Only the best of the best remain in the Class 11B semifinals.

Each of the top-4 seeds in 11B football have made the 11B semifinals, giving us unfamiliar matchups on both sides of the bracket.

On the bottom half of the bracket, No. 2 St. Thomas More (10-0) hosts No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake (9-1) in a matchup of two top-tier defenses in 11B football.

In fact, each squad holds the two best scoring defenses in the class, with STM allowing just 3.7 points per game while the Cyclones give up just 8.2 points per contest as well.

STM is still gunning for its first state football championship despite making it to Vermillion six times in the past two decades. But this Cavalier squad is playing hungrier than ever, outscoring opponents 413-37 in 10 games this season.

That includes six consecutive shutouts to end the regular season.

STM defeated Hot Springs (38-7) and Mount Vernon-Plankinton (31-8) in the first two rounds of the playoffs and are led by sophomore quarterback Noah Wald.

The Cavs will host Clark/Willow Lake in an East River vs. West River matchup Friday in Rapid City.

The Cyclones only loss this season came against Sioux Valley (22-8) but were able to avenge that loss just two weeks later, defeating the Cossacks 26-8 on its home field.

CWL comes into the semifinals on an eight-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 259-60 in that stretch.

The Cyclones have knocked off some of 11B’s best this year, including Deuel (20-14), Mobridge-Pollock (44-6) and most recently Winner (30-12) in the quarterfinals.

CWL is led by junior quarterback Joey Ries and a pair of all-conference backs in Emmerson Larson and Jakob Steen.

The top-seeded Elk Point-Jefferson Huskies (10-0) will host No. 4 Deuel (9-1) in the first semifinal matchup Friday.

The Huskies have looked like one of the best teams in the class all season long, averaging 44.1 points per game while allowing just 12 points per contest defensively. In fact, EPJ has beaten every opponent this season by double digits, with the closest win coming against Winner (20-8) on Sept. 12.

EPJ picked up big wins this season over Mount Vernon-Plankinton (32-14) and Wagner (48-0) before defeating Flandreau (42-14) and Sioux Valley (49-14) in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

EPJ sophomore Aiden Hammitt tallied 120 yards and two touchdowns on four carries against Sioux Valley last Thursday, Brody VanRoekel added 63 yards and two more scores on seven carries, Beau Schmitz tacked on 101 yards and a score on eight carries while quarterback Levi Hanson hit Hammitt for an 84-yard touchdown pass in the win as well.

The Huskies will face a tough Deuel team that has taken another step from its six win season a year ago.

The Cardinals, led by junior quarterback Aidan Sievers in his second season as QB1, have rolled to a 9-1 record including wins over Mobridge-Pollock (40-35) and Sioux Valley (46-40). In the playoffs so far, Deuel defeated McCook Central-Montrose (36-20) and Wagner (27-12).

The Cardinals only loss of the season came against Clark/Willow Lake, 20-14, on Oct. 3 on a go-ahead touchdown with a minute to go in the game.

Deuel is averaging 31.8 points while allowing 18.1 points per contest and are led by junior duo of Sievers and running back Gavin Kloos. Kloos totaled 107 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the quarterfinal win over Wagner last week. 

Sievers tossed for 86 yards, completing five passes to Oliver Fieber for 52 yards. Carson Marko led the Deuel defense with 11 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery while Troy Jenson was a lockdown defensive back, totaling two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.

No. 4 Deuel at No. 1 Elk Point-Jefferson, 7 p.m., CT

No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake at No. 2 St. Thomas More, 6 p.m., MT