Kernel Gameday: Mitchell Football faces Huron in a must-win rivalry battle – Mitchell Republic

MITCHELL – Needing a win to keep its playoff hopes intact, the Mitchell High School football program heads to Eastern South Dakota Conference rival Huron on Friday night.

On the other hand, the Tigers will try to play gatekeeper and deny the Kernels a bid to the postseason for the third consecutive season.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the Week 8 game:

When: 7pm Friday.

Where: Tiger Stadium, Huron.

Facts: Mitchell 1-6 (0-5 ESD); Huron 3-4 (1-3 ESD).

Last meeting: After Mitchell won back-to-back games in the rivalry series in 2021 and 2022, Huron defended its home court with a 19-14 win over the Kernels last season.

Last week: Mitchell took on Class 11AAA power Brandon Valley at the Kernels’ Senior Night and fell 47-0. Huron scored a timely ESD road victory with a 10-0 final at Aberdeen Central.

Notes:

• The current Class 11AA seed standings leave Mitchell at No. 9, just out of playoff position with 37,143 seed points. Immediately ahead of the Kernels, Huron is in a tie for sixth place, along with Aberdeen Central and Pierre with 39,000 starting points.
• Other Class 11AA matchups this week include Yankton at Tea Area; Spearfish at Pierre; Watertown near Sturgis; Brookings near Douglas; and Sioux Falls Lincoln (Class 11AAA) at Aberdeen Central.

About the kernels:

• Over the past 10 meetings, Mitchell has held a 6-4 lead over their northern rivals. Huron last won back-to-back games against the Kernels in 2019 and 2020.
• At last season’s meet, Parker Denne rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. In total, the Kernels gained 140 yards on the ground.
• Mitchell’s simplest scenario for a playoff berth is as follows: 1. Beat Huron; 2. Huron also loses to Brookings next week; 3. Sturgis loses both of its remaining games hosting Watertown and Spearfish.
• This is the sixth year in a row that Mitchell and Huron have played in the last game of the regular season or in the penultimate week of the season.
• The Kernels are allowing their opponents nearly 41 points per game, the most a Kernel team has allowed per game in twenty seasons.
• Dating back to 2023, Mitchell has been stopped six times in the last 16 games, including four times this season. In that 16-game span, the Kernels have been held to one touchdown or less 11 times.

About the tigers:

• This will be the third time in four years that the Tigers will host the rivalry game. The previous two games in Huron and the 2022 meeting in Mitchell were all decided by one score: a combined margin of 13 points.
• Huron is one of two Class 11AA programs not to play a crossover game against a Class 11AAA opponent this season. Douglas is the other.
• Quarterback Colton McNeil has passed for 1,323 yards with 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions this season. A year ago, McNeil went 12 for 20 for 210 yards with three touchdowns against Mitchell in Huron’s win.
• On the other side of the Tigers’ passing attack are a pair of high targets in 6-foot-1 Blake Ellwein and 6-foot-1 Anderson Porisch. The receiving duo has combined for 49 receptions, 749 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
• Running back Landon Hulst has 280 yards on 86 carries this season and leads Huron’s running game. However, the Tigers have averaged just 2.3 yards per carry as a team this season.
• On defense, Oakley Anderson keeps the Tigers going with 84 tackles, including eight for loss. He has also intercepted one pass and forced one fumble.

Next: Mitchell concludes the regular season with another ESD rivalry game in Yankton on Thursday, October 24. Huron hosts Brookings in the season finale.

Dierks covers prep and collegiate athletics in the Mitchell Republic’s coverage area. His areas of interest 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 spearheading Mitchell Republic’s podcasting efforts. Dierks is a native of Mitchell and graduated from South Dakota State University in May 2020 with his bachelor’s degree in journalism. In August 2021, he joined the Mitchell Republic sports staff. He can be reached at [email protected] and found on Twitter at @LDierksy .