High School Football Playoff Preview 2021 by Mitchell Republic

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

2021 PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

2 • The Mitchell Republic • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Prep Football Playoff Preview

A team-by-team look at the area football playoff qualifiers McCook Central/Montrose's Gavin Gordon runs the ball against the Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan on Sept. 24, 2021 in Salem.

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Bridgewater-Emery/ Ethan carries in the No. 7 seed in the Class 11B playoffs, but likely is not an opponent anyone will be eager to see in this postseason. The Seahawks — who have played in the last four Class 11B championship games, winning in 2019 — are 5-3 this season. The Seahawks are averaging 26.3 points per game and allowing 20.5 points per contest to opponents. Over the first seven games, the Seahawks averaged 256 yards of offense per game, with 165.7 yards on the ground. Koby

Kayser had 100 carries for 675 yards and nine touchdowns before adding three in the regular-season finale victory at Baltic. Kaden Klumb has 12 total touchdowns, including nine passing scores for the season. Riley Endres, Sam Hofer and Jay Storm have all caught multiple touchdown passes this season for the Seahawks. Klumb is the team leader in tackles with 53 through seven games. Sutton Arend has made four interceptions for the BEE defense. The Seahawks started the season 4-1 with a loss to Winner, before dropping two of their final three games in contests with Beresford and Elk Point-Jefferson.

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their opponents had a combined winning percentage of .338, the lowest of any playoff qualifier in Class 11B. The two teams have a recent playoff history, meeting in the first round in 2019 when BEE was the No. 1 overall seed and defeated Hot Springs, 36-0.

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BEE’s best win came in the season opener, a 20-16 victory over Sioux Valley, which is seeded No. 2 in the state playoffs, and the two teams could meet in the quarterfinal round in Volga. BEE will face Hot Springs in the opening round of the Class 11B playoffs in Bridgewater. The Bison were 7-1 but

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By Mitchell Republic Four more wins. That’s the goal for the remaining 64 teams in South Dakota’s ranks of nineman and Class 11B football. The field of participants has already been whittled down from the 89 teams that started play in those four classes in August. It will be challenging. Of the 64 remaining, only six are without a loss in 2021, including top area programs Avon, Howard and Winner. By Nov. 13, the hardware will be hoisted in the DakotaDome in Vermillion, honoring the state champions and the best of the best South Dakota has to offer in 2021. Here’s a team-by-team look (listed alphabetically and by class) at the area participants in the South Dakota high school football playoffs in Class 11B and the nine-man ranks.

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McCook Central/ Montrose

Powered by a dynamic offense, McCook Central/ Montrose takes the No. 9 seed into the Class 11B playoffs. MCM has a 6-2 record but only played seven games after receiving a forfeit for their date against Hill City on Aug. 28. MCM has averaged nearly 36 points per game and 398 yards of total offense per contest this season. MCM’s quarterback Gavin Gordon has been the team’s spark plug on offense, completing 117 of 196 passes for 1,649 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for eight more scores. Cody Miles has been the most frequent target, with 49 catches for 762 yards and nine touchdowns. Trevor Hansen has been the workhorse at running back, carrying the ball 137 times for 769 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Fighting Cougars’ two losses on the season came to Big East Conference rivals and perennial powers SIoux Valley (4232) and Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (26-24), while MCM boasts a road win over No. 6 seed Elk Point-Jefferson (34-20). A year ago, McCook Central/Montrose was seeded in the same No. 9 slot and won its first-round game 22-14

over Stanley County on the road before bowing out in the quarterfinals in a 30-0 road loss to eventual state champion Winner. MCM takes on Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central in the first round of the playoffs. The victor will likely take on No. 1 Winner in the state quarterfinals on Oct. 28.

Mount Vernon/Plankinton's Lincoln Klooz runs through the Woonsocket/ Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central defense Oct. 15 during a Class 11B football game in Mount Vernon. Marcus Traxler / Republic

Mount Vernon/ Plankinton

Slotting in as Class 11B’s No. 3 seed, MVP enters the 2021 postseason at 7-1 and on a fivegame winning streak. The Titans’ lone loss of the season came to No. 1 seed Winner on Sept. 3. MVP averages 272 yards and 38 points per game, including 215 yards per game of rushing, while yielding an average of 110 yards per game. Quarterback Reed Rus has completed 59 percent of his passes for 447 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 475 rushing yards on 108 attempts and 10 touchdowns and 30 tackles on defense. Lincoln Klooz has rushed 76 times for 456 yards and nine touchdowns for the Titans and Griffin Tobin has nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns for MVP. Chris Mayer has seven total touchdowns, including four rushing and Drew Gerlach has four total touchdowns, including a punt-return

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touchdown. The Titans have committed only five turnovers in eight games this season. MVP boasts one of the top defenses in the class, having shut out five opponents (including No. 8 seed Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/

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son came in a 23-7 upset of then-second-ranked Bridgewater-Emery/ Ethan on Oct. 1. Beresford and MVP did not match up in the regular season and shared no common opponents.

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The Titans bowed out as the No. 12 seed in the first round of the 2020 playoffs, losing 27-12 to Elk Point-Jefferson. MVP hosts No. 14 Beresford (5-3) in the opening round in Mount Vernon. The Watchdogs biggest win of the sea-

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Sanborn Central in the regular season finale against) and allowing an average of just 10 points per contest. Cole Pranger is among the defensive leaders with 40.5 tackles and Daniel Laufman has three sacks on the season.

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4 • The Mitchell Republic • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Prep Football Playoff Preview

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Wagner

With one of its best seasons in nearly a decade, Wagner returns to the high school football playoffs in Class 11B as the No. 13 seed and with a 5-3 record. The Red Raiders are making their first postseason appearance since 2013. In 2021, the record was powered by a 4-0 start to the season, including a thrilling 21-20 win over Miller/Highmore-Harrold on Sept. 10. Wagner is averaging nearly 28 points per game and 280 yards of offense per contest. The Red Raiders’ three losses came in middle of the season against fellow playoff teams Winner, Mount Vernon/Plankinton and Woonsocket/ Wessington Springs/ Sanborn Central before rebounding with a win over Jim River in the season finale. Quarterback Dustin Honomichl has had a big season for the Red Raiders, completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,384 yards and 15 touchdowns, while rushing for 282 yards and seven more touchdowns on the ground. Chris Nelson has nearly 600 yards of total offense in rushing and receiving and nine total touchdowns, with Riley

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Winner's Aaron Monk (9) finds a hole in the defense during a Class 11B football game on Aug. 20 in Armour. Roberts catching four touchdowns. Nolan Dvorak has made 46 catches for 553 yards and six touchdowns, plus 59.5 tackles on defense. The Red Raiders have also forced 20 turnovers and have a turnover margin of plus-9

helping to power the team’s success. In the first round, Wagner will head north to take on No. 4 Groton Area in the first round. If the Red Raiders can pick up a win, they would face the winner of Elk Point-Jefferson and St. Thomas More.

Winner

Defending Class 11B champion and 2021 No. 1 seed Winner has not lost a football game since the 2019 title game, a streak of 20 consecutive victories. The Warriors (8-0) breezed through much of their schedule this

season, averaging just shy of 50 points and outscoring opponents by more than 43 points per game. Winner bruised teams with a rushing attack that netted nearly 300 yards per contest this season. The Warriors feature a number

of backs, most notably Riley Orel, Kaden Keiser and Aiden Barfuss, who combined for 1,415 of Winner’s 2,369 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Orel, the championship game most valuable player last season, averaged better than 13 yards per carry, and had four receptions for 111 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Joey Cole went 17-of-23 passing for 396 yards and six touchdowns this season, adding 11 rushing touchdowns. Blake Volmer also had three passing and three rushing touchdowns. Winner, which defeated Garretson, McCook Central/Montrose and Sioux Valley in the first three rounds of the 2020 playoffs, defeated Bridgewater-Emery/ Ethan, 18-14, in the Class 11B title game. The Warriors host Clark/Willow Lake (4-4), a newcomer to Class 11B football, in the first round. Provided they advance, Winner will play the first three rounds of the playoffs at Warrior Field, where they have won 18 straight games. If Winner can claim the Class 11B championship, it would be the school’s fourth state championship since 2015, with the previous three titles coming in undefeated seasons.

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Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central’s Tryce Slykhuis carries the ball on a punt return during a game against Mount Vernon/Plankinton on Oct. 15 in Mount Vernon.

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Woonsocket/ Wess. Springs/ Sanborn Central

No. 8 seed WWSSC (5-3) averages the fewest points per game (22.6) of the top-eight seeds in Class 11B, but the Blackhawks field a defense that holds opponents to 11.8 points per contest, including limiting six of eight opponents to 14 points or less. WWSSC’s schedule was the toughest among playoff qualifiers in the class, as opponents combined to post a .611 winning percentage. The Black-

hawks’ three losses are to the top three seeds in the Class 11B bracket (Winner, Sioux Valley and Mount Vernon/ Plankinton). Between a season-opening defeat to No. 2 Sioux Valley and an Oct. 1 loss to No. 1 Winner, the Blackhawks put together four straight wins. Running back Clay Olinger carried 65 times for 507 yards and eight touchdowns across a two-game stretch in September, including a season-high 271 yards against TDAACDC. For the season, Olinger had 1,019 yards and 11 touchdowns on 168 carries. Quarterback Blake Larson completed 32 of 66 attempts for 504 yards and eight touchdowns, five of

which went to tight end Mason Schelske. Last season, WWSSC shut out Sisseton, 33-0, in the first round of the playoffs before falling to eventual runner-up Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan in the quarterfinals. The Blackhawks host No. 9 seed McCook Central/Montrose (6-2) in the first round. The pair’s lone common opponent, Sioux Valley, defeated WWSSC, 30-14, on Aug. 27, and took down MCM, 42-32, on Sept. 17.

CLASS 9AA Bon Homme

Carrying the No. 15 seed into the Class 9AA state playoffs, Bon Homme is looking to

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Bon Homme’s Riley Rothschadl passes the ball during the Cavaliers’ game on Sept. 3 in Tyndall. get the second season off on the right foot with a meeting with regional rival Parkston in the first round. Bon Homme, which has played six of its eight games against teams with a record of .500 or better and four ranked opponents (Chester Area, Wolsey-Wessington, Parkston and Platte-Geddes), has been held to 12.5 points per game and has allowed 33 points per contest during the regular season. Seven of those opponents are playing in the postseason. The Cavaliers are led on offense by quarterback Riley Rothschadl and running back Isaac Crownover and receivers Cayden Himes and

Evan Ulmer. Chapin Cooper has been among the team’s leading tacklers at linebacker. Bon Homme was defeated by eventual Class 9AA champion Platte-Geddes in the first round of last year’s playoffs. The Cavaliers are on the road against No. 2 Parkston (6-2) in the

first round. The Cavaliers fell to the Trojans, 46-7, in the teams’ meeting on Sept. 24. The two teams also met two years ago in the first round of the Class 9AA playoffs in Tyndall, with Bon Homme winning 54-0 en route to an appearance in the state championship game.

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Canistota/ Freeman

Off three straight state championships in 2018, 2019 and 2020, 11th-seeded Canistota/ Freeman moved to Class 9AA this season and has had an adventurous route to a 4-4 record. The Pride fell in a close game with Platte-Geddes in the season opener, lost a 59-28 showdown at Howard and had two close losses to Chester Area and Hanson, while earning a wild win over Garretson 56-50 at midseason. The Pride has scored nearly 37 points per game and have had a balanced attack that averages 350 yards per game. But Canistota/Freeman has been hurt in 2021 by turnovers, committing 20 in eight games while grabbing 10 takeaways from opponents. The Pride’s defense has allowed 27 points per game and 337 yards of offense per game.

Quarterback Tage Ortman has been one of the top nine-man playmakers in the state, completing 56 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus four rushing touchdowns. Isiah Robertson has rushed for 444 yards and seven touchdowns, along with picking up 506 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. Will Ortman has 352 receiving yards and nine touchdown grabs this season. Canistota/Freeman travels to No. 6 Florence/Henry (7-1) in the first round. Both teams defeated their only common opponent in Elkton-Lake Benton, but the Pride’s 30-point margin of victory compares favorably to Florence/Henry’s 14-point win. The Pride defeated Chester Area, Philip, Howard and Warner on their road to winning the Class 9A championship in 2020 but the Pride might not be daunted by a playoff

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Hanson’s Hadley Wallace carries the ball after a handoff from Kade Waldera during a game on Sept. 3 against Irene-Wakonda in Alexandria. road trip. In each of the last three championship runs, Canistota/Freeman has been seeded third and fourth two times, requiring them to win at least one road game to reach the championship

Hanson

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9AA on the strength of their play within the Cornbelt Conference. The Beavers have averaged 31.4 points per game, while allowing 14 points per game on defense. Hanson, which is averaging about 220 rushing yards per game, has had a multi-pronged rushing attack, led by Hadley Wallace and Brock Tuttle, who is joined by Jackson Jarding, while Kade Waldera engineers the offense. Hanson defeated Parkston in the first

round a season ago before falling to eventual Class 9AA champion Platte-Geddes in the quarterfinals. The Beavers host Elkton-Lake Benton (3-5) in the first round. Hanson and ELB share two common opponents in Canistota/Freeman and Deubrook Area. Both defeated Deubrook Area by 50-plus points, but ELB fell to Canistota/ Freeman in its season opener, while Hanson defeated the Pride on Oct. 8.

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Lyman

Lyman, seeded fourth in the Class 9AA playoffs, has had a successful season, posting a 7-1 record. The Raiders only loss came in a 42-6 loss to Class 9A No. 3 seed Wall in the fourth game of the season. Scoring 43.3 points per game, Lyman is gaining 358 yards per game and averaging 292.5 yards per game on the ground. The Raiders’ defense is allowing 131 yards per game and has had 17 takeaways on the season, yielding nine points per game with four shutouts. Running back Colton Collins has had at least 135 yards in each game this season, rushing for 1,487 yards on 158 carries and 19 touchdowns, plus three touchdown catches. (His season-high 261 rushing yards and five touchdowns came in a win over Philip on Oct. 8.) Quarterback Teagan Gourneau has thrown for five touchdowns and rushed for seven more, accounting for more than 700 yards of total offense. Isaac Thomas has made five touchdown catches on the season for the Raiders. The Raiders, who played in Class 9A last season, defeated Burke in the opening round

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Kimball/White Lake’s Levi Nightingale is brought down by Platte-Geddes’s Jackson Olsen while carrying the ball during a game on Oct. 15 in Platte. of the 2020 playoffs in a snowy, 36-16 game, before falling in the quarterfinals to Wall, 42-20. Lyman will face No. 13 Stanley County (5-4) in the opening game of the playoffs in Presho. While the Buffaloes and Raiders are common foes in other sports, they did not play during the regular season.

Parkston

A five-game winning streak lifted Parkston (6-2) from a 1-2 start all the way to the No. 2 seed in Class 9AA, securing home field advantage

until a potential trip to the DakotaDome. The Trojans’ losses came to No. 1 seed Hanson on Aug. 20 and No. 10 seed Garretson on Sept. 3 as part of a schedule where opponents combined for a .569 winning percentage. Cole Prunty, who moved from quarterback to running back midway through the season, is Parkston’s primary offensive weapon. Prunty is coming off a 260-yard, four-touchdown performance in a 66-40 win over Class 9A No. 7 seed

Wolsey-Wessington on Oct. 15. While Parkston will host until the title game if it continues its winning ways, it’s worth noting both losses coming at home, as the Trojans went undefeated as the away team this season. Parkston fell to Hanson, 34-22, in the first round of the playoffs last season. Parkston hosts No. 15 seed Bon Homme (3-5) in the first round. The Trojans defeated the Cavaliers, 46-7, in the teams’ meeting on Sept. 24.

Platte-Geddes

After taking nine-man football in South Dakota by storm in 2020 with an undefeated season and a Class 9AA championship, the Platte-Geddes football team still stands as a dangerous opponent off a 6-2 season in 2021 and the No. 9 seed in the Class 9AA bracket. The Black Panthers have scored 29.8 points per game this season, allowing 12.3 points to opponents this season. Platte-Geddes has averaged 313 yards per game, with about two-thirds of that coming on the

ground. The Black Panthers have been most dominant taking the ball away from opponents, forcing 21 turnovers in eight games and holding a plus-10 turnover margin. Grayson Hanson leads P-G on both sides of the ball, rushing for 789 yards on 113 carries and 11 touchdowns, while racking up 69 tackles on defense. Dawson Hoffman has thrown for 806 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Black Panthers and made three interceptions on defense. Joey Foxley has hauled in three touchdown catches. Chase Varilek has made 47.5 tackles, and Jackson Neuman has made 29.5 stops with two interceptions, along with five rushing touchdowns. The Black Panthers’ losses this season came to No. 2 seed Parkston — whom they could only meet in the championship game — and Class 9A’s Gregory. In the first round, the Black Panthers will face No. 8 Chester Area. Should P-G win, they could visit No. 1 seed Hanson with Hanson for the third straight year in the playoffs. P-G won the 2019 first-round meeting in Alexandria 26-22, followed by a 17-8 victory in Platte in the 2020 Class 9AA quarterfinals.

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CLASS 9A Burke

Surging at the right time, Burke has won three of its last four games and are seeded 11th in the Class 9A playoffs. Two of the Cougars last three wins were won by more than 40 points and the offense ran for more than 350 yards in each contest. Burke scores 34 points per game on 294 rushing yards and 115 passing yards per game. The defense is allowing 213 yards on the ground and 142 yards passing. Running back Taron Serr has had four games with at least 100 yards rushing and averages 92 yards on 14 carries per game. Serr has 735 rush yards and 14 touchdowns on the season thus far. Quarterback Ben Witt, the second-leading rusher on the team, has 225 yards on 49 carries for four rushing touch-

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downs. Witt has thrown for more than 1,000 yards and five touchdowns, including two in the Cougars last outing. The Cougars, who played Lyman in the first round of the playoffs last year and lost 36-16, will again hit the road in the opening round, facing No. 6 Gregory (5-3) in the first round of the playoffs. Gregory beat Burke earlier this season, 34-6, and racked up 476 yards of offense.

Gregory

Gregory (5-3) surged to the No. 6 seed in Class 9A courtesy of back-toback wins to close the regular season, including a 28-8 win over defending Class 9AA champion Platte-Geddes on Oct. 8. The Gorillas earned a winning record despite facing a schedule where all but one opponent reached the postseason. Gregory’s losses were to Class 9AA No. 2 Parkston and Class 9A playoff teams in No. 3 Wall and No. 7 Wolsey-Wessington, which won the Class 9B title in 2020.

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Burke receiver Bryce Frank (11) turns up field against the Corsica-Stickney defense during a nine-man high school football game Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021 in Burke. Frank scored on a touchdown on the reception. Sophomore quarterback Rylan Peck has been tasked with leading the Gorilla offense, with Owen Hansen and Kade Stukel providing explosiveness from the running back position. The Gorillas have

also developed a tough defense, holding opponents to 14 points or less in their five wins this season. Overall, Gregory averages 24.5 points per game and allows 17.9 points per game.

After reaching the Class 9A semifinals in 2019, the Gorillas were defeated by Castlewood in the first round of the 2020 playoffs. This year, Gregory hosts a nearby rival in No. 11 seed Burke in the first round. The

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Howard

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Howard (8-0) rolled to an undefeated regular season, Cornbelt Conference title and No. 2 seed in Class 9A, playing just one game decided by fewer than 18 points. Dating back to the start of the 2019 season, the Tigers have won 25 of 28 games. The top-two seed means that teams will have to come to Miner County and beat the Tigers in order to get to the DakotaDome. The rushing attack of Karsyn Feldhaus and Ty Beyer has provided a solid 1-2 punch for the Matt Gade / Mitchell Republic Tigers, along with the Howard’s Griffin Clubb receiving threats of Jace comes down with an Sifore and Atticus Darinterception on the nell. As a team, Howone-yard line for a pass ard is averaging more intended for Hanson’s than 300 yards of rushJackson Jarding during ing per game. Quartera game on Oct. 15 in back Taiden Hoyer has Alexandria. engineered the Tigers offense to more than 415 yards of offense per game, while helping the

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Tigers protect the ball on offense with just five turnovers on the season. Beyer and John Callies lead the defense in tackles, as Howard’s defense is holding opponents to less than 100 yards of rushing per game and 10 points per contest on average. The Tigers were Class 9A’s top seed and defeated De Smet and Castlewood in last year’s postseason before losing to eventual champion Canistota/Freeman in the semifinals. Howard hosts No. 15 seed Kimball/White Lake in the first round. Both teams played Colman-Egan in the regular season, with both teams winning by at least 48 points.

Kimball/ White Lake

With opponents combining for a .611 winning percentage, KWL (2-6) played the second-toughest schedule among Class 9A playoff teams. After a 2-0 start, the 15th-seeded Wildkats ran into a challeng-

ing stretch of six straight opponents that reached the postseason in their respective classes, including Class 9AA No. 2 Parkston and defending Class 9AA champion Platte-Geddes. KWL has averaged 241 yards per game with a balanced attack but has been minus-11 in turnover margin for the season. Quarterback Holden Havlik has completed 63 of 139 passes for 982 yards and eight touchdowns, adding 209 yards and six more scores on the ground. Levi Nightengale has rushed for 275 yards and three touchdowns and has 55.5 tackles on the season. Ryder Michalek has racked up 329 receiving yards and five touchdowns, while Carter Lenz has 310 receiving yards and one touchdown for the Wildkats. The Wildkats did not qualify for the postseason in 2020. This season, KWL travels to No. 2 Howard (8-0) in the first round.

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Prep Football Playoff Preview

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Avon quarterback Riley Rucktaeschel looks for an open receiver as Gayville-Volin’s defense closes in on him during a Sept. 24 game in Gayville.

QUALIFIERS From Page 9

CLASS 9B Avon 155 West 1st St., Dimock, SD 605-928-3833 www.dimockdairy.com MON-FRI 8:00AM-6:30PM • SAT 8:00AM-4:00PM

The Avon Pirates enter the Class 9B playoffs as a the bounceback story of the season, standing at 8-0 and holding the No. 1 seed entering the post-

season, assured of playing on their home field until a potential state championship game in Vermillion. While the program has a proud tradition, the Pirates put together their first winning season since 2017 and had just three wins over the prior three seasons. Avon, which averages 51.5 points per game, is averaging 427.9 yards

per contest, averaging 369 yards on the ground. Of the Pirates eight games this season, they have rushed for 300 or more yards six times. Avon has been prone to play in shootouts, allowing 26.5 points per game and 306 yards per game. Brady Bierema has rushed for 1,334 yards on 138 carries and 20 touchdowns, while tallying 43 tackles and three interceptions on defense. Riley Rucktaeschel has been efficient at the quarterback position, throwing for 461 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception, while rushing for 561 yards and 13 touchdowns. Lincoln Thury has 236 receiving yards and six touchdowns, plus 50 tackles on defense. Rucktaeschel has 63 tackles and three interceptions on defense. Avon, which has won five nine-man state championships with the last coming in 2013, open the playoffs against Estelline/Hendricks in the first round. The Pirates were slated to play in the 2020 playoffs but had to withdraw to COVID-19 protocols. Ironically, they’ll meet Estelline/Hendricks this year, the team that was supposed to replace Avon last year but had to forfeit the game with Corsica-Stickney as well.

the postseason gets underway against No. 2-seeded Faulkton Area (6-2). It is Colome’s first appearance in the playoffs since 2018, when the undefeated Cowboys won the Class 9B championship in a drama-filled 48-42 overtime victory over Sully Buttes. The Cowboys are 1-7 on the year, with their only win coming Aug. 27 against Sunshine Bible Academy in a 36-12 triumph. The Cowboys are averaging about 200 yards per game and 10.8 points per contest. Eli Vobr has thrown for 524 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Kash Heath has rushed for 575 yards and five touchdowns, while making five interceptions on defense. Billy Looking Cloud has been among the top receiving targets with 307 yards through the air. Among teams in the Class 9B playoffs, Colome played the sixth-toughest schedule during the regular season, based on opponents’ winning percentage. The Cowboys and Trojans will meet in Faulkton in the first round of the Class 9B playoffs. The teams — which are 152 miles apart — did not have a common opponent during the regular season. A victory would also deliver Colome its Colome first road win since the The Colome Cowboys 2018 season. will look to play the role of Class 9B spoiler when QUALIFIERS: Page 11

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Mitchell Republic • 11

Prep Football Playoff Preview

QUALIFIERS From Page 10

Corsica-Stickney

Corsica-Stickney, the 12th seed in the Class 9B playoffs, started off the season 0-4 but ended the regular season winning two of its last four games. The Jaguars score 22 points per game, averaging 282 yards per contest, gaining 146 yards rushing and 136 yards passing per game. The defense is allowing 333 yards per game, 243 of those yards on Marcus Traxler / Republic the ground. Corsica-Stickney’s Caden VanDrongelen carries the football during a nine-man football game Oct. 7 Quarterbacks Tyson Wentland and Shad in Burke. Bosma each have thrown at least 65 passes, have passed for more LOCALLY OWNED than 500 yards and have completed better AND OPERATED FOR

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12 • The Mitchell Republic • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

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. (Class 11AAA, 11AA and 11A schools have eight-team brack-

ets and will begin postseason play with the quarterfinals on Thursday, Oct. 28.) New to the postseason this year is there will be no re-seeding at any point during the playoffs for Class 11B and the nine-man divisions.

Howard's John Callies follows his blockers carrying the ball as Hanson's Hayden Schroeder tries to chase him down from behind during a game on Oct. 15 in Alexandria.

Matt Gade / Republic

11B

9AA

CLASS 11B

First-round games — Thursday, Oct. 21

CLASS 9AA

Upper bracket No. 16 Clark/Willow Lake (4-4) at No. 1 Winner (8-0) No. 9 McCook Central/Montrose (6-2) at No. 8 Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central (5-3) No. 12 St. Thomas More (5-3) at No. 5 Elk Point-Jefferson (6-2) No. 13 Wagner (5-3) at No. 4 Groton Area (7-1) Lower bracket No. 15 Deuel (5-3) at No. 2 Sioux Valley (7-1) No. 10 Hot Springs (7-1) at No. 7 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (5-3) No. 14 Beresford (5-3) at No. 3 Mount Vernon/Plankinton (7-1) No. 11 Redfield (5-3) at No. 6 Aberdeen Roncalli (6-2)

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First-round games — Thursday, Oct. 21

Upper bracket No. 16 Elkton-Lake Benton (3-5) at No. 1 Hanson (7-1) No. 9 Platte-Geddes (6-2) at No. 8 Chester Area (6-2) No. 13 Stanley County (5-4) at No. 4 Lyman (7-1) No. 12 Leola/Frederick Area (4-4) at No. 5 Timber Lake (7-1) Lower bracket No. 15 Bon Homme (3-5) at No. 2 Parkston (6-2) No. 10 Garretson (4-4) at No. 7 Hamlin (7-2) No. 14 Lemmon/McIntosh (4-4) at No. 3 Ipswich (7-1) No. 11 Canistota/Freeman (4-4) at No. 6 Florence/Henry (7-1)

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Mitchell Republic • 13

Prep Football Playoff Preview

9A CLASS 9A

First-round games — Thursday, Oct. 21

Upper bracket No. 16 Northwestern (2-6) at No. 1 Herreid/Selby Area (9-0) No. 9 Castlewood (5-3) at No. 8 Kadoka Area (5-3) No. 13 Britton-Hecla (3-5) at No. 4 De Smet (8-0) No. 12 Philip (3-5) at No. 5 Warner (5-3) Lower bracket No. 15 Kimball/White Lake (2-6) at No. 2 Howard (8-0) No. 10 Oldham-Ramona/Rutland (4-4) at No. 7 Wolsey-Wessington (5-3) No. 14 North Central (3-6) at No. 3 Wall (8-0) No. 11 Burke (5-3) at No. 6 Gregory (5-3)

9B CLASS 9B

First-round games — Thursday, Oct. 21

Upper bracket No. 16 Estelline/Hendricks (1-7) at No. 1 Avon (8-0) No. 9 Sully Buttes (4-4) at No. 8 Alcester-Hudson (4-3) No. 13 Langford Area (1-7) at No. 4 Gayville-Volin (5-2) No. 12 Corsica-Stickney (2-6) at No. 5 Dell Rapids St. Mary (4-3) Lower bracket No. 15 Colome (1-7) at No. 2 Faulkton Area (6-2) No. 10 New Underwood (3-4) at No. 7 Harding County (5-3) No. 14 Jones County (1-7) at No. 3 Potter County (7-2) No. 11 Faith (3-5) at No. 6 Hitchcock-Tulare (6-3)

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCHEDULE All games at DakotaDome, Vermillion Thursday, Nov. 11 Class 9B, 10 a.m. Class 9A, 2 p.m. Class 9AA, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12 Class 11B, 10 a.m. Class 11A, 2 p.m. Class 11AA, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13 Class 11AAA, 7 p.m.

Top: Parkston’s Luke Bormann (11) makes an interception on a pass intended for Platte-Geddes’ Trevor Rolland (26) during a Class 9AA game on Sept. 10 in Parkston. Bottom: Bon Homme's Karsten Kozak tackles Stanley County's Evan Nordstrom during a game on Sept. 3 in Tyndall. Photos by Matt Gade / Mitchell Republic

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14 • The Mitchell Republic • Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Prep Football Playoff Preview

COLUMN



Trips to the Dome make memories for the ages

The Winner Warriors sideline rushes the field after a pass deflection won the game 18-14 over Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan for the Class 11B state championship game on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 in Vermillion at the DakotaDome. Matt Gade / Republic

40-year anniversary being commemorated in 2021 MARCUS

TRAXLER Assistant Editor



Get to the Dome. This is the 40th anniversary of South Dakota’s high school football playoff, with the first playing of the championship games at the DakotaDome in 1981. For 40 years, that simple mantra has been at the heart of the hard work put in by South Dakota’s football players and their teams. And for

all of the changes in that time in football and high school sports, that goal has not changed much, one that is inspiring for participants, their classmates, their communities and everyone else watching from the stands or on TV. Think about all of the great events or aspects of a team reaching the championship at the Dome. There’s the school pep rallies, the championship game T-shirts, the signage throughout town, the decorated car windows. Classes are canceled and the “last one leaving town, turn out the lights” mental-

ity applies in the communities of 400 or 4,000 supporting a team playing for a championship. A heightened sense of community builds each year for towns whose teams are playing for

titles. And the glamor of going to the DakotaDome makes it that much more. The facility may not be the largest venue with fewer than 10,000 seats, and it may only be half-occupied

for a Thursday morning nine-man game. But for everyone in attendance, the atmosphere is grand. On that day and in that moment, there’s not a bigger stage to be playing on in South Dakota

sports. (What would the last 40 years of state football championships have looked like if there wasn’t a dome in Vermillion?)

DOME: Page 15

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Wednesday, October 20, 2021 • The Mitchell Republic • 15

Prep Football Playoff Preview

Matt Gade / Republic

The Platte-Geddes student section cheers during the Class 9AA state championship game on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020 in Vermillion at the DakotaDome.

DOME From Page 14

Frankly, it’s inspiring. To be an 8-year-old in the stands, watching your local team make a playoff run and play in a game that big is what inspires future players, dreaming about someday getting

to play on that stage. It can also create fans for life, those who are dedicated to following their teams each Friday night. These are the games that are inspiring for a football program, fostering the idea that any program can get to this point with hard work and the right combination of coach-

ing and talent. Look at the recent participants in the championship games and there are examples of newly rising programs, traditional powerhouses and one-year Cinderellas that have put it all together for a generational season. There are a lot of pitfalls of South Dakota having seven classes of high school

football, but allowing extra teams to play for a championship and having that experience is not one of them. One admirable aspect is the exclusivity of getting there. Aside from Vermillion playing its home games in the building during the regular season, there’s one way that high school teams are

playing in the building, and that’s reaching the championship game. Other states in this part of the country move their playoff games to a dome once they reach the semifinals. Not so in South Dakota. Only the seven title games are played in the Dome. There are other big stages in South Dako-

ta high school sports — state basketball and state volleyball, state wrestling, state track and field — all of them great for different reasons, and each with the school spirit outlined above. But for one game to decide a championship, there’s nothing like the hype and the energy on the road to the Dome.

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Prep Football Playoff Preview

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