On September 3, the Mitchell High School football team is gearing up for their first road game of the season, set to take place against Spearfish on Friday night. Coming off a strong home victory, the Kernels are looking to build on their momentum as they travel west.
Due to anticipated high temperatures, the kickoff for the game has been pushed back by one hour. The matchup is now scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Central Time at Lyle Hare Stadium, located at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.
As the teams prepare for this clash, the current records show Mitchell at 1-0 following their season opener, while Spearfish enters the game at 0-1. In their last encounter, Spearfish emerged victorious with a 42-16 win over Mitchell on September 12, 2025, a game that was notably delayed for over three hours due to lightning.
Historically, Mitchell has had the upper hand in this rivalry, leading the series 12-4 since 1981. The Kernels enjoyed a dominant stretch from 2013 to 2021, winning ten consecutive games against Spearfish. However, the Spartans have claimed three victories in their last four meetings, and Mitchell is eager to secure their first road win at Spearfish since a 17-3 triumph in 2019.
In their season opener, Mitchell showcased a strong performance, defeating Brookings 28-13 in the Eastern South Dakota Conference. The Kernels displayed a potent rushing attack, accumulating 303 yards on the ground, with standout performances from several players. Samari Wright led the charge with 135 yards on just four carries, contributing to the team's scoring alongside Lawson LeBrun, Brady Hoesing, and Mason Kempf.
Defensively, Mitchell allowed 259 total yards to Brookings, with half of that coming from two significant plays. The Kernels' defense was aggressive, recording six tackles for loss, three of which were made by Rocky Clark. Additionally, Kyson Herrmann contributed with an interception, further solidifying the team's defensive efforts.
Special teams also showed promise, with first-time kicker Gavin Zilla successfully converting all four extra-point attempts and averaging over 51 yards per kickoff. Matt Peterson's blocked punt set up the Kernels' first touchdown, highlighting the unit's improvement from the previous season.
On the other side, Spearfish is led by senior quarterback Thomas Hughes, who was named all-state in Class 11AA last season. Hughes excelled as a dual-threat quarterback, amassing nearly 1,300 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, along with over 700 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. In his last game, he threw for 262 yards and a touchdown while adding 51 rushing yards.
Also returning for Spearfish is all-state receiver Kade Vavruska, who had a productive season last year with 672 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. In the recent opener, Vavruska recorded eight receptions for 132 yards, showcasing his importance to the Spartans' offense.
Despite graduating 14 seniors from last year's squad, which started strong but faltered towards the end of the season, Spearfish remains a competitive team. Last season, they boasted the fourth-best offense in Class 11AA, averaging 23.9 points per game, and the third-best defense, allowing an average of 16.5 points.
Looking ahead, Mitchell will host Douglas in the 11th annual Kernel Bowl on Saturday, September 12, while Spearfish will travel to face Class 11AAA Rapid City Stevens in the Rushmore Bowl on Friday, September 11.
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