Round 1 Playoff Sleepers Across South Dakota

Jim Mora once had the quote " Playoffs, you kidding me?!" in response to a reporters question which to me is one of my favorite football quotes ever. It also paints a picture for this content series, as we look at what could be surprise teams that made the playoffs, but maybe some have the "you kidding me" vibe with them.   9B   Corsica-Stickney (9 seed)   Corsica-Stickney actually has a slightly better record than Kadoka Area which is why this game comes off as a trap game to me in the first round of the playoffs. The Jaguars are led by 2026 running back [player_tooltip player_id='670030' first='Waylon' last='Bolle'] who is a hidden gem in his senior season that has a lot of success over the last handful of years in that Jaguars backfield. [player_tooltip player_id='1601555' first='Max' last='Vanden Hoek'] is a sophomore that leads them at quarterback and has logged muliple touchdowns in his recent games as a 2028 to watch.   Iroquois-Lake Preston (10 seed)   The Sharks will head to Tea to face 7 seed Sioux Falls Lutheran, who is surely an up and comer in 9B this season. Both teams have a 5-3 and the scoring averages are only .7 apart on the year with Iroquis-Lake Preston leading with 32.8 per game. 2028 quarterback Brycen Blue has logged over 1300 passing yards on 18 touchdowns for the Sharks which is top in 9B for those that have entered stats into Bound. Another athlete pressing that 1300 yard-mark this season is 2027 running back Lucas Peskey who boosts good size in the backfield and could be a tough weapon to stop with his durability at 6'0 190 pounds. The eye catching stat for Iroquis-Lake Preston? They average over 21 yards per pass which tells me they can stretch it in the open field.   9A   Lyman (11 seed)   We get another repeat matchup in Round 1, as Lyman took on the Black Panthers during the regular season. That score I saw doesn't show off the quality of talent that the Raiders have on their roster as this game should be in my eyes, a closer matchup. 2026 uncommitted QB/ATH [player_tooltip player_id='1422315' first='Conway' last='Collins'] has nearly 2000 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns and has some D2 schools I have talked to interested in him at the next-level. [player_tooltip player_id='1625456' first='Dawsen' last='Volmer'] is a stockriser that has emerged in this 2027 class and the 2028 class features TE1 [player_tooltip player_id='1575892' first='Cole' last='Kieffer']. That firepower all lies on offense, however the athleticism of these three I am sure plant what their defenisve side of the ball offers as well.   Centerville (10 seed)   Centerville is led by Dakota State commit and QB1 in the 2026 class [player_tooltip player_id='825396' first='Alec' last='Austin'] which as I have written about several times, has the best arm talent the state has to offer. One of his main wide receivers that has intrigued me over recent summers at camps is 2026 Noah Schoefelder, a 5'11 190 pounder that has great hands and is a sound threat on intermediate and deep routes. What intrigues me about the Tornadoes? Their defense has been on point as in the last three of four games they have had two shutouts, and one team that only scored one touchdown on them.   DuPree (9 seed)   I feel this is the second year I have stated how DuPree is a sleeper in the playoffs in 9A and they paid off their dividends the last time I said that. 2026 running back Tre WhiteWolf appears as the Tigers bellcow at running back. He's one that shows off a tailback that is an effective one-cutter that can spring from high-traffic to the open field with his instincts. DuPree has struggled against .500 teams as their losses came to 11 seed Lyman and 9AA 4 seed Hill City, so the it'll be a tall task against Castlewood who has an impressive defense and I feel is under valued as an 8 seed in 9A.   9AA   Kimball-White Lake (9 seed)   My NCAA March Madness brackets will tell you that I am a sucker for that 9 seed, which in 9AA my playoff sleeper in Kimball-White Lake. I liked watching the sudden burst and all-out speed I saw from running back Johnny Lenz this week as he showed off as one that you do not want to have to catch in the open field or along the edges as this kid's a burner from start to finish. The WildKats have muliple tailbacks that can pound the rock and an underclassmen I liked on tape was 2028 Chevy Fees as one that has a little more size, but has good vision and fluidity as a north-south runner to watch.   Hanson (10 seed)   Let's flashback for a second, as Hanson played Viborg-Hurley on the road less than 2 weeks and lost 28-6. The Beavers played a tough schedule this year and have played the cream of the crop in Howard (close), Hamlin (close), Parkston (close), and Viborg-Hurley which I feel is a benefit come playoff time. You can expect that 2026 RB [player_tooltip player_id='929921' first='Stetson' last='Riggs'] will lead the charge for the Beavers run game as the 5'10 190 pounder is has well-versed durability and short-area vision from what we grasped on tape. Another impact player we will be watching is 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1293158' first='Radek' last='Jarding'], who has a eye-catching reception last week and although we haven't found tape thus far this season, I expect to be impressed with it when it comes out as the clips pass the eye test.

Jim Mora once had the quote " Playoffs, you kidding me?!" in response to a reporters question which to me is one of my favorite football quotes ever. It also paints a picture for this content series, as we look at what could be surprise teams that made the playoffs, but maybe some have the "you kidding me" vibe with them.