This is it, strength vs. strength, strategy vs. strategy.

The battles figure to be intense and the emotions to be high as football teams across the state square off in semifinal contests to determine state championship matchups next week.

There are currently five area teams still in the hunt for a potential state title. In Class 9AA, Hamlin hosts Elkton-Lake Benton, in Class 9A Warner heads to Howard, and Wolsey-Wessington plays at Wall, and in Class 9B Faulkton hosts Dell Rapids St. Mary, while Sully Buttes will host Canistota.

Here is a look at each of those contests:

Warner (10-0) at Howard (10-0)

Most people saw this collision coming for a while now. If you like smash-mouth football this is the game to watch.

Warner hasn’t lost a game in two years and rolled to a win in the quaterfinals despite not having one of its top players in Jesiah Baum, who will be back this week.

“I’ve told people he’s just one of those players, they don’t come around very often,” said Warner coach Derek Hoellein, “just his unique ability with power, quickness and speed.”

The Monarchs had other players step up in his absence as Drew Bakeberg passed for 224 yards, and Payton Volk had 180 yards rushing and 97 yards receiving.

While Warner has had a dominant season, the Howard Tigers have been untouchable as well, steamrolling through the competition as the top-rated team in the state.

“They’re physical. It’s a wrestling school,” Hoellein said. “They’re a grind it out football team.”

The Tigers are big, physical, and take a toll on opponents, according to Hoellein.

“You see on film, people stick around with them until the third quarter, the good teams do, and then they wear on them. That’s just what they do,” Hoellein said. “It’s something that we’ve been talking about and the focus of our practices. … We have to stay in there slug for slug with these guys for four quarters. We can’t do it for three and expect to win this game.”

Warner, which has won 22 straight games and 33 of its last 34, will be a rare underdog in this contest.

“To be an underdog, it doesn’t seem like it’s right, but it’s a card that we’re going to play this week, that’s for sure as a coaching staff,” Hoellein said. “Our guys, we’re going to buy into it and we’ll be ready to go.”

Hoellein said the Monarchs will need to win on first downs and force Howard to face long-yardage situations.

Obviously somebody’s winning streak will be coming to an end in this one.

“The only undefeated semifinal game in the state, so it’s going to be a good game,” Hoellein said, “and hopefully we can execute, keep the game plan, and come out of there with a W.”

Dell Rapids St. Mary (9-1) at Faulkton (8-2)

Faulkton overcame an early deficit last week in its quarterfinal win over Colman-Egan.

“They were a mismatch for us with their tall wide receivers,” said Faulkton coach Shayne Geditz, “and they could go get the ball.”

This week’s contest presents a much different scenario as Dell Rapids St. Mary’s will run a tight double wing formation.

“Dells has got good athletes. They’ve got good size up front,” Geditz said. “They’ve got 3-4 good running backs they like to just line up to pound in their double wing and here they come.”

Geditz is no stranger to that type of offense as several teams in the Lake Region Conference use a variation of that formation.

“Everybody runs it a little bit differently, too. It’s kind of been a staple offense. It’s kind of an old-school offense. It’s kind of a staple,” Geditz said. “It’s stood the test the time and you stick with it. It’s a good offense and they do a nice job with it, and they’ve been running it for a lot of years.”

The Trojans, who were runner-up in 9B last season, also like to run the ball with backs Tristen Baloun and Landon Coyle leading the way.

“We want to come out and establish the run, and be able to run it,” Geditz said. “They’ve got a nice group up front. To stop them we have to win the line of scrimmage on the defensive side, too, and try to get them in some long situations, maybe make them do something they’re not very comfortable with. The most important position on the field is winning up front.”

Faulkton has been able to win the battle in the trenches more times than not this season. Look for a true tug-of-war on the line in this one.

“If we can come out and win the line of scrimmage and play responsibility football, protect the ball and do the fundamentals right,” Geditz said, “we’ll be in a ball game all night and it will be a good football game.”

Elkton-Lake Benton (9-1) at Hamlin (10-0)

If you like offense, this is the game for you.

Both of these squads can move up and down the field with the best of anyone. A previous matchup just three weeks ago resulted in a 40-35 Hamlin victory.

The Chargers are averaging nearly 55 points per contest this season.

“We’ve got a lot athletes on our team. We’re gifted this year with a lot of senior athletes,” said Hamlin coach Jeff Sheehan. “We’ve got a good offensive line that’s doing a good job protecting. Jackson Wadsworth stepped in nicely this year to quarterback for us and has thrown the ball really well. … When you have a quarterback who can sling the ball and put the ball where it needs to be, that helps.”

Elkton-Lake Benton is no stranger to putting points on the scoreboard, either. The Elks have a variety of playmakers and present a challenge.

“They’ve got a good football team. They play physical. … They do what works for them. They like to run the ball. They get the ball to a lot of different people,” Sheehan said. “Their blocking scheme is pretty good. They know how to block and they know how to run behind their blocks, and you’ve got to be on point with them.”

It’s likely that both defenses will once again be challenged in this rematch.

“We have to be disciplined this week with what we do, offensively and defensively,” Sheehan said. “We have to do our assignments, like almost perfectly.”

At this time of the season, defenses usually play a key role in the outcome of games. However, this could very well be another shootout like the last meeting.

“We both have put points on the board all year, so I think that that’s possibly what’s going to happen,” Sheehan said, “there’s going to be more points put on the board. … It could be quite interesting. I feel it’s going to be a game like the last one.”

Canistota (6-3) at Sully Buttes (9-1)

When the playoffs started, it seemed unlikely that Sully Buttes would be hosting a semifinal contest, however, the Chargers have made the most of their opportunities.

Sully Buttes picked up a road win at Corsica-Stickney last week and when Canistota knocked off top-seeded Avon, the Chargers were in line to host a semifinal contest.

Sully Buttes features athletes who are gifted in multiple sports, starting with quarterback Wesley Wittler.

“Wes is definitely known for his hoops and stuff like that,” said Chargers coach Tom Moore, “but he’s making a pretty good name this fall for being a heckuva quarterback.”

Standout golfer Gavin Colson is also a key member of the Sully Buttes squad.

“He is good at everything he does,” Moore said. “He’s outstanding student, he’s an outstanding person, and a heckuva golfer. He’s a great receiver for us.”

Running back Kadyn Westergren had a solid season in the backfield when Gavin Barber went down. Now both are healthy, giving the Chargers a balanced attack.

“Kadyn is just hard to tackle,” Moore said. “He’s kind of a bulldozer, where Gavin does things more to the outside.”

The Chargers will meet a formidable foe in Canistota, no stranger to postseason success.

“That organization, they know how to win big games here, especially at the end of the stretch, as in semifinal games or state championship games,” Moore said.

He noted at the Hawks are big, physical and can run the ball.

“They’ve got a great running attack. They can move people up front. They’ve got good backs in the back end and they’ve got some kids that can throw it,” Moore said. “Offensively, they’re a very well-rounded football team, led by kids that have played a lot of downs in some big games.”

Moore said the keys to the game is to be physical and not turn the football over.

“There’s things that I see that we can do, and I’m sure that there’s things that they see they can do,” Moore said, “so it should be a fun chess match on Friday.”

Wolsey-Wessington (9-1) at Wall (10-0)

Expect plenty of points to be scored in this matchup.

Wolsey-Wessington features a potent one-two bunch of Caleb Richmond and Moshe Richmond. What one doesn’t accomplish, the other does.

In last week’s quarterfinal victory over Dupree, Caleb rushed for 157 yards and passed for 187. Moshe finished with 187 yards receiving. Peyton Rainford is also a dangerous option, rushing for 194 yards last week.

Wall has an explosive offense as well. The Eagles have scored at least 37 points in every game, and during their last four contests have averaged a whopping 58.2 points per game.

In a playoff victory last week, Wall received touchdowns from five different players. The Eagles also scored TDs on a kickoff return, a fumble recovery return, and a pass interception return.

“Wall is a very talented team. They have size on the line. They have several skill guys who make a lot of plays with the ball in their hands,” said Wolsey-Wessington coach Hayden Hooks. “On defense, they do a great job creating pressure and getting in your face, and challenging from the snap.”

The two teams have played a common opponent this season in Castlewood. The Warbirds defeated Castlewood 28-8 during the regular season. Wall just faced the Warriors last week in the second round of the playoffs, coming away with a 62-12 victory.

“Keys for us will be finding ways to get our playmakers the ball in space,” Hooks said, “not allowing explosive plays defensively, sticking together, and playing Warbird football.”