Mitchell Kernels off to 3-1 start behind surging ground game

Mitchell High School football is 3-1 for the first time since 2020, powered by a rushing attack averaging 7.1 yards per carry.

The Mitchell High School football team is 3-1 to open the 2026 season, its best start since 2020. A win on Friday, which doubles as homecoming, would give the Kernels a 4-1 record for the first time since 2017.

Mitchell has scored 155 points in four games, already surpassing the 141 it managed across all of last season and the most for the program since 2021, when a Kernels team finished with 159. The 38.8 points per game ranks third in Class 11AA behind Pierre and Spearfish, though three of Mitchell's first four opponents — Aberdeen Central, Brookings and Douglas — sit at the bottom of the class standings.

The ground game has fueled the surge. After running for 1,373 yards at 3.9 yards per attempt in 2025, Mitchell has 1,137 rushing yards at 7.1 per carry through four games, averaging 284.2 yards per contest. Samari Wright has an 80-yard run, four players have carries of at least 41 yards, and the team's 16 rushing touchdowns already exceed last season's total of 13.

The defense has also been disruptive, recording more than six tackles for loss per game behind Rocky Clark's 4.5. Mitchell has four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and three blocked punts, though it remains minus-1 in turnover margin after eight giveaways — still a big improvement over 35 turnovers two years ago.