By 605 Sports Staff

Hanson at Howard

Nine-man pundits have had this one circled all offseason. 

Hanson and Howard — a pair of Class 9AA powers and Cornbelt Conference foes — will clash in a season opener oozing with intrigue. Howard captured last season’s Class 9A state title, while Hanson returns a bulk of last year’s Class 9AA quarterfinal team. 

The Tigers are powered by quarterback Taiden Hoyer, running backs Karsyn Feldhaus, Karsten Hamilton and Griffin Clubb and tight end Atticus Darnell. The Beavers counter with a three-headed rushing attack of Hadley Wallace, Brock Tuttle and Jackson Jarding. 

Howard won last season's contest, a 26-0 win in Alexandria. 

De Smet at Castlewood

Two Dakota Valley Conference foes will square off in their season openers. 

De Smet, a Class 9A semifinalist, dropped down to Class 9B and was ranked No. 4 in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs return lineman Damon Wilkinson, a 6-foot-10 and 260-pound all-stater drawing interest from college football teams. Wilkinson, also an all-state basketball player, will open running lanes for running back Kadyn Fast, who was an honorable mention all-state selection last fall. 

The Warriors were unranked in the Class 9A poll, but were among the teams receiving votes in the first rankings. Castlewood all-stater Carson Kirwan tore his ACL last winter and will be unavailable for the season opener. 

De Smet has won three straight in the series, including a 60-7 victory last season. 

Groton Area at Aberdeen Roncalli

In the offseason, Aberdeen Roncalli announced it would play home games at Northern State University’s Dacotah Bank Stadium, a 4,500-seat venue that opened last season. 

They’ll kick off the 2022 season against Northeast Conference rival Groton Area at the multi-million dollar complex. 

The contest will feature a pair of dynamic quarterbacks in Roncalli’s Jackson Isakson and Groton Area’s Lane Tietz, who are surrounded by a host of playmakers.

The Tigers handed Roncalli a 26-9 defeat last season.

Winner at Tri-Valley

Winner, which has won the past two Class 11B state championships, will open its 2022 campaign against an old foe. 

The Warriors and Mustangs haven’t played since 2016, a 40-0 Winner victory in the Class 11B quarterfinals. The two teams have also met in Class 11B championship games in the past, with Winner claiming titles over Tri-Valley in 2009, ‘12 and ‘15. Winner is ranked No. 1 in the preseason Class 11B poll, while Tri-Valley was an honorable mention selection. 

Winner is headlined by Class 11B Joe Robbie MVP Aiden Barfuss and Riley Orel, along with its traditional dominant offensive and defensive lines. 

Tri-Valley is back in Class 11B after spending the past five seasons in Class 11A. The Mustangs return a stable of skill players, including running back Eli McFarland.

Faulkton Area at Ipswich 

Faulkton Area and Ipswich — a pair of Lake Region Conference foes — will lock horns in their 2022 season openers. 

The two teams are both receiving votes in the preseason rankings, Ipswich in Class 9AA and Faulkton Area in Class 9B. 

Ipswich, a 2021 Class 9AA quarterfinalist, will be powered by quarterback Ian Beyers and running back Tyler Hettich. Faulkton Area, a 2021 Class 9B semifinalist, is headlined by running back Garrett Cramer. 

Ipswich won last year’s meeting, 20-6.