I can’t wait for the DakotaDome, but I am also kind of bummed. 

We’ve got three more days of South Dakota high school football on Nov. 10-12 in Vermillion. The final three days are what it’s all about for South Dakota football fans, coaches and players. 

However, it also means no more Friday road trips for this road-weary sports reporter. Ugh. 

On Aug. 19, I set out for Howard’s season opener and on Nov. 4 I was off to Presho for Lyman’s semifinal contest. 

They served as bookends for football stops ranging from Wall to Onida to Tulare to Elkton and just about everywhere else in between. It all added up to roughly 1,900 miles of high school football coverage. 

Action from Elkton during a game earlier this season. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

A proud Class B and nine-man product myself, I can't get enough of small-town South Dakota high school sports. The atmosphere, pageantry and fan support are second to none.   

I was again reminded of this during my tour across South Dakota over the past several weeks. I was able to reconnect old friendships, start new relationships and watch teams chase championships. 

Before we kick it off in Vermillion, here’s five of my favorite things during the 13-town expedition through South Dakota covering high school football. 

Favorite tourist stop: Wall Drug Store. Wall has a spiffy turf field, a pretty good football team and of course a famous drug store. So when you have 45 minutes to spare before kickoff, of course you stop at the tourist attraction along Interstate 90. The tourist stop attracts more than two million travelers every year and offers dining, souvenirs, visitor information and, of course, free ice water. The Wall Eagles, meanwhile, have been an attraction for locals the past few seasons and will play in the Class 9AA state championship on Friday. 

Favorite roadside restaurant: Wolsey’s Rollin Wheel Restaurant. I knocked out two games in one day on Sept. 16 in Tulare and Wessington Springs. But after Hitchcock-Tulare blanked Avon, 52-0, in a game that finished at halftime, I needed some time to kill before heading to Wessington Springs. That’s when Wolsey’s Rollin Wheel Restaurant, which sits along U.S. Highway 281, served as a pit stop for an hour. The restaurant has friendly service and fine food. I got a chicken sandwich and a Coke. 

Onida's Blue Goose Sports Pub is filled with South Dakota sports memorabilia. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Favorite sports bar: Onida’s Blue Goose Sports Pub. I can’t get enough of South Dakota sports history, facts and memorabilia. That’s why Onida’s Blue Goose Sports Pub is a must stop. The sports bar, which opened in 2007, is filled with South Dakota sports jerseys, football helmets, equipment, newspaper clippings and all sorts of memorabilia from yesteryear. If you love South Dakota sports, make sure to cross this item off your bucket list. And tell Clark I sent you, he will take good care of you.