Q: Thoughts from Week 5?
A: Let’s split this question up a bit.
11AAA– I don’t think we learned anything new, except that Harrisburg has continued to improve since the opening loss to Jefferson, and are a team to follow over the next few games.
11AA– Pierre was extremely impressive, and proved that teams have a lot of work to do if they are going to catch up. I think Tea Area vs Yankton this week will be a really fun matchup, and one that could be a setup to an exciting playoff sequel.
11A– This class has proven that anyone can win on a given night, and I suspect this chaos will continue late into the postseason.
11B– Two thoughts:
- Hot Springs had possible the most shocking victory of the season (we’ll talk about this later).
- While all the 11B ranked teams are a combined 29-0, I think we are going to see some really competitive quarterfinal games, and some non-ranked teams making noise.
9-Man– I was going to split up the classes, but I think each class can be described in pretty much the same word:
Competitive.
12 teams remain undefeated, and many of them have been unbelievably dominant (see Wall). The playoffs this year are going to be really exciting, and I don’t think you can count anyone out down the stretch.
Q: Which West River teams have impressed you?
A: Winner and Wall, obviously, but let’s go to another team that I was really surprised about:
Hot Springs.
Their 49-14 win against St. Thomas More certainly wasn’t expected, and I think it turned heads towards the Bison. They have 3 very winnable games remaining on their schedule, and a 6-2 record will certainly have them hosting the first round.
Of course, there is other West River teams having success too. Stevens (AAA), Sturgis (AA), St. Thomas More (B), Gregory (9A), Lyman (9A), Harding County-Bison (9A), and Kadoka Area (9B) are all ranked or receiving votes.
Could we see a West River champion not named Winner for the first time since 2017? It’s certainly possible.
Q: Which teams could make a suprise run down the stretch?
A: I think Roncalli is an underrated team. The Power Polls have them at #1, but I feel like they just recently started to gain traction in the Media Polls. This is a team that is coming off of a 7-win season in 2021, and will most likely pass total this season. This Cavaliers team has the ability to go toe-to-toe with the rest of 11B.
SFC is another team who may surprise some that have only been looking at the records in Class B. They have been in every game so far this year, and has beat Dakota Valley and Madison in back-to-back weeks. Teams that can stay in any game are dangerous in the playoffs, as one play of fate can move them to the next round.
My final surprise is a West River team of your choosing. Besides Winner, who is an obvious favorite, I will reiterate that we will see at least one of the other teams listed earlier end their season in Vermillion.
Q: What do the Jackrabbits need to improve on heading into Missouri State?
A: That’s a tough question to answer at the moment. Butler wasn’t exactly their toughest opponent on the schedule, so the game gave the Jackrabbits a chance to find rhythm and try to move the ball in different ways.
The defense has really been solid, and the offense has been improving each week. If there is a glaring probably that needs fixed, I think it will be revealed this weekend against the Bears in a must-watch game for both the fans and the selection committee.
