South Dakota high school football games we're looking forward to in 2024
It still feels far off in the distance but the high school football season is silently creeping up pretty quickly.
The South Dakota High School Activities Association released the 2024 high school football schedule last week and there are plenty of highly anticipated matchups on the calendar. Since the release of the schedule, teams have released their individual schedules via social media with slight changes from the initial release.
The season kicks off for all 11AAA schools on Aug. 30, which will mark Week 1 of the new season.
Here are some matchups you'll want to see next season:
Week 2
O'Gorman vs Lincoln
An 11AAA championship rematch will be a can't-miss contest, even if the personnel is vastly different from a season ago.
Both sides are losing key pieces. Lincoln, who ran the table last season en route to the state championship, will feel the loss of players like Tate Schafer, Jack Smith, Dreavin Hodge and Isaac Jarovski on offense. The Knights lost multiple two-way stars from the team that made a run to the state championship game too.
With that being said, this could be an early season marker for where both teams stand. Both teams have been consistent players in 11AAA for years, it's difficult to predict anything different in 2024.
Week 4
Sioux Falls Christian vs Canton
Dell Rapids won the 11A state championship last season but they've lost a couple of core pieces in Jack Henry and Mason Stubbe, meaning the class could be wide open this year.
Canton could be one of the teams well-positioned to make a deep run with standout athlete Cain Wallner returning for his senior season. Wallner was at the center of Canton's explosive offense last season and will likely be vastly improved in his final year with the C-Hawks.
The Chargers ran a diverse, potent offense last season. Early on they were largely a ground-and-pound team led by their offensive line and running back Brayden Witte, who will be back in the backfield for his senior season. Then later on in the year their passing game flourished behind returning quarterback Lincoln Prins and Cole Snyder, who will return at the wide receiver position.
Week 5
O’Gorman vs Sioux Falls Jefferson
Jefferson graduated some key seniors in Dawson Sechser, Evan Haug, and Thomas Heiberger, but in their four years of existence, the Cavaliers have seemingly always found a way to be among the top teams in 11AAA. Rising senior signal caller Ethen Swenson will be returning for his second year behind center to lead the Jefferson offense.
Week 8
Brandon Valley vs Harrisburg
Brandon Valley and Harrisburg will be chief among Lincoln’s stiffest competition for the 11AAA crown. Both teams return talented players at the skill positions.
The Lynx will be looking for their new QB1 after Jack Thue's graduation, but they return the explosive wide receiver duo of Landon Dulaney and Dveyoun Bonwell-Witte. Running back Gus Scott will also be back in the fold along with one of the state’s top offensive linemen, Hudson Parliament.
The Tigers will be led on offense by senior quarterback Sam Knuth and Josiah Heinz, who was recently ranked as the number one running back in the state by Prep Redzone Dakotas.
Other 2024 South Dakota high school football season games to watch:
Week 1
Sioux Falls Christian vs West Central
Week 3
Harrisburg vs O’Gorman
Week 4
Sioux Falls Lincoln vs Sioux Falls Jefferson
Week 5
West Central vs Canton
Week 7
Harrisburg vs Sioux Falls Jefferson
Dell Rapids vs Canton
Week 9
Sioux Falls Jefferson vs Brandon Valley
Harrisburg vs Sioux Falls Lincoln
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota high school football: Best games to watch in 2024
