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Each season I preview each of the 7 classes of football in South Dakota High School football as we prepare for the season opener on August 18!

Let’s start with Class 9AA. Wall comes in as the defending champions we’ll get to them in a bit. Here’s a look at how I voted in the inaugural media poll this season.

Jandy’s Preseason Top 5 in Class 9AA

1. Howard

The Tigers are coming off a 9-1 season following a state title in 2021 in Class 9A. Although they lost 7 seniors and just three starters return, Howard feels like the favorite in the class. Taiden Hoyer at QB, Luke Koepsell at TE/DE and Karsyn Feldhaus at fullback are key to unlocking this team’s potential. They have added some size with their newcomers, Calvin Halverson, Austin Severson, Carson Hinker, Kade Grocott and Weston Remmers all provide some muscle. Tate Miller, Will Maier and Jackson Remmers will give Howard the power in the backfield which has made them so good in recent years. “We have some good athletes returning,” said Coach Pat Ruml. “We just need to get them some experience, the team chemistry is really good and they have maintained great weight room work ethic this summer.”

 

2. Wall

They had some blue-chip ball carriers last season with Cedar Amiotte leading the way. Although Cedar Amiotte has graduated, they should be able to get big plays from their quarterback Burk Blasius. Burk threw for 2.078 yards and 27 touchdowns and ran for 316 yards and 6 scores. He’ll have to connect with some new targets this season, Wall’s top four receivers all graduated. On defense, Quinn Moon and Burk Blasius will be big time leaders. Head Coach Lex Heathershaw has been fantastic as the leader of Wall who has evolved into a perennial contender in 9AA. This season there are some questions on the offensive line and defense but Coach Heathershaw hopes to have those answered soon, "We are off to a surprisingly good start, everything feels good despite some of the holes we have to fill." Brodi Sundall is a returning all-state player who may start the season out with an injury but hopes to be at his best soon. 

 

3.  Hamlin

The Chargers came up just one game shy of a trip to the dome last season. They return a solid load of returning starters that should give them the edge as they compete this season. Tyson Stevenson now has a year of starting experience at quarterback and gives them a solid passing threat (78-123, 1636 yds, 23 TDs). Luke Fraser will command attention as one of the top players in the class. He rumbled for 1634 yards and 18 TDs last year and was also a big-time receiving threat (14 rec, 368 yds, 7 TD). Evan Stormo, Zach VanMeeteren and Dawson Noem are all big tall targets in the passing game. Alll-state lineman Jameson Nebel along with Noah Smith and Crithian Rodriguez are all back in the trenches. Coach Sheehan has had a lot of success at Hamlin and is set for another great season, “We have a great nucleus of players returning that are very competitive.  They have a great work ethic, and they want to be successful.”

 

4. Parkston

Parkston broke through to the dome last year with a 10-2 record against one of the toughest schedules in 9-man football. Head Coach Matt Grave hopes to continue the Trojans winning ways, “Any team that earns the opportunity to play inside the Dakota Dome understands that is a special environment, but that was last season’s experience. The challenge is to build an unshakeable bond and trust amongst the team so that student-athletes stay focused on the day to day process vs. anticipating the result you want.”

Five starters return on offense and six on defense. Brayden Jervik and Luke Bormann had outstanding seasons running the football for Parkston last year and both return to the backfield. Will Jodozi is an all-state defensive lineman to lead the way on defense. Maddux Brissette, Jaron Nesheim, and Kolter Kramer return with starting experience too. Look for junior Carter Sommer to compete for the quarterback job.

 

5. Elkton-Lake Benton

The Elks went 10-1 last year, they may have been the biggest surprise in the class. Elkton-Lake Benton has several players who contributed to last season’s success. But the biggest question remains, who will replace Ryan Krog at quarterback? Colt Beck has some experience as a sophomore and will do his best to run this offense. Carson Griffith is a 6-4, 210lb senior who is one of the most talented all-around football players in the class. He lines up at tight end on offense and defensive end on the other side of the ball. Tanner Stein, Tanner Drietz and Quinten Poindexter are more talented targets for the Elks. Riddick Westley ran for 769 yards as a sophomore and will improve this season. The line is solid with Teigan Krog, Jackson Smallfield, Taiton Boersma, Quintin Westley and Rylen Coe all could see time up front. The defense could be the tempo-setter for Elkton-Lake Benton. They return almost everyone including Blake De Vries at middle linebacker. Head Coach Ethan Pearson is ready to make a name for themselves again this year, “We had a lot of guys step up big last year, and this year we hope to watch them grow and get better every day of the year. I really like the way our team bonds together; they do a lot of things together outside of football and school, which is fun to watch.”

 

More Contenders

Hanson: The Beavers went 8-2 last year and return 5 starters on offense and defense. Jayce Slaba at QB and Brock Tuttle at FB will supply a lot of offense. Look for Sutton Dewald, Hayden Schroeder and Isayah Price to lead the defense. Coach James Haskamp hopes to have enough depth to continue to contend.

Bon Homme: The Cavaliers lost their final two regular-season games to go 5-3 last year and lost to the eventual champions in the playoffs. Although they have a lot of positions to fill they have some players ready for the challenge. Bon Homme has seven players who started at least a game last year back this season. Easton Mudder is the quarterback with Landon Bares as his main target. Jackson Caba and Chapin Cooper should see time toting the rock. Coach Byron Pudwill has the Cavs ready, “What I like best about our team is that we have 7 different guys on both sides of the ball that have started at some point in the past season. They are coming in with quality varsity experience and can help others around them.”

Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy : Head Coach Dustin Tschetter led a young team to a 7-3 record last season and they have over half their starters back this season to build on that success. Their quarterback Riley Tschetter had a standout freshman year as a starter and is back again. Evan Scharberg, Rocky Ammann,  Dominic Sperling, Christopher Aasen and Sawyer Wipf will be leaders for this group. “We’re hoping to build off our inaugural season last year as a coop,” said Coach Tschetter. “We’ve got some key pieces coming back and we’ve got a lot of talented sophomores who saw action last year as freshman that are ready to step up and contribute.”

Class 9AA Preseason Player of the Year

Burk Blasius, Wall

Burk led the Eagles to a state title last season as a junior. He threw for 2,078 yards and 27 TDs rushed for 316 yards and 6 scores. "He is the leader of this team," said Head Coach Lex Heathershaw. "He is ready for a big season,"

Players to Watch in Class 9AA

Joey Foxley, Platte-Geddes

Luke Fraser, Hamlin

Carson Griffith, Elkton-Lake Benton

Taiden Hoyer, Howard

Brayden Jervik, Parkston

Will Jodozi, Parkston

Jameson Nebel, Hamlin

Jackson Remmers, Howard

Brodi Sundall, Wall

Brock Tuttle, Hanson

 

Jandy’s Preseason Top 5 in Class 9A

In class 9A Gregory lost just one game on their way to a state championship win over Warner 36-23. Those were the only two teams with one-loss last year. This season those two teams figure to work into the championship equation yet again. Here’s how I voted in the preseason media poll.

1. Gregory

The Gorillas lost just once last season and went on a 6 game winning streak after that loss to capture their fifth state title. This season they have four starters on offense back and five on defense to defend their crown. They’ll be quite a bit younger this year but still have the power and potential to win it all.

“These players have a lot of experience and are true competitors and know what it takes to be champions. I am expecting great things from them,” said Coach Mike Muray. “We also have a good crew of young players that are talented and hungry to get on the field on Friday nights and show off what they can do.”

Rylan Peck is coming off a junior season in which he was named all-state and the MVP of the championship game. Trey Murray and Gannon Thomas return to the backfield with newcomer Luke Stukel to power the running game. Kade Braun is the team’s top target in the passing game. On defense Gregory yielded just 12.5 points per game last season and bring back most of their starters including Cruz Klundt in the secondary and Nathan Fortuna on the d-line.

 

2. Warner

The Monarchs have made two trips to the dome in the last three years. They lost about a third of their team to graduation so they’re looking to reload. One key player that they have back is one of the top playmakers in the state, Hunter Cramer.

“Hunter works extremely hard; these kids follow him. It’s nice to have him back and we can build around him,” said Head Coach Kerwin Hoellein.

Look for Brodey Sauerwein at tight end to fill a big role for Warner. He’ll be important in the blocking game as well as the receiving game.

 

3. Castlewood

The Warriors went 7-3 last year with a dynamic group that returns six offensive starters. “We have great speed in the backfield and return most of our line,” said Head Coach Doug Ruesink. That combined with a returning quarterback in Lane Tvedt makes Castlewood a 9A contender. Bryon Laue and Jackson Schofield make dynamic combination of tight ends for Castlewood. Quincy Thu should see a bulk of the carries at running back. Adam Heyn and Mason Kimball return up front.

 

4. Wolsey-Wessington

The Warbirds bring back some key young players that could vault them back into contention in Class 9A. Austin Wyatt, Caleb Richmond and Gabriel Case are a few that have a chance to carry the ball in this multi-faceted offense. They also bring back all-state caliber player in Tate French who had 34 receptions for 636 yards and 6 TDs last season. Caleb and Moshe Richmond both saw playing time early in their high school careers last year will also be threats across the field. Colin Hughes is one of the top defenders in the area after a standout sophomore season last year.

 

5. Canistota

The Hawks competed hard last season against one of the toughest schedules in 9-man football. They came out with a 5-5 record and a heartbreaking loss in Warner to end their season. Six starters return as they try to get back to the top of the class with new head coach Brad Struck. “We return a lot of kids that had to play last season due to injuries which should have them prepared for this upcoming year,” said Struck. Tage Ortman returns for his senior season at quarterback. He’s one of the most versatile players in the class. Cayden Scott is another all-state performer who returns to lead the way. Brady Scott, Levi Schroeder, Brandon Kjetland and Easton Miller should all be impactful players for the Hawks.

 

More contenders

Philip: The Scotties had an impressive 8-2 record last season. Head Coach Chandlier Sudbeck had one of the youngest teams in the class too. Quarterback, Lane Kuchenbecker returns with Ryker Peterson and Layton Terkildsen in the backfield.

Alcester-Hudson: If you’re looking for a surprise team in 9A it might be Alcester-Hudson. They finished 8-2 last season and return 7 starters. “We return a great group of senior players with a ton of experience and playmaking ability,” said Coach Brian Haak. Senior quarterback Mateo Kleinhans could be the key for the Cubs. Last season he threw for 747 yards and 9 TDs, if they can get more balance from the passing game they could be able to get deeper into the playoffs. Dominic VanEgdom is a 6-4 solid athlete at TE/DL. Jose Topete burst onto the scene as a sophomore lineman and fullback last year and could be one of the more dominant players in the class this season. Evan Brown, Aidan Cole, William Hallaway, Gavin Kroll and Aden Moller all will be counted on this season.

Harding County/Bison: The Ranchers fought through a season full of setbacks and injuries and came out with an 8-3 record last season. This year Jay Wammen lines up four returning starters to make another run. Rylee Veal had a breakout sophomore season last year with over 1500 yards rushing and a huge year on defense. Braden Routier, Brennan Glines, Evan Meyer, Nayati Bickerdyke and Slate Page all return as starters this season. “We really like our depth and numbers,” said Coach Wammen. “We should have around 30 kids out for football this year giving us more depth than we are used to.”

 

Class 9A Preseason Player of the Year

Hunter Cramer, Warner

Cramer has been a starter since he was a freshman for Warner. He's led them to the dome twice in his three years at Warner. He rushed for 1361 yards and was a leader on defense for the Monarchs last season. "He's a leader, these kids follow him. It's nice to have him back and we can build around him," said Coach Kerwin Hoellein. 

Players to Watch in Class 9A

Tate French, Wolsey-Wessington

Tage Ortman, Canistota

Rylan Peck, Gregory

Ryker Peterson, Philip

Trey Murray, Gregory

Quincy Thu, Castlewood

Rylee Veal, Harding County/Bison

Jovi Wolf, Chester Area

Lane Tvedt, Castlewood

Dominic VanEgdom, Alcester-Hudson 

 

 

Jandy’s Preseason Top 5 in Class 9B

In Class 9B there is a lot to figure out. Hitchcock-Tulare tore through their schedule on their way to a 12-0 championship season. Herreid/Selby Area collected their third 2^nd place finish in the last four years. No other team lost less than 3 games in the class. Here’s how I voted in the 9B preseason poll.

1. Hitchcock-Tulare

The Patriots leaned heavily on their 6 seniors last season to get them to the state title. However Coach Tom Salmen sees some more potential on the horizon. Erik Salmen, the 200-pound running back, returns to lead the way. He ran for 1,110 yards as a junior last year with 18 TDs. He’ll carry the load on both sides of the ball. Salmen collected 49 tackles with 5 TFL last season. Jackson Maynard, Brendan Nowell and Blaze Binger all return with experience on the defensive side of the ball. The defense should be very good once again this season.

2. Herreid/Selby Area

The Wolverines have become a power program with the consistency that they’ve built over the past five years. Yes, they lose some all-time greats in Brenden Begeman and Tray Hettick, but they have the players waiting in the wings to take their turn. Five starters return on offense including Trevor Gill, and Collin Tisdall who were key parts to their dome run the last couple of years. Cole Zabel, Nathan Schumacher, Mason Vetter and Kaden Sayler all return to the starting lineup as well. Look for Wayde Grage to step in at QB for the Wolverines. “We have some top tier talent on our roster with several returning all-state players and a nucleus of guys who played in high level football games over the past couple seasons,” said Coach Clayton Randall. “I believe returning players are hungry to step into bigger roles and prove what they are capable of doing on Friday nights.”

3. De Smet

The Bulldogs finished 7-4 last season under Head Coach Brendan Pitts. “We have worked really hard in the weight room and hope to see the results and improvement on the field this year,” said Pitts. De Smet brings back QB Britt Carlson and all-state playmaker Kadyn Fast. Look for Ganon Henrich to evolve into their main threat at running back with Trace Van Regenmorter and others contributing to a deep backfield. Tom Aughenbaugh and Kadyn Fast are senior leaders who will be used in the passing game. Sophomore Grant Wilkinson is a 6-6 lineman who has improved strength and should develop into a very good lineman. Overall, the Bulldogs have some talent, but need to improve throughout the season to make a deep playoff run.

4. Faulkton Area

No team has as much continuity as Faulkton does this season. They return 8 starters on offense and have 10 players with starting experience back on defense. “I like our experience that we will put on the field.,” said Head Coach Shayne Geditz. “We also have juniors and sophomores who have been on the field.” They should be able to improve their 4-5 mark from last year with such a seasoned group. Layne Cotton is back at QB. Last season he threw for 1480 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has Garrett Cramer lining up in the backfield with him who ran for 799 yards and 11 TDs. The line is completely intact with Landyn Weber, Gus Kopeckey and Carson Leonhardt and Tristen Baloun, Marshall Koens and Charlie Deiter all will make an impact.

5. Corsica-Stickney

The Jags went 6-3 last season with a very young group. If they can improve with six starters back and one of the top emerging talents in the class, they could be the most improved team in 9B. Head Coach Gregg Olawsky is excited to get started with his backfield, “We return all three backs from last year, we had a successful season last year, and hope to build off last year's momentum.” Waylon Bolle had seven 100-yard rushing games as a freshman last year. He could take charge as one of the top weapons in the class. Carter Wright, Tate Tolsma, Caleb Baumiller and Tyson Wentland should all be impact returning players for C-S.

 

More Contenders:

Dell Rapids St. Mary: The Cardinals don’t have a ton of depth this year but they do have some top end talent with Nic Gaspar and Lucas Flemmer at running back. Mason Ahlers, Keaton Hansen, Lincoln LeBrun, Maverick LeBrun, Owen Vargasand Camden Gilbert all return to the starting lineup. If they can stay healthy, they could be very good.

Kadoka Area: The Kougars have just two returning starters, but don’t let that fool you. They are primed for another successful season. Garrett Hermann returns for his third season as the starting QB and should have a big year. Gus Stout returns as the team’s leading rusher and Lincoln Koehn comes back from an injury and should be one of the top linemen in the class. Cyril Eisenbraun, Kole Hermann, Mason Stilwell, Cayden Patterson and Karson Eisenbraun could emerge as they continue to gain experience.

Avon: The Pirates should have a strong line this year on both sides of the ball. Plus their quarterback Paxton Bierema is back to help improve on their 5-5 record a year ago. Head Coach Justin Lukkes takes over with four starters back. Landon Mudder, Noah Watchorn, and Terran Tolsma will be leaders for the Pirates this season.  

 Sully Buttes: The Chargers graduated two all-state players and have just one senior out for football this year. But head coach, Tom Moore, has five returning starters back, “several of this year’s Juniors played many downs last year as sophomores.  We will be young in some spots but will have several game snaps under the belt.” Wes Wittler has a shot to be the starting QB with Lucas Arcoren, Trever Marshall and Gavin Barber all back to make an impact.

Irene-Wakonda: This team went 5-6 last year but went up against teams in bigger classes all season. They have four starters back on offense and five on defense. Jens Hansen will move into the quarterback position with a strong line in front of him with Brody Van Beek, Jett Kuchta and Max Pollman on the end. Ben Girard, Sam Hansen and Brody Johnke all will be impact players on defense. Head Coach Chris Torgerson knows they have some work to do but is optimistic, “We lost a real good group of seniors, but return a strong core of players. We don't have a lot of depth, so we must stay healthy to be successful. We hope to carry last season’s success into this season and feel that we can if we stay healthy.”

 

Class 9B Preseason Player of the Year

Erik Salmen, Hitchcock-Tulare

Salmen was the leading rusher on last season's state championship team. He ran for 6.2 yards per clip for a total of 1110 yards and 18 TDs. He's also a leader on defense. Last season he had 49 tackles and 3 sacks. "Erik was a huge part of our success last year and will have to be even more of a leader this season," said Head Coach Tom Salmen. 

Players to Watch in Class 9B

Paxton Bierema, Avon

Waylon Bolle, Corsica-Stickney

Garrett Cramer, Faulkton Area

Kadyn Fast, De Smet

Ryder Falkenhagen, Potter County

Nic Gaspar, DR St. Mary

Trevor Gill, Herreid/Selby Area

Jens Hansen, Irene-Wakonda

Garrett Hermann, Kadoka Area

Collin Tisdall, Herreid/Selby Area