It’s deja vu in Class 9AA.

All four teams left in the race for a 9AA state championship were the same four teams in this spot a season ago, but with all new matchups this year.

No. 1 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy (10-0) will host No. 5 Hamlin (9-1) in the first semifinal game Friday night in a battle of the two best scoring defenses in the class.

The Phoenix are looking for its first title game appearance in the last year of the co-op after falling to Parkston in last season’s semifinals.

This year, FMFA has run through an extremely tough schedule including four wins over teams still alive in the nine-man playoffs (Parkston, Elkton-Lake Benton, Alcester-Hudson and Avon).

The Phoenix are averaging 48.4 points per game and only allowing 8.9 points per game defensively. The Phoenix defeated Garretson (59-7) and Kimball/White Lake (52-0) in the first two rounds of the playoffs and are led by senior quarterback Riley Tschetter.

But the Phoenix will have a tough opponent in the semifinals going against the defending state champion Hamlin Chargers.

Hamlin has just one blemish on the record this season in a 46-14 loss to Elkton-Lake Benton in the final week of the regular season but have looked just as dominant in every other contest.

The Chargers defense has pitched six shutouts in nine games, including a four-game stretch in the month of September.

Hamlin defeated Scotland-Menno (57-0) and Hill City (52-14) in the first and second rounds of the 9AA playoffs. The Chargers are averaging 44 points per game while giving up 8.9 points per game defensively.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Elkton-Lake Benton (9-1) takes on No. 3 Parkston (9-1) in a semifinal rematch from 2022, a 36-7 win for the Trojans in Elkton.

This season, the Elks’ only loss came against No. 1 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy (42-28) but have won each of its nine games by at least 23 points.

The Elks bolster the highest scoring offense in 9AA football at 48.7 points per game while surrendering just 13.3 points on defense. ELB defeated De Smet (49-0) and Hanson (44-15) in the first two rounds of the playoffs and are led by a dynamic senior duo in quarterback Colt Beck and running back Eliot Erickson.

Beck and Erickson combined for all seven touchdowns in a blowout win over Hamlin earlier this season, including five rushing touchdowns from Beck and two more scores on the ground by Erickson. The Elks have also picked up big wins over Viborg-Hurley (43-0) and Britton-Hecla (36-13).

Parkston will travel north looking to make it back to the DakotaDome for a fourth consecutive season, gunning for its second championship in the last three years.

The Trojans are on a nine game winning streak after taking an early loss to FMFA in the opening week, 20-6, but have knocked off notable teams in Bon Homme (70-21 and 36-7) as well as Platte-Geddes (28-0).

Parkston runs a heavy rushing attack led by Mason Jervik and Gage Reichert.

No. 5 Hamlin at No. 1 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy, 7 p.m., CT

No. 3 Parkston at No. 2 Elkton-Lake Benton, 7 p.m., CT