The road to the 2026 South Dakota high school boys tennis state championships is officially underway, with the Class AA and Class A tournaments set for May 18-21 in Rapid City. The season has begun for local contenders, with half the area's teams already in action and the rest poised to start this week.
Class AA powerhouses Aberdeen Central and Watertown, along with Class A challengers Aberdeen Roncalli and Milbank, are all gearing up for another competitive spring. Aberdeen Central and Roncalli got an early test at the West River Invite in Rapid City, each posting a 2-3 record in duals to start their campaigns.
This week, the action heats up as Watertown opens its season on April 9th in a triangular against Sioux Falls Lincoln and Aberdeen Central. Milbank is also scheduled to hit the courts on April 10th, weather permitting, facing Sioux Falls Jefferson and Yankton.
The landscape in Class AA looks fiercely competitive. Defending champion Harrisburg, which ended Sioux Falls Lincoln's remarkable 10-year title streak last season, is expected to be a force again. They'll face stiff competition from Lincoln, O'Gorman, and Eastern South Dakota Conference rivals like Yankton, Brandon Valley, and Mitchell. Watertown head coach Ryan Zink acknowledged the depth, noting, "Harrisburg is going to be outstanding again... I think we should have a pretty good team but so many teams have a lot of returnees so there won't be a lot of easy matches for sure."
In Class A, the field includes 11 schools, with two-time defending champion Sioux Falls Christian leading the pack. Coach Zink even suggested they "might be better than Harrisburg," setting the stage for potentially thrilling championship matches in May.
For Watertown, the Arrows are building on a solid 2025 season where they finished ninth in the state AA tournament. They return key starters including senior Joey Meester and juniors Matthew Bertsch and Xane Fligge, who brings state tournament experience after a sixth-place finish at No. 4 singles last year.
Mark your calendars for a thrilling conclusion to the season. The quest for state glory will culminate at the Rapid City courts, with the Class A finals on May 18-19 and the Class AA champions crowned on May 20-21.