SD high school football playoffs

[thebluehatman]

Post your Picks on who will win championships here!
http://sdhsaa.com/Athletics/Football...20pairings.pdf

11AA: Brandon Valley, it's their year to shine.
11A: West Central, they always seem to be good. But watch out for Belle Fourche.
11B: Tri-Valley, they been decent this year so I'll give them the nod.

9AA: Lyman, a West River team might when a football championship this year.
9A: Castlewood, Eureka-Bowdle is good, but Castlewood has the tradition.
9B: DR St. Mary, why not go with the Cardinals.

[sdsurulz08]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

i'll go like this
11AA Brandon Valley but watch out for washington
11A Harisburg watch out for belle fourche
11B Platte/Geddes watch out for bennett county
9AA Lyman co watch out for ipswitch
9A Avon watch out for Eureka/Bowdle
9B Meno but watch out for Hanson

[CatchEmAll]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

I'm a Minnesotan so forgive my ignorance on this...but has there always been three classes of 9 man football in SD? Seems like there used to only be two. And why are three classes of 9 man needed?? I can understand dividing up 11 man based on school enrollment numbers, but in 9 man it would seem to me that most schools are in the same boat enrollment wise, so what's the difference? Any logical explanations are appreciated. Thanks.

[BTownJack]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

Because the SD High School Activities Association is more interested in "giving kids opportunities" than providing a highly competitive playing field. You can argue it either way but I feel there are too many classes in most all sports other than basketball. People can even make a strong case basketball could go with 2 classes. Golf for example has 3 classes. Class AA teams no longer have to qualify for the state tournament, every team automatically gets to go. Ridiculous. So much for making kids feel like they've accomplished something by making the state tournament.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

Because the SD High School Activities Association is more interested in "giving kids opportunities" than providing a highly competitive playing field. You can argue it either way but I feel there are too many classes in most all sports other than basketball. People can even make a strong case basketball could go with 2 classes. Golf for example has 3 classes. Class AA teams no longer have to qualify for the state tournament, every team automatically gets to go. Ridiculous. So much for making kids feel like they've accomplished something by making the state tournament.

That's kind of what I expected. I would agree, used to be a time when making "state" (no matter where you lived, me being from Minnesota) meant something. I'm sure somewhere some parent got upset because their child didn't get an equal chance to participate leading to watering down of the state tournaments. Here in Minnesota there are 5 classes of 11 man football plus one nine man class. I did some digging and they actually have the number of schools in each class pretty well divided - about 66 per class give or take. So to win a state FB title you have to be the best of about 66. Granted, geographically the schools aren't spread out equally (obviously more big class schools here in the Twin Cities), but at least participation numbers are somewhat equal.

I'm sure there are plenty who long for the days when making the state tournament was an accomplishment and not just a by product of showing up to play.

***Not trying to hijack the thread. Sorry. Back to the discussion at hand.***

[Nidaros]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

Although its confusing for the average non-parent fan to follow, it does make sense to me to have several classes. Enrollment is pretty much what determines how many kids participate and what kind of a schedule that a given school can draw up that would make them competitive. Even with SD's open enrollment policy, the only place there appears to be some type of recruiting going on is in the larger cities like SF and Rapid. I am probably stepping over the line in making this statement, but with open enrollment, recruiting can and probably does occur. If an athlete is gifted and you live in SF, you have choices and I suspect there are some who take this to heart and attend somewhere out of their tax district. That not to say recruiting is not state wide, it most likely is. I just don't know about it. Also the move to kill open enrollment started with coaches of smaller and more rural school districts, which makes you wonder whose ox was being gored.

I think in the less populated parts of the state, the kids pretty much stay home and do not take advantage of open enrollment. Again some schools are experiencing declining enrollments not because they have poor adminstrators, but because the community is not able to keep the families as residents. Add to that some district are now feeling the affect of low birth rates from nearly 20 years ago. So I suspect the state organizations have to keep all this in mind when they determine competition and number of classes.

I was surprised this year to learn that Desmet, a County Seat, was cooperating withth Iroquois for keeping a 9 man program going. The enrollment at either place is not where it once was. I believe the young ladies could particpate, but I dont think that is happening much either. So coops and many classes of competion are whats going on in SD and all neighboring states and it maybe for a long time. Its an alternative to having only one class like Minnesota once had for BB and SD having two classes for BB. Old guys like me recall fondly the Class B tourney and the Huron Arena for BB. Football playoffs were none existent at that time, but the Argus and other statewide papers had polls.

I have not followed hs that much this year, but I do like the picks that started the thread and will agree with all of them.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

[quote=CatchEmAll;90949]I'm a Minnesotan so forgive my ignorance on this...but has there always been three classes of 9 man football in SD?/quote]

I don't want to get in the SDHSAA controversy (too many classes of too many sports thing)...and I don't know the stats on the 9-man football situation...but there is little doubt that we have been loosing 11-man schools, and gaining 9-man schools as the numbers continue to go down at many communities in South Dakota. An unfortunate sign (...sigh) of the times.

[KUlawJack]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

9A: Castlewood, Eureka-Bowdle is good, but Castlewood has the tradition.

Oh BHM, poor pick! My alma mater took them down 17-0 last night. Not even close! (I really have no idea if it was close or not. My little brother plays and I haven't had the opportunity to rehash it with him.)

[thebluehatman]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

Oh BHM, poor pick! My alma mater took them down 17-0 last night. Not even close! (I really have no idea if it was close or not. My little brother plays and I haven't had the opportunity to rehash it with him.)

yeah I should have went with arlington as my pick :-P

[jackmd]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

yeah I should have went with arlington as my pick :-P

I'm not sure about Arlington either. The Great Plains Lutheran team they beat wasn't that good.

[Nidaros]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

I'm not sure about Arlington either. The Great Plains Lutheran team they beat wasn't that good.

You are right. Arlington has its ups and downs so I dont look for them to advance past their next game, but could be very wrong. The game was played in Hayti btw, apparently Great Plains is still working on getting their own facilities.

[KUlawJack]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

You are right. Arlington has its ups and downs so I dont look for them to advance past their next game, but could be very wrong. The game was played in Hayti btw, apparently Great Plains is still working on getting their own facilities.

I personally don't know how good any of the teams are because the competition seems so watered down with so many classes. I hope no one crucifies me for saying that, but there are 27-28 teams in the three classes of 9 man football. There are dominant teams in each class that are very close in enrollment and there are a lot of bad teams in all three divisions as well. Maybe staying with two classes could bring some parity to the ranks. The scores of the first round games indicate that some of those schools do not belong in the playoffs. I would like to see the return to two classes or the reduction in teams.

Since we are talking about Arlington, the game with Estelline may be a good one. Estelline won 24-22 to open the season. Same thing happened last year too, first game of the season for both teams, met in the second round of the playoffs. I look for Avon to win the whole thing though.

[jackmd]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

I personally don't know how good any of the teams are because the competition seems so watered down with so many classes. I hope no one crucifies me for saying that, but there are 27-28 teams in the three classes of 9 man football. There are dominant teams in each class that are very close in enrollment and there are a lot of bad teams in all three divisions as well. Maybe staying with two classes could bring some parity to the ranks. The scores of the first round games indicate that some of those schools do not belong in the playoffs. I would like to see the return to two classes or the reduction in teams.

Since we are talking about Arlington, the game with Estelline may be a good one. Estelline won 24-22 to open the season. Same thing happened last year too, first game of the season for both teams, met in the second round of the playoffs. I look for Avon to win the whole thing though.

Erv Archambeau will probably carry Avon to the state title himself. You can do that in 9-man ball. I believe he had 3 punt returns for TDs the last regular season game of the year. I'm thinking he would look darn good in yellow and blue.

[KUlawJack]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

Erv Archambeau will probably carry Avon to the state title himself. You can do that in 9-man ball. I believe he had 3 punt returns for TDs the last regular season game of the year. I'm thinking he would look darn good in yellow and blue.

Any word on him and recruiting? I think I have heard his name for the last 3 years it seems. Another thing you can do in 9 man football - play varsity as a freshman and its not an anomaly.

[thebluehatman]

Re: SD high school football playoffs

You are right. Arlington has its ups and downs so I dont look for them to advance past their next game, but could be very wrong. The game was played in Hayti btw, apparently Great Plains is still working on getting their own facilities.

Arlington looked fairly impressive last night as I covered that game. Christian DeCurtins has some great speed, but I guess that comes with being the state 400 meter champion. Jacob Christensen isn't too shabby himself, 2-2 passing 103 yards and two touchdowns.