By Ryan Deal

605 Sports

Howard at Hanson 

ALEXANDRIA — Class 9AA powers and Cornbelt Conference foes — Howard and Hanson — will clash in Alexandria on Friday.

The Tigers and Beavers, who were both Class 9AA quarterfinalists last season, will again be among the class’s top teams this season.

Howard received 12 first-place votes and was No. 1 in the Class 9AA preseason South Dakota Prep Media Football Poll. The Tigers return 15 letterwinners from last season’s 9-1 season. Howard graduated seven seniors, including three all-staters from last year’s team. Quarterback Taiden Hoyer returns after throwing for 842 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 585 yards and five more scores. The Tigers also return tight end Luke Koepsell and running back Karsyn Feldhaus, while they also bring in McCook Central/Montrose transfers Weston Remmers, Jackson Remmers and Kade Grocott. Jackson Remmers and Grocott were Class 11B honorable mention all-staters last season. 

The Beavers, who were honorable mention in the preseason poll, graduated 10 seniors from last season’s 8-2 campaign. Hanson brings back all-stater Brock Tuttle, a bruising 5-foot-11, 215-pounder who rushed for 482 yards and six touchdowns last season. He posted 101 tackles on defense. 

Hanson also brings back quarterback Jayce Slaba and running back Sutton Dewald.

Howard won last season’s meeting, 20-12, in the regular-season opener.  

Castlewoo'd Quincy Thu (15) carries the ball last season against Elkton-Lake Benton in Elkton. (Ryan Deal / 605 Sports)

Castlewood at De Smet

DE SMET — Conference foes — Castlewood and De Smet — will clash in a cross-class top-five match on Friday.

Class 9A No. 4 Castlewood travels to Class 9B No. 2 De Smet in a Dakota Valley Conference tilt. The teams were both playoff quarterfinalists in their respective classes last season. 

The Warriors and Bulldogs will again be among the top teams in their respective classes this year. 

The Warriors return 13 letterwinners — six starters on offense and six starters on defense — from last season’s 7-3 campaign. Quincy Thu was an all-state special teams player last season and headlines the returners. Last season, Thu racked up 1,020 all-purpose yards and three interceptions on defense. 

De Smet, which received four first-place votes in the preseason Class 9B poll, is led by Kadyn Fast. The senior was an all-state defensive back last season, after recording 34 tackles. Offensively, he logged 582 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while hauling in 285 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions. 

Castlewood clipped De Smet, 20-12, in last season’s opener. 

Ipswich at Faulkton Area 

FAULKTON — Lake Region Conference foes will clash in their season openers on Friday.

Faulkton Area was No. 5 in the preseason Class 9B South Dakota Prep Media Football Poll, while Ipswich was unranked in the Class 9AA poll.

The Tigers and Trojans were both bounced in the opening round of the respective playoffs last season, both in shootouts. Faulkton Area lost to Avon, 74-48, in the Class 9B playoffs. Ipswich, meanwhile, dropped a 42-20 decision against Bon Homme. 

Faulkton Area brings back 18 letterwinners, includingThe Trojans will be paced by quarterback Layne Cotton, who threw for 1,480 yards and 15 passing touchdowns last season, while rushing for nine more scores. 

Garrett Cramer and Landyn Weber were also all-Lake Region Conference performers. 

The Tigers have five starters — two starters on offense and three starters on defense — that return from a team that finished 6-4 in 2022. Ipswich’s returners are highlighted by all-Lake Region Conference members Trevor Heinz and Chet Peterson. 

Heinz hauled in 596 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season, while logging 25 tackles and two interceptions on defense.

Ipswich won last season’s meeting, 50-20.