In Class 9B, Herreid/Selby Area and Hitchcock-Tulare have separated themselves from the pack, but will a sleeper emerge to spoil a Wolverines vs. Patriots state championship?

Herreid/Selby Area and Hitchcock-Tulare are the last two undefeated teams in Class 9B, while the Wolverines secured the No. 1 seed by 1.500 points. 

Herreid/Selby Area, which is a perennial nine-man contender, is chasing its elusive state football championship. The Wolverines were state runner-ups in 2019 and ‘21, while they reached the semifinals in 2020. 

Hitchcock-Tulare's Erik Salmen carries the ball against Avon on Sept. 16 in Tulare. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Their road to the Dome starts with No. 16 Lemmon/McIntosh and the winner plays Faulkton Area or Avon in the quarterfinal round. 

Last season, the Patriots returned to prominence after hovering around .500 the past four seasons. In last year’s Class 9B playoffs, Hitchcock-Tulare lost to eventual state runner-up Potter County in the quarterfinals. 

The Patriots haven’t lost since and are eyeing their first trip to the DakotaDome since 2010. Hitchcock-Tulare plays No. 15 Jones County in the opening round and the winner plays Dell Rapids St. Mary or Faith in the quarterfinals. 

Avon's Jaden Stahl, right, carries the ball against Hitchcock-Tulare on Sept. 16 in Tulare. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Most intriguing first-round matchup

No. 9 Faulkton Area and No. 8 Avon — a pair of Class 9B semifinalists last season — will clash in the playoff opener this year. 

The Trojans and Pirates both put together 4-4 seasons, with all their losses coming against playoff teams. 

Hitchcock-Tulare is their lone common opponent this season. Avon dropped a 52-0 decision against the Patriots, while Faulkton Area lost by a 50-14 margin. 

Avon, which relies heavily on its rushing attack, averages 26.8 points per game and has given up 23.8 points per game. Faulkton Area, behind its strong passing attack, scores 37.5 points per game and allows 30.6 points per game. 

The Faulkton Area vs. Avon winner plays Lemmon/McIntosh or Herreid/Selby Area in the quarterfinals. 

On the road again

Dell Rapids St. Mary, which won last year’s Class 9B state championship, will be on the road for its playoff opener. But that’s just fine with the Cardinals. 

No. 10 Dell Rapids St. Mary will travel 360 miles and more than five hours to play at No. 7 Faith in the opener. The long treks, however, have become common for the Cardinals in their recent playoff runs. 

Dell Rapids St. Mary picked up road playoff wins in Gayville-Volin and Avon during last year’s state title run. In 2020, the Cardinals were ultimate Road Warriors en route to a Class 9B state runner-up finish. 

Dell Rapids St. Mary won road playoff games against Faith and Kadoka Area (265 miles) in consecutive weeks. The Dell Rapids St. Mary vs. Faith winner plays Hitchcock-Tulare or Jones County in the quarterfinals. 

Class 9B First-Round Pairings

Note: Times are Central

No. 16 Lemmon/McIntosh (2-6) at No. 1 Herreid/Selby Area (8-0), 7 p.m.

No. 9 Faulkton Area (4-4) at No. 8 Avon (4-4), 6 p.m.

No. 13 Potter County (3-5) at No. 4 Sully Buttes (6-2), 7 p.m.

No. 12 Irene-Wakonda (3-5) at No. 5 Corsica-Stickney (6-2), 7 p.m.

No. 15 Jones County (3-5) at No. 2 Hitchcock-Tulare (8-0), 7 p.m.

No. 10 Dell Rapids St. Mary (4-4) at No. 7 Faith (6-2), 6:30 p.m.

No. 14 New Underwood (2-6) at No. 3 Kadoka Area (5-3), 7 p.m.

No. 11 Colome (4-4) at No. 6 De Smet (5-3), 7 p.m.