Wednesday Sports: September 9, 2026

September 9, 2026 Travis Kriens Local, Regional and National Sport stories

WEDNESDAY SPORTS, SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Huron volleyball held off Mitchell in four sets on Tuesday night, winning 26-28, 25-23, 28-26 and 25-16 at the Huron Arena. Mitchell had set-point opportunities in the third set before Huron closed it out, then the Tigers overcame an early four-point deficit in the fourth. Nia Talley led Mitchell with 14 kills and four aces. CeCe Morgan added nine kills, while Ashley Haring had six. Charleigh Collins made her season debut after recovering from a knee injury at the end of last season and finished with five kills. Mitchell falls to 2-5 overall and will host Sioux Falls Washington Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

— Mitchell Kernels girls soccer played to a 1-1 tie on Tuesday vs. Yankton. The Kernels host Dakota Valley on Saturday at 11 am at Joe Quintal Field. The Mitchell boys lost 8-1 vs. Yankton. The Kernels will be at Vermillion on Thursday at 5 pm.

— The Mitchell High School boys basketball program is hosting a fall scrimmage league for boys in grades six through eight. The league will run Tuesdays from Oct. 27 through Nov. 17 at the MHS gym. Players will be placed on teams and receive jerseys, with each team playing two 30-minute games each night at either 6:30 or 7:30 p.m. The league will emphasize equal playing time. The cost is $60 per player. Registration is available online, or players can contact Mitchell boys basketball coach Ryker Kruetzfeldt for more information.

— Mitchell Kernels girls tennis hosts SF Washington on Thursday at 4 pm.

— Mitchell Kernels football, 1-1 on the season, hosts Douglas on Saturday for the annual Kernel Bowl at 6 pm. Mitchell is coming off a 47-27 at Spearfish last Friday.

— Mitchell Kernels boys golf returns to action on Friday at the Yankton Invitational.

DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Two Dakota Wesleyan volleyball players have been named GPAC Players of the Week for the second time this season. Setter Kayleigh Hybertson earned her second weekly honor after recording 107 assists in three matches at the CSM Labor Day Classic in Omaha. She averaged 11.8 assists per set. Defender Lizzie Tyler also earned her second honor after averaging 5.1 digs per set during three sweeps. The senior recorded 46 digs over the weekend, increasing her career total to a school-record 1,940 digs.

— Allison Meyerink is tied for first after an opening round +2 (74) at the first round of the Siouxland Invitational in Orange City, Iowa. The second and final round begins today at 10 am in Sioux Center, Iowa.

— Dakota Wesleyan football, 1-1 on the season, will be at Waldorf on Saturday at 6 pm. The Tigers are coming off a 34-21 win over Doane last week.

— Dakota Wesleyan volleyball, 11-1 on the season, host Dordt in their home opener on Wednesday at 7:30 pm. The Tigers went 3-0 over the weekend in Omaha.

— Dakota Wesleyan men’s soccer, 0-1 on the season, hosts Northern Iowa Area Community College in an exhibition match on Wednesday at 5 pm.

— Dakota Wesleyan men’s golf returns to action September 14 at the Siouxland Invitational.

— Dakota Wesleyan women’s soccer hosts Nebraska Wesleyan on Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 6 pm.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State senior volleyball player Sylvie Zgonc has been named a Summit League Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. Zgonc totaled 77 kills, 34 digs and averaged 5.9 kills per set across four matches last weekend. She had 20 kills against Western Illinois, 25 against Northern Arizona and 20 against Bradley. Through two weeks, Zgonc leads all NCAA Division I players with 131 kills and 144 points. She ranks third nationally in kills per set at 5.04.

— South Dakota State football, 1-1 on the season, host New Haven on Saturday at 6 pm. The Jackrabbits are coming off a 34-18 loss to Northwestern.

— South Dakota State women’s soccer, 4-1-1 on the season, will be at Weber State on Thursday at 8 pm.

— South Dakota State volleyball, 4-3 on the season, will compete at the Kansas Invitational this week taking on the 22nd ranked Jayhawks on Friday at 1 pm.

SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD volleyball defensive specialist Sierra Pokharel has been named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. Pokharel recorded double-digit digs in all three matches at the South Dakota Classic. In Saturday’s five-set win over Northern Iowa, she set career highs with 32 digs and 11 assists for her first career double-double. Through two weeks, Pokharel ranks second in the Summit League with 97 digs.

— USD football, 2-0 on the season, host Eastern Washington on Saturday at 1 pm. The Coyotes won at Northern Colorado last week 38-23.

— USD volleyball, 5-1 on the season, will be at Colorado State on Thursday at 8 pm. The Coyotes then takes on Wyoming on Friday at 7 pm.

MINNESOTA TWINS
— Kody Clemens hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning as the Minnesota Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2. Dean Kremer won for the first time since Aug. 10, allowing two runs on five hits in five innings. Yoendrys Gómez pitched the ninth for his 22nd save in 22 chances. The final game of the three-game series is Wednesday at 12:10 pm.

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL – TUESDAY
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 3, Ethan 0
Hanson 3, Howard 0
Wagner 3, Platte-Geddes 1 – Kori VanDerWerff with 24 kills in the loss.
James Valley Christian 3, Mitchell Christian 1
Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 3, Corsica-Stickney 1 – Addison Bartholow with 21 kills and 22 digs for SCW.
Bridgewater-Emery 3, Menno 0
McCook Central/Montrose 3, Sioux Valley 1
Wessington Springs 3, Gregory 0
Andes Central/Dakota Christian vs. Kimball/White Lake
Freeman 3, Centerville 1 – Rylee Peters with 17 kills
Avon 3, Tripp-Delmont/Armour 0 – Kaydence Metzger with 14 kills for Avon.

No.1 Harrisburg 3, Brookings 0
No. 2 O’Gorman 3, Yankton 1
No. 3 SF Lincoln 3, No. 5 Watertown 1
Marshall (Minn.) 3, No. 4 Brandon Valley 0
SF Washington 3, SF Jefferson 2
SF Roosevelt 3, Tea Area 0

NFL
— Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension. The agreement comes five days before Tampa Bay’s season opener and makes Mayfield the highest-paid player in franchise history. Mayfield revived his career after joining the Bucs in 2023 following Tom Brady’s retirement. Mayfield has led Tampa Bay to consecutive NFC South titles and made the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons. He started all 17 games last year, throwing for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Buccaneers went 8-9 last season and missed the playoffs.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— The NCAA says Michigan’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan will stand, despite the Mid-American Conference asking for the result to be overturned. The MAC appealed after a replay review restored one second to the clock, giving Michigan another chance to throw a game-winning Hail Mary. The conference said established replay protocol was not followed and Western Michigan should have won 12-7. The NCAA says its rules do not allow the result of a completed game to be overturned. The governing body also issued new guidance requiring replay officials to use the game clock embedded in the official broadcast feed when reviewing timing plays.

— LSU has moved into the top 10 of the first regular-season AP college football poll, climbing from No. 11 to No. 8 after a 51-10 win over Clemson. Ohio State remains No. 1, receiving 46 of 69 first-place votes. Georgia is No. 2, followed by Notre Dame, Texas and Indiana. Oregon dropped from No. 2 to No. 6 after a 34-27 win over Boise State. Miami is No. 7, while Ole Miss and Texas A&M round out the top 10. Michigan fell completely out of the rankings after beating Western Michigan 13-12 on a last-second, second-chance Hail Mary. Nine SEC teams are ranked, the most of any conference.

— Southeastern Conference leaders will meet Thursday to discuss whether to expel LSU following a dispute over coach Lane Kiffin’s attempt to roster former NFL players. LSU has now finalized its 105-man football roster without the former pros, backing away from the plan. The SEC has rules prohibiting players with significant professional experience from competing in the conference. The dispute escalated after a Louisiana judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the NCAA and SEC from enforcing those eligibility rules.

TENNIS
— Ben Shelton has ended Carlos Alcaraz’s U.S. Open title defense after a marathon five-set battle that finished at 3:33 Wednesday morning in New York. Shelton defeated the second-seeded Alcaraz 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, winning the match tiebreaker 10-7. The four-hour, 28-minute match is the latest finish in U.S. Open history. Shelton overcame a 5-3 deficit in the final-set tiebreaker before closing it out with a 146-mph ace. Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak was snapped. Shelton advances to his third Grand Slam semifinal and will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe rallied past Alex Michelsen in five sets to reach his third U.S. Open semifinal. The United States is guaranteed to have a player in Sunday’s men’s final as American players continue their bid to end a Grand Slam drought dating to Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open championship.

NBA
— The Los Angeles Lakers will unveil a statue honoring former coach Phil Jackson outside their arena next year. The statue will be unveiled April 9 before the Lakers host Minnesota. Jackson coached the Lakers for 11 seasons over two stints, leading the franchise to five NBA championships and seven Finals appearances. Jackson holds the Lakers’ franchise record with 610 victories. The Basketball Hall of Famer won 11 NBA championships as a head coach, the most in league history. He will become the ninth person associated with the Lakers to receive a statue outside the arena.

GOLF
— LIV Golf has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it looks to restructure and continue operating without Saudi financial backing. The league reported more than $500 million in debt and listed assets between $100 million and $500 million, with liabilities potentially reaching $1 billion. LIV says it has reached a restructuring agreement with BC Partners and hopes to launch a smaller version of the league as early as 2027. The new LIV would expand fields from 57 to 75 players, add a 54-hole cut and Monday qualifiers, while allowing players to become majority owners. LIV’s Saudi-backed spending topped $5 billion since its launch in 2022.

MLB
— Luis Lara singled home the winning run in the 10th inning after Jackson Chourio tied the score with a two-out homer in the ninth as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3. Milwaukee extended its NL Central lead to nine games over Chicago.

— Aaron Judge went hitless in his return from the injured list, while Cam Schlittler struck out 10 in seven innings as the New York Yankees beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 to clinch their 34th straight winning season. It was Judge’s first appearance since May 31 after missing 84 games with a broken rib.

— Tarik Skubal pitched into the eighth inning, while Teoscar Hernández singled home the go-ahead run in the fifth as the Los Angeles Dodgers held off the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 for their sixth consecutive victory.

— Travis Bazzana hit a three-run homer as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Baltimore Orioles 9-5. Cleveland has a one game lead of Toronto and 1 ½ game lead over Texas for the final AL Wild Card spot.

— Kazuma Okamoto and Josh Smith hit home runs, while José Soriano worked seven innings of two-run ball as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 4-2.

— Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, and Danny Jansen each hit a home run as the Texas Rangers defeated the Seattle Mariners 10-5.

— Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit an RBI triple in the 11th inning, while Corbin Burnes made his return after a 15-month recovery from Tommy John surgery as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-3 in 11 innings.

— Manny Machado tied the score with a two-run single in the eighth inning, while Luis Campusano drove in the go-ahead run as the San Diego Padres rallied past the Washington Nationals 5-4. San Diego remained ½ game behind Arizona for the final NL Wild Card spot.

— Junior Caminero hit his 39th home run, one of four homers by Tampa Bay, as the Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 7-1.

— Reid Detmers struck out nine and allowed one hit over six shutout innings, while Zach Neto was 4 for 5 with a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Red Sox 6-1 to end Boston’s five-game win streak.

— Christian Walker, Cam Smith and Daulton Varsho homered and led the Houston Astros to a 6-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

— Bubba Chandler pitched six innings, while Rafael Flores Jr. homered among his three hits as the Pittsburgh Pirates pounded the Chicago White Sox 9-3.

— Bryce Eldridge hit a solo home run in the first inning and extended his on-base streak to 17 games as the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1.

— Sean Manaea retired his first 15 batters, while Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto homered as the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-5.

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL POLL – SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

Class 11AAA

  1. Brandon Valley (16) 2-0 100 1
  2. Jefferson (5) 2-0 88 2
  3. O’Gorman 1-1 60 3
  4. Lincoln 1-1 43 4
  5. Harrisburg 1-1 21 RV

Receiving votes: Roosevelt 3.

Class 11AA

  1. Pierre (21) 2-0 105 1
  2. Tea Area 2-0 80 3
  3. Watertown 2-0 50 4
  4. Yankton 1-1 47 2
  5. Huron 1-1 25 5

Receiving votes: Spearfish 4, Sturgis 4.

Class 11A

  1. SF Christian (21) 2-0 105 1
  2. Dell Rapids 2-0 76 2
  3. West Central 2-0 66 3
  4. Lennox 1-1 39 4
  5. Madison 1-1 20 5

Receiving votes: Canton 9.

Class 11B

  1. Elk Point-Jefferson (13) 2-0 92 1
  2. St. Thomas More (6) 3-0 89 2
  3. Winner (2) 3-0 56 3
  4. Deuel 3-0 46 4
  5. Clark/Willow Lake 3-0 32 5

 

Class 9AA

  1. Parkston (21) 3-0 105 1
  2. Bon Homme 3-0 82 2
  3. Viborg-Hurley 2-0 59 3
  4. Hamlin 2-1 38 4
  5. Platte-Geddes 2-1 21 5

Receiving votes: Garretson 10.

Class 9A

  1. Freeman (18) 3-0 102 1
  2. Castlewood (2) 3-0 85 2
  3. Centerville 3-0 47 5
  4. Sully Buttes 3-0 38 RV
  5. Howard 1-2 19 3

Receiving votes: Philip 11 (1), Lyman 7, Alcester-Hudson 3, Kimball/White Lake 3.

Class 9B

  1. St. Mary’s (16) 3-0 100 1
  2. Wall (5) 2-0 87 2
  3. Warner 3-0 56 3
  4. Avon 2-1 41 4
  5. Colman-Egan 3-0 30 5

Receiving votes: Hitchcock-Tulare 1.

 

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL POLL – SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

CLASS AA

  1. Harrisburg (16) 4-0 80 1
  2. O’Gorman 4-2 57 2
  3. S.F. Lincoln 4-2 50 4
  4. Brandon Valley 5-2 37 3
  5. Watertown 5-3 11 5

RECEIVING VOTES: S.F. Washington (1-2) 3; Aberdeen Central (3-1) 2

 

CLASS A

  1. S.F. Christian (15) 6-1 79 2
  2. Dell Rapids (1) 7-1 63 1
  3. Dakota Valley 3-0 49 3
  4. Clark-Willow Lake 4-0 28 4
  5. St. Thomas More 3-0 13 5

RECEIVING VOTES: Hamlin (4-0) 4; Lennox (2-0) 2; Vermillion (7-1) 1; Wagner (6-1) 1

 

CLASS B

  1. Chester Area (13) 6-1 77 1
  2. Warner (3) 6-1 65 2
  3. Northwestern 5-2 42 3
  4. Bennett County 9-0 36 4
  5. Colman-Egan 4-0 17 5

RECEIVING VOTES: Gayville-Volin (5-0) 2; Harding County (3-0) 1