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Is No. 5 Brandon Valley the team to knock off No. 1 Lincoln?: Week 8 high school football predictions

jonathan fernandez, sioux falls argus leader
·4 min read

There will be plenty of high school football action across the state this weekend, including another test for Class 11AAA’s No. 1 team, Lincoln.

The Patriots will make the short trip to Brandon Valley on Friday to face a Lynx team that’s won four consecutive games. Their latest win came against reigning 11AA state champions, Pierre, who hadn’t lost since 2021.

Lincoln, meanwhile, is still undefeated and the undisputed favorite to come out as state champions, but contending with Brandon Valley’s size up front may prove to be their biggest challenge yet.

This week, we're picking 10 high school football games and predicting the winners. We'll do this throughout the season but stick mostly to Sioux Falls-area schools. Without further ado, here are the Argus Leader's predictions for Week 8.

Class 11AAA No. 1 Lincoln (6-0) at No. 5 Brandon Valley (4-2)

O'Gorman's Sullivan Schlimgen (2) tackles a Lincoln player on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
O'Gorman's Sullivan Schlimgen (2) tackles a Lincoln player on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Lincoln has passed every test placed in front of them through eight weeks and we don’t expect any deviation here. The Lynx's defense has been outstanding -- they had three straight shutouts before last week's matchup with the Governors-- and we expect a competitive game, but the Patriots will break the game open and win pretty comfortably.

Lincoln, 42-28

Class 11B No. 1 Winner (6-0) at Class 11A No. 2 West Central (6-0)

This matchup between two unbeaten teams – albeit from different classes – could be one of the more exciting games of the week. Winner has been the best team in 11B all year long, but we anticipate they’ll struggle with the size and physicality of West Central.

West Central, 28-21

Roosevelt (2-4) at Class 11AA No. 2 Yankton (5-1)

Brandon Valley's Thomas Risty (57) tackles Roosevelt's Jackson Brouwer (3) on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Brandon Valley's Thomas Risty (57) tackles Roosevelt's Jackson Brouwer (3) on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This should be a pretty competitive interclass contest between Roosevelt and the No. 2 team in 11AA. Yankton has been a team near the top all year – their only loss was to No. 1 Pierre – so we’re going to roll with them, but it should be close.

Yankton, 24-21

Class 11AAA No. 2 O’Gorman (5-1) at Washington (2-4)

O’Gorman’s defense put on a clinic in last week’s hard-fought battle against Jefferson, but their offense has been just as potent throughout the season. Washington has competed every week, but we’re expecting an offensive explosion from O’Gorman after last week.

O’Gorman, 42-21

Rapid City Stevens (1-5) at Class 11AAA No. 3 Jefferson (4-2)

The Cavaliers defense only allowed one touchdown in the first half.
The Cavaliers defense only allowed one touchdown in the first half.

Jefferson is looking to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss last week against O’Gorman, and we think they’ll come out looking to make a statement. On the other side, Rapid City Stevens has lost four straight games.

Jefferson, 42-0

Class 11AAA No. 4 Harrisburg (4-2) at Rapid City Central (0-6)

We expect Harrisburg to dominate in this one, as they have against all the teams they've played that are not in the top five. The Cobblers have yet to win a game this season.

Harrisburg, 42-0

Vermillion (2-4) at Class 11A No. 3 Canton (4-2)

Canton senior Canaan McCracken walks towards the 20-yard line after closing out a drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown against Lennox on Friday, Sep. 8.
Canton senior Canaan McCracken walks towards the 20-yard line after closing out a drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown against Lennox on Friday, Sep. 8.

Canton has made pretty short work of any non-top five team in 11A and we expect that to continue. C-Hawks running back Canaan McCracken is in great form. Last week he rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

Canton, 30-7

Madison (0-6) at Class 11A No. 5 Lennox (5-1)

Lennox junior quarterback Boston Katzer is in the midst of a breakout season, and we don’t see him slowing down this week against Madison. Last week Katzer threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns in the Orioles' win against Dakota Valley. The Bulldogs are still searching for their first win of the season.

Lennox, 42-14

Class 11A No. 4 Sioux Falls Christian (4-1) at Beresford (1-5)

West Central's Jackson McGraw (30) pulls on SF Christian's Lincoln Prins at USF Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.
West Central's Jackson McGraw (30) pulls on SF Christian's Lincoln Prins at USF Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023.

Sioux Falls Christian quarterback Lincoln Prins has been fantastic the last few weeks, culminating with a seven-touchdown game against Milbank. With their defense in prime form, it feels like the Chargers are playing their best football of the season right now.

SF Christian, 42-7

Irene Wakonda (0-6) at Garretson (0-6)

Both winless teams will have their best chance at entering the win column this Friday. Both Irene Wakonda and Garretson had their best scoring performances last week, albeit in big losses. We’re going with the Blue Dragons to win their first game of the season.

Garretson, 28-21

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: Week 8 Sioux Falls-area South Dakota high school football predictions