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Simplified: South Dakota football teams are one win away from the championship game at the DakotaDome, and the top teams in 11AAA will duke it out Friday at Howard Wood Field. Here's what we're watching.
The match-ups
In Class 11AAA, it’s the usual suspects in the semifinals. Top-ranked and unbeaten Sioux Falls Jefferson (10-0) plays host to No. 4 Harrisburg (6-4) at Howard Wood Field in the opener on Friday at 5 p.m.
The nightcap has No. 2 Sioux Falls Lincoln (8-2) hosting No. 3 Brandon Valley (8-2) at 7:30 p.m.
Jefferson vs. Harrisburg
Jefferson is searching for its second perfect season in four years. The Cavs have been the class of the field this season in the state’s largest class. Jefferson opened the season with a tall order and a brutal schedule, but the Cavaliers dispatched Harrisburg, Lincoln and Brandon Valley all within the first four weeks.
Since then, it’s been cruise control for the Cavs.
Friday’s game against Harrisburg is a rematch of the season-opener on Aug. 29, a 43-20 Jefferson win in Harrisburg at the annual Tiger Bowl. At the time, the Cavs were ranked No. 3, Harrisburg was No. 4.
Although Jefferson won by three touchdowns, the score was a tad misleading. Harrisburg left 35 points on the board in that game after a pair missed throws in the end zone that looked to easily score, two dropped passes in the end zone, and a fumble at the Jefferson two-yard line.
“We had our chances in that game,” Harrisburg head coach Brandon White said. “I don’t know if the score does it justice. If we can convert a few of those, it’s a whole different ball game.”
But clearly that win for the Cavs wasn’t a fluke. They’ve been surging all season, averaging 47.7 points per game, and they haven’t taken their foot off the gas pedal.
“Their tempo is hard to replicate,” White said. “They play just so fast.”
Jefferson head coach Eric Struck agreed that the season-opening score was a bit deceiving with the number of close calls the Tigers had to score.
Despite Harrisburg’s four losses, Struck said the Tigers have Jefferson’s attention.
“They’re obviously a good program,” he said of Harrisburg, who won the 11AAA title in 2021. “Any time there’s a good program, they have an understanding, a culture of what it takes to be successful and how to play in these kinds of games with a lot at stake. They’re going to be ready. They’re going to play hard.”
Lincoln vs. Brandon Valley
Meanwhile, the other semifinal game is a rematch of the last two title games when Lincoln hosts Brandon Valley.
The Patriots defeated Brandon Valley 31-21 in the 2024 championship game at the Dome. The Lynx got revenge last year, winning 34-27 over Lincoln.
Friday’s game is intriguing, simply because of the roller coaster these two teams have been on this season. Lincoln opened the season No. 1, but lost two of its first three games, dropping to No. 5 in the polls.
Brandon Valley was No. 2 at the start of the season, jumped to No. 1 after Lincoln’s season-opening loss to O’Gorman, but then fell to No. 3 after losses to Jefferson and Lincoln.
The loss to Lincoln was a no-doubter for the Patriots back on Oct. 16. Senior quarterback Brody Schafer went wild against the Lynx, throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for one more.
“They amplify mistakes,” Brandon Valley head coach Matt Christensen said. “Brody amplifies mistakes, and he blows them up. When you make mistakes, he spots them, and gets it done.”
Despite that win and the current seven-game winning streak the Patriots are on, Lincoln head coach Jared Fredenburg said they’re not looking past the Lynx.
In last year’s title game, it was a dominating front from Brandon Valley that wore the Patriots down on both sides of the ball.
“Wash, rinse, repeat,” Fredenburg said. “They seem to trot out the same team every year. They’re big, they’re well coached. They start with the run game and they grind you into the ground.”
Other semifinal games around the state
Class 11AA
No. 1 Pierre vs. No. 5 Sturgis - Pierre (10-0) has won eight of the last nine state titles. They’ll play a Sturgis team that has never won a state title. The Scoopers (7-3) have been to the Dome just once, a runner-up finish in 1983 to Brookings.
No. 2 Yankton vs. No. 3 Watertown - Yankton has just two losses on the season, one to unbeaten Pierre, the other to Watertown on Sept. 25. The Bucks have eight state titles, but none since 2015. Watertown (7-3) defeated Pierre in the 2024 championship game, the Govs’ only hiccup for nearly a decade.
Class 11A
No. 1 SF Christian vs. No. 5 Dell Rapids - The Chargers are in search for their second straight championship, and SFC (10-0) has been cruising this season. The Chargers are averaging 39.7 points per game, but were held to a season low 28 earlier this year against Dell Rapids (7-3). Dells last won a title when they went back-to-back in 2022 and 2023.
No. 2 West Central vs. No. 3 Lennox - West Central limped into the postseason with a loss at Dell Rapids in the regular-season finale. But the Trojans (8-2) responded in a big way last week with a 47-12 win over Dakota Valley. Lennox (8-2) finished runner-up to SF Christian last year, and opened the 2026 with a loss to the Chargers. The Orioles’ only other loss was a 24-12 setback to West Central on Oct. 2.
Class 11B
No. 1 Elk Point-Jefferson vs. No. 4 Winner - EPJ (10-0) has been the clear class of the 11B field this season, outscoring its opponents by an average of 36.4 to 9.3. In their two playoff games so far this season, EPJ has outscored its opponents 70-8. Winner (9-1) has won three titles since 2020 but did not play EPJ in the regular season.
No. 2 St. Thomas More vs. No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake - St. Thomas More (10-0) has also had an easy time in the regular season, outscoring its opponents by an average of 44.2 to 12.2. Clark/Willow Lake (11-0) is nearly as impressive, outscoring its opponents 31.5 to 14.7 this season.
Class 9AA
No. 1 Parkston vs. No. 4 Britton-Hecla - Parkston (10-0) won it all in 2023, and finished runner up in 2022 and 2024. Hoping to return to the Dome, they’ve also been the class of the field this season, holding opponents to just 7.6 points per game. Britton-Hecla (9-1) has been a scoring machine, averaging 42.0 points per game. Clearly, something will have to give in this one.
No. 2 Hamlin vs. No. 3 Platte - Hamlin (9-1) has also had recent success in the DakotaDome. The Chargers have been to the Dome twice since 2020, winning it all in 2024. Overall, Hamlin has six titles, four in 11B, one in 9B, and the 2024 title in 9AA. Platte-Geddes (9-1) won back-to-back titles in 9AA in 2020 and 2021.
Class 9A
No. 5 Bennett County vs. No. 8 Kimball-White Lake - Kimball-White Lake (7-3) pulled the biggest upset around the state last week in the quarterfinals with a 38-0 win over No. 1 Timber Lake. Bennett County (9-1) lost 40-32 to Class 9B No. 1 Wall to open the season, but have rattled off nine straight wins entering Friday’s game.
No. 2 Freeman vs. No. 3 Castlewood - Freeman (10-0) won the 9A title last year as a consolidation of Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy. They’re back to just Freeman now and hope to get back to their championship ways under that moniker when they won titles in 1981, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999. Castlewood (10-0) has one state title, a 9B championship in 1989. They’ve finished runner-up four times.
Class 9B
No. 1 Wall vs. No. 4 Avon - Wall won the 9A title last year and have been rolling this season in 9B at 10-0. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 109-8 in their first two playoff games. Avon (8-2) has six championships to their name, three in 9A and three in 9B including a title in 2023. They finished runner-up last year to Dell Rapids St. Mary’s.
No. 2 Dell Rapids St. Mary’s vs. No 3 Warner - Dell Rapids St. Mary’s has also been in championship form this year. The Cardinals (10-0) are the defending champions and are giving up just 8.4 points per game while scoring at a 50.0 per game clip, both tops in Class 9B. Warner (10-0) should pose a challenge for the Cardinals, also unbeaten in 9B this season. The Monarchs have one state title, a 2023 9A championship. They have finished runner-up four times.
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