An undefeated high school team from Pierre, South Dakota, posted a hundred points against a playoff opponent — in football. Now a state legislator says the public wants action.
“People walking in my office want legislation to fix the @SDHSAA so another blowout Pierre/Spearfish 103-0 football game doesn’t occur,” Rep. Fred Deutsch, a Republican, tweeted Friday morning.
On Thursday’s playoff quarterfinals for 11AA, Spearfish High School brought its 0-9 record to undefeated Pierre T.F. Riggs High School, which bested the team 72-0 just a month earlier. By halftime, Pierre led 75-0, ultimately winning 103-0.
The number of 11-man high school students playing football in South Dakota has fallen by 15% over the last decade, according to national tracking data, but the number of divisions has ballooned to seven, including four groupings for 11-man football and three for 9-man. By comparison, neighboring Wyoming has five divisions.
More classifications has meant fewer teams per classification — and, critics charge, lopsided competition. Only 10 teams comprise South Dakota’s 11AA division.
In a response on Twitter, the executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association dismissed Mr. Deutsch’s call for legislative action, saying he’d instead look to implement a mercy rule and reconsider current classifications.
A SDHSAA official did not respond to a request for comment.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.
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