Elk Point-Jefferson Routs St. Thomas More for Title
Elk Point-Jefferson beat St. Thomas More 61-13 to win the 2026 Class 11B high school football state championship at the DakotaDome.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Football
Elk Point-Jefferson defeated St. Thomas More 61-13 in the 2026 Class 11B state championship game in Vermillion. The win set a single-team points record for a Class 11B title game and capped a 12-0 season.
Why it matters
The result gives Elk Point-Jefferson its state title after last year's 48-38 championship loss to the same opponent, and it closes a season in which the team was ranked No. 1 in Class 11B. For South Dakota high school football fans, it marks a decisive finish in one of the state's most closely followed classifications.
Elk Point-Jefferson rushed for 360 yards in the 61-13 title game, following a season in which its backfield totaled 3,754 rushing yards. Brody Van Roekel finished the season with 54 carries for 424 yards and five touchdowns, and the source does not indicate how this game's rushing output compares with other championship performances.
The players
Elk Point-Jefferson
Elk Point-Jefferson is a South Dakota high school whose football program has reached multiple state championship games in recent seasons.
St. Thomas More
St. Thomas More is a Catholic high school in Rapid City, South Dakota, whose football team won the 2025 Class 11B state championship.
The details
Elk Point-Jefferson ran the ball early and often, finishing with 360 rushing yards, while quarterback Levi Hanson threw only once in the first half. Brody Van Roekel rushed for three touchdowns and 104 yards in the first 24 minutes and also returned an interception for a touchdown, and Aiden Hammitt added two rushing scores. The team had already won its state semifinal 26-0 over Winner.
Timeline
2022: Elk Point-Jefferson won a previous state title.
2023: Elk Point-Jefferson finished as state runner-up.
2025: Elk Point-Jefferson lost the state championship 48-38 to St. Thomas More.
Friday morning: Elk Point-Jefferson won the 2026 Class 11B state championship 61-13.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 title reverses the outcome of last year's 48-38 Class 11B championship loss to St. Thomas More, completing a rematch that shaped both programs' recent seasons. Elk Point-Jefferson's 12-0 finish, following its 2022 title and 2023 and 2025 runner-up finishes, marks its most complete season in the stretch covered by the source.
Elk Point-Jefferson's championship closes its season at 12-0, leaving no further state-tournament games for the team this year. Fans and fantasy players tracking Brody Van Roekel's production should note his season totals of 54 carries, 424 yards and five touchdowns.
The takeaway
The result shows how a single rematch can settle a rivalry, as Elk Point-Jefferson turned last year's narrow loss into a decisive state title. Readers following South Dakota high school football can use the season's rushing numbers and playoff path as a benchmark for comparing future Class 11B teams.
Further reading
For more South Dakota high school coverage, see Football on the state's sports desk.
