South Dakota
Area unbeatens Bucks, Phoenix and Avon fighting for top seeds in football playoffs
One weeks remains in the South Dakota high school regular season for Class 11B and the three nine-man divisions, with final postseason positioning on the line across the region come Friday night.
From undefeated squads aiming to secure top seeds and home-field advantage to teams looking to make a late push into the 16-team playoff fields, the area has programs facing many different circumstances this week.
Here’s a look at where every Mitchell-area team stands ahead of this week’s regular-season finales.
Battling for a spot at the top of the crowded standings is unbeaten Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central (7-0). The Bucks are one of three undefeated teams remaining in the class, not to mention three more one-loss squads. WWSSC is currently tied with one-loss Clark/Willow Lake for No. 3, while the other two unbeatens, Elk Point-Jefferson and St. Thomas More, are tied for first.
The last step toward the postseason isn’t an easy one for the Bucks, who host a Mount Vernon/Plankinton squad on Friday that has played several top teams close and is gaining momentum behind a two-game win streak.
Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
Not far behind, Wagner (5-2) enters the final week of the regular season at No. 5 in the standings. The Red Raiders are the top two-loss team due to a strength of schedule that ranks in the top eight of the class. With an idle date last week to regroup from losses to WWSSC and EPJ, Wagner looks to get back on track before the playoffs by hosting one-win Miller/Highmore-Harrold on Friday.
Having faced the most difficult schedule in the class with an opponent win percentage of .678, Mount Vernon/Plankinton (3-4) stands at No. 10. The Titans could still have a shot at a top-eight seed and a home game by pairing an upset win over WWSSC with losses by a couple of teams directly in front of them, such as No. 9 Parker, No. 8 Mobridge-Pollock and No. 7 Sioux Valley.
Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
Right behind MVP is a trio of area teams with eight games already in the books. Chamberlain (4-4) and Winner (4-4) are tied at No. 11 in the standings, and both accepted the challenge of playing a ninth regular-season game. That happens to be one contest, as the Cubs visit the Warriors on Friday. McCook Central/Montrose (5-3) is currently in line for the 13-seed but awaits its final positioning.
With work to do in its final game in order to qualify for the postseason, Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (2-5) is tied with Beresford at No. 17, currently on the outside looking in at the 16-team field. Needing a win, the Seahawks host Parker on Friday. If BEE and Beresford remain tied for a playoff spot after Friday, the Watchdogs have the tiebreaker due to their 21-20 head-to-head win on Sept. 12.
Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
Standing tall atop the class is Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy (7-0). Despite playing the most difficult schedule in the class, with an opponent win percentage of .614, the Phoenix have won by an average of more than 34 points per game. With a cushion of more than 2.5 seed points over Hamlin and Parkston, which are tied at No. 2, FMFA appears to be locked into home-field advantage throughout its playoff run regardless of its final outcome. The Phoenix host Class 9B power Avon in the Great Plains Conference title game on Friday.
Since running into FMFA on opening night, Parkston (6-1) has rattled off six-straight wins and could possibly earn a top-two seed of its own with a win and a Hamlin loss this week. The Trojans host Gregory in the regular-season finale on Friday.
Bon Homme (6-2) moved up to No. 5, with its two losses coming against FMFA and Parkston. The Cavaliers have already played their eight regular-season games and are idle this week.
Marcus Traxler / Mitchell Republic
Kimball/White Lake (4-3) has recovered from a three-game mid-season skid to put itself at No. 8 in position for a first-round home game. Three teams — Viborg-Hurley, Gregory and Scotland/Menno — are within one seed point of the Wildkats entering this week. KWL plays winless Wolsey-Wessington in Huron on Friday.
Gregory (4-3) and Scotland/Menno (4-3) are tied at No. 10, and Hanson (3-4) is right behind at No. 12. Between the trio, the highest seeding could come down to whether those teams can pick up a road win this week. On Friday, Gregory heads to Parkston, Scotland/Menno is at Alcester-Hudson and Hanson visits Canistota.
Tripp-Delmont/Armour/Andes Central/Dakota Christian (1-6) picked up its first win of the season last week, but at No. 20, will need another this week in order to make the postseason. The Nighthawks hit the road to play Class 9A Gayville-Volin on Friday.
Landon Dierks / Mitchell Republic
Defending state champion Howard (6-1) figures to be right back in contention for a deep postseason run, though the Tigers enter the final week at No. 6 in the standings. The Tigers’ one loss came in the season opener to the team immediately ahead of them, Alcester-Hudson. In the top four slots are unbeatens Wall and Warner, followed by one-loss squads Philip and Ipswich. Howard hosts Class 9AA Viborg-Hurley on Friday.
Platte-Geddes (6-2) is right behind Howard at No. 7, slipping slightly after a 6-0 start. However, both losses game to top-five Class 9AA teams in Parkston and Bon Homme. The Black Panthers have a ninth regular-season game on the schedule, helping fill out the Great Plains Conference crossover with a home date against Corsica-Stickney on Friday.
Lurking outside of the top eight, Lyman (4-3) has played the sixth-most difficult schedule in the class and rests at No. 10. In the tussle for positioning, the Raiders are trying to fend off Harding County/Bison, Centerville and Estelline/Hendricks, who are within one-half point of Lyman entering the week. The Raiders host Wall, the No. 1 team in the class, on Friday.
Mitchell Republic file photo
One of two undefeated squads in the class left standing, Avon (7-0) and Dell Rapids St. Mary have distanced themselves from the field. No. 1 DRSM has a lead of just under one-half point on the No. 2 Pirates, who are more than three points clear of No. 3 Faulkton Area. As such, Avon has all but secured a top-two seed in the playoffs, regardless of the outcome in the regular-season finale. The Pirates visit Class 9AA No. 1 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy on Friday.
Right on the tipping point between staying at home and going on the road in the first round, Corsica-Stickney (5-2) is tied at No. 8 with Iroquois/Lake Preston. The Jaguars are on the road at Class 9A Platte-Geddes on Friday.
Comfortably in the playoff field but angling to move up by getting to .500, Canistota (3-4) checks in at No. 11, and Burke (3-4) is tied at No. 12 with Arlington. The Hawks play host to Class 9AA Hanson, while the Cougars visit Centerville on Friday.
One of five winless teams in the class, Colome (0-7) is at the bottom of the standings. The Cowboys visit also winless Irene-Wakonda on Friday.
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. His focus areas include: Mitchell High School football and boys basketball; area high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track and field; and South Dakota State football. He is also at the forefront of the Mitchell Republic’s podcasting efforts. Dierks is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. He joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021. He can be reached at ldierks@mitchellrepublic.com and found on Twitter at @LDierksy.
See Republican Zach Lahn speak after primary win in governor’s race
GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn speaks to his supporters during an election night watch party on June 2, 2026, in West Des Moines.
The makeup of the Legislature was up in the air as of 1 a.m. after South Dakota’s primary election.
Ten Republican state lawmakers ousted in 2024 are angling to get their seats back in 2026. Results were mixed for the nine who had primaries on Tuesday, with results still coming in for several races and others set for possible recounts.
Shawn Bordeaux of Rosebud won the state’s only Democratic primary, beating Troy “Luke” Lunderman for a chance to return to the state Senate.
Bordeaux will face Chamberlain Republican Rebecca Reimer in November’s general election. Reimer, who was term-limited in the state House of Representatives, beat Lower Brule Sen. Tamara Grove in Tuesday’s primary.
In Watertown’s District 5, Rep. Josephine Garcia fell in a state Senate primary to incumbent Sen. Glen Vilhauer. Garcia beat Byron Callies in the 2024 primary to earn her seat in the House of Representatives, but opted to challenge Vilhauer for his Senate seat instead of seeking reelection to the House.
Callies, Vilhauer and Garcia are all from Watertown.
Vilhauer won with 59% of the vote. His was one of the first state legislative victories of the night reported on the Secretary of State’s website.
Vilhauer won handily, but he said he wasn’t necessarily expecting to as polls opened on Tuesday.
“I knew it was going to be a battle going in,” Vilhauer said. “She worked hard on her side, and I didn’t know what to expect.”
Callies was among the first to call Vilhauer to congratulate him, around 9:30 p.m.
“I’m happy, because Glen’s a solid legislator,” said Callies, who’s angling to win his seat back in the general election.
Garcia did not return a call seeking comment.
In District 21, Sen. Mykala Voita of Bonesteel beat former Sen. Erin Tobin of Winner in a rematch of their 2024 contest, which Voita won by a few dozen votes that year. This time around, Voita bested Tobin by 1,002 votes.
In response to a request for comment, Voita sent a text reading “Glory to God!”
Tobin did not return a call from South Dakota Searchlight about her race after it was called, but said earlier in the evening she would be “at peace” with the results regardless of what they might be.
Another rematch saw Yanktonites Lauren Nelson and Jean Hunhoff battling for District 18’s state Senate seat. Nelson was a newcomer in 2024 when she beat Hunhoff, who’d spent decades in the Capitol between stints in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, Nelson held off Hunhoff, winning by 243 votes.
Other notable races
- District 4 Rep. Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake, first elected in 2024, finished fourth in a five-way race. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, he trailed Ryan Kohl of Milbank and former Rep. Fred Deutsch of Florence, in first and second place, respectively. A recount is possible in that race, with 59 votes separating the top two vote-getters while Rep. Kent Roe, of Hayti, came in third place, with 72 fewer votes than Deutsch.
- District 4 has two possible recounts. In the other, Bryant’s Stephanie Sauder beat Clear Lake’s Tim Begalka by 105 votes in the unofficial tally from the Secretary of State.
- District 1 Rep. Logan Manhart of Aberdeen, elected in the 2024 primary, fell to Rep. Nick Fosness, a hospital administrator appointed by Gov. Larry Rhoden in 2025, and newcomer Daniel Kjos.
- Another recount was possible as of Wednesday at 1 a.m., in the District 16 race for House of Representatives. Rep. John Shubeck of Beresford trailed Lisa Bogue of Beresford by 245 votes in unofficial results. Jason VanDenTop of Canton was in third place, trailing Shubeck by 68 votes.
Vote totals incomplete
- Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, who won his first term in 2024, trailed William Meirose of Sturgis by 166 votes as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
- Former Rep. Tyler Tordsen led Rep. Tony Kayser by two votes in the District 14 primary, with results still coming in. The Sioux Falls men are vying for second place and a spot on the November general election ballot alongside Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt of Sioux Falls, who led by more than 600 votes early Wednesday.
- District 28 Sen. Sam Marty of Prairie City was in a close race with former legislator Ryan Maher of Isabel.
- Former Rep. Gary Cammack of Union Center, who lost his seat in 2024, and Gary Deering of Hereford, led Reps. Terri Jorgenson of Piedmont and Kathy Rice of Blackhawk in the District 29 race.
- In District 30, Hot Springs Sen. Amber Hulse led former Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller of Rapid City by more than 1,300 votes.
- Former Sen. David Johnson of Rapid City led Sen. Curt Voight of Rapid City in a rematch of their 2024 race for District 33 Senate in early results.
- Rep. Heather Baxter of Rapid City has signaled her intention to challenge sitting Secretary of State Monae Johnson for the Republican nomination to that constitutional office at the state’s Republican Party convention this summer. In early results, Baxter trailed former Rapid City Rep. Becky Drury and Rep. Mike Derby in the District 34 primary.
- Early results in the District 35 primary put Sen. Greg Blanc, elected in 2024, in a close race with fellow Rapid City resident Nicole Mitzel.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
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