Class 9AA Football Playoff Preview: Perennial powers Parkston, Hamlin earn top seeds
Parkston's Mason Jervik (2) runs for a gain against Hanson during the fourth quarter of a high school football game Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 in Alexandria. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)
A similar field of teams sits atop the list of contenders in Class 9AA football. Perennial powers Parkston and Hamlin continue to dominate the nine-man landscape as both teams eye trips to the DakotaDome for the first time in two seasons.
Parkston, the lone undefeated team left in the class, opens as the top seed and will host No. 16 Hill City, in a rematch of its season-opening 54-24 win. Hamlin earned the No. 2 seed and will face No. 15 Stanley County in the first round.
Both teams have loads of playoff experience, with Parkston winning the 9AA state championship in 2023 before falling to Hamlin in the title game in 2024.
Most intriguing first-round matchup
The No. 8 vs. No. 9 game always provides the most intrigue, and this year is no different. Bon Homme enters as the No. 8 seed but is currently on a four-game skid.
The Cavaliers haven’t won a game since Sept. 11, a 40-8 win over Garretson, and have lost to Sioux Falls Lutheran (34-21), Kimball/White Lake (20-14), No. 1 Parkston (50-20) and No. 3 Platte-Geddes (30-16).
Similarly, Viborg-Hurley has slid down the 9AA standings in the back half of the season, dropping four of its last five games. The Cougars lost to Platte-Geddes (55-28), Garretson (35-34), Centerville (52-6) and Baltic (42-18) with the one win in that stretch coming against Sioux Falls Lutheran (32-30).
Fresh faces eye playoff runs in first season in nine-man football
Lead-Deadwood, Baltic and Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan all earned trips to the postseason in its first year of 9-man football. No. 10 Lead-Deadwood will travel across the state to take on No. 7 Great Plains Lutheran, No. 11 Baltic heads to No. 6 Garretson while No. 13 BEE travels north to take on No. 4 Britton-Hecla.
Class 9AA First-Round Pairings
No. 16 Hill City (2-6) at No. 1 Parkston (8-0), 7 p.m., CT, Parkston
No. 9 Viborg-Hurley (4-4) at No. 8 Bon Homme (4-4), 7 p.m., CT, Tyndall
No. 13 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (2-6) at No. 4 Britton-Hecla (7-1), 6 p.m., CT, Britton
No. 12 Sioux Falls Lutheran (3-5) at No. 5 Waubay/Summit (7-1), 7 p.m., CT, Waubay
No. 15 Stanley County (2-6) at No. 2 Hamlin (7-1), 7 p.m., CT, Hayti
No. 10 Lead-Deadwood (4-4) at No. 7 Great Plains Lutheran (6-2), 3 p.m., CT, Watertown
No. 14 Hanson (3-5) at No. 3 Platte-Geddes (7-1), 7 p.m., CT, Platte
No. 11 Baltic (4-4) at No. 6 Garretson (7-1), 7 p.m., CT, Garretson