Defending champions Pierre and Winner are among the top-ranked teams in the South Dakota Media High School Football Preseason Polls, released Monday.
Pierre, who will bid this season for a fifth straight 11AA championship, tops the 11AA poll with 13 of the 16 first-place votes. Brookings, who lost to the Governors in the 2020 state championship game, is second.
Winner unanimously tops the 11B poll. The Warriors were 11-0 in 2020 while winning the state title over Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan, who is second.
Another defending champion, Platte-Geddes, is at the top of the preseason 9AA poll. Wolsey-Wessington, moving up from 9B, leads the 9A poll.
Among other Central South Dakota schools, Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central is fifth in 11B, Herreid/Selby Area is fourth in 9A and Faulkton Area is third in 9B.
2020 records in parentheses
| 11AAA | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Harrisburg (7-4) | 8 | 72 | 3 |
| 2 Brandon Valley (9-1) | 7 | 69 | 2 |
| 3 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (8-1) | 1 | 45 | 1 |
| 4 O’Gorman (6-4) | 30 | 5 | |
| 5 Sioux Falls Jefferson | |||
| Receiving votes: Sioux Falls Washington 8, Sioux Falls Lincoln 6 | |||
| 11AA | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Pierre (9-2) | 13 | 76 | 3 |
| 2 Brookings (11-1) | 2 | 48 | 2 |
| 3 Yankton (9-2) | 39 | 1 | |
| 4 Tea Area (11-0) | 1 | 37 | 1 (11A) |
| 5 Watertown (2-6) | 14 | NR (11AAA) | |
| Receiving votes: Aberdeen Central 12, Mitchell 7, Sturgis 4, Huron 3 |
| 11A | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Canton (8-3) | 9 | 71 | 2 |
| 2 Dell Rapids (5-4) | 6 | 61 | 5 |
| 3 Madison (6-5) | 1 | 48 | RV |
| 4 West Central (6-5) | 31 | 3 | |
| 5 Dakota Valley (6-4) | 15 | 4 | |
| Receiving votes: Sioux Falls Christian 9, Milbank 4, Custer 1 |
| 11B | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Winner (11-0) | 16 | 80 | 1 |
| 2 Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan (11-1) | 58 | 2 | |
| 3 Sioux Valley (9-2) | 52 | 3 | |
| 4 St. Thomas More (7-2) | 21 | 5 | |
| 5 Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central (7-3) | 20 | NR | |
| Receiving votes: Elk Point-Jefferson 5, Mobridge-Pollock 3, McCook Central/Montrose 1 |
| 9AA | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Platte-Geddes (12-0) | 11 | 75 | 4 |
| 2 Canistota/Freeman (11-1) | 5 | 60 | 2 (9A) |
| 3 Hanson (7-3) | 37 | 5 | |
| 4 Hamlin (11-1) | 31 | 3 | |
| 5 Viborg-Hurley (9-1) | 26 | 1 | |
| Receiving votes: Timber Lake 3, Lemmon/McIntosh 3, Florence-Henry 2, Chester Area 2, Parkston 1 |
| 9A | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Wolsey-Wessington (10-1) | 12 | 66 | 1 (9B) |
| 2 De Smet (6-3) | 1 | 45 | 5 |
| 3 Howard (9-1) | 43 | 1 | |
| 4 Herreid/Selby Area (9-2) | 29 | 3 (9B) | |
| 5 Warner (10-1) | 2 | 23 | 3 |
| Receiving votes: Wall 19, Colman-Egan (1) 5, Gregory 5, Britton-Hecla 2, Castlewood 1, Irene-Wakonda 1, Kadoka Area 1 |
| 9B | 1st place votes | Pts | Last 2020 Poll |
| 1 Dell Rapids St. Mary (7-3) | 7 | 66 | 4 |
| 2 Harding County (4-4) | 6 | 60 | NR |
| 3 Faulkton Area (4-4) | 2 | 45 | NR |
| 4 Alcester-Hudson (5-4) | 27 | RV | |
| 5 Corsica-Stickney (6-5) | 17 | NR | |
| Receiving votes: Sully Buttes 7, Langford Area 6, Faith 5, Colome (1) 5, Potter County 2 |
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