Area football teams to open playoffs Thursday

Four Heartland area teams will begin their postseason push on Thursday, hoping to find their way to the DakotaDome in Vermillion on November 9 and 10.
Hitchcock-Tulare (4-4) will begin defense of its 2022 Class 9B title at home on Thursday against Lemmon/McIntosh as the eighth seed.
De Smet (6-2) drew the highest seeding in the Heartland, coming in as the fourth seed entering the Class 9B postseason. The Bulldogs will host Colome Thursday.
Wolsey-Wessington (4-4) drew the sixth seed in Class 9A. The Warbirds will host Chester Thursday in Wolsey.
The Blackhawks of Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central hold the Heartland’s best record at 7-1, earning the sixth seed in Class 11B. The Blackhawks will host Rapid City Christian Thursday.