Mar. 1—MITCHELL — The Mitchell Kernel girls basketball team will host a SoDak 16 state-qualifier game next week, while the Kernel boys will hit the road to potentially return to the Class AA state tournament.
The Kernel girls claimed the No. 7 seed when the matchups were announced on Saturday, matching up with No. 10-seeded Spearfish on Friday, March 6 at Mitchell High School. On Saturday, the Kernel boys, which are the No. 12 seed, will travel to Watertown for a game to reach the Class AA tournament. Both games will be played at 6 p.m.
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For the Kernel girls, it is Mitchell's third consecutive season with a home game in the Class AA SoDak 16. The Kernels lost the first matchup this season 61-55 on Feb. 7 in Spearfish, a game in which Mitchell led by 19 points before relinquishing the lead in the second half.
This will be the third year in a row the two teams have played in the regular season and the postseason. The two teams met twice in 2025, with Spearfish winning the regular-season game 54-49 before Mitchell downed the Spartans 49-38 in the Class AA state tournament fifth-place game. The two schools also played in the Class AA volleyball SoDak 16 as well, with Mitchell sweeping the Spartans in November.
The Mitchell-Spearfish winner will face either No. 2 O'Gorman or No. 15 Pierre in the Class AA state quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Central on March 12 in Rapid City.
In the boys SoDak 16, the Arrows and Kernels is a rematch of the season opener, which Watertown won in overtime 59-55. Mitchell led the game by 14 points in the second half before the Arrows pulled off the rally.
It is Mitchell's first road SoDak 16 game since 2020, when the Kernels were the No. 14 seed and traveled to Sioux Falls Roosevelt in a 68-50 loss. Mitchell played in five consecutive home SoDak 16 matchups from 2021 to 2025, including SoDak 16 wins over Watertown at the Corn Palace in 2021 and 2023.
The Mitchell-Watertown boys winner will face either No. 4 Harrisburg or No. 13 Yankton in the Class AA state quarterfinals at 1:45 p.m. Central on March 19 in Rapid City.
All games on Friday, March 6. All times Central.
Upper bracket
First quarterfinal
No. 16 Sturgis (7-13) at No. 1 Brandon Valley (20-0), 6 p.m.
No. 9 Harrisburg (10-10) at No. 8 Tea Area (11-9), 7 p.m.
Second quarterfinal
No. 13 Yankton (8-12) at No. 4 Rapid City Stevens (16-4), 7 p.m.
No. 12 Rapid City Central (9-11) at No. 5 Aberdeen Central (14-6), time TBD
Lower bracket
Third quarterfinal
No. 15 Pierre (5-15) at No. 2 O'Gorman (19-1), time TBD.
No. 10 Spearfish (12-8) at No. 7 Mitchell (12-8), 6 p.m.
Fourth quarterfinal
No. 14 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (7-13) at No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington (16-4), 6 p.m.
No. 11 Huron (10-10) at No. 6 Sioux Falls Jefferson (13-7), 6 p.m.
All games on Saturday, March 7. All times Central.
Upper bracket
First quarterfinal
No. 16 Sturgis (7-13) at No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln (20-0), 6 p.m.
No. 9 Tea Area (12-8) at No. 8 Spearfish (15-5), 4 p.m.
Second quarterfinal
No. 13 Yankton (8-12) at No. 4 Harrisburg (15-5), 2 p.m.
No. 12 Mitchell (8-11) at No. 5 Watertown (15-5), 6 p.m.
Lower bracket
Third quarterfinal
No. 15 Rapid City Central (6-14) at No. 2 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (16-4), time TBD
No. 10 Sioux Falls Jefferson (10-10) at No. 7 Brandon Valley (12-8), 2 p.m.
Fourth quarterfinal
No. 14 Pierre (6-14) at No. 3 Huron (16-4), 6 p.m.
No. 11 Sioux Falls Washington (10-10) at No. 6 O'Gorman (12-8), 4 p.m.