With the South Dakota high school football season at the halfway point, it seems like a good time to take a look at the power point picture and which teams in each class look to have set themselves up for playoff runs and what games are approaching in the second half of the schedule that will have an impact on the playoff picture.

The power point system is a fairly simple system put in place by the South Dakota High School Activities Association for the purpose of seeding the playoffs in the six classes of football in the state - three 11-man and three 9-man. For a detailed explanation of the power point system, go to www.sdhsaa.com's football section.

The top 16 teams in Class 11AA make the playoff field, while the top three teams in each region of the lower classes, plus the next four teams with the highest power point totals, making the postseason field.

Thus far, there are some slight surprises in some classes' power points.

For instance, the South Dakota Sportswriters Association's No. 2-ranked Class 11AA Aberdeen Central is actually the top team in terms of power points, thanks to a better overall record amongst its opponents than No. 1-ranked Sioux Falls Washington.

Three teams - Huron, Mitchell and Spearfish - are currently winless in Class 11AA and will be fighting to see which team stays home for the postseason. Rapid City Stevens is currently the top-ranked West River 11AA team at No. 7, which would set the Raiders up with a home game with Sioux Falls Lincoln if the playoffs started today. The Central Cobblers are in the 11th spot, which would put them on the road against Yankton and Sturgis is sitting at No. 12, which would pit the Scoopers against Brandon Valley on the road.

Class 11A's No. 1-ranked team in the polls, West Central, is also the power point system's No. 1 team, but the No.2 team in power points is Todd County, which hasn't been ranked yet this season.

The Region 4 race in Class 11A is interesting, with St. Thomas More and Belle Fourche basically neck and neck for the top spot, with a monstrous season-ending matchup looming Oct. 22 that could decide both the Black Hills Conference title and Region 4's No. 1 seed.

Class 11B's No. 1 power point team is currently Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian in Region 3, which is ranked No. 5 by the sportswriters. Top-ranked Tri-Valley in Region 2 has the second-most power points at 58.600, followed by No. 2-ranked Winner in Region 4 at 57.800.

The two top teams in terms of power points in Class 9AA both reside in Region 4 in Philip and No. 1-ranked Lyman. Those two teams will square off in Presho on Oct. 9.

Class 9A has one of the state's only teams over the 60-point barrier in No. 2-ranked Mt. Vernon. Top-ranked Avon is actually currently fifth in overall power points behind Mt. Vernon, Corsica-Stickney, Harding County and Sully Buttes.

Class 9B's top-ranked team in the sportswriters' poll, Hitchcock-Tulare, is actually currently sitting third in Region 1 behind Grant-Deuel and Waverly/South Shore. Two Class 9B teams - Grant-Deuel and Menno - are tops in power points with 60.750. Faith is the top team in Region 4 with 50.250 points.