Digital Z South Dakota

Covering sports news and commentary for all 180 high schools & 10 colleges in South Dakota!

[Digital Z South Dakota @DigitalZSD]

Starting this tonight's update, the Digital Z Power Rankings will be going back to Rank+.

Everything from what Rank+ means to why the change was made (something really cool is happening), is in the post below!

[Digital Z South Dakota @DigitalZSD]

CHANGE IN THE DIGITAL Z POWER RANKINGS
A.P.A.A. BACK TO RANK+

There’s an old saying that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Well… it’s true.

Why is it true? We’ll get back to that in a moment.

After switching to A.P.A.A. for the rankings, the decision has been made to return to Rank+. Don’t worry, the rankings themselves are not changing. The system is still exactly the same; the only difference is how the final number is displayed.

To help everyone understand why we’re going back to Rank+, let’s walk through it in four steps:

1. How the ranking system works

2. What Rank+ is

3. What A.P.A.A. is

4. Why we’re switching back to Rank+

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STEP 1: The System

The Digital Z Power Rankings were created after extensive research — reviewing studies, examining other ranking models, and watching videos on how different systems work. It quickly became clear that the most accurate and fair approach was one based on scoring margin.

After some trial and error, the system took shape. Here’s how it works, using a few example teams: the Alligators, Bears, Cubs, and Dinosaurs.

Each team starts with a rank of zero, and after each game, their rank becomes their scoring margin.

Week 1 results:

Alligators 17, Dinosaurs 10
Cubs 35, Bears 0

Week 1 rankings:

Cubs 35
Alligators 7
Dinosaurs -7
Bears -35

Week 2 results:

Cubs 19, Dinosaurs 12
Bears 10, Alligators 3

Unadjusted Week 2 rankings:

Cubs 21
Alligators 0
Dinosaurs -7
Bears -14

Now comes the adjustment for strength of schedule.
For example, take the Cubs:

Week 1 vs Bears

Opponent unadjusted: -14
Scoring margin: +35
Adjusted margin: +21.0

Week 2 vs Dinosaurs

Opponent unadjusted: -7
Scoring margin: +7
Adjusted margin: 0.0

Average those two adjusted margins, and the Cubs have a rank of 10.5.

Even though their unadjusted scoring margin was 21.0, their strength of schedule brought it down to 10.5.

The computer runs this process for about 50 rounds, continually updating team ratings so each result reflects the strength of opponents accurately.
So, in simple terms:

The system takes your scoring margin and adjusts it based on your strength of schedule. That’s your adjusted scoring margin — the foundation for all rankings.

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STEP 2: Rank+

Rank+ converts the adjusted scoring margin into an easy-to-understand number by comparing it to the class average.

For example, if the class average is 10.0 and your team’s adjusted margin is 11.0, you performed 10% better than average.

Rank+ sets the league average to 100, so every 1-point increase above 100 equals a 1% improvement.
In this example, your team’s Rank+ would be 110.

This was the original format for publishing the rankings.

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STEP 3: A.P.A.A.

A.P.A.A. stands for Average Points Above Average.
It represents the same concept as Rank+, but instead of using percentages, it shows the numerical difference between your adjusted margin and the class average.

Using the same example:

Adjusted margin: 11.0
Class average: 10.0
A.P.A.A.: 1.0

The idea behind switching to A.P.A.A. was to make the system more transparent and easier to grasp. However, after some time in use, a problem became clear — which brings us to Step 4.

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STEP 4: The Change Back to Rank+

One of the strengths of this system is that it can compare any team from any year. But the scoring environment changes over time — some seasons are high-scoring, others are not.

That means a 1.0 A.P.A.A. in 2025 might not equal a 1.0 A.P.A.A. in 2012, 1994, or 1980. In other words, A.P.A.A. can’t be used reliably across eras.

Rank+, however, can.

Because it’s scaled relative to the teams in a given year, it remains consistent over time — regardless of how much scoring occurs that season.

This summer, game data was collected going back over 10 years, and those rankings are now complete. They’ll be available soon on the Digital Z website, opening up exciting possibilities for historical comparisons and analysis.

To align with this new release, the decision has been made to return to Rank+ for the remainder of the season. This change will make it easier for everyone to understand how current teams compare — both within their class and across history.

If this all sounds confusing, don’t worry, it’ll start to make sense over time. And if it already makes sense, great, you'll definitely enjoy the historical rankings!

#SDPreps

[Leola/FrederickBBB @LFrederickbbb]

Leola/Frederick 49 (7-2)
North Central 42 (2-4)

Milo Sumption 14 points
Winston Clark 13 points
Westyn Thorpe 10 points

@605_sports @DigitalZSD @MattKerney #sdpreps

[Cooper Terwilliger @CooperTerwilli1]

After a great conversation with @CoachByham I am blessed to announce I have received an offer from @StanfordFball

[Leola/FrederickBBB @LFrederickbbb]

Waverly-South Shore 28 (0-6)
Leola/Frederick 59 (6-2)

Westyn Thorpe 11 points
Jace Thorpe 11 points
Winston Clark 10 points

@605_sports @DigitalZSD @MattKerney #sdpreps

[Leola/FrederickBBB @LFrederickbbb]

Leola/Frederick 72 (4-2)
Wilmot 42 (4-3)

Winston Clark 16 points
Erik Losure 14 points

@MattKerney @DigitalZSD @605_sports #sdpreps

[Leola/FrederickBBB @LFrederickbbb]

Waubay/Summit 48 (3-2)
Leola/Frederick 49 (3-2)

Jace Thorpe 11 points
Winston Clark 11 points
Milo Sumption 11 points

@605_sports @MattKerney @DigitalZSD #sdpreps

[On3 @On3]

BREAKING: Ohio State transfer QB Lincoln Kienholz has committed to Louisville, @Hayesfawcett3 reports.

https://t.co/gsQEdgdCTc

[On3 @On3]

NEW: Ohio State QB Lincoln Kienholz plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.

https://t.co/dcjbJBfHtt

[South Dakota Football @SDCoyotesFB]

𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞.

#GoYotes

[Brody Schafer @Brody4Schafer]

Excited to announce that I'll be continuing my academic and athletic career at South Dakota State University. Huge thanks to my family and coaches for helping me get here.

@PatsRevolution
@GoJacksFB @CoachDtjackson @CoachEidsness @Coach_Benedetto
#committed #GoJacks🐰

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈 Brandon Valley 34, Sioux Falls Lincoln 27, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📸https://t.co/d8nwA6P4Lr
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYrjZ
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpIEDZ
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0pTv

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈 St. Thomas More 48, Elk Point-Jefferson 38, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📸https://t.co/d8nwA6PCAZ
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYZ9x
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpJctx
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0XJ3

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈 Pierre 56, Yankton 35, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📸https://t.co/d8nwA6P4Lr
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYrjZ
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpIEDZ
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0pTv

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈 Wall 60, Howard 6, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📸https://t.co/d8nwA6PCAZ
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYZ9x
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpJctx
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0XJ3

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈 Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 46, Elkton-Lake Benton 22, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📺SDPB-TV1 
📱PBS App 
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYZ9x
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpJctx
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0XJ3

[SDPB Sports @SDPBSports]

🏈St. Mary's 54, Avon 6, Final #SDFootball25 #SDpreps

📷https://t.co/d8nwA6PCAZ
🖥️https://t.co/lgdTmdYZ9x
💻https://t.co/KkGXXpJctx
📈https://t.co/oF56ZO0XJ3

[Jack stocklin @JackStocklin13]

100% Committed!
#AGTG
@JFakkema80 @coachmmmcc @CoachBMoser @nwc_fb

[Anika Pedersen @anikapedersen34]

I am blessed to announce that I have committed to @nwcwbasketball to continue my academic and basketball career! I couldn’t be more thankful for everyone who helped me along the way and for Coach Yaw and Coach Morgan for believing in me. TYJ💗

@BVLynxGBB @theother_coachk

[Brody Schafer @Brody4Schafer]

After a great phone call with @CoachDtjackson I’m blessed to receive an offer to play QB at @GoJacksFB !!! @CoachEidsness @Coach_Benedetto

[Ayden wood @aydenw66]

after thinking about it with family i’m proud to announce my commitment to mount marty to play college football!! @patangashty @CoachZuck @Kernel_Football @PrepRedzoneDAK @MMULancersFB

[Jarrett Erdmann @JarrettErdmann]

Committed @NSUWOLVES_BS @brandonkusler @pezzer5