Dakota Valley Esports

09/01/2026

07/14/2026

🎮 Welcome to the 3rd Annual Esports Development Clinic!

Dakota Valley School District is proud to once again host the 3rd Annual Esports Development Clinic, marking our second consecutive year as the host site.

A special thank you to Fenworks for their continued partnership, leadership, and support in helping grow scholastic esports across our region. We truly appreciate everything you do to make this event possible.

We'd also like to extend a warm welcome to schools from across South Dakota. We're excited for a day filled with learning, collaboration, and networking as we continue to build and strengthen esports opportunities for students.

Have a great clinic—we're glad you're here! 🎮

03/19/2026

🔥🎮 BIG NEWS FOR DAKOTA VALLEY ESPORTS 🎮🔥

Huge congratulations to Nathan Rathgeber on signing his letter of commitment to compete in Esports at Northwestern College!

Nathan has been an absolute cornerstone of our program since day one—going all the way back to the South Dakota Esports pilot season in 2024. His leadership, competitiveness, and passion have helped shape what Dakota Valley Esports is today.

🏆 2x SDHSAA State Champion '25 & '26
🏎️ Mario Kart 8 2v2 Champion '25
🥈 2x Runner-Up – League of Legends '25 & '26
🎮 4th Place – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate '26

This is a historic moment for Dakota Valley—Nathan becomes the first Panther to sign and compete at the collegiate esports level!

We couldn’t be more proud of you, Nathan. Your impact on this program will last for years to come.

🐾 Always a Panther… soon to be a Red Raider!

03/05/2026

And that's a wrap for the 2026 season - I’m proud to share that Dakota Valley High School has won the SDHSAA State Esports Championship for the second consecutive year.

In only the second official season of SDHSAA-sanctioned esports, our students have established Dakota Valley as a leader in K-12 esports across South Dakota. This year’s team included 23 student competitors participating in multiple titles and demonstrating the teamwork, strategic thinking, communication, and resilience that competitive esports demands.

What makes this accomplishment especially meaningful is the culture these students have built. Our program is not just about competition—it is about creating opportunities for students to develop leadership skills, collaborate under pressure, and represent their school with pride.

I want to thank Assistant Coaches Tyson Jenkins and Tessie Oberg, our school leadership, and the Dakota Valley community for their continued support of this program. Their commitment has allowed our students to compete at the highest level and continue growing esports opportunities for students in our state.

Most importantly, congratulations to the students whose dedication and countless hours of preparation made this achievement possible.
Back-to-back state champions — and a program that continues to grow stronger every season.

02/15/2026

Ben takes state championships VERY seriously! In true DV fashion, here are two pictures - one from our first state championship, and one from our second. Same location, same Ben, same determination to spread the message of South Dakota Esports. Thank you Ben for another great season and the memories - and communicating to the patrons of The Coffee Cup Travel Plaza of who we are and why we were there! 💪 🏆 🏅

02/14/2026

Congratulations to this years Dakota Valley Esports Team on becoming the first ever Back to Back Overall State Champions in South Dakota History! This teams hard work and unrelenting support for each other made this years tournament the best yet. The Aberdeen Gym was never quiet when one of these players were competing!

02/14/2026

Congrats to Rocket League in their incredibly hard fought Runner Up Finish! They took Sioux Falls Roosevelt to the 5th and final game and fell just shy in overtime. Great work to Ben, Bryan, and Kyler in one of the most thrilling matches of the season!

02/14/2026

Congrats to Ben Phillips and Asher Pfeifer on their Fourth Place Finish in Mario Kart!

02/14/2026

Congrats to Nathan Rathgeber on his Fourth Place Finish in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

02/14/2026

Huge Congratulations to our Marvel Rivals Team for becoming the first ever South Dakota Marvel Rivals State Champions!

They defeated Flandreau 2-0 in a 3 game series.

Tune into SDPB on YouTube to see them accept their trophy at the awards ceremony!