South Dakota Gridiron Report: Tackling Class 11AA's turnaround trend
· Yahoo Sports
Aug. 26—Ebbs and flows define South Dakota high school football, as programs rise and fall in a cycle
Visit newssport.cv for more information.
But in Class 11AA, the pattern has looked different in recent seasons.
Though a division of only 11 teams, Class 11AA regularly sees teams that catapult up the standings from the year before, rather than follow a steady trajectory over several seasons. Those power surges draw a spotlight, as teams can quickly improve their position in the hierarchy.
Just looking at the most recent four years of Class 11AA football, each has its own example of this phenomenon.
Huron and Sturgis both doubled their wins from 2024 to last season. The Tigers, specifically, were huge risers. They played in the No. 2 versus No. 7 seed matchup of the state quarterfinals in both seasons, first as the No. 7 in 2024, then as the No. 2 in 2025.
Before that, Brookings jumped from 1-8 and well outside the quarterfinal picture in 2023 to 8-3 in 2024. Watertown more than doubled its wins from 2022 to 2023, then took the final step by winning the 2024 state championship. Though ultimately a modest two-win increase, Aberdeen Central went from the No. 7 seed in 2021 to No. 3 in 2022.
And Class 11AA coaches are largely in agreement that this trend likely isn't going anywhere.
But why? And what precipitates such significant change year-to-year?
Coaches have a wide range of opinions on the phenomenon, but much of it can be condensed to the idea that all Class 11AA programs are continually being forced to raise their level of play and the overall margins in the class might not be as large as they appear.
"Programs want to compete at the top," said Yankton coach Brady Muth. "I always work on the assumption people are trying to get better."
A relatively common practice, particularly among the programs looking to climb the ranks, is identifying and pouring into an up-and-coming class early on. While it might sacrifice some success in the short term, it oftentimes helps produce a sizeable surge and, with any luck, will aid in kick-starting a level of sustainability within the program.
"I think in many cases coaches will commit to a grade when they are underclassmen. It is relatively common in 11AA, in my opinion, as there are times you don't always use underclassmen if you don't have to," explained Pierre coach Steve Steele. "In the smaller classes, you almost always have to play young guys due to numbers, whereas in 11AA, you can have years where you won't need to play a sophomore at all."
Other significant factors can include changes in coaches or schemes. The size of Class 11AA also plays a role. With only 11 teams, for every team that slips in the standings, another one is very likely to rise in its place. Sometimes, in the most extreme turnarounds, it's a combination of several of these elements.
"I think (Class) 11AA has great parity. You have seen the chaos the last few years with not knowing who would win week-in and week-out," Steele said. "I think the parity of our class is a reason that makes it so teams can want to go all-in on one class because they know it's a deep class, and doing that may put you below average for a year or two, but then hopefully to rise above that last year."
So what about this year?
Last season, all eight teams that qualified for the Class 11AA playoffs finished 5-5 or better. By default, that leaves only three programs in the mix to pursue a true turnaround this season: Aberdeen Central, Mitchell and Douglas. Of those, Aberdeen Central emerged as the likely bounce-back candidate in a straw poll of coaches, who cited reasons such as the Golden Eagles' roster size and their series of close calls a season ago.
When the ball kicks off on the Class 11AA season on Friday, the race is on to see what surprise this season might have in store.
"The Pierres and Yanktons of the world have been a step ahead recently, but I think the rest of the group thinks we can all play with each other," said Mitchell coach Pat Larson. "That gives you hope and belief that if you can make the right changes and find the right mix, you can bring your team back."
These results from last week's action caught our attention.
Wall 40, Bennett County 32: Picked as the preseason No. 2-ranked team in Class 9B, Wall was backed into a corner against Class 9A Bennett County on the road in the season opener. The Warriors led 24-6 late in the third quarter, but the Eagles stormed back, scoring three touchdowns over the final five minutes. Wall's go-ahead score with under a minute to play gave the Eagles their only lead of the game.
Castlewood 46, Hamlin 34: Quarterback Kamden Keszler rushed for 248 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Class 9A No. 5 Warriors to a road upset of the Class 9AA No. 2 Chargers. The aftermath has Castlewood up to No. 3 in Class 9A this week, while Hamlin has slipped to No. 5 in Class 9AA.
Elk Point-Jefferson 28, McCook Central/Montrose 13: MCM was within a point of Class 11B's No. 1-ranked squad deep into the fourth quarter before a red zone fumble and long EPJ touchdown run turned the tide late. Polls would indicate that the Huskies weren't as sharp as expected, as they were nearly overtaken for the top ranking even with the win. However, perhaps the Fighting Cougars are on the rise and could play spoiler this season.
Have these games on your radar this week.
Sioux Falls Christian at Lennox: A rematch of the past two state title games kicks off the Class 11A slate. SFC has won five of the past six meetings, but the Orioles won a big one when it counted for the 2024 championship and nearly did it again last year. The Chargers open as the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the media poll, with Lennox at No. 2.
Parkston at Platte-Geddes: Parkston is the unanimous No. 1-ranked squad in Class 9AA early, but third-ranked Platte-Geddes will certainly want a word in the matter. Both teams are coming off resounding Week 1 victories, winning by a combined margin of 65 points. Parkston has won five straight matchups in the series, including a 28-0 victory last season.
Howard at Castlewood: This would have been a big matchup anyway, but Castlewood's win over Hamlin has raised the profile even further. Now it's No. 2 versus No. 3 in the Class 9A media poll, and the winner would have a case to leapfrog into the No. 1 spot. Per the MaxPreps database, Howard won the most recent meeting 56-13 during the 2020 playoffs.