South Dakota Gridiron Report: Checking in with the remaining undefeated 9-man football teams
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Sep. 23—As the September high school football slate comes to a close this weekend, the number of unbeaten squads across the three nine-man classes is down to just 11. Five remain in Class 9A, four in Class 9B and only a pair in Class 9AA.
In this edition of the South Dakota Gridiron Report, we highlight that select group and break down how they reached this point. Next week, the 11-man programs get their time in the spotlight.
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Here's a brief look at each nine-man team that remains undefeated. (Note: The list is organized first by class, then by number of wins and then alphabetical order.)
One reason for success: Another year, another top defense for the Trojans, who are allowing 12 points per game, a mark tied for second in the class. That's when factoring in 24 points scored by Hill City in Week 1, the bulk of which was tallied in the second half when the Parkston win was well in hand. In three games since, Parkston has only allowed 24 more total points.
Best win: At the time of a 30-6 victory at Platte-Geddes, a contest in which No. 1 Parkston pulled away late, the Black Panthers were ranked No. 3 in the South Dakota Prep Media poll. As of this week, Platte-Geddes is back up to No. 2 behind the Trojans as the lone team to push the top-ranked squad deep into the contest.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Bon Homme visits Parkston on Oct. 2. The Cavaliers would have been on this list if not for an unexpected loss last week. Though the recent defeat cast some doubt as to whether Bon Homme, which ranked No. 2 in the South Dakota Prep Media poll for multiple weeks, is a true top-end contender, the Cavs can match up with the Trojans on paper at several positions, plus there are no strangers in the regional rivalry.
One reason for success: Almost out of nowhere after going 6-11 over the past two seasons, the Mustangs rank first in points per game at 47.5 and points allowed per game at 8.0. However, Waubay/Summit has played four teams that are all 1-4 so far, and its overall opponent win percentage is currently .286, far and away the lowest in the class (Great Plains Lutheran is second-lowest at .342.). For that reason, the Mustangs are fourth in the Class 9AA seed-point standings, behind one-loss teams Platte-Geddes and Hamlin.
Best win: There isn't much to differentiate between Waubay/Summit's wins so far. By seed points, opponents rank as follows: Sisseton is 18th in 9AA; Florence/Henry is 20th in 9AA; Redfield is 18th in 9A; and Wilmot is 20th in 9B.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: This week, the Mustangs hit the road to play Britton-Hecla, which is No. 6 in Class 9AA by seed points. They also still have an Oct. 9 date at Great Plains Lutheran, which is currently 3-1 and No. 10 in the standings.
One reason for success: Kamden Keszler has an excellent case to South Dakota's all-class two-way player of the year at the midway point. The senior quarterback/linebacker has 498 passing yards, 472 rushing yards, 18 offensive touchdowns, 41 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two defensive interceptions, a forced fumble and one defensive touchdown.
Best win: The Warriors opened the season with back-to-back wins over perennial nine-man powers. First, they posted a 46-34 shootout win at Hamlin, then came home and edged out Howard 14-8 in a defensive slugfest. Since then, they've cruised to three wins by a combined score of 165-8.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Idle this week, Castlewood picks up its schedule with a trip to Elkton-Lake Benton on Oct. 2. The Elks just pushed Class 9B No. 1-ranked Dell Rapids St. Mary, another team on this list, to within two points just last week. Another road trip to De Smet in the regular-season finale could be tricky, too.
One reason for success: The Flyers may not have Marion or Freeman Academy in the co-op anymore, but they've largely picked up where the FMFA Phoenix left off last season. Though the defense may not be quite as airtight, the offense has made up for it by being even better, racking up 53.2 points per game, nearly a touchdown more than any other nine-man outfit.
Best win: A loss to Freeman is the lone defeat to date for Alcester-Hudson and Centerville. Other ranked perennial nine-man powers Howard and Avon have also fallen to the Flyers.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: As it stands, Freeman will play only seven regular-season games, as its Sept. 25 contest with Canistota has been called off because the Hawks don't have enough healthy players. Of the two remaining opponents, 3-2 De Smet has the better record, but a short trip to nearby Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan for a matchup that hasn't been played since 2014 is also significant.
One reason for success: The Scotties have allowed the fewest points per game (8.3) of any team in the class and second-fewest among all nine-man teams. Solid defense has helped mask what hasn't been a high-powered offense, as Philip has averaged 28 points per game on offense, tied for the 12th-best mark in the class.
Best win: By record and seed points, Philip's top result was a 12-9 squeaker at home against Lead-Deadwood. But the Scotties also get credit for making the difficult trek to the isolated Ab Penn Field and knocking off Harding County/Bison 34-12 in Week 2.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: In a meeting of teams still on this list, Philip heads to Wall this week, and for the Eagles' Homecoming celebration, no less. Wall has won 12 of the past 13 meetings between the two teams. Even beyond that, Philip hosts Lyman and visits Bennett County, making for a series of late-season tests against other top West River teams.
One reason for success: The Chargers have shown they can win close games against sturdy opposition. While the remaining unbeatens have their share of blowout wins, the first three games on Sully Buttes' schedule were decided by an average score of 33-25. Of all the teams on this list, the Chargers' average scoring margin is the smallest at plus-11.0.
Best win: Take your pick, as Sully Buttes started the year with three wins in competitive games against solid nine-man teams. The Chargers beat Faulkton Area 30-20, Kimball/White Lake 26-22 and Lyman 42-34. Of the five Class 9A unbeatens, Sully Buttes has the best opponent win percentage.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Another head-to-head meeting of teams on this list, the Chargers get the benefit of hosting a matchup against Timber Lake on Oct. 9 in Onida. The Panthers are the only team left on Sully Buttes' schedule with a winning record.
One reason for success: Winning on the road is hard, but the Panthers have proven themselves to be up to the challenge so far. Their two victories away from Doug Kraft Field have come by a combined six points.
Best win: Last week, Timber Lake eked out a 12-8 victory over Ipswich on the road, which stands as the Tigers' lone loss so far. The Panthers have also beaten Herreid/Selby Area and Hill City, two programs that have been toward the top of the nine-man ranks in recent seasons, though both teams are down a bit in 2026.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Look out for the Panthers' visit to Onida for the matchup against Sully Buttes on Oct. 9. It's likely that the winner of that matchup could finish the regular season unbeaten and challenge for a top playoff seed.
One reason for success: To beat the Cardinals, you almost certainly have to outscore them in a shootout. DRSM is the top-scoring team in the class at 46 points per game, even if that's down a touch from the lofty mark of 51.2 set by last season's state championship squad. Going back to the start of 2025, DRSM has been held under 30 points twice in 17 games. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have scored at least 50 points 12 times in that span.
Best win: In a rematch of last season's Class 9B state title game, DRSM was behind by 12 points at home in the fourth quarter against Avon, but the Cardinals came back to win on a fourth-and-goal touchdown in overtime. Just last week, Elkton-Lake Benton played DRSM to a 22-20 final. Colman-Egan's lone loss to date came to the Cardinals in a 50-0 thrashing.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: All three of the Cardinals' remaining opponents are currently below .500, including winless Gayville-Volin and one-win Arlington. An Oct. 2 visit to Irene-Wakonda is the toughest known test, but in all likelihood, DRSM is poised to enter the postseason unbeaten.
One reason for success: The Patriots have allowed the fewest points per game of any team in Class 9B at 9.2, which has aided the best average scoring margin in the class at plus 34.6. However, Hitchcock-Tulare has yet to beat a team that currently owns a record above .500.
Best win: Gettysburg is 2-2 and is the only team the Pats have played so far that doesn't have a losing record. In that matchup, Hitchcock-Tulare posted its lone shutout of the season by a 34-0 final score.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: An undefeated clash looms this week, with Hitchcock-Tulare on the road at Warner, the next team on this list. Next week, the Patriots also host a Faulkton Area squad that has caused problems for more than one other team on this list.
One reason for success: Though something similar could be said about several teams on this list, the Monarchs are simply doing what they normally do. If Warner completes its bid for an unbeaten regular season with three more wins, it would mark the fifth consecutive such year for the program, which is 47-4 overall since the start of 2022.
Best win: Like Hitchcock-Tulare, only one team on the Monarchs' slate is even at .500 on the year, and that's a feisty Faulkton Area side that played them to a 14-12 final score at Northern State's Dacotah Bank Stadium. Warner has won three games this season in which it didn't score more than 21 points.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Of course, Warner must first face the unbeaten battle with Hitchcock-Tulare this weekend. If the Monarchs extend the undefeated start, there's also a road date at Ipswich in the regular-season finale on Oct. 16 that could be a stumbling block.
One reason for success: While breaking in a roster with many new key playmakers, the Eagles have been road warriors, winning three away games among their first four games. Only two other nine-man teams — Freeman and Hitchcock-Tulare — can say they have a 3-0 road record at this point.
Best win: The Eagles were on the ropes in Week 1, down 18 points on the road against a solid Bennett County squad. A late surge gave Wall a 40-32 victory, and it has largely been smooth sailing since. A 49-26 win over Lyman last week was another quality addition to the Eagles' resume.
Biggest hurdle still ahead: Philip was on this list in Class 9A, and the Eagles play host to the Scotties this week for Homecoming. Win on Friday, and Wall will be heavily favored to close out what would be its third consecutive undefeated regular season.
The three longest active losing streaks in South Dakota high school football ended last weekend, as Baltic and Wilmot returned to the win column and Lakota Tech made it there for the first time.
Baltic defeated Sisseton 47-20 to halt a 42-game skid dating back to Aug. 20, 2021, the opening week of that season. Almost all of the Bulldogs' streak came as a Class 11B team. Baltic dropped the final seven games of 2021, then went winless in four straight seasons from 2022-25. This year, Baltic was reclassified to Class 9AA. The Bulldogs lost their first three games in their new setting before recording the victory.
Wilmot defeated Waverly-South Shore 26-6 to end what was a 40-game losing streak for the community spread across two distinct chapters. The Wolves' most recent 20 losses were as a standalone nine-man program, but the first 20 losses in the streak came with Wilmot alongside Waubay/Summit in the since-dissolved co-op known as Dakota Hills, which played in Class 11B. Prior to last week's triumph, Wilmot's last win came as Dakota Hills against Sisseton on Sept. 10, 2021. The losing streak spanned the last four games of Dakota Hills' 2021 season, a pair of eight-game regular seasons as Dakota Hills in 2022 and 2023, a pair of eight-game regular seasons as Wilmot in 2024 and 2025 and Wilmot's first four games of 2026.
In the All Nations Conference, Lakota Tech got its first victory on Friday as a varsity program. The Tatanka started their program in 2021 and had lost 47 consecutive games before winning 56-12 over St. Francis Indian on Sept. 18.
Rapid City Stevens now has the state's longest active losing streak at 23 games. The Raiders lost their last game of 2023, went winless across nine-game regular seasons in 2024 and 2025 and are 0-4 to start 2026.
These results from last week's action caught our attention.
Sioux Falls Lutheran 34, Bon Homme 21: In perhaps the biggest surprise of the nine-man football season to date, the 1-3 Eagles went on the road and took it to the then-second-ranked and undefeated Cavaliers. It wasn't a late escape, either, as Sioux Falls Lutheran led 34-7 at one point in the second half. Quarterback Rowen Becker was magnificent in the win, passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
Platte-Geddes 55, Viborg-Hurley 28: The then-No. 5 Black Panthers doubled up on the then-No. 3 Cougars in Viborg. In conjunction with the Sioux Falls Lutheran over Bon Homme result, it shook up the Class 9AA rankings in the latest South Dakota Prep Media poll. Platte-Geddes is up to No. 2, its highest ranking of the year so far.
Sioux Falls Jefferson 20, Brandon Valley 14: Unsurprisingly, the battle for the No. 1 ranking in Class 11AAA was decided by one score, with the Cavaliers beating the Lynx on their home field. But the outcome has great significance, as Jefferson now has wins over three of the other four top-five teams in the class, putting the Cavs in firm control of the race for the top playoff seed.
Have these games on your radar this week.
Tea Area at Pierre: For the second time in four weeks, the No. 2-ranked team in Class 11AA visits the Capital City to take a shot at the No. 1-ranked defending champions. When Yankton made the trip on Sept. 4, Pierre dominated en route to a 44-14 final. Can the Titans keep it close with the Govs, who have simply mowed down all comers so far?
Canton at Winner: Class 11B No. 5 hosts Class 11A No. 4. The Warriors welcome a C-Hawks squad fresh off its first loss of the season last week against Lennox. Both sides are looking to avoid taking a second loss prior to October.
Philip at Wall: The Eagles have dominated the series, winning 12 of the last 13 and 16 of the last 18 meetings. However, this is a massive opportunity for the Scotties to strike back in a battle of unbeatens and spoil Wall's Homecoming festivities.
Waubay/Summit at Britton-Hecla: A bonus game this week. Though the Mustangs are undefeated entering the week, they have yet to face a test to the caliber of the Braves. A win in this one would go a long way to validating their place in Class 9AA. If Britton-Hecla wins, it will provide a nice boost for a team already on the rise.