Recent championship contenders are aplenty in Class 9AA.

In the state’s largest nine-man class, four teams with strong championship pedigrees remain and it will make for an enticing semifinal round. 

No. 1 Parkston (10-0) will host No. 4 Hamlin (9-1) at 7 p.m. CT and No. 2 Platte-Geddes (9-1) will host No. 3 Howard (9-1) at 7 p.m. CT. The final four teams have all recently reached the DakotaDome in Vermillion. 

Parkston lost last season’s Class 9AA state championship game against Wall, a 34-14 defeat. The Trojans have not dropped a game since and have allowed just 20 points this season. Parkston has recorded eight shutouts this season, including six straight. The Trojans are scoring 45.6 points per game, while they have allowed just two points per game on defense.

Hamlin last qualified for the Class 9AA state championship in 2020, a 42-12 loss against Platte-Geddes. The Chargers lost to Wall in last season’s Class 9AA semifinals, 26-13.

Hamlin is right back in the state championship picture and dropped just one game this season, a 22-13 setback against Class 9A No. 1 Warner. 

The Chargers avenged last season’s semifinal loss against Wall last week, a 28-7 win in the quarterfinals. Hamlin is scoring 45.7 points per game and is allowing 7.5 points per game on defense.

Another intriguing semifinal contest pits two more nine-man powers against each other.

Platte-Geddes's Jye Bailey (3) carries the ball against Canistota earlier this season. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Platte-Geddes won back-to-back Class 9AA state championships in 2020 and ‘21. The Black Panthers lost in last season’s first round, but have returned to the form this year.

Platte-Geddes lost to Parkston, 46-0, in the season opener. But have gone undefeated since and went undefeated against the rest of their Missouri Valley Conference foes. The Black Panthers defeated Freeman-Marion-Freeman Academy in last week’s quarterfinal round, 34-6. 

Howard won the 2021 Class 9A state championship and is back in the mix this season. The Tigers dropped a 30-18 decision against Cornbelt Conference foe Canistota on Aug. 25. Howard has not lost since and held off a tough Elkton-Lake Benton squad in the quarterfinals, 28-8. 

Howard's Taiden Hoyer carries the ball against Hanson earlier this season in Alexandria. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)