In Class 11AA, the road to the DakotaDome again goes through Pierre. 

The Governors (8-1) are the No. 1 seed in Class 11AA and are gunning for their seventh consecutive Class 11AA state championship. Since the seven-class system was instituted in 2013, the Governors have won seven state championships. 

Pierre won its sixth straight state championship last season, tying West Central’s record for most consecutive state championships (2000-05). 

Pierre’s dominance in Class 11AA has continued this season. The Governors have outscored their opponents by 28.6 points per game, have pitched three shutouts and are undefeated against Class 11AA teams. Their lone defeat was against Class 11AAA Brandon Valley, a 35-14 setback on Sept. 29. 

Pierre’s road to a seventh consecutive championship starts with a matchup against Spearfish (4-5) in the Class 11AA playoff opener. The Spartans are in the midst of the four-game losing streak, after starting with a 4-1 record. 

Yankton (8-1) and Tea Area (6-3) are the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. Yankton’s lone defeat came against Pierre, a 27-14 setback on Sept. 15. 

The Bucks are eyeing their first trip to Vermillion since winning back-to-back titles in 2014 and ‘15. Yankton will host Huron (4-5) in its playoff opener. The Bucks defeated Huron, 56-21, in the regular-season finale. 

Tea Area has fallen to Pierre in the last two Class 11AA state championships. The Titans lost to Pierre this season, 26-18, on Oct. 13. 

Tea Area also lost to Class 11AAA Sioux Falls O’Gorman (41-30) and Yankton (37-26) this season. Tea Area will host Sturgis (6-3) in its playoff opener on Thursday.

No. 4 Watertown (6-3) and No. 5 Aberdeen Central (4-5) will play in the other Class 11AA quarterfinal contest. The Arrows edged the Golden Eagles, 16-14, on Sept. 29. 

Class 11AA Pairings

No. 1 Pierre (8-1) vs. No. 8 Spearfish (4-5), 7 p.m., CT, in Pierre 

No. 4 Watertown (6-3) vs. 5 Aberdeen Central (4-5), 6 p.m., CT, in Watertown 

No. 2 Yankton (8-1) vs. No. 7 Huron (4-5), 6 p.m., in Yankton

No. 3 Tea Area (6-3) vs. No. 6 Sturgis (6-3), 6 p.m., in Tea