In fall 2013, the Eastern South Dakota Conference football teams will move to an eight-game season schedule.
The ESD squads will still play two non-conference opponents and six conference matchups. The ESD will grow to nine teams next fall with the addition of Harrisburg. Teams will not play every ESD opponent in the season as in the past.
"We can't provide enough games for all the Class 11AAA and 11AA teams if we stay where we are (playing every ESD team)," said Aberdeen Central athletic director Gene Brownell. "Teams will have a bye week. Ours will be Oct. 4. We'll play Washington and Roosevelt for the next two years in non-conference games."
How will the conference champion be decided?
"We'll determine the ESD conference champion the same way we always have. It's based on wins and losses. We've had dual champions and tri-champions in the past," said Brownell.
The Golden Eagles will play Brookings, Watertown, Yankton, Brandon Valley, Huron and Pierre in ESD action for the next two seasons, but not Mitchell and Harrisburg.
The ESD football teams will have a bye week built in the schedule. Aberdeen Central will play Sioux Falls Roosevelt on Sept. 27, 2013, and not play again until Oct. 11 against Brandon Valley.
Sports writer Deb Smith
New football class shifts
It's not as measurable as an earthquake, but there have been slight tremors in the creation of the new Class 11AAA in football that is set to debut in fall 2013.
The top eight schools in average daily enrollment originally made up 11AAA and the next eight were designated 11AA. Just on numbers alone, the top class would be made up of three Sioux Falls schools (Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt) and the two from Rapid City along with Aberdeen Central, Watertown and Brandon Valley.
"What matters to me is that we have a level playing field for ESD schools with declining populations," said Aberdeen Central athletic director Gene Brownell. "There's no way that on a year-by-year basis that the smaller schools will be able to compete with a Sioux Falls school that is an all-star team of players."
The first move came on Nov. 20 when Sioux Falls O'Gorman, with the backing of its coaches and administrators, petitioned the South Dakota High School Activities Association to move to the upper division. The Knights have advanced to the football championship game 14 times in 32 seasons and won eight titles. In fall 2012, O'Gorman advanced to the semifinal round before losing to eventual state champion Sioux Falls Washington.
"We had a AAA schedule," said O'Gorman football coach and athletic director Steve Kueter. "It only made sense to go into the playoffs in AAA."
That move now allows for one of the AAA teams to drop down to AA to even the two classes at eight teams each. The number-eight team in AAA, Brandon Valley, has the first shot at moving down.
Brandon Valley lost in the championship game to Washington. The Brandon Valley school board discussed the situation at its last meeting, but will not make a decision until December.
If Brandon Valley votes to stay in AAA, the number-seven school, Watertown, would next be given an opportunity to drop down to AA. Watertown is coached by former Aberdeen Central coach Steve Svendsen.
"What I like about the smaller team division is it will help those schools build their football programs," said Brownell. "For us (Central), nothing has really changed in the playoffs. We still have to go through Sioux Falls or Brandon Valley to get to the Dome."
|CLASS 11AAA FOOTBALL|
(Based on current average daily memberships)
1. S.F. Washington 1,643.363
2. S.F. Roosevelt 1,555.209
3. Rapid City Central 1,542.309
4. Sioux Falls Lincoln 1,467.840
5. Rapid City Stevens 1,234.327
6. Aberdeen Central 891.900
7. Watertown 876.509
8. Brandon Valley 761.476
|CLASS 11AA FOOTBALL|
1. Yankton 687.147
2. Pierre 610.009
3. Mitchell 574.155
4. Brookings 563.711
5. S.F. O'Gorman 549.900
6. Huron 542.242
7. Sturgis 526.365
8. Douglas 522.401
Spearfish (449.321) moved down to Class 11A this season and is in the 17th spot in attendance figures. One of most rapidly growing school districts in the state is Harrisburg (344.423), which is currently 20th on the enrollment list and is the newest Eastern South Dakota Conference member.
Sports writer Deb Smith
David and Goliath to meet
At first glance, it appears to be a typo on the boys' basketball schedule for Clark-Willow Lake. It says that the Cyclones are scheduled to meet Sioux Falls Washington on Feb. 2 in Brandon in a classic.
That contest, pitting the largest Class AA school against a Class A cooperative is not a mistake, however.
"We were short a game, because we didn't get invited back to the Hanson Classic," said C-WL coach Jerome Nesheim. "Paul Seville needed a team for the Sanford Pentagon Classic."
Washington agreed to face Clark-Willow Lake and now the excitement is building.
Nesheim said the real credit goes to the folks at Sioux Falls Washington.
"Those guys (in Class AA) usually don't like playing A schools, because they don't have anything to gain from it," Nesheim noted. "They could have easily said no."
The Cyclones have a bit of a drawing card in their lineup, South Dakota State recruit Skyler Flatten, which probably made the matchup a bit more attractive.
"Having a guy like Skyler kind of helped out, too," Nesheim acknowledged.
What makes the contest even more intriguing is the simple size difference between the two teams.
"We have 19 kids out (for basketball)," Nesheim said. "They're making cuts and I'm trying to get kids to come out and play."
Washington's enrollment is more than 10 times the size of Clark and Willow Lake's student body combined.
"It really is a David vs. Goliath matchup," Nesheim said.
Nesheim is going to approach the contest just like any other game.
"It's still just a game," Nesheim said, who has coached in various settings including a state championship game. "Win or lose, Wal-Mart still opens tomorrow. The sun comes up. It's just a game."
Maybe just a game, but certainly not just another opponent.
"It's going to be fun for our kids and for our coaches too," Nesheim said, "just to prepare for a team like that."
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
High school looks spiffy
Aberdeen Central volleyball fans who journeyed to Rapid City for the state tournament got a look at some of the improvements recently completed by Rapid City Central.
The Cobblers underwent a $30 million renovation and addition that doubled the size of the school. The project was both athletic and academic. In Phase I, a freshman wing and science labs were added. Phase II involved the theater and fine arts.
The school now has two auxiliary gyms and a three-lane indoor track in the athletic complex.
The main gymnasium was remodeled with new seating and scoreboards. The set up looks a lot like Aberdeen Central's with the box of lights at midcourt. The Cobblers' gym, which seats about 2,000 people, has modernized bleachers on two sides at ground level.
Sports writer Deb Smith
From rallies to rebounds
When the Warner Monarchs won the State B volleyball championship two weeks ago, members of the squad had little time to celebrate.
The majority of the team also comprises the Warner girls' basketball unit and started practice less than 24 hours after the welcome-home celebration to honor the volleyball team.
"It was definitely faster than everyone probably wanted it to be," said Carly Rozell of the transition from one sport to the other, "but it all worked out."
Rozell said that while she enjoys both sports, they are different in many ways.
"It's definitely two different sports," Rozell said. "There's a certain shape you should be in for volleyball and there's a certain shape you should be in for basketball."
That does not even include the difficult task of mentally preparing for the next season, less than a day after celebrating a state championship in a different sport.
"It was hard to focus," Rozell said of her initial basketball practice, "but we just want to hopefully accomplish the same thing in basketball. We know that hard work will eventually pay off."
That said, the Monarchs had no trouble getting back to work in hopes of pulling off two state titles in the same school year.
"It makes us stronger as a team to always be in the gym together," Rozell said.
Sports writer Dave Vilhauer
Gymnasts autographs
The Aberdeen Central gymnastics team will hold a "Meet the Eagles" tonight after the Jamestown Dual.
This is the first competition of the season for the Golden Eagles. It begins at 5 p.m. in the gymnastics center and auxiliary gym. The Golden Eagles will be available to meet and greet their fans at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the hallway. Team posters will be provided for autographs.
Sports writer Deb Smith
Quickly
Duane and Phyllis Donat attended the State AA volleyball tournament in Rapid City to watch their granddaughter Haley Hohn-Donat play for Rapid City Stevens. Duane is a long-time Aberdeen official. Younger sister Brooke Hohn-Donat served as a statistician for the team. The girls' parents are Eric Donat and former Sioux Falls O'Gorman and Northern State volleyball player Lisa Hohn.
Aberdeen Central senior Lauren McCafferty, who recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Northern State, did not go out for basketball this season.
Milbank senior Isaac Lindquist has committed to play basketball for the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. Lindquist is a 6-foot-9 center for the Bulldogs.
Jake Leingang of Bismarck won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCCC) Midwest Regional last Saturday in Kenosha, Wis. Anna Rohrer of Mishawaka, Ind., won the girls' race. The National Finals are set for Dec. 8 in San Diego.
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