In all regards, this season has been a greater success than anyone may have predicted this past summer. And in all the craziness, we now have something that has continued from year-to-year: The Sodak 16. Well, the last few years anyway! Below, we preview each team, comparing similar teams for every game’s opponents, along with predictions on each game.
*Note: All similar teams are based off of Class and Seed Points. Teams in the same class will be noted first.*
#1 Castlewood (19-0) vs. #16 De Smet (11-11)
If any team quietly worker their way to an undefeated season and a #1 ranking, it was Castlewood. While the State ranked White River and Corsica-Stickney near the top of the rankings (including us), the Warriors continued to keep winning and working their way to the top of the rankings. Now the favorites will face one of the most surprising Sodak 16 teams, De Smet. The Lady Bulldogs entered the Region 2B Tournament at the #6 spot, but narrowly defeated #3 Wolsey-Wessington and then won a strong victory over upset #7 Arlington in the second round.
If the Lady Bulldogs want to defeat the Warriors in Watertown, De Smet is going to have to do something no one has ever done, including themselves. The Warriors defeated the Lady Bulldogs 54-47 on February 8th before defeating a great Florence/Henry team the next day. And even though De Smet defeated Deubrook Area and Howard, the Lady Bulldogs have defeated no team still remaining. If the Lady Bulldogs want to win, they are going to have to stop an offense that has scored over 70 points four times this season.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Castlewood (46.65)- The Lady Bulldogs have not played a team similar to Castlewood. De Smet lost 54-47 to Castlewood on February 8th.
- De Smet (40.25)- The Warriors won 48-34 against Arlington (40.05).
LOCATION: Watertown Arena
PREDICTION: Castlewood wins by 10.
#2 White River (20-1) vs. #15 Aberdeen Christian (12-8)
The top Class B team in the West River area will take on the champions of the North Central. The Lady Tigers have dominated west of the Missouri River all season long, losing only once to a great Winner team. White River has also defeated a great number of teams, including West Central, Hamlin, and #7 Viborg-Hurley before cruising through the Region 7B tournament; along with scoring a staggering 93 points against Lyman in the first round.
The Knights out of Region 1B struggled in the first half of the season before catching fire in the second half. After 3 straight losses against Faulkton Area, Waubay/Summit, and Herreid/Selby Area (which is a brutal schedule by the way), the Knights then won 6 straight games; including a February 13th victory against Highmore-Harrold.
Aberdeen Christian then won a rematch against Waubay/Summit to reach the Sodak 16, but they will now face a team with an offense that the Knights haven’t seen before. White River has put up some unreal numbers, scoring 60+ 16 times, 70+ 7 times, and an 84-point game against Bennett County. Meanwhile, the most similar team to Aberdeen Christian (40.667) that White River has faced is Lower Brule (40.278). The Lady Tigers defeated Lower Brule by 22 on February 2nd, but this Sodak 16 game at the Corn Palace should be closer.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- White River (46.26)- The Knights lost 39-23 against Class A Aberdeen Roncalli (45.00).
- Aberdeen Christian (40.67)- The Lady Tigers won 66-34 against Lower Brule (40.28).
LOCATION: Corn Palace
PREDICTION: White River by 13.
#3 Corsica-Stickney (20-2) vs. #14 Timber Lake (13-8)
Corsica-Stickney has been the favorite for the championship the entire season, and a couple losses against great Class A teams has dropped them to #3 in seed points. Corsica-Stickney would be undefeated if they played a Class B schedule, and there is no doubt the team would be undefeated, but having teams like Winner and St. Thomas More on the schedule only prepared the Jaguars for this moment.
Timber Lake, the #4 team from Region 8B, won an upset 47-41 victory over Newell to make the Sodak 16. The Panthers defeated #13 Faith and lost in overtime to Region 2B #1 Herreid/Selby Area in overtime. Timber Lake also has defeated Faith and Lemmon, but no other teams with a winning record. This Jaguars team will be the toughest team that the Panthers has faced. Corsica-Stickney has face a team very similar to Timber Lake in seed points, defeating Burke by 35 points on February 2nd.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Corsica-Stickney (45.85)- Timber Lake has played no team similar to the Jaguars.
- Timber Lake (40.89)- The Jaguars won 56-21 against Burke (40.95).
LOCATION: Huron Arena
PREDICTION: Corsica-Stickney by 25.
#4 Hanson (18-3) vs. #13 Faith (13-9)
The top seed of Region 4B will face the #2 team of Region 8B. The Beaverettes are currently on a 7-game win streak, including a second round victory against Dell Rapids St. Mary. Hanson has defeated some great teams, including Parkston, McCook Central/Montrose, Waubay/Summit, Howard, Bridgewater-Emery, Mt.Vernon/Plankinton, Kimball/White Lake and #7 Viborg-Hurley. A schedule that tough prepares any team for the Sodak 16, and the Beaverettes are a dark horse favorite for the state championship.
The Lady Longhorns have also defeated some great out-of-state teams, but have yet to win an extraordinary regular season victory against a team from South Dakota. Faith did defeat Lemmon in the second round of the tournament, so it would not be a shock if the Lady Longhorns reach the state tournament.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Hanson (44.95)- The Lady Longhorns lost 57-37 against Herreid/Selby Area (44.30).
- Faith (41.75)- The Beaverettes won 49-37 against Howard (41.55).
LOCATION: Huron Arena
PREDICTION: Hanson by 13.
#5 Ethan (19-3) vs. #12 Faulkton Area (15-7)
Chasing Hanson in Region 4B is the Ethan Rustlers. The Rustlers have had two incredibly winning streaks this season: a 7-game winning streak to start the season, and another 7-game winning streak near the end of the season. Ethan also defeated #4 Hanson, along with Kimball/White Lake and Howard in the regular season. Ethan does have a loss to #3 Corsica-Stickney, but only by six points. And with how good Corsica-Stickney has proven to be, this shows that the Rustlers are one of the top teams in the Class. But Ethan also has a late season loss to Mt.Vernon/Plankinton by 26. It was an out of character loss, but should be noted when looking at the whole picture.
The Faulkton Area Trojans enter the Sodak 16 after being the #3 team in Region 2B, but are on an 11-GAME WINNING STREAK after the region tournament! Granted, 3 of 9 games that were during the regular season in the streak were against opponents with winning records, but the Trojans defeated a tough Highmore-Harrold team to reach the Sodak 16. In games they win and even in games they have lost, Faulkton Area has kept opponents’ scores low, and Hanson’s highest score this season is 62. Expect the winner of this game to score in the high forties and low fifties.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Ethan (44.60)- The Trojans lost 40-31 against Herreid/Selby Area (44.30).
- Faulkton Area (42.20)- The Rustlers won 52-34 against Kimball/White Lake (42.00).
LOCATION: Corn Palace
PREDICTION: Ethan by 15.
#6 Herreid/Selby Area (19-3) vs. #11 Menno (15-6)
Who would win in a game, a Wolverine or a Wolf? At James Valley Christian, possible the most interesting game in the Sodak 16 will answer that question, as Region 1B #1 Herreid/Selby Area against Region 5B #2 Menno. The Herreid/Selby Area Wolverines have dominated the Northeast, but the Menno Wolves have been no joke in the Southeast.
The Wolverines had a strong 9-game win streak in the middle of the season, and are currently on a 4-game win streak. Herreid/Selby Area also has victories against fellow Sodak16 opponents, including #14 Timber Lake and #15 Aberdeen Christian.
The Wolves have a late season loss to Viborg-Hurley, but defeated T-D/A, Scotland and Bridgewater-Emery in the regular season. Menno also defeated Scotland to end the region tournament, so the Wolves are well prepared for the Sodak 16. Menno also doesn’t have a bad loss, but still no victories against a team as good as Herreid/Selby Area.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Herreid/Selby Area (44.30)- The Wolves lost 57-55 against Hanson (44.95).
- Menno (42.53)- The Wolverines won 48-42 against Highmore-Harrold (42.58).
LOCATION: James Valley Christian
PREDICTION: Herreid/Selby Area by 3.
#7 Viborg-Hurley (17-4) vs. #10 Andes Central/Dakota Christian (17-5)
Viborg-Hurley and Andes Central/Dakota Christian have been quietly behind Corsica-Stickney when listing the top teams in the Southeast, but both these teams have put together an incredible season.
The Cougars had a strong 7-game winning streak in the beginning of the season, defeating Bridgewater-Emery, Scotland, Deubrook Area, and Dakota Valley. Viborg-Hurley also lost to #4 Hanson by 2 points and #2 White River by 5. If just a few points is what separates the Cougars from the top teams in the state, then Viborg-Hurley is incredibly underrated.
The Thunder defeated Scotland, Kimball/White Lake and T-D/A this season, but have yet to get a win against a team that has reached the Sodak 16. However, AC/DC defeated Kimball/White Lake again in the second round of the region tournament, so the Thunder aren’t a team that will leave the Sodak 16 without a battle.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- Viborg-Hurley (43.95)- The Thunder lost 52-47 and 64-36 against Corsica-Stickney (45.85).
- AC/DC (42.90)- The Jaguars won 67-55 against Menno (42.53).
LOCATION: Centerville
PREDICTION: Viborg-Hurley by 8.
#8 New Underwood (16-4) vs. #9 Waverly-South Shore (15-4)
These two teams are only separated by .1 seed points, so fans should expect a battle in Chamberlain. The Tigers enter the game as the #8 seed, defeating Faith, RC Christian, and Wall along the way. New Underwood also defeated #14 Timber Lake, and a good Jones County team at the end of the season, so the Tigers are prepared for the battle later this week.
Waverly-South Shore, however, is arguably one of the top teams in the North Central Region. The Coyotes started the season on a 10-game winning streak, putting the entire state on notice. They lost to #1 Castlewood by 9 at the end of the season but defeated Region 1B #2 Waubay-Summit at the end of the season. This game should be the one of the best in the Sodak 16.
SIMILAR TEAMS:
- New Underwood (43.78)- The Coyotes won 47-44 against Waubay/Summit (43.28)
- Waverly-South Shore (43.65)- The Tigers won 39-30 against Newell (43.85) and lost 42-29 against Wall (43.40).
LOCATION: Chamberlain Armory
PREDICTION: Waverly-South Shore by 4.
