USD Men Tabbed First In GWC

A quick break from high school football….

The University of South Dakota men’s basketball team has been picked to win the Great West Conference title this season, according to the coaches preseason poll released Thursday.

USD received a total of 41 points, including 3 first place selections.Rounding out the poll was Utah Valley (38, 2 first place votes), Chicago State (35, 1 first), North Dakota (26, 1 first), Houston Baptist (23), New Jersey Tech (17) and Texas-Pan American (16).

So, as you can see, the Coyotes weren’t the overwhelming favorite, but still, the league coaches appear impressed with USD’s chances in the conference’s first season.

USD senior forward Tyler Cain was named the league’s Preseason Player of the Year. Last year, Cain averaged 15.4 points, 11 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game on the way to All-Independent honors — including Independent Defensive Player of the Year.

Joining Cain on the Preseason All-Conference First Team were USD’s Louie Krogman, Chicago State’s Carl Montgomery, NJIT’s Jheryl Wilson and UTPA’s Nick Weiermiller.

Also for USD, senior Roman Gentry was named to the Second Team.

The Coyotes, under 22nd-year head coach Dave Boots, return three starters (Cain, Krogman and senior Steve Smith) and seven letterwinners. USD also brings in a pair of junior college transfers (Mitchell Bouie and Kendall Cutler), while also adding four freshmen.

USD opens its 2009-10 season Nov. 13 at the Duel in the Desert Classic, being hosted by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Tex.

First Round Playoff Picks

With all of the excitement around the South Dakota football playoffs starting today, I haven’t had much time to post my picks for the post-season.

Here they are, with my picks in bold. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Class 11AA

No. 16 Huron (1-8) at No. 1 Aberdeen Central (9-0), 8 p.m.
No. 9 Rapid City Stevens (4-5) at No. 8 Sioux Falls Lincoln (4-5), 8 p.m.
No. 13 Watertown (3-6) at No. 4 Sioux Falls O’Gorman (7-2), 6:30 p.m.
No. 12 Brookings (2-7) at No. 5 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (6-3), 2 p.m.
No. 15 Douglas (4-4) at No. 2 Sioux Falls Washington (9-0), 5 p.m.
No. 10 Rapid City Central (4-5) at No. 7 Yankton (5-4), 7:30 p.m.
No. 14 Mitchell (2-7) at No. 3 Brandon Valley (8-1), 6:30 p.m.
No. 11 Sturgis (2-7) at No. 6 Pierre (6-3), 7 p.m.

Class 11A

Region 1
*Sisseton (4-4) at West Central (8-0), 7 p.m.
Dell Rapids (5-3) at Milbank (5-3), 6:30 p.m.
Region 2
*Canton (4-4) at Harrisburg (5-3), 7 p.m.
Vermillion (3-5) at Dakota Valley (5-3), 7 p.m., DakotaDome
Region 3
*Chamberlain (1-7) at Todd County (6-2), 7 p.m.
Little Wound (3-5) at Pine Ridge (3-5), 7 p.m.
Region 4
*Lead-Deadwood (3-5) at St. Thomas More (7-1), 6:30 pm MT
Hot Springs (5-3) at Belle Fourche (4-4), 6:30 p.m. MT

Class 11B

Region 1
*Britton-Hecla (4-4) at Aberdeen Roncalli (8-0), 5 p.m.
Redfield/Doland (5-3) at Groton Area (6-2), 7 p.m.
Region 2
*McCook Central/Montrose (4-4) at Tri-Valley (8-0), 7 p.m.
Garretson (5-3) at Flandreau (7-1), 7 p.m.
Region 3
Elk Point-Jefferson (5-3) at Wagner (8-0), 7 p.m.
*Stanley County (5-3) at Platte-Geddes/DC (6-2), 7 p.m.
Region 4
*Red Cloud (6-2) at Winner (8-0), 6:30 p.m.
Mobridge-Pollock (7-1) at Bennett County (7-1), 6 p.m. MT

Class 9AA

Region 1
*Deubrook Area (4-4) at Leola/Frederick (8-0), 7 p.m., Frederick
Langford/Roslyn (5-3) at Hamlin (6-2), 6:30 p.m.
Region 2
*White Lake/Plankinton (3-5) at Howard (7-1), 7 p.m.
Chester Area (5-3) at Wessington Springs/Woonsocket (5-3), 7 p.m., Wessington Springs
Region 3
South Central (4-4) at Emery/Ethan (7-1), 7 p.m., Emery
*Eureka/Bowdle (5-3) at Canistota/Bridgewater (6-2), 6:30 p.m., Canistota
Region 4
*Lemmon/McIntosh (7-1) at Lyman (8-0), 6:30 p.m.
Philip (6-2) at Herreid/Selby Area (8-0), 3 p.m., Herreid

Class 9A

Region 1
*Arlington (7-1) at Tri-State (3-5), 6:30 p.m., Rosholt
Castlewood (5-3) at Wilmot (6-2), 7 p.m.
Region 2
*Mt. Vernon (6-2) at Estelline (8-0), 7 p.m.
Hanson (5-3) at Corsica/Stickney (7-1), 7 p.m., Stickney
Region 3
*Andes Central (4-4) at Avon (8-0), 7 p.m.
Irene-Wakonda (5-3) at Tripp-Delmont/Armour (5-3), 7 p.m., Tripp
Region 4
*Colman-Egan (4-4) at Harding County (8-0), 7 p.m. MT
Wall (5-3) at Sully Buttes (7-1), 7 p.m.

Class 9B

Region 1
*Waverly/South Shore (5-3) at Grant Deuel (8-0), 7 p.m.
Faulkton (5-3) at Hitchcock-Tulare (8-0), 7 p.m., Hitchcock
Region 2
*Sanborn Central (5-3) at Dell Rapids St. Mary (7-1), 7 p.m.
Menno (5-3) at Viborg (6-2), 7 p.m.
Region 3
*Scotland (2-6) at Gettysburg (5-3), 7 p.m.
Jones County(3-5) at Sunshine Bible Academy (5-3), 2 p.m.
Region 4
*Warner (2-6) at Faith (6-2), 6:30 p.m. MT
Dupree (4-4) at New Underwood (4-4), 6:30 p.m. MT

Great West Teleconference 10/26

Some news, notes and quotes from today’s Great West Conference football coaches media teleconference.

** In action over the weekend: Southern Utah handed North Dakota a second straight loss, 35-10, in Cedar City, Utah. Cal Poly routed Dixie State 44-14; and UC Davis edged Portland State 34-31.

** In this week’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Top 25 Media Poll, Cal Poly jumped to No. 18. Meanwhile, UC Davis and Southern Utah are both receiving votes.

** Of all the teams in the Great West Conference, Southern Utah is easily the one school that gets the least amount of media attention. But maybe that’s about to change. The Thunderbirds (3-4) have lost two games to FBS opponents, as well as a one-point loss at Cal Poly. But they’ve also beaten Top 25 Texas State and North Dakota on Saturday.

** This Saturday, the T-Birds host UC Davis, a team that routed Southern Utah 49-26 last season. Said SUU coach Ed Lamb, “We were just overmatched last year … Our guys are just gonna have to get better.”

** North Dakota (3-4), meanwhile, has dropped two straight games, including that well-publicized home loss to NAIA Sioux Falls. And in Saturday’s loss at Southern Utah, the Sioux replaced starting quarterback Jake Landry with back-up Brent Goska. Landry was 6-of-19 with just 81 yards and two interceptions, while Goska came in and was 4-of-6 with a rushing touchdown. Said UND coach Chris Mussman, “Offensively, we’re continuing to struggle right now … Jake was struggling … We needed a spark … Brent has earned the right to get some snaps. Maybe we’ll develop a package for both of them on the field.”

** After a week off, South Dakota (3-4) prepares for Saturday’s game at Northern Colorado (2-6). The Bears lost at home to nationally-ranked Weber State, 28-20, over the weekend. Said USD coach Ed Meierkort, “For a team that’s lost some games over the last few years, they sure don’t show that on film.” Meierkort also lauded UNC quarterback Brian Waggener, saying that the Coyotes will have to find ways to keep him in the pocket.

** In action this week: Cal Poly travels to North Dakota; UC Davis travels to Southern Utah; and USD is at Northern Colorado.

Ten Area Teams Make Nebraska Football Playoffs

Ten teams from northeast Nebraska earned post-season berths in the Nebraska State Football Playoffs, which begin Thursday at sites across the state.
In Class C1, Crofton (7-1) will host Cozad (3-5) in the first round.
Several area teams qualified in Class C2.
Hartington Cedar Catholic (6-2) is the highest seed among them — fifth — and will host Thayer Central (6-2) in the opening round. Creighton (6-2) will also host in the opening round, drawing Stanton (5-3).
On the road in the opening round in Class C2 are Laurel-Concord (5-3) at Archbishop Bergan (6-2) of Fremont, and Randolph (4-4) at top-seeded Elm Creek (7-1).
Hartington (5-3) snuck into the playoffs in Class D1, and will face second-seeded Howells (7-1) in the first round.
In Class D2, Bloomfield (8-0) drew a second seed and will face Shickley (4-4) in the opening round. Wynot (7-10 also gets a first-round home game, facing Cedar Rapids (6-2). Allen (5-3) hits the road to face Falls City Sacred Heart (7-1), while Newcastle (5-3) travels to Humphrey St. Francis (8-0).
First round games in all small-school classes — C1, C2, D1 and D2 — will be held Thursday, with second round games on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Quarterfinals will be on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Schedules will be split in the semifinals, with D1 and D2 games on Monday, Nov. 16, and C1 and C2 games on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The championship games will be held Nov. 23 and 24 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The Class D2 final will start play at 10:15 a.m., followed by Class D1 at 2:45 p.m. and Class A at 7:15 p.m. The Class C2 final begins play on Tuesday, Nov. 24, with a 10:15 a.m. start, followed by Class C1 at 2:45 p.m. and Class B at 7:15 p.m.
Follow all area teams in the post-season in the Press & Dakotan and online at www.yankton.net.

Bucks Host R.C. Central in Playoff Opener

The Yankton Bucks will begin the post-season the same way they began the season, at home against Rapid City Central.
Pairings for the South Dakota High School Activities Association football playoffs were announced on Friday, with the post-season beginning Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Yankton (5-4) faces Rapid City Central (4-5), a team the Bucks beat 36-3 in the season opener.
In Class 11A, Vermillion (3-5) will travel to Dakota Valley (5-3) in the opening round in Region 2.
In Class 11B, three area teams made the field. Elk Point-Jefferson (5-3) will travel to undefeated Wagner (8-0), while Platte-Geddes-Dakota Christian (6-2) will play host to Stanley County (5-3).
No regional teams qualified in Class 9AA.
In Class 9A, Avon (8-0) will begin its state title defense against an up-and-coming Andes Central squad (4-4). Irene-Wakonda (5-3) travels to Tripp-Delmont-Armour (5-3) in the other matchup in Region 3.
Three area teams made the Class 9B field, with Menno (5-3) traveling to Viborg (6-2) in Region 2. Scotland (2-6) made the playoffs as a wild card and will travel to Gettysburg (5-3).
More start times will be posted as they are made available. Follow the playoffs online at www.yankton.net

Class 11AA
No. 16 Huron at No. 1 Aberdeen Central, 8 p.m.
No. 9 Rapid City Stevens at No. 8 Sioux Falls Lincoln, 8 p.m.
No. 13 Watertown at No. 4 Sioux Falls O’Gorman, 6:30 p.m.
No. 12 Brookings at No. 5 Sioux Falls Roosevelt, 2 p.m.
No. 15 Douglas at No. 2 Sioux Falls Washington, 5 p.m.
No. 10 Rapid City Central at No. 7 Yankton, 7:30 p.m.
No. 14 Mitchell at No. 3 Brandon Valley
No. 11 Sturgis at No. 6 Pierre, 7 p.m.

Class 11A
Region 1
*Sisseton (4-4) at West Central (8-0)
Dell Rapids (5-3) at Milbank (5-3)
Region 2
*Canton (4-4) at Harrisburg (5-3)
Vermillion (3-5) at Dakota Valley (5-3)
Region 3
*Chamberlain (1-7) at Todd County (6-2)
Little Wound (3-5) at Pine Ridge (3-5)
Region 4
*Lead-Deadwood (3-5) at St. Thomas More (7-1), 6:30 pm MT
Hot Springs (5-3) at Belle Fourche (4-4)

Class 11B
Region 1
*Britton –Hecla (4-4) at Aberdeen Roncalli (8-0), 5 pm
Redfield/Doland (5-3) at Groton Area (6-2)
Region 2
*McCook Central/Montrose (4-4) at Tri-Valley (8-0)
Garretson (5-3)  at Flandreau (7-1)
Region 3
Elk Point-Jefferson (5-3) at Wagner (8-0)
*Stanley County (5-3) at Platte-Geddes/DC (6-2)
Region 4
*Red Cloud (6-2)  at Winner (8-0)
Mobridge-Pollock (7-1) at Bennett County (7-1)

Class 9AA
Region 1
*Deubrook Area (4-4) at Leola/Frederick (8-0)
Langford/Roslyn (5-3) at Hamlin (6-2)
Region 2
*White Lake/Plankinton (3-5) at Howard (7-1)
Chester Area (5-3) at Wessington Springs/Woonsocket (5-3)
Region 3
South Central (4-4) at Emery/Ethan (7-1)
*Eureka/Bowdle (5-3) at Canistota/Bridgewater (6-2)
Region 4
*Lemmon/McIntosh (7-1) at Lyman (8-0)
Philip (6-2) at Herreid/Selby Area (8-0)

Class 9A
Region 1
*Arlington (7-1) at Tri-State (3-5)
Castlewood (5-3) at Wilmot (6-2)
Region 2
*Mt. Vernon (6-2) at Estelline (8-0)
Hanson (5-3) at Corsica/Stickney (7-1)
Region 3
*Andes Central (4-4) at Avon (8-0)
Irene-Wakonda (5-3) at Tripp-Delmont/Armour (5-3)
Region 4
*Colman-Egan (4-4) at Harding County (8-0)
Wall (5-3) at Sully Buttes (7-1)

Class 9B
Region 1
*Waverly/South Shore (5-3) at Grant Deuel (8-0)
Faulkton (5-3) at Hitchcock-Tulare (8-0)
Region 2
*Sanborn Central (5-3) at Dell Rapids St. Mary (7-1)
Menno (5-3) at Viborg (6-2)
Region 3
*Scotland (2-6) at Gettysburg (5-3)
Jones County(3-5) at Sunshine Bible Academy (5-3)
Region 4
*Warner (2-6) at Faith (6-2)
Dupree (4-4)  at New Underwood (4-4)