Lyman at Wall 

A pair of top-five, undefeated rivals will tangle in Wall on Friday.

Class 9AA No. 2 Wall is 5-0, with three shutouts in those five games. The Eagles have only given up 28 points defensively for the season, and feature a potent offense led by junior quarterback Burk Blasius, who has passed for 770 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 212 yards. Running back Cedar Amiotte has rushed for 352 yards and 10 touchdowns, while wide receiver Rylan McDonnell has 307 receiving yards and five touchdowns. 

Lyman is ranked No. 4 in Class 9A and is 4-0 on the season. The Raiders have defeated Jones County (58-8), New Underwood (40-0), Kadoka Area (34-14), and White River (58-8). Lyman is powered by the trio of senior quarterback Teagan Gourneau (590 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes), running back Tance Wagner (525 rushing yards, nine touchdowns), and wide receiver Cooper Long (460 receiving yards, nine touchdowns).

Hamlin at Castlewood

A pair of No. 3 ranked teams will clash in Castlewood on Friday.

The Hamlin Chargers have begun the season with a potent balance of both offense and defense. The Chargers have given up a total of 24 points in their 5-0 start, including shutting out two opponents. Offensively, Hamlin averages 47.4 points per game, and uses a balanced scoring attack to light up the scoreboard. Quarterback Tyson Stevenson leads the offense, passing for 598 yards and 12 touchdowns. Running back Luke Fraser has amassed 761 rushing yards and 12 touchdown runs, while wide receiver Evan Stormo leads the team with 154 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions.

The Castlewood Warriors have also found themselves undefeated after the first half of the season. The Warriors average 46 points per game offensively, while surrendering just 6.8 points per game defensively. Castlewood is 4-0 on the season, with victories against De Smet (20-14), Arlington (54-0), Dell Rapids St. Mary (60-6), and North Central (50-7). The Warriors are led by junior quarterback Lane Tvedt, who has passed for 478 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 269 yards and eight touchdowns.

Avon at Corsica-Stickney 

A Class 9B showdown featuring two rivals takes place in Corsica on Friday.

Corsica-Stickney enters the top five in Class 9B for the first time this season after a strong 4-1 start. The Jaguars average 26.8 points per game on offense, while allowing 19.6 points per game on defense. Corsica-Stickney has wins against Gayville-Volin (20-12), Oldham-Ramona/Rutland (50-16), Centerville (38-24), and Burke (50-26). The Jaguars lone setback was a loss to Alcester-Hudson, 12-6. The Jaguars are led by running backs Waylon Bolle (554 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) and Carter Wright (483 rushing yards, six touchdowns; 137 receiving yards). Quarterback Shad Bosma has passed for 348 yards and three touchdown passes.

Avon looks to rebound after getting thrashed last week against Hitchcock-Tulare, 52-0. The Pirates are now 3-2 on the season, averaging 32.8 points per game on offense, while allowing 18.0 points per game on defense. Avon is led by running backs Jaden Stahl (367 rushing yards, three touchdowns), Cade Faulkner (260 rushing yards, three touchdowns), and Noah Watchorn (194 rushing yards). Quarterback Paxton Bierema has added seven rushing touchdowns.

Canistota at Hanson 

Canistota looks to get back on track, while Hanson looks to continue its success in a Cornbelt Conference matchup in Alexandria on Friday.

Canistota has had an up-and-down season, winning its opening game against Irene-Wakonda (43-28) before dropping its next two games to Howard (21-20) and Viborg-Hurley (20-14). The Hawks rebounded with a 46-0 win over Florence/Henry and lost its third game of the season last week to Elkton-Lake Benton, 38-30. Now 2-3, Canistota looks to turn the tide on their season and will look to several playmakers to make it happen. The Hawks are led by quarterback Tage Ortman (673 passing yards, eight touchdown passes), along with running back Noah Kleinsasser (356 rushing yards, four touchdowns; 185 receiving yards, three touchdowns), wide receiver Tye Merrill (217 rushing yards, three touchdowns; 141 receiving yards), and fullback Cayden Scott (153 rushing yards; 170 receiving yards, two touchdown receptions). Levi Schroeder adds 102 receiving yards. 

Hanson comes into the matchup ranked No. 4 in Class 9AA and also comes in with momentum. The Beavers dropped a 20-12 decision against Class 9AA No. 1 Howard in their first game, then ran through their next two opponents, claiming wins over Irene-Wakonda (48-0) and Chester Area (50-0), before winning a close game against Parkston, 8-6. Hanson is led by quarterback Jayce Slaba (155 passing yards, three touchdowns passes) and running backs Hadley Wallace (371 rushing yards, three touchdowns) and Jackson Jarding (256 rushing yards, three touchdowns).

Herreid/Selby Area at Sully Buttes

Two of the top three teams in Class 9B will square off in Onida on Friday.

No. 1 Herreid/Selby Area comes into the matchup boasting a high powered offense, led by all-state running back Brenden Begeman, who has rushed for 951 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Quarterback Trey Hettick engineers the offense and has passed for 434 yards and nine touchdowns. Hettick’s favorite target this season has been Trevor Gill, who leads the team with 196 receiving yards. The Wolverines are 4-0 on the season, with victories against Timber Lake (30-14), Lemmon/McIntosh (60-6), Newell (72-0), and Ipswich (44-26).

Sully Buttes is ranked No. 3 in the latest Class 9B poll, and has quietly moved up the rankings throughout the season. The Chargers are 5-0 with wins against Stanley County (16-6), Potter County (36-6), Langford Area (52-16), Sunshine Bible Academy (50-0), and Colome (24-6). Sully Buttes is led by senior quarterback Landon Hepker.

Canton at West Central 

Two traditional Class 11A powerhouses will clash in Hartford on Friday.

No. 1 West Central is 4-0 on the season, with two close wins and two shutout wins. The Trojans have wins against Custer (43-0), Sioux Falls Christian (27-24), Madison (28-25), and Vermillion (33-0). West Central is led by dual-threat quarterback Justin Zirpel (590 passing yards, four touchdowns; 388 rushing yards, seven touchdowns). The Trojans also rely on running back Aiden Bartmann (192 rushing yards, two touchdowns) and the receiving duo of Deuce Sherard (213 receiving yards, three touchdowns) and Xzavian Ferris (167 receiving yards, two touchdowns). 

Canton is ranked No. 4 in this week’s Class 11A poll, and are 2-2 on the season. The C-Hawks have wins against Sioux Falls Christian (27-20) and Lennox (36-25), while dropping close contests against No. 3 Beresford (7-6) and No. 2 Dell Rapids (28-22). Canton relies on a rushing attack led by quarterback Josh Merkle, fullback Beau Williams, and running backs Canaan McCracken, Kale Ask, and Tayten Aasheim.

Sioux Falls Lincoln at Sioux Falls O’Gorman

Two of the top teams in Class 11AAA will meet at McEneaney Field in Sioux Falls on Friday.

Sioux Falls O’Gorman comes into the game ranked No. 2 in the latest poll. The Knights have averaged 51.8 points per game in their first four games, boasting a high-powered offense led by quarterback Bennett Dannenbring, who leads Class 11AAA with 1,330 passing yards and 18 touchdown passes. Dannenbring’s favorite target had been Ryland Satter, who has 383 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches on the season. Jack Hove has added three touchdown receptions, while Maverick Jones leads with four rushing touchdowns. The Knights are 3-1, with wins against Brandon Valley (55-20), Sioux Falls Roosevelt (62-27) and Rapid City Stevens (49-7), and a loss against Tea Area (44-41).

Sioux Falls Lincoln is ranked No. 3 in Class 11AAA, and just like O’Gorman, has a high-powered offense led by one of the top quarterbacks in the class. Junior Tate Schafer is second in Class 11AAA with 1,058 passing yards, while also throwing nine touchdowns. Schafer's favorite receiver is Isaac Jarovski, who has tallied 245 receiving yards and five touchdowns. The Patriots are 2-2, with wins against Sioux Falls Roosevelt (29-13) and Rapid City Central (56-14), and losses against Sioux Falls Jefferson (30-13) and Harrisburg (41-22).