The South Dakota High School Activities Association board Wednesday morning turned down an appeal by the Mt. Vernon-Plankinton schools to remain in nine-man football for the coming two-year period.

Both superintendent Pat Mikkonen and activities director Eric Denning spoke to the board.  At issue was when the number of male students were counted.

The association uses the count for grades 9 thru 12 on the first Friday of December…. but uses the count supplied by the department of education for grades 7 thru 9 on the first Friday of September.

Mt. Vernon-Plankinton filed the appeal to remain in nine-man because they had lost three male students between the two dates, which would drop them under the 11-man classification.

After much discussion, the association board voted 6-to-3 against the appeal.

That means Mt. Vernon-Plankinton will join Sanborn Central-Woonsocket as two area teams that will be moving from nine man to eleven-man football next season.