Kernels' high school football schedule set for 2024
Apr. 17—MITCHELL — The Mitchell High School football team knows when and where it will be playing in 2024 and 2025 after the release of the newest high school football schedules for the next two seasons by the South Dakota High School Activities Association.
Among the notable changes for 2024 include three of the first four games at home for the Kernels, who were 2-7 last season and missed the Class 11AA playoffs. After having back-to-back road games in 2023 to open the season, MHS will be home for its first two games of the 2024 slate.
Mitchell will open its season at Joe Quintal Field on the weekend of Aug. 30 against Douglas — meeting the Patriots for the first time since 2020 — followed by a Sept. 6 weekend game against Huron in Mitchell. It's the earliest rivalry contest between the Kernels and Tigers since Sept. 7, 2007, as the Mitchell-Huron game will move out of a traditional late-season slot to be played in September for only the fourth time since 2006.
The Kernels will hit the road for the first time in 2024 with a game at Spearfish on Sept. 13, followed by a home contest with Brookings on Sept. 20. The Kernels go back on the road to play Tea Area for the second time in program history on Sept. 27, followed by a road trip to Aberdeen on Oct. 4.
The final homestand of the regular season kicks off with Class 11AAA foe Brandon Valley meeting Mitchell on Oct. 11, at Joe Quintal Field. The Lynx and Brandon Valley have only played once in the past 12 seasons. Mitchell played Sioux Falls Jefferson as its Class 11AAA crossover opponent in each of the last two seasons.
The Kernels will host Watertown on Oct. 18, followed by a Thursday, Oct. 24 regular-season finale at Yankton, with MHS and the Bucks closing the regular season against one another for the first time since 2008.
Notably, Mitchell will not play Pierre during the regular season for the first time in years, missing out on a matchup with the reigning seven-time Class 11AA state champions and Eastern South Dakota Conference rivals. Including playoff contests, the Kernels and Governors have played 14 times in the past 10 seasons. In Class 11AA, the Kernels also will not play Sturgis, as the Scoopers and Kernels have met nine times in as many seasons, counting playoff games.
The specific dates for Mitchell's games are subject to change, as some games have been moved to Thursdays or Saturdays to accomodate officiating crews. Mitchell traditionally plays its Kernel Bowl game on a Saturday at home early in the season, but a date for that game has not been set.
In this scheduling cycle, each Class 11AA team, which includes 11 schools, will play one game against a Class 11AAA team and its other eight games will be against 11AA opponents.
Mitchell's 2025 schedule is set to be flipped from the 2024 home/road alignment, meaning the Kernels will play three of their first four games on the road in 2025 and close with three of its final five games at Joe Quintal Field.
2024 Mitchell football schedule
Home games in all caps. Dates are subject to change. Times to be announced.
AUGUST
30 — DOUGLAS
SEPTEMBER
6 — HURON
13 — at Spearfish
20 — BROOKINGS
27 — at Tea Area
OCTOBER
4 — at Aberdeen
11 — BRANDON VALLEY
18 — WATERTOWN
24 — at Yankton
