If you walked into the DakotaDome this past November, you felt it. The air was thick. Not just from the humidity of several thousand fans crammed into Vermillion, but from the realization that the hierarchy of South Dakota high school football rankings has officially been flipped on its head.
Brandon Valley is back on top. For a while, it felt like the Sioux Falls schools—specifically Lincoln and Jefferson—had a permanent lease on the 11AAA throne. But the Lynx changed the locks. Their 34-27 win over Sioux Falls Lincoln in the title game wasn't just a win; it was a statement that the suburban powerhouse is the new gold standard for the 2026 cycle.
Honestly, ranking these teams is a nightmare for anyone who actually watches the tape. You have dominant 9-man programs like Wall putting up video game numbers, while the 11AAA big boys are beatng each other into a pulp every Friday night. It's a weird, beautiful ecosystem.
The 11AAA Hierarchy: Brandon Valley and the Rest
The final south dakota high school football rankings for the largest class tell a story of sheer physical dominance. Brandon Valley finished 10-1, their only blemish a regular-season hiccup that they more than avenged. Hudson Parliament is a name you're going to hear on Saturdays very soon. The 6-4, 320-pound offensive lineman is basically a human forklift. When you have a guy like that leading the way for Levi Veskrna, you don't need a complex playbook. You just run behind the big guy.
Sioux Falls Lincoln remains the primary threat. They finished 7-2, led by Brody Schafer, a quarterback who plays with a level of poise that makes him look like a thirty-year-old out there. Their 60-21 blowout of Rapid City Central in the playoffs showed their ceiling. It’s high. Really high.
Then there's Sioux Falls Jefferson. They fell a bit short of the repeat, but with Eddie Whiting at tight end, they’re never out of it. Whiting is a 6-6 matchup nightmare. He’s too fast for linebackers and too big for corners. He's a cheat code.
📖 Related: Heisman Trophy Nominees 2024: The Year the System Almost Broke
- Brandon Valley (10-1) - The undisputed kings after the Dome.
- Sioux Falls Lincoln (7-2) - Explosive, but couldn't close the deal.
- Sioux Falls Jefferson (7-3) - Still elite, still dangerous.
- Harrisburg (5-5) - Their record is deceiving; they play the toughest schedule in the state.
- O'Gorman (5-4) - Sullivan Schlimgen is arguably the best linebacker in South Dakota.
11AA and 11A: The Pierre Dynasty and the SF Christian Surge
In 11AA, Pierre T.F. Riggs is doing things that shouldn't be possible in a competitive sports environment. They’ve turned winning into a routine. Coach Steve Steele has built a machine that just keeps rolling, even when they lose "once-in-a-generation" talent. They finished 9-3, but they won the games that mattered.
Yankton tried to spoil the party. They finished 9-3 as well, and honestly, on a neutral field in mid-October, that game is a toss-up. But Pierre has that "Dome Magic."
Over in 11A, Sioux Falls Christian is just... wow. A 12-0 season. They didn't just win; they dismantled people. Their 28-24 win over Lennox in the championship was the closest anyone got to them all year. Lincoln Semchenko is a mountain of a man on the line, and he’s the primary reason the Chargers' ground game was basically unstoppable.
Lennox deserves some love here too. Going 9-3 and pushing the best team in the state to the brink says a lot about that program's trajectory. They aren't going away anytime soon.
Small Town Giants: The 9-Man Revolution
Don't let the "9-man" tag fool you. The football being played in places like Wall and Freeman is as high-level as anything you'll see in Sioux Falls.
👉 See also: When Was the MLS Founded? The Chaotic Truth About American Soccer's Rebirth
Wall High School just put together one of the most statistically offensive seasons in the history of the state. They scored 656 points. Read that again. They broke a record that had stood since 2014. Tanner Volmer and Jace Mohr are a duo that defenders will be seeing in their nightmares for years. Mohr, the Joe Robbie MVP, put up 211 rushing yards in the championship game alone.
In 9AA, Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy went 12-0. They basically operated like a buzzsaw. Their 46-22 win over Elkton-Lake Benton in the finals was a masterclass in efficiency.
What the 2026 Rankings Tell Us About the Future
If you're looking at the south dakota high school football rankings to predict next year, keep your eyes on the Class of 2026 recruits. We are seeing a massive influx of D1-level talent in the state.
Hudson Parliament (Brandon Valley) is the obvious one, but don't sleep on Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte from Sioux Falls Washington. He’s a wide receiver with elite track speed. Even if Washington had a "down" year by their standards, Bonwell-Witte is the kind of player who can flip a game on one play.
The Recruitment Hotbed
- Hudson Parliament (OL, Brandon Valley): National-level recruit.
- Eddie Whiting (TE, SF Jefferson): 6-6 frame, soft hands, high ceiling.
- Bradley Esser (LB, Harrisburg): The next great Tigers defensive leader.
- Jace Mohr (RB, Wall): Small school star with big-time production.
The reality is that South Dakota is no longer a "flyover" state for recruiters. When you have teams like Wall breaking scoring records and Brandon Valley producing linemen that wouldn't look out of place in the SEC, people notice.
✨ Don't miss: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
The shift we're seeing in the rankings is a result of better off-season training. You hear it from the players. Jace Mohr mentioned the "early morning lifts" and "Monday nights on the field." That’s the difference. The gap between the "good" teams and the "elite" teams is being filled by kids who treat high school football like a full-time job.
How to Follow the 2026 Season
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you can't just look at the final scores. You have to watch the seed points. The SDHSAA uses a system that rewards strength of schedule, which is why a 5-5 Harrisburg team often ranks higher than an 8-2 team from a weaker region.
Keep an eye on the Midco Sports broadcasts and South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB). They are the gold standard for coverage.
For 2026, the power remains in the East, but the West is clawing back. Teams like Spearfish and Sturgis Brown are showing more depth than they have in a decade. The gap is closing, slowly but surely.
Whether you're a scout, a parent, or just a guy who likes watching kids hit each other on a Friday night, the state of South Dakota football has never been healthier. The rankings will change, stars will emerge, but the "climb"—as Wall coach Heathershaw calls it—remains the same for everyone.
To get the most out of the upcoming season, start by tracking the junior varsity rosters of the top 11AAA programs. That’s where the next Hudson Parliament is currently hiding. Focus on teams with returning offensive lines, as that has historically been the best predictor of success in the DakotaDome. Finally, keep an eye on the 9-man transitions; several of the top small-school players are beginning to attract attention from mid-major D1 programs, which could shift the recruiting landscape for the entire state.