Welcome back for Round 2 of our newest power rankings. For those unfamiliar, we broke down everything about the initial results in our last post.
This week we have some changes, close races, and big upsets as we near the playoffs!
Looking back at the pregame predictions for the Week 7, the computer correctly predicted the winner in 84% of games. It was an exciting week of football, so let’s talk about some of these upsets. I listed the games from smallest upset to biggest.
11-MAN
Flandreau 21, Jim River 19
- A literal coin flip of a game, the computer had Jim River as the 0.01 pt favorites. Since two teams can’t be tied, as there is no ties in football, this is the computer’s way of saying of “you pick ’em.” And with a game this close as the result, that’s a prediction that held up.
Spearfish 26, Mitchell 21
- When I was going through the predictions on Thursday, I already had the notion that this one had a great chance of going Spearfish’s way. Mitchell was coming off of a big loss to Jefferson, while Spearfish just got a win against Belle Fourche. The Kernels were also making a trip across the state, which can certainly play an effect on the final score.
Madison 21, Canton 14
- A big victory for the Bulldogs, who have been very close to pulling out a big victory this season. They finally got it on the road against Canton, in a game that was just barely predicted in the C-Hawks favor.
Webster Area 28, Groton Area 21
- Webster Area went on the road and took a close victory for just their second win of the season. The Tigers were 2 touchdown favorites in this one, but certainly an impressive showing for the Bearcats.
Chamberlain 25, Vermillion 11
- One of two games where there was a big upset according to the computer. The Tanagers were coming into the game as 3 score favorites, and the Cubs had just lost by 42 to SFC. No matter, Chamberlain got their first win at home this season, and it’s reasonable to say this game had an affect on the 11A rankings.
9-MAN
Iroquois/Lake Preston 20, Colman-Egan 18
- Another coin flip game, I/LP got the win in the second overtime. Colman-Egan was the two point favorites, so a failed attempt at a two-point conversion, and a successful one from the Sharks prevented a perfect prediction from the computer.
Parkston 32, Gregory 25
- This was one of the top games of the week, and one that the computer predicted would be a 1-score win for Gregory. The Trojans ended up on top, but still another close one that could have gone either way for the system.
Avon 36, Alcester-Hudson 22
- A huge win for the Pirates, I have felt like from the eye test that Avon was close to break through, and they got it this Friday. They certainly have some momentum over the last two weeks as they head into the playoffs.
Warner 8, Hamlin 6
- In a battle of undefeated teams, the Monarchs took the tough win at home. This was the first ranked win that Warner has had all season, so it’ll be interesting to see where they are ranked when we look later.
So looking back, I don’t think there was really too many wrong predictions, and besides for those two 11-Man games (Chamberlain/Vermillion, Groton Area/Webster Area), these were pretty close games with pretty close predictions.
There is no need to list them all out, but the computer correctly picked the winner on 47 games.
Here are it’s 6 closest predictions to the actual result. In parenthesis is the winning teams predicted margin of victory. (Note: I took out 50 point mercy rule predictions because those are obvious)
New Underwood @ Jones County
PREDICTION: New Underwood by 11
RESULT: New Underwood 38, Jones County 28
SFC @ Milbank
PREDICTION: SFC by 31
RESULT: SFC 35, Milbank 6
Douglas @ Huron
PREDICTION: Huron by 15
RESULT: Huron 32, Douglas 14
Yankton @ Brookings
PREDICTION: Yankton by 15
RESULT: Yankton 38, Brookings 27
Britton-Hecla @ Langford Area
PREDICTION: Britton-Hecla by 37
RESULT: Britton-Hecla 51, Langford Area 19
STM @ Roncalli
PREDICTION: Roncalli by 20
RESULT: Roncalli 21, St. Thomas More 6
Overall, I thought it was a very good week of football. I also thought the computer held up well, and I’m excited to see these rankings take shape as the playoffs near.
| 11AAA | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. Jefferson Cavaliers | 6-0 | 174 |
| 2. O’Gorman Knights | 4-2 | 151 |
| 3. Harrisburg Tigers | 5-1 | 142 |
| 4. Brandon Valley Lynx | 3-3 | 111 |
| 5. Lincoln Patriots | 3-3 | 109 |
Not many changes to these rankings, and I didn’t expect to see much of it anyway. Jefferson has secured their spot at the moment as the top team, and looking ahead, the other teams would have to do a lot to catch them. The Cavaliers looked unbelievable this Friday, as everything was working both offensively and defensively. They brought another level of energy and execution that we haven’t seen from any team this season, and I’m excited to see if they can keep that level of play going for the rest of the season.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #4 BV @ #5 Lincoln
Brandon’s offense looked the best it had all season against Pierre, and with three wins before that, the Lynx are certainly showing an improved team from their early season losses. This game is also going to be important for hosting in the playoffs, so be sure to tune in from Howard Wood.
| 11AA | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. Pierre Governors | 6-0 | 215 |
| 2. Tea Area Titans | 6-0 | 185 |
| 3. Yankton Bucks | 4-2 | 158 |
| 4. Brookings Bobcats | 4-2 | 115 |
| 5. Aberdeen Golden Eagles | 3-3 | 93 |
Pierre showed a lot of toughness going down early on the road against BV. I was impressed with their composure and they never seemed to give up. Yankton was another team with an great win, as they beat Brookings in the final road game of a brutal three game stretch that featured bouts against Pierre and Tea Area.
I think the top three is pretty secured, as my guess is that Tea Area would have to win big on the road against Pierre to make the jump, since the Gov beat Yankton by 45, while Tea won against the Bucks by 10. Either way, I’m excited for the matchup between the Titans and Governors in two weeks.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #4 Brookings @ #5 Aberdeen
Another game with playoff implications, we could see these two play again in the first round. The winner is most likely going to secure a home game, so keep an eye out for the final score of this one.
| 11A | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. Dell Rapids Quarriers | 6-0 | 164.3 |
| 2. West Central Trojans | 6-0 | 164.1 |
| 3. SFC Chargers | 4-2 | 145 |
| 4. Beresford Watchdogs | 4-2 | 140 |
| 5. Madison Bulldogs | 2-4 | 138 |
I usually don’t include 1/10 of a point in the rankings, but this 11A race for first place is as close as you can get. Sadly, we won’t get to see these two play it out in the regular season, but both teams are going to have an opportunity to take the top spot. A big win for West Central could certainly elevate into the top spot next week, as the Quarriers have little chance to move with a game against Chamberlain.
I think this class is also where we are going to see the most movement. SFC jumps up to #3 after their dominant win over Milbank, while Beresford falls to #4. I said the rankings are really close and could fluctuate over the next few weeks, as there is strong parity.
With Canton’s loss to Madison, the C-Hawks move out and the Bulldogs move in. As stated earlier, Madison has been playing with West Central, SFC, and Dakota Valley in very close games, along with a big victory over Milbank.
Dakota Valley was left out of the rankings, but again, are jusstttttt out of the rankings with a 133 Rank+. Even though they beat Madison, which was a close game, they didn’t play as well against SFC and Milbank as the Bulldogs. Again, the computer compares the results of all games, not just one, so it’s important that you play well against mutual opponents.
I think the biggest detriment to the Panthers, according to the computer, is the week 1 game against Vermillion. DV won by 12, and the Tanagers’ loss to Chamberlain certainly didn’t elevate the Panthers S.O.S.
No fret if your favorite team is Dakota Valley, though, as there is plenty of time to move up, and they have big games against Beresford and Dell Rapids coming in the final two weeks of the season.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #4 Beresford @ #3 SFC
Anytime you have two ranked teams battle it out, your going to have a pretty fun game. The computer has this one as a close “coin flip” game.
| 11B | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. EP-J Huskies | 6-0 | 226 |
| 2. Winner Warriors | 6-0 | 206 |
| 3. Roncalli Cavaliers | 6-0 | 184 |
| 4. MV/P Titans | 7-0 | 168 |
| 5. MC/M Fighting Cougars | 5-1 | 166 |
This Friday was pretty standard, as all the ranked teams took care of business. Winner picked up the biggest victory of the week 7, taking down B-E/E 36-0. They will have another tough matchup against #2A West Central at home, which gives them a great chance to jump up to that #1 spot.
GAME OF THE WEEK: B-E/E @ #5 MC/M
Though the the Seahawks are unranked, they are staying near the Top 5 and are in striking distance if they play well these next two weeks. The Fighting Cougars, meanwhile, will be a near guarantee to stay in the top 5 with a win.
| 9AA | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. Wall Eagles | 7-0 | 205 |
| 2. Bon Homme Cavaliers | 5-1 | 171 |
| 3. Hanson Beavers | 5-1 | 161 |
| 4. Hamlin Chargers | 6-1 | 158 |
| 5. Parkston Trojans | 6-1 | 156 |
There wasn’t quite enough upsets to move the needle this week, though Hamlin did drop a spot with their 2-point loss to Warner. Howard is super close with a 153 Rank+, while Elkton-Lake Benton sits at 152. These next couple weeks could be really exciting, and there might be some changes up ahead.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #2 Bon Homme @ #5 Parkston
With Howard and E-LB hunting down top 5 spots, this game is going to have a chance to really shake things up before the playoffs. I think a win by Bon Homme would certainly put the media rankings on notice as well.
| 9A | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. Gregory Gorillas | 5-1 | 204 |
| 2. Lyman Raiders | 5-1 | 193 |
| 3. Philip Scotties | 5-1 | 174 |
| 4. HC/B Ranchers | 5-2 | 171.9 |
| 5. Canistota Hawks | 3-4 | 171.7 |
Warner picked up their first big win of the season against Hamlin, but it wasn’t quite enough to move Warner into the top 5. Instead, Canistota moves in with their big victory over Deubrook Area. The Hawks have played close games against Howard, Viborg-Hurley, and E-LB, all resulting in loss, but now have some big wins against Florence/Henry and Deubrook Area on the resume.
It’s certainly been a weird season for the Hawks, but they have kept themselves in games, and have a tough S.O.S. that certainly helps their ranking. Warner is currently at #6 with a 165 Rank+, but they could get into the Top 5 by the next rankings. A dominant win over Estelline/Hendricks would give them a great shot, especially if Canistota loses to Platte-Geddes.
Either way, a lot of these classes are shaping up to be really close, and it’s going to be a fun playoff this year!
GAME OF THE WEEK: Timber Lake @ #4 Harding County/Bison
A good west river battle, Timber Lake has quietly put together a 5-2 season. This game could help decide who gets to host in the second round of the playoffs, so that could be fun.
| 9B | Record | Rank+ |
| 1. H/SA Wolverines | 6-0 | 185 |
| 2. Hitchcock-Tulare Patriots | 6-0 | 175 |
| 3. Kadoka Area Kougars | 3-3 | 172 |
| 4. De Smet Bulldogs | 4-2 | 159 |
| 5. Sully Buttes Chargers | 5-1 | 124 |
Again, we don’t see any changes. De Smet’s forfeit win over Arlington was not put into the system, so it didn’t add or subtract any changes to the Bulldogs resume.
GAME OF THE WEEK: #2 Hitchcock-Tulare @ #5 De Smet
The Bulldogs haven’t played since September 16th, so I’m sure they are anxious to get back onto the field. The Patriots, meanwhile, are looking for a signature victory to finish off the regular season.