KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, SportsFocus on Semifinals

The South Dakota Prep Playoffs have entered "nitty-gritty" time. It is indeed "winning time" as the victors of the semifinal games on Saturday move into the South Dakota High School Football Championships next week (Nov. 10-12) at the DakotaDome.

In round one of the playoffs, my picks resulted in a 39-5 record. I thought, wow, pretty good, right? Well, last week, somehow I managed a 24-0 mark in the second round, pushing my overall mark to  63-5 (.926) for the playoffs. Now, I take my shot at the semifinals. Who do you think will win? Do you agree with me?

Class 11AA

#4 Washington (8-2) at #1 Lincoln (8-2)

Notes: In week two, the two teams met in a memorable game which ranks as one of the classics in Sioux Falls and South Dakota prep football. Lincoln defeated Washington, 37-36, rallying from down 13 in the fourth quarter to win a heart-stopping game in the final seconds. That win ended the 27-game winning streak of the two-time defending champion Warriors. Lincoln, which has outscored opponents, 479 to 219, is averaging 47.9 points per game this . Seeded #1 after a 29-28 regular season finale win over O'Gorman, Aaron Beaver's Patriots rolled past Brookings in the opening round, 61-19. Alex Schultz completed 15–of-20 for 296 yards and four TDs to lead Lincoln.  Most the damage was inflicted by Josh Kunzman, who caught six passes for 182 yards including an 83-yard TD strike and a 16-yard reception. Tight end Scott Mulder had his best game of the season with four receptions for 93 yards and two TDs from different quarterbacks. This season, Alex Schultz has completed 173-of-287 passes for 2,773 yards and 35 TDs with just five interceptions. For his career, he has 460 completions in 819 attempts for 6,497 yards and 64 TDs.  Josh Kunzman has a team-high 59 catches for 1,137 yards and 16 combined TDs (15 receiving). Trey Naasz has 51 catches for 571 yards and nine TDs. Washington, which opened 1-2, has won seven straight games and is one of the hottest teams in South Dakota. Brian Hermanson's Warriors are averaging 35.0 points per game. Last week, they defeated Mitchell, 24-7, as Davonte Clay had 150 yards rushing and two TDs to lead Washington to a playoff win. This is their fifth straight year to advance to the semifinal round. If they win, it will also be the fifth straight time they advance to the finals. Quarterback Jon Hander directs the Warriors attack and has 1,545 yards passing and 14 TDs with just five interceptions. Clay has rushed for 1,095 yards and 15 combined scores. Nate Gerry has 557 yards receiving and nine combined TDs while Keyen Lage has 436 yards receiving and five TDs. Look for this game to again go down to the end. The winner may be the team with the final possession.

Who Wins: Washington, 24-21.

#3 O'Gorman (8-2) at #2 Roosevelt (9-1)

Notes: The two teams had a memorable game in week two when the Rough Riders pulled off an upset of the Knights, 19-14. The win help set the stage for Roosevelt to move to the top of the polls and have a 9-1 record. The Rough Riders own a 396 to 141 scoring edge over opponents this season. They are 2-1 against Sioux Falls schools. Roosevelt rallied behind the cool and poised play of Scott Tyler (1,872 yards passing, 19 TDs) to rally for a heart-stopping 38-37 win over Brandon Valley in the second round of the playoffs. Tyler completed 18-of-24 for 289 yards and two combined TDs. Andrew Smith scored three TDs with 57 yards receiving and 47 yards rushing. Josh Angulo (790 yards receiving, 10 TDs) had six receptions for 107 yards. Down by two points late, Tyler led Roosevelt down to the red zone where Rough Riders' placekicker Derek Granum, one of the state's best, calmly made a 22-yard field goal in the final seconds to help Roosevelt move into the semifinals. O'Gorman has a 388-117 advantage over its opponents and has lost a pair of close games to Sioux Falls rivals (Lincoln, 29-28; Roosevelt, 19-14). In their 54-14 playoff win over Yankton last Monday, the Knights led, 47-0, at halftime. Due to injuries, Nic Steffl, a starting linebacker, took over the reins in the backfield and finished with 192 yards and a pair of TDs (50, 66 yards). Sam Steffl, who had 74 yards and a 51-yard TD run, was injured against Yankton but was part of a rushing attack that finished with 280 yards. Austin Pharis also scored two defensive scores for the Knights. Five times this season, O'Gorman has had at least 320 yards rushing and has two games over 450 (69-497; 44-155; 56-237; 45-284; 48-463; 49-321; 52-381; 54-336; 47-261, 36-280). For the season Steffl has 1,146 yards and 13 TDs while raising his career marks to 2,568 yards and 31 TDs. Quarterback Connor Schaefbauer has completed 28 of 50 passes for 514 yards and nine TDs. A year ago, a missed extra point cost Roosevelt and O'Gorman advanced to the finals at the DakotaDome with a 28-27 decision. Expect another close game between Kim Nelson's Rough Riders and Steve Keuter's Knights, which has eight all-time playoff titles, the most in AA. This game may be decided by a turnover or key play on special teams. Look for Roosevelt to return to the Dome where it won titles in 2006 and 2007. Granum may prove to be the difference again this week.

Who Wins: Roosevelt 27-25

Class 11A

Tea Area (7-3) at Dell Rapids (9-1)
Notes: Tea Area (7-3) has opened the playoffs with two straight shutouts and is playing their best football of the season. They defeated Vermillion in the first round and then rolled past Belle Fourche, 48-0. Now they face the top-ranked and seeded Dell Rapids Quarriers, who sit 9-1 with two straight impressive playoff wins. The Quarriers upended Milbank, 56-29, and last week rolled past Chamberlain, 47-0. Tea Area's Corbin Lawler was impressive with an 87-yard TD run and 35-yard TD pass as Tea Area opened up a 41-0 halftime lead against Belle Fourche. In total, they had five scoring plays of 35 yards or more. Dell Rapids has only a 21-14 loss to 11B #1 Tri-Valley. Since that game, they have won six in a row. Overall, they own a 374 to 131 scoring advantage over opponents.  Zachary Barber, who has nearly 850 yards and 12 TDs, leads Dell Rapids' rushing attack. His twin brother Channing directs the offense which also features standouts in Hunter White, Riley Rinehart and all-state performer Cole Langer, who returned to action the last regular season game. He is going both ways and will be a force in this game. In an earlier matchup on Sept. 30, Dell Rapids won 42-21. Look for Tea Area to stay close near halftime and then the Quarriers speed and group of outstanding athletes will take over.

Who Wins: Dell Rapids, 42-20.

Spearfish (7-4) at West Central (9-1)

Notes: Fourth-ranked Spearfish and second-ranked West Central will be feature two outstanding offenses and defenses that are fast and physical. Spearfish has a 7-4 record with three losses to AA teams and a 25-20 loss to St. Thomas More in the season opener. They have outscored opponents, 367 to 124, this season. They own a 45-0 win over Pine Ridge and then ended unbeaten and third-ranked Todd County's season with a 61-6 win. Spearfish is led by Brandon Kemp with 927 passing yards and 13 TDs. Nate Rotert leads the rushing attack with 963 yards and 12 TDs. Luke Marcoe has 777 rushing yards and 13 TDs.  West Central, which has won seven straight since a 35-18 loss to top-ranked Dell Rapids, has outscored opponents, 359-117. Kent Mueller's team has record a 28-0 win over third-ranked Sisseton in round one of the playoffs and a 30-13 decision over Dakota Valley in round two. The Trojans, which has a South Dakota record 11 state playoff titles, are led by Devon Blaine (1,150, 10 TDs) and Dalton Kuehl (834 yards, 13 TDs) on the ground. Connor Miles has had a solid season coordinating the offense. Josh Auble and Andrew Ideker help make West Central's rushing attack deep, fast and tough to stop. Look for West Central to return to the Dome with a hard-fought win.

Who Wins: West Central 28-22

Class 11B

St. Thomas More (9-1) at Tri-Valley (10-0)

Notes: The Cavaliers have one loss this season to the other unbeaten 11B team – Winner. Now they face Tri-Valley, also unbeaten and top-ranked. The Cavaliers, who are averaging 37.8 points per game, have two its playoff games by a 99-7 margin over Lead-Deadwood (57-7) and Custer (42-0). They are led by Jake Sullivan who has thrown for 1,539 yards and 19 TDs with just two interceptions. He has also rushed 627 yards and six TDs. Also Taton Bolton is a force in the backfield with 832 yards and 13 TDs. Tri-Valley has won 10 straight games to open the season. Brad McDonald's squad has been ranked #1 in the KSFY/KSWN poll all season. They opened the playoffs with a 34-14 win over Garretson and then defeated Mobridge-Pollock, 47-0. This season, the Mustangs have a 388 to 87 scoring advantage over its opponents. Tri-Valley is led by quarterback Brett Page and a deep and talented running core led by Cooper Hausman (134 yards last week) and Kyle Erickson (107 yards last week). Look for Tri-Valley to win behind its powerful rushing attack and shutdown defense.

Who Wins: Tri-Valley, 34-17.

McCook Central/Montrose (9-1) at Winner (10-0)

Notes: Fifth-ranked McCook Central is on a roll and faces unbeaten and second-ranked Winner team. Both teams have strong rushing attacks with Winner featuring a deep squad led by Kyle Bertram and Ben Connot. McCook Central/Montrose has won eight straight games and owns a 279 to 48 scoring advantage. They are led by Andy Kappenman, who has 1,340 rushing yards and 18 TDs. Both teams have outstanding defenses. MC/M has won its two playoff games over Flandreau (28-7) and Groton (29-6), two ranked teams, by a 57-13 margin. Last week, Kappenman had 113 yards and one TD to lead the Fighting Cougars to a 29-6 win over Groton. Gavin Gassman had 12 carries for 81 yards and one TD and threw for 62 yards a score. Dominic Blindert added 73 yards and one TD and had 51 yards receiving and a TD.  Winner owns a 77-30 advantage over its two playoff foes Wagner and Canton. Connot finished with 185 yards and TD runs of 73 and 52 yards. Quarterback Tanner Fritz was two-for-three passing for 90 yards and two TDs. Kyle Bertram had 10 carries for 112 yards and two TDs. Winner ran 35 times for 431 yards as a team. The Warriors have a 356 to 56 scoring edge over its opponents and has won two playoff games by a 77-30 margin. Bertram leads the Winner attack with 894 yards rushing and nine TDs while Connott has 18 combined TDs and 712 rushing yards. Austin Calhoon has added 526 yards rushing and four TDs. Both teams need to avoid turnovers. Look for Dan Aaker's crew to pull out this physical matchup that will go down to the end.

Who Wins: Winner, 21-20.

Class 9AA

Leola-Frederick (9-1) at Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (9-1)

Notes: Third-ranked Leola/Frederick is led by quarterback Tyler Hoffman and running back Andrew Hoffman. They have rolled to a 9-1 season with a 405 to 148 scoring edge in 10 games this season. They defeated Tri-State, 57-7, and then edged past a game Miller team, 20-12, in their two playoff wins. In its win over Miller, L/F rushed for 321 yards. They broke a tie with a fourth-quarter TD run by Brian Sumption. Tyler Hoffman passed for 40 yards and had a TD run while Andrew Hoffman had 122 yards rushing. Six times this season they have scored over 40 points and only have a 33-20 loss to Warner.  However to advance to the Dome, L/F must deal with 9AA's top team all season, Bridgewater/Emery/Ethan, which has defeated two playoff opponents, 114-20. They defeated Gregory, 68-16, in round one of the playoffs and then ran past Howard, 46-6. The defending state champions are led by Kendall Lindeman and Anthony Huber, a pair of running backs, who both have surpassed 1,000 yards. Lindeman has 1,522 rushing yards with 22 total TDs while Huber has 1,209 yards rushing and 17 TDs. Quarterback Jace Connor has nine total TDs while Seth Wethor has five TDs, including one by punt return and three by kickoff returns. L/F may stay close early but BEE is the best team in this class and will use its outstanding rushing attack and shutdown defense to return to the DakotaDome.

Who Wins: BEE, 36-14.

Deubrook Area (8-2) at Kimball-White Lake (8-2)

Notes: Deubrook Area, which has won four straight games, has a 339 to 134 scoring advantage over opponents. The Dolphins have a 17-14 win over White River (Monday) and a 59-0 conquest of Great Plains Lutheran (first round) in the playoffs. Quarterback Trever Petersen (1,020 passing yards, 12 TDs) threw for 116 yards, including a 52-yard scoring strike to Dustin Trooien, and kicked a 31-yard field goal at the end of the first half lead Deubrook Area to a 17-14 win over White River, one of the most explosive 9AA teams this season. Ryan Knutson led the rushing attack with 18 carries for 114 yards and one TD. This season Dylan Schwartz leads the Dolphins with 855 yards rushing and 12 TDs. Kimball/White Lake, which owns a 355 to 204 scoring edge over opponents, has defeated Andes Central, 46-6, and Gettysburg/Hoven, 31-14. In the win over the Battlers, Trevor Reinesch had 120 yards rushing and three TDs while Jacob Kirsch had 87 yards and a TD for the Wildcats, which rushed for 285 yards. This is another game that will be decided by the team that can establish the better running attack, especially if the conditions include snow, rain and wind. Look for the game to stay close and the Wildcats to pull it out.

Who Wins: Kimball/White Lake, 23-19.

Class 9A

Hanson (7-3) at Canistota (10-0)
Notes: Earlier this season Canistota defeated Hanson, 48-0. However, it appears that Hanson knows that it is winning time. This matchup pits the 2010 9A champion Hanson against the 2010 9B titlist, Canistota, now in Class A. Hanson has won three straight titles in two classes (two straight in 9A). Yet it is hard to figure out how the defending champs, Hanson, find a way to beat the explosive Hawks, which ended its second round game at halftime in its 52-0 rout of Herreid/Selby. Canistota has a 22-game winning streak and has won three straight games by shutout. In its six playoff games over the past two years, they own a 338-20 advantage. This season overall, they own a 512 to 55 scoring edge over opponents. Cody Bunger (765 yards passing, 16 TDs, 1 int., 966 yards and 14 rushing TDs), Alex Robertson (797 rushing yards, 14 combined TDs) and Troy Hofer (690 rushing yards, 14 TDs) lead the Hawks. Reid Smith and Jordan Craig are players to watch for Hanson, which has won five straight and own a 278 to 201 scoring advantage over opponents. The Beavers have defeated two straight ranked opponents (#2 Colman/Egan, 22-0, first round; and #3 Wilmot, 28-22, second round). Canistota could be the best 9-man team across all classes this year and ranks as one of the best all-time. In the last 22 games, they have nearly 1,200 points.

Who Wins: Canistota, 48-18

Corsica-Stickney (8-2) at Wall (10-0)

Notes: Corsica/Stickney has won its two playoff games by a 84-32 margin. Overall, they have 353 to 164 scoring edge over its opponents. Last week, Ryan Hongslo had 200 yards rushing and a TD as the Jaguars defeated Warner, 34-20. Overall the Jaguars, led by signal caller Adam Borman, had 367 rushing yards. Borman had three TD runs while Gunner BaanHofman had 98 yards and a 42-yard TD run. Corsica/Stickney will face the unbeaten and fourth-ranked Wall squad, led by one of the state's top running backs in Chavis Shull, who is on the verge of 2,000 yards rushing with 1,913 yards and 28 combined TDs. Last week, he had 180 yards rushing while Taylor Trask added 167 as Wall had 352 yards in a 22-16 win over fifth-ranked Irene/Wakonda. Wall, who defeated Lyman, 34-8 in the first round, averages 35.1 points per game. Both teams are explosive and feature outstanding rushing attacks. Look for this game to be decided late in the fourth quarter.

Who Wins: Wall, 26-24.

Class 9B

Viborg-Hurley (8-2) at Waverly-South Shore (10-0)
Notes: This is one of two outstanding 9B matchups, featuring the top-four ranked teams. Third-ranked Viborg-Hurley has outscored opponents, 444 to 146. John Nyhaug's Vikings have outscored two playoffs opponents, 111 to 34. They are led by on the ground by Tyler Gerdes with 771 yards and 19 total TDs. Matt Jensen has 575 rushing yards and 16 TDs. Also the Vikings have one of the state's top receivers in Dennis Deneui who has 773 yards receiving and 10 TDs. Waverly/South Shore, which owns a 106 to 6 scoring edge in two playoff wins, is averaging 55.6 points per game this season. Billy Kirch's Coyotes have outscored foes, 558 to 101. The Coyotes are led by Taylor Zemlicka, a quarterback who has thrown for 1,913 yards and 42 combined TDs (29 throwing, 13 rushing). He has 106 career combined TDs. Brent Zemlicka rushed for 1,479 yards rushing and 26 combined TDs this season. The third part of the Zemlicka trio is Tyson, Taylor's twin brother, who 40 catches for 683 yards and 14 TDs this season and ranks first all-time in receptions in 9-man football.  Another standout Sam Pond has 679 receiving yards and seven scores. This should be one of the best games of the night, unless weather slows down the offenses. Look for a lot of points on Saturday.

Who Wins: Waverly-South Shore, 46-30.

Avon (9-1) at Harding County (9-1)

Notes: Both teams have long traditions of success in the playoffs including numerous appearances in the DakotaDome. Second-ranked Avon (four playoff titles) and fourth-ranked Harding County (0ne title) have opened the playoffs with a pair of impressive wins. Avon defeated Dell Rapids St. Mary, 42-6, as Jackson Powers had a season and perhaps career best performance with 235 yards rushing and five TDs. In the opening round, they dispatched of Estelline, 48-6. The Pirates feature a triple option offense keyed by Nick Poppe. In the backfield Powers and Duffy Ducheneaux are part of a talented corps. Harding County, which has outscored playoffs foes Colome and Dupree, 106-12, is led by Chek Giannonatti, who has rushed for 1,583 yards and has 28 combined TDs. Quarterback Jess Feist has 785 yards rushing and 13 TDs along with 1,187 yards throwing and 12 TDs (only three interceptions).

Who Wins: Avon, 38-33.