By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

Howard (7-0) at Hanson (7-0) 

Rankings: Howard is No. 2 in Class 9A; Hanson is No. 1 in Class 9AA. 

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Outlook: There are six undefeated teams in nine-man football and two will clash tonight in Alexandria. 

Howard is one of four undefeated teams in Class 9A, while Hanson is the last unblemished team in Class 9AA. The winner of the Cornbelt Conference matchup will also collect some key seed points as playoff matchups will be announced late Friday night. 

Hanson is coming off a pair of close victories against Chester Area (22-20) and Canistota/Freeman (32-24). Howard, meanwhile, outlasted Garretson (42-35) last week to stay perfect on the season. 

Both teams feature a host of talented running backs. Howard is paced by tailbacks Ty Beyer, John Callies and Karsyn Feldhaus, while quarterback Taiden Hoyer engineers the offense. Hanson counters with running backs Jackson Jarding, Brock Tuttle, Hadley Wallace and quarterback Kade Waldera. 

Chester Area's Stratton Eppard carries the ball against Howard on Sept. 10 in Howard. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Chester Area (5-2) at Garretson (4-3) 

Rankings: Chester Area is No. 3 in Class 9AA; Garretson is receiving votes in Class 9AA. 

Outlook: Two dynamic Class 9AA quarterbacks will be featured in this contest. 

Garretson’s Dylan Kindt has thrown for a school-record 1,806 passing yards and 22 yards this season. He’s also rushed for 377 yards and six touchdowns. Cooper Long has hauled in 818 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions. 

Chester Area quarterback Stratton Eppard has thrown for more than 1,000 yards this season. He’s also rushed for more than 800 yards, while his top target has been all-stater Jovi Wolf. 

The contest also looms large in the Class 9AA standings. Chester Area is ninth in seed points with 41.714, while Garretson is No. 12 with 40.571 points. 

Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central's Clay Olinger carries the ball against Wagner on Sept. 17 in Wagner. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central (5-2) at Mount Vernon/Plankinton (6-1) 

Rankings: Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central and Mount Vernon/Plankinton are receiving votes in Class 11B. 

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Outlook: Two of the top-six teams in Class 11B will collide in Mount Vernon. 

Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central is tied with St. Thomas More for No. 5 in seed points. Mount Vernon/Plankinton is tied with Sioux Valley for No. 3 in Class 11B seed points. MVP is riding a four-game winning streak and is coming off a 54-26 win over Wagner. 

WWSSC picked up a 40-0 win last week against Rapid City Christian and has won four of its past five games. 

WWSSC’s Clay Olinger leads Class 11B in rushing yards with 986 yards and has scored 11 touchdowns on the ground. MVP is powered by quarterback Reed Rus, who has rushed for 408 yards, passed for 378 yards and has 16 total touchdowns. 

Avon's Riley Rucktaeschel (5) makes a pass against Gayville-Volin on Sept. 24 in Gayville. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Hitchcock-Tulare (6-2) at Avon (7-0) 

Rankings: Hitchcock-Tulare is No. 5 in Class 9B; Avon is No. 1 in Class 9B. 

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Outlook: Two offensive juggernauts will collide tonight in Avon. 

Avon is coming off another offensive explosion, a 76-42 win over Centerville last week. The Pirates are averaging 54.8 points per game and have a host of playmakers on offense. Riley Rucktaeschel has passed for 461 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Brady Bierema has rushed for 1,144 yards and 17 scores. 

The Patriots are scoring 47.7 points per game and quarterback Jack Boomsma powers the offensive attack. He’s passed for 657 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for 382 yards and eight more scores. Erik Salmen adds 757 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns out of the backfield. Receiver Landon Puffer has hauled in 413 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions. 

The Pirates are the last undefeated team in Class 9B and are No. 1 in seed points with 44.857 points. Hitchcock-Tulare is sixth in seed points with 41.625 points. 

Sioux Falls Jefferson (4-3) at Harrisburg (7-0)

Rankings: Harrisburg is No. 1 in Class 11AAA; Sioux Falls Jefferson is No. 4 in Class 11AAA.

Outlook: Two of the state’s top quarterbacks headline this Class 11AAA tilt. Harrisburg features Jacob Knuth, while Sioux Falls Jefferson is powered by Taylen Ashley. 

Knuth, a University of Minnesota commit, has passed for 1,574 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder has also rushed for 257 yards and eight touchdowns. Ashley, 6-foot, 170-pounder, has thrown for 1,601 yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 310 yards and six more scores.

The signal callers also have dynamic playmakers at their disposal. Harrisburg’s Gavin Ross has rushed for 1,054 yards and 13 touchdowns, while Lincoln Carlson and Andrew Walter have been Knuth’s primary receivers all season. Jefferson’s Griffin Wilde (716 receiving yards/11 touchdowns) has proven to be Ashley’s top target this season.