s offense and scoring four touchdowns despite the unrelenting wind and rain. The Black Panthers have strong senior leadership, beginning with running back and linebacker Joey Foxley and quarterback and defensive back Parker Bailey. The team averages 27 points per game while holding opponents to 17 points per game.

CAPSULES: Page 8

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CAPSULES From Page 7

Class 9A Burke

Burke returns to the playoffs in 2023 and after an 0-5 start to the season, the Cougars closed the year with two wins in their final three regularseason games. The Cougars will have the No. 15 seed and will take on No. 2 Alcester-Hudson in the first round. The Cougars have relied on their running game this season to the tune of 6.5 yards per carry and 17 touchdowns. That included a 10-touchdown game on the ground in a 77-22 win over IreneWakonda on Sept. 29, with 438 yards. Gentry Bartling, who leads the team in rushing, had 171 yards and four touchdowns. Alcester-Hudson and Burke are both members of the Great Plains Conference, meaning they are frequent foes. Thursday’s game will be the fourth time they have met since 2021, with the Cubs winning all three. Earlier this year, AlcesterHudson won 42-8, rushing for 235 yards and racing to an early 30-0 lead in the first quarter. Last season, Burke had the No. 16 seed in the Class 9A playoffs and faced eventual state finalist Warner, falling 50-0 in the first round. The Burke/Alcester-Hudson winner this year will face Deubrook Area or Estelline/Hendricks in the quarterfinals.

Canistota

Canistota (6-2) enters the postseason searching for its first state championship since it won three-straight titles from 2018 to 2020 as a co-op with Freeman. Ranked No. 1 in 9A for much of the season, the Hawks played six games against 9AA opponents,

2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW winning four of them. A loss to Hanson in week six followed by a loss to Platte-Geddes last Friday, though, dropped the Hawks to the No. 4 slot. They host Centerville in the 9A first round Thursday. Canistota’s leader is do-it-all quarterback Tage Ortman. The senior’s been the best athlete on the field in arguably every game he’s played this season, operating out of the shotgun and burning defenses with his arm and his scramble ability. In turn, the Hawks’ offense is averaging 35 points per game. The Hawks defeated 11AA school’s Howard and Elkton-Lake Benton, the only loss for either side, and beat 5-3 Deubrook Area 28-20. However, in its regular season finale at Platte-Geddes, Canistota’s dynamism was curtailed by the inclement weather, and the Hawks struggled to run the ball in between the tackles in a 28-14 loss. In 2022, Canistota claimed the No. 9 seed, winning its first round matchup against AlcesterHudson before getting eliminated in the second round in a 48-31 loss to Warner.

Gregory

The 2022 state champions in Class 9A, the Gregory Gorillas return for the 2023 postseason in an underdog role as the No. 12 overall seed following a 4-4 regular season. The Gorillas had a slow start at 0-2 but won three games in a row in the middle of the season. Gregory ranked No. 10 in Class 9A scoring offense this season with 27.9 points per game and allowed 22.8 points per game. Last season, Gregory defeated Iroqouis/Lake Preston and Wolsey-Wessington in the first two rounds and then took down Lyman 41-6 in the semifinals before a 36-23 win in the state championship over Warner. The Gregory-Harding County/Bison first round matchup this year will feature a pair of

teams that reached the final four in this class in 2022, as Harding County/Bison was the No. 4 seed and fell to Warner in the semifinals. The winner of Canistota-Centerville awaits in the quarterfinal round.

Lyman

Back in the playoffs after a run to the state semifinals last season, the Lyman Raiders posted a 6-2 record in 2023 and earned the No. 8 seed in the Class 9A bracket. In the first round, they will host 4-4 Castlewood in Presho, with the Warriors seeded ninth. The Raiders started the season 4-0 before falling to Wall — the only team with a winning record Lyman has faced this year — and Sully Buttes in the second half of the season. If it’s an overtime game, Lyman has experience there, with two-point overtime wins on the road at Kadoka Area and at White River in September, with Brayden Oldenkamp scoring the key touchdowns in both games. In 2022, Lyman was the No. 2 overall seed, defeating Oldham-Ramona/Rutland and the same Castlewood squad in the quarterfinals by a score of 34-16.

CAPSULES: Page 9

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CAPSULES From Page 10

In that game, the Raiders were down 16-12 early in the third quarter before scoring the final 22 points of the contest, holding Castlewood to only six yards rushing in the game. With a win, a date with No. 1 Warner could wait in the quarterfinal round.

Class 9B Avon

For the second time in three seasons, Avon has earned the No. 1 seed in the Class 9B playoffs on the strength of a 6-2 record. The Pirates won four of their final five games and did not have a loss to another Class 9B squad on their record under first-year head coach Justin Lukkes. Avon has boasted a strong running game all season, rushing for 307 yards per game, including a season-best 462 in a game against Gayville-Volin. Aziah Meyer, Tyler Tjeerdsma and Noah Watchorn have led the Pirates rushing attack. Meyer already has more than 1,000 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. Winners of five state football titles — all since 2002 — the Pirates are seeking their first state football championship since 2013. In 2021, the last time Avon was the No. 1 seed, they defeated Estelline/Hendricks and AlcesterHudson before being knocked off Dell Rapids St. Mary in the semifinals. In 2022, Avon defeated Faulkton Area 74-48 in the first round before a 44-14 loss to Herreid/Selby Area on the road in the quarterfinals. In this year’s bracket, Avon is the No. 1 seed and Faulkton Area is the No. 2 seed. The Pirates open the postseason on Oct. 19 against Faith.

Defending state champion Hitchcock-Tulare, which Avon defeated 32-28 on Sept. 15, looms as a potential quarterfinal round opponent, if H-T gets past Lemmon/McIntosh.

Colome

Despite having 16 players on the roster for this season, the Colome Cowboys return to the Class 9B postseason this year as the bracket’s No. 13 seed. The Cowboys finished the season at 2-6, with a home win over Burke on Sept. 8 by a 50-28 margin and a road win at Sunshine Bible Academy on Sept. 29 by a score of 46-16. The Cowboys rank last among playoff qualifiers in Class 9B in scoring defense, yielding 41.5 points per game. For the second consecutive year, De Smet and Colome will meet again in the Class 9B first round. Last year, De Smet won 50-0 at home over the 11th-seeded Cowboys en route to reaching the state semifinal round. The same two teams will play at De Smet’s Wilkinson Field again this year.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | 9

Wright and Tate Tolsma, while the defense has yielded 17 points per game for the season. A No. 5 seed in the Class 9B playoffs in 2022, the Jaguars were bounced by Irene-Wakonda in a shootout in the first round, a 61-52 decision in Corsica, while the Eagles eventually reached the semifinals.

Corsica-Stickney

Early in the season it was about the scoring and late in the season, defense did the job for the Corsica-Stickney Jaguars, who earned the No. 3 overall seed in the Class 9B postseason. The Jaguars (6-2) will face No. 14-seeded New Underwood in the opening round in Corsica on Oct. 19. The Jaguars averaged nearly 45 points per game across their first five games of the season, in which C-S went 4-1. After a 30-14 loss to Avon on Sept. 22, the Jaguars came out of their bye and won a pair of defensive battles, a 14-12 contest over Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy and a 14-0 home shutout over Sully Buttes. C-S has been led offensively by Waylon Bolle, Carter

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10 | Wednesday, October 18, 2023

2023 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

SD high school football first-round playoff pairings

By Mitchell Republic Below are the pairings for the first round of the South Dakota High School Activities Association football playoffs for Class 11B and nine-man football, which start on Thursday, Oct. 19. (Class 11AAA, 11AA and 11A schools have eight-team brackets and will begin postseason play with the quarterfinals on Thursday, Oct. 26.) There will be no re-seeding at any point during the playoffs for Class 11B and the nineman divisions.

Class 11B

Upper bracket No. 16 Parker (5-3) at No. 1 Winner (8-0), 6:30 p.m. No. 9 Aberdeen Roncalli (6-2) at No. 8 Wagner (6-2) No. 13 Groton Area (5-3) at No. 4 Elk PointJefferson (7-1), 6 p.m., in Elk Point No. 12 St. Thomas More (4-4) at No. 5 TriValley (5-3), 5:30 p.m., in Colton. Lower bracket No. 14 Mount Vernon/Plankinton (3-5) at No. 3 Sioux Valley (8-0), 7 p.m., in Volga. No. 11 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (5-3) at No. 6 Hot Springs (7-1), 6:30 p.m. No. 10 Rapid City Christian (6-2) at No. 7 Woonsocket/Wess. Springs/Sanborn Central (7-1), 5 p.m., in Wessington Springs No. 15 Webster Area (4-4) at No. 2 Deuel (8-0), 7 p.m., in Clear Lake.

Class 9AA

Upper bracket No. 16 Viborg-Hurley (3-5) at No. 1 Parkston (8-0), 7 p.m. No. 9 Hanson (6-2) at No. 8 Leola/Frederick Area (5-3), 7 p.m., in Leola. No. 13 Bon Homme (3-5) at No. 4 Hamlin (7-1), in Hayti. No. 12 Kimball/White Lake (4-5) at No. 5 Wall (7-1), 6:30 p.m. Lower bracket No. 14 Ipswich (4-4) at No. 3 Howard (7-1), 6 p.m. No. 11 Britton-Hecla (5-3) at No. 6 Elkton-Lake Benton (7-1), 6 p.m., in Elkton. No. 10 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy (6-2) at No. 7 Stanley County (7-1), 7 p.m., in Fort Pierre.

NICE JOB TITANS!

Howard’s Karsyn Feldhaus (7) carries the football while being pursued by Hanson’s Sutton Dewald (23) and Weston Kayser (22) during a Class 9AA high school football game on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Alexandria. Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic

No. 15 Great Plains Lutheran (4-4) at No. 2 Platte-Geddes (7-1), 6 p.m., in Platte.

Class 9A

Upper bracket No. 16 Colman-Egan (2-6) at No. 1 Warner (8-0), 7 p.m. No. 9 Castlewood (4-4) at No. 8 Lyman (6-2), 7 Class 9B Upper bracket p.m., in Presho. No. 16 Faith (1-7) at No. 1 Avon (6-2), 5:30 p.m. No. 13 Centerville (4-4) at No. 4 Canistota (6-2) No. 9 Lemmon/McIntosh (3-5) at No. 8 No. 12 Gregory (4-4) at No. 5 Harding County/ Hitchcock-Tulare (4-4), 6 p.m., in Tulare. Bison (7-1), in Buffalo. No. 13 Colome (2-6) at No. 4 De Smet Lower bracket No. 14 Timber Lake (4-4) at No. 3 Philip (8-0), (6-2), 7 p.m. 7 p.m. PAIRINGS: Page 11

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No. 11 Chester (4-4) at No. 6 WolseyWessington (4-4), 6 p.m., in Wolsey No. 10 Estelline/Hendricks (4-4) at No. 7 Deubrook Area (5-3), 7 p.m., in White No. 15 Burke (2-6) at No. 2 Alcester-Hudson (8-0), 6 p.m., in Alcester

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Wednesday, October 18, 2023 | 11

PAIRINGS From Page 10

No. 12 Gayville-Volin (2-6) at No. 5 Herreid/ Selby Area (7-2) Lower bracket No. 14 New Underwood (1-7) at No. 3 CorsicaStickney (6-2), in Corsica. No. 11 Potter County (3-5) at No. 6 Dell Rapids St. Mary (5-3), 6 p.m. No. 10 Kadoka Area (3-5) at No. 7 Sully Buttes (3-5), in Onida No. 15 Jones County (2-6) at No. 2 Faulkton Area (7-1), 7 p.m.

Championship game schedule All games at DakotaDome, Vermillion Thursday, Nov. 9 Class 11B, 10 a.m. Class 9B, 10 a.m. Class 11A, 2 p.m. Class 9A, 2 p.m. Class 11AA, 7 p.m. Class 9AA, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 Friday, Nov. 10 Class 11AAA, *7 p.m. *Official time to be announced.

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Kimball/White Lake’s Nathan Mohnen carries the football during a nine-man football game on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023 in Parkston.. Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic

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