MITCHELL — Looking to end a three-game skid on Homecoming, the Mitchell High School football program plays host to Tea Area for the first time as Eastern South Dakota Conference foes.
Here’s what to know ahead of the Kernels’ Homecoming contest:
When: 7 p.m. Friday.
Where: Joe Quintal Field.
Records: Mitchell 1-3 (0-2 ESD); Tea Area 3-1 (1-1 ESD).
Last meeting: The Kernels’ inaugural trip to Tea last season did not go to plan, as the Titans ran wild for 408 yards while also shutting out Mitchell in a 54-0 final.
Last week: Watertown created a big late first-half swing to defeat Mitchell 46-18 for the Arrows’ first win of the season. Out west, Tea Area breezed to a 38-6 win at Douglas, bouncing back from a shutout loss to Huron the week prior.
Notes:
- In this week’s South Dakota Prep Media poll for Class 11AA, Yankton held firm at No. 1 with 16 first-place votes, with Huron at No. 2 behind five top votes. No. 3 Pierre, No. 4 Sturgis and No. 5 Tea Area completed the top five, as Spearfish and Brookings also received votes.
- Other Class 11AA matchups this week include: Pierre at Yankton; Spearfish at Huron; Sturgis at Aberdeen Central; Douglas at Watertown; Sioux Falls Roosevelt (11AAA) at Brookings.
About the Kernels:
- Mitchell racked up more than 200 rushing yards for the second time this season and the first since Week 1 during last week’s game against Watertown. (MHS also had 196 against Spearfish in Week 3.) Four different Kernels gained at least 30 yards, led by 53 yards from Logan Bessler and 50 from Kaiden Allen. Combined, the pair has 350 yards and four touchdowns on the ground this year.
- Quarterback Jaxson Hartman threw his first touchdown pass of the season last week with a 16-yard strike to Luke LeBrun in the second quarter. So far this season, Hartman has 193 yards passing in addition to 99 yards with two touchdowns rushing.
- Colton Smith scored on both sides of the football last week, recording an interception return for a touchdown — his second of the season — in the third quarter before hauling in a touchdown pass from Brady Hoesing on the final play of the contest. Smith’s three interceptions and 19 total tackles (five for loss) lead all Kernels.
About the Titans:
- Last week against Douglas, the Tea Area defense allowed 37 total yards on 38 offensive plays, including 29 rushing yards on 31 attempts and one pass completion for 8 yards. The Titans also came away with two takeaways, recovering a fumble for a touchdown, and recorded a safety.
- Leading the Titans’ defense is senior lineman Chase DeBoer. An honorable mention all-state pick last season, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior has 18 tackles, including 5.5 for loss with three sacks, to his credit this season.
- At quarterback, Tea Area has turned to sophomore Mitch Grant, who has completed 22 of 51 (43%) of his passes for 194 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. A dual threat, Grant also has 280 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
- On the receiving end, 6-foot-4 Grifin Wiebenga has been a top target, collecting 11 receptions for 142 yards and three scores. A playmaker in the run and pass game, Kade Korleski has 127 yards from scrimmage to help spur the Tea Area offense.
- Tea Area is in the midst of the program’s fifth season as a member of Class 11AA. Since rising in 2021, the Titans own an overall record of 36-13, a win percentage nearing .750. In all four full seasons as a Class 11AA member, the Titans have finished .500 or better, though a 5-5 campaign in 2024 was the low-water mark during that stretch.
- Though slotted in at No. 5 in the South Dakota Prep Media poll this week, the Titans have been ranked in every edition of the polls this season, including as high as No. 2 on Sept. 8.
Next: In the first of back-to-back road contests, Mitchell heads north to play Aberdeen Central on Oct. 3. Returning home, Tea Area will play host to Brookings.
Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics across the Mitchell Republic’s coverage region area. His focus areas include: Mitchell High School football and boys basketball; area high school football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and track and field; and South Dakota State football. He is also at the forefront of the Mitchell Republic’s podcasting efforts. Dierks is a Mitchell native who graduated from South Dakota State University with his bachelor’s degree in journalism in May 2020. He joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff in August 2021. He can be reached at ldierks@mitchellrepublic.com and found on Twitter at @LDierksy.
