Oct. 19—PARKSTON, S.D. — The final South Dakota Prep Media football polls of the 2026 season were released Monday for Class 11B and the nine-man divisions, with Parkston and Freeman leading Class 9AA and Class 9A, respectively.
Both the Trojans and Flyers went wire-to-wire as No. 1-ranked teams after earning the top spot in the preseason polls.
As the lone program in Class 9AA to make it through the regular season undefeated, the 8-0 Trojans finished as the unanimous No. 1, a mantle they've held in every poll since Sept. 21. Parkston also ran away with the No. 1 seed in the playoff bracket and will host No. 16 Hill City in the first round on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Behind Parkston in the final Class 9AA poll were No. 2 Platte-Geddes, No. 3 Hamlin, No. 4 Britton-Hecla and No. 5 Garretson.
In Class 9A, Freeman garnered 20 of the 21 available first-place votes to end at No. 1, with No. 2 Castlewood clinging to the remaining top vote. The Flyers and Warriors are both 8-0, as is No. 3-ranked Timber Lake, which slotted in as the No. 1 seed in the playoff bracket. Freeman is the No. 2 seed, with Castlewood at the No. 3 seed. Freeman opens postseason play against Scotland/Menno on Thursday.
Fourth-ranked Sully Buttes and fifth-ranked Centerville rounded out the final Class 9A poll, as Howard and Kimball/White Lake were among the others receiving votes.
The remaining season-ending No. 1 rankings belonged to Elk Point-Jefferson in Class 11B and Dell Rapids St. Mary in Class 9B, though both split votes with the No. 2 squads of St. Thomas More and Wall, respectively.
Classes 11AAA, 11AA and 11A have one more week of regular-season games before determining their playoff brackets, and the final poll for those divisions will be released on Monday, Oct. 26.
* Sioux Falls Lincoln has won five games in a row after a 1-2 start, most recently knocking off then-No. 2 Brandon Valley 34-25. With the surge, Lincoln is the new No. 2 this week, with Brandon Valley at No. 3. Top-ranked Sioux Falls Jefferson beat then-No. 3 O'Gorman 59-35, knocking the Knights to No. 5, with Harrisburg staying put at No. 4.
* Class 9A Centerville was tripped up by Class 9B Avon 48-40 in the Great Plains Conference championship game. The Tornadoes' loss prompted Sully Buttes to move in front of Centerville, trading places at No. 4 and No. 5 in Class 9A this week.
* Five classes had no movement in the top five order this week: 11AA, 11A, 11B, 9AA and 9B.
The South Dakota Prep Media football polls released Oct. 19 are listed below, ranking the top five teams in each class, record and total points. First-place votes received are indicated in parentheses.
Class 11AAA
1. Sioux Falls Jefferson (21), 8-0, 105; 2. Sioux Falls Lincoln, 6-2, 79; 3. Brandon Valley, 6-2, 63; 4. Harrisburg, 5-3, 37; 5. O'Gorman, 5-3, 31.
Others receiving votes: None.
Class 11AA
1. Pierre (21), 8-0, 105; 2. Tea Area, 6-2, 80; 3. Yankton, 6-2, 63; 4. Watertown, 5-3, 44; 5. Sturgis, 5-3, 22.
Others receiving votes: Spearfish 1.
Class 11A
1. Sioux Falls Christian (21), 8-0, 105; 2. West Central, 7-1, 83; 3. Lennox, 6-2, 62; 4. Canton, 6-2, 44; 5. Dell Rapids, 5-3, 21.
Others receiving votes: None.
Class 11B
1. Elk Point-Jefferson (15), 8-0, 99; 2. St. Thomas More (6), 8-0, 90; 3. Clark/Willow Lake, 9-0, 62; 4. Winner, 7-1, 42; 5. Deuel, 6-2, 16.
Others receiving votes: Rapid City Christian 4, McCook Central/Montrose 1, Wagner 1.
Class 9AA
1. Parkston (21), 8-0, 105; 2. Platte-Geddes, 7-1, 80; 3. Hamlin, 7-1, 67; 4. Britton-Hecla, 7-1, 40; 5. Garretson, 6-2, 14.
Others receiving votes: Waubay/Summit 9.
Class 9A
1. Freeman (20), 8-0, 104; 2. Castlewood (1), 8-0, 84; 3. Timber Lake, 8-0, 57; 4. Sully Buttes, 7-1, 34; 5. Centerville, 6-2, 16.
Others receiving votes: Bennett County 11, Howard 8, Kimball/White Lake 1.
Class 9B
1. Dell Rapids St. Mary (14), 8-0, 98; 2. Wall (7), 8-0, 90; 3. Warner, 8-0, 61; 4. Avon, 6-2, 42; 5. Hitchcock-Tulare, 7-1, 23.
Others receiving votes: Colman-Egan 1.