Winner Climbs to No. 4 in Class 11B as South Dakota Prep Media Polls Shift
The short version
- Winner rose one spot to No. 4 in Class 11B; the Warriors are 5-1 after beating then-No. 4 Class 11A Canton 16-13.
- Elk Point-Jefferson holds 14 first-place votes in Class 11B to seven for St. Thomas More, though the Cavaliers lead the seed-point race for No. 1.
- Class 11AAA was the only division with no top-five movement; Sioux Falls Jefferson stayed No. 1 at 5-0.
- Spearfish entered Class 11AA at No. 5 and Britton-Hecla entered Class 9AA at No. 5, each ranked for the first time this season.
- Philip fell from the Class 9A top five after a 50-0 loss to Class 9B No. 2 Wall.
Winner moved up to No. 4 in Class 11B in the Sept. 28 South Dakota Prep Media football poll after a 16-13 win over Canton, while six of seven classes saw top-five changes.
The Winner Warriors moved up one spot to No. 4 in Class 11B in the South Dakota Prep Media football poll released Monday. Winner had sat fifth for two straight weeks and is now 5-1 after a 16-13 win over Canton, which was ranked fourth in Class 11A at the time of that game.
That result followed another notable one, as the Warriors gave Wagner its only defeat of the season a week earlier. Wagner is now the lone team outside the Class 11B top five earning votes. Winner hosts Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central on Friday, sits idle on Oct. 9 and closes the regular season at Chamberlain on Oct. 16.
Around the Warriors, Class 11B reshuffled. Deuel dropped two places to No. 5 after a 33-6 loss to top-ranked, 5-0 Elk Point-Jefferson, while 6-0 Clark/Willow Lake rose one position to No. 3.
The 11B media poll otherwise mirrors the seed-point race, with one clear split: defending state champion St. Thomas More leads the pursuit of the No. 1 seed, yet voters favor Elk Point-Jefferson, giving the Huskies 14 first-place votes to seven for the Cavaliers. Elk Point-Jefferson also holds the edge in total poll points, 98-91.
Class 11AAA produced the only top five that stayed put. Sioux Falls Jefferson held No. 1 with all 21 first-place votes at 5-0, ahead of 4-1 Brandon Valley and Harrisburg, with 3-2 O'Gorman and Sioux Falls Lincoln completing the list.
Class 11AA added a newcomer in Spearfish, which entered at No. 5 for the first time this season at 4-1, replacing Huron. Watertown's 42-14 road win over Yankton lifted the Arrows to No. 3 and dropped the Bucks to No. 4, while 5-0 Pierre stayed No. 1 ahead of 4-1 Tea Area.
In Class 11A, the loss to Winner knocked Canton out of the top five, with Madison stepping in at No. 4 at 4-1. Sioux Falls Christian remained No. 1 at 5-0, followed by 4-1 Lennox and West Central.
Class 9AA also has a fresh face, with Britton-Hecla debuting at No. 5 at 5-1 after beating previously unbeaten Waubay/Summit 40-22. The Braves replaced Bon Homme, which lost for the second straight week, this time to Class 9A's Kimball/White Lake. Parkston stayed No. 1 at 5-0, ahead of 4-1 Platte-Geddes and Hamlin.
Philip's three-week climb in Class 9A stopped with a 50-0 loss to Class 9B No. 2 Wall. The Scotties, fourth a week ago and holders of a first-place vote for three weeks, fell to the receiving-votes group, with Centerville and Timber Lake moving into No. 4 and No. 5 behind 6-0 Freeman. In Class 9B, Colman-Egan took No. 5 back from Hitchcock-Tulare, which had held it since Sept. 14; the Hawks blanked Chester 50-0 while Hitchcock-Tulare lost for the first time, at No. 3 Warner, with 6-0 Dell Rapids St. Mary still on top.
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