By 605 Sports Staff

Here is a look at games to watch for this week in South Dakota high school football:

Avon (1-0) at Dell Rapids St. Mary (1-1)

Rankings: Avon is receiving votes in Class 9B; Dell Rapids St. Mary is No. 5 in Class 9B.

Outlook: This matchup is one of the top Class 9B contests on the docket tonight. 

Avon was impressive in its season-opening win over Corsica-Stickney, winning 54-22 behind a balanced offensive attack. Riley Rucktaeschel threw for two touchdowns, while Brady Bierema rushed for 96 yards and two scores. The Pirates piled 436 total yards.

The Cardinals, who were last year’s Class 9B state runner-ups, broke in a host of new starters to start the season. They dropped a 42-8 decision in their opener to Gayville-Volin, but rebounded for a 42-0 win over Alcester-Hudson last week.

Canistota/Freeman (1-1) at Howard (2-0)

Rankings: Canistota/Freeman is No. 2 in Class 9AA; Howard is No. 2 in Class 9A. 

Outlook: The Cornbelt Conference rivals locked horns for two classics last season.

Howard edged Canistota/Freeman, 16-14, in triple overtime in the regular season. But the Pride exacted revenge in the Class 9A semifinals, outlasting the Tigers 12-7 en route to its third straight Class 9A state championship. 

The traditional powers were hit hard by graduation, but they’ve both gotten off to strong starts in 2021. Canistota/Freeman senior running back Isiah Robertson has racked up 158 rushing yards on 30 carries and has two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Tage Ortman has taken the reins of the offense and has produced 233 passing yards, including 149 yards last week against Elkton-Lake Benton. 

For Howard, running backs Ty Beyer and John Callies power the rushing attack, while quarterback Taiden Hoyer engineers the Tiger offense. 

Herreid/Selby Area (2-0) at Timber Lake (2-0)

Rankings: Herreid/Selby Area is No. 4 in Class 9A; Timber Lake is No. 5 in Class 9AA. 

Outlook: The Wolverines and Panthers duked it out last year in a thriller.

Herreid/Selby Area outlasted Timber Lake, 34-32, in overtime as the teams combined for 603 total yards. HSA’s Brenden Begeman erupted for 294 yards and three rushing touchdowns, while Timber Lake’s Hank Kraft logged 127 rushing yards and four total scores.

The dynamic running backs are off to great starts through two games this season. Begeman, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior, is coming off a 100-yard and one touchdown game against Newell. Kraft, a 5-foot-8, 200-pound senior, has 338 rushing yards on 22 carries and four rushing touchdowns. 

The Wolverines also feature junior quarterback Tray Hettick (225 passing yards/5 touchdowns) and senior running back Trey Sayler (149 rushing yards). Timber Lake senior quarterback Kedrick Martin (218 passing yards/3 touchdowns) orchestrates the Panther offense. 

Lyman (1-0) at Sully Buttes (2-0)

Rankings: Lyman is unranked in Class 9AA; Sully Buttes is No. 1 in Class 9B. 

Outlook: The Chargers have catapulted to the No. 1 spot in Class 9B, while Lyman is looking for a marquee win in a crowded Class 9AA field. They’ll meet in Onida in an early-season tilt. 

Sully Buttes is coming off a 30-8 win over Corsica-Stickney last week. Charger junior quarterback Landon Hepker posted 149 rushing yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns for Sully Buttes, which amassed 298 total yards in the win. 

Lyman had a bye last week, but opened the season with a 54-8 win over Lemmon/McIntosh. In the opener, senior running back Colton Collins piled up 135 rushing yards on 13 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Junior quarterback Teagan Gourneau added 123 rushing yards and three total touchdowns for Lyman, which posted 386 total yards.

Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian (0-1) at Wagner (2-0)

Outlook: After taking their lumps in a 57-6 season-opening loss to No. 1 Winner, TDAACDC faces another toughest test against Wagner. The Thunderhawks had a bye last week and some of the kinks have likely been worked out. The Red Raiders are an explosive bunch averaging 53 points per game. Senior quarterback Dustin Honomichi powers the offense and has to throw an incomplete pass this season, completing 21 of 21 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns. 

Scoring highlights from Wagner's win over Bennett County

Sioux Falls O’Gorman (1-0) at Harrisburg (1-0) on Saturday 

Rankings: Harrisburg is No. 1 in Class 11AAA; Sioux Falls O’Gorman is No. 4 in Class 11AAA. 

Outlook: Playing on short rest, Sioux Falls O’Gorman hosts high-powered Harrisburg in a key Class 11AAA battle.

Sioux Falls O’Gorman’s opener against Sioux Falls Roosevelt was rescheduled and rescheduled again, finally finishing on Tuesday evening. O’Gorman’s wait was worth it in a 14-12 win over the Rough Riders. Up next, the Knights will host Jacob Knuth and Harrisburg, which earned a 56-20 win over Pierre in its opener. 

Knuth, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound quarterback committed to Minnesota, passed for 282 yards and four touchdown passes against Pierre. He added two rushing scores against last year’s Class 11AA state champs. 

Harrisburg junior running back Gavin Ross (216 rushing yards/2 touchdowns) and senior wide receiver Lincoln Carlson (146 receiving yards/2 touchdowns) also powered the win. 

Sioux Falls Jefferson (1-0) at Brandon Valley (1-0) on Saturday

Rankings: Brandon Valley is No. 2 in Class 11AAA; Sioux Falls Jefferson is No. 5 in Class 11AAA. 

Outlook: Sioux Falls Jefferson wasted little time securing its first-ever win. The Cavaliers edged Sioux Falls Washington, 17-14, in their first football game in school history last week. Jefferson is powered by junior quarterback Taylen Ashley, who is a former Sioux Falls Roosevelt standout. 

Up next for the first-year program? The defending Class 11AAA state champs. The Lynx held off Rapid City Stevens, 14-0, in their opener. Brandon Valley junior quarterback Lucas Slack accounted for 114 yards and one passing touchdown in the opener.