Defending Class 9B state champion Hitchcock-Tulare is rated number one in the first South Dakota Prep Media Football Poll of the season.

The Patriots received 12 of a possible 16 first-place votes. The other four went to second-rated De Smet. Herreid-Selby Area, runner-up in 9B last year, is rated third and Faulkton is rated fifth. Sully Buttes is receiving votes.

Warner is rated second in Class 9A. The Monarchs, who finished runner-up a year ago, received one first-place vote. Defending state champ and top-rated Gregory received the other 15. Wolsey-Wessington is rated third and Castlewood fourth.

Aberdeen Central is rated fifth in Class 11AA. Defending champ Pierre tops the field with 14 of 16 first-place votes. Second-rated Tea Area received the other two.

Hamlin received a first-place vote in Class 9AA. The Chargers are rated fourth. Howard tops 9AA with 13 first-place votes and Wall is second with three votes.

Four different teams received first-place votes in Class 11AAA, led by top-rated Sioux Falls Lincoln with nine. Second-rated Harrisburg received five first-place votes, with the other two being split between third-rated Brandon Valley and fourth-rated Sioux Falls Jefferson.

Dell Rapids leads Class 11A with 14 first-place votes. Other first-place votes went to third-rated Sioux Falls Christian and fourth-rated Canton.

Winner is the top-rated team in Class 11B with 14 first-place votes, with the other two going to second-rated Elk Point-Jefferson. Deuel is receiving votes.

The preseason South Dakota Prep Media Football Poll is listed below, ranking the top-five teams and points received. First-place votes are listed in parentheses.

Class 11AAA

1. Lincoln (9) 66

2. Harrisburg (5) 62

3. Brandon Valley (1) 49

4. Jefferson (1) 37

5. O’Gorman 24

Receiving votes: Stevens 1, Roosevelt 1.

Class 11AA

1. Pierre (14) 78

2. Tea Area (2) 64

3. Yankton 44

4. Brookings 24

5. Aberdeen Central 20

Receiving votes: Watertown 9, Spearfish 1.

Class 11A

1. Dell Rapids (14) 78

2. West Central 46

3. Sioux Falls Christian (1) 45

4. Canton (1) 42

5. Dakota Valley 16

Receiving votes: Madison 12, Lennox 1.

Class 11B

1. Winner (14) 78

2. Elk Point-Jefferson (2) 58

3. Sioux Valley 39

4. McCook Central/Montrose 24

5. Bridgewater-Emery/Ethan 23

Receiving votes: Hot Springs 13, Deuel 4, Woonsocket/Wessington Springs/Sanborn Central 1.

Class 9AA

1. Howard (12) 73

2. Wall (3) 59

3. Parkston 50

4. Hamlin (1) 39

5. Bon Homme 9

Receiving votes: Elkton-Lake Benton 5, Hanson 5.

Class 9A

1. Gregory (15) 79

2. Warner (1) 53

3. Wolsey-Wessington 46

4. Castlewood 31

5. Canistota 18

Receiving votes: Harding County/Bison 9, Philip 2, Lyman 2.

Class 9B

1. Hitchcock-Tulare (12) 70

2. De Smet (4) 54

3. Herreid/Selby Area 50

4. Dell Rapids St. Mary 24

5. Faulkton Area 22

Receiving votes: Corsica-Stickney 15, Sully Buttes 3, Kadoka Area 1, Avon 1.