1909 — A Team Finds Its Footing
Newspaper reports show SDSD playing several Sioux Falls-area teams. After some early losses, the team showed noticeable improvement and played Sioux Falls College to a tie. Newspapers even commented on the Deaf players’ use of signals during play. Later that season, SDSD lost a hard-fought game at Garretson, 6–0, on a field covered with snow and mud.

1914 — A Strong Victory
SDSD defeated Whittier School 24–0 in November. Later that month, the team was scheduled for a Thanksgiving morning game against the East Side boys, an opponent they had played before.

1915 — Opening With a Win
SDSD opened its season against the East Side “Ruff-Necks,” a team made up of boys from the Whittier and Bancroft schools, and won 25–12. Later in November, Bancroft defeated SDSD 18–12.

1916 — Another Season of Competition
Bancroft defeated SDSD in the opening game of the season. By December, SDSD finished another documented game with a 6–0 victory over a pick-up East Side team.

1920 — A Hard-Fought Game
Cathedral High defeated SDSD 12–0, but the newspaper described the contest as hard fought from start to finish. Cathedral’s Russell Aslin made the game's standout play with a 90-yard run.

1921 — Football Returns
SDSD opened its season against Lutheran Normal on the school’s own gridiron. The newspaper noted that the team was expected to be a good one, and no admission was charged for the game.

1922 — Facing Augustana
SDSD took on Augustana, a college-level opponent, and was defeated 26–0.

1923 — A Big Year
SDSD defeated Parkston High School 26–12 in a game praised for the team’s passing attack. Ray Wright intercepted a pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. Later that season, SDSD shut out Canton Lutheran Normal 32–0.

An Incomplete Record
Surviving newspaper reports provide only glimpses of SDSD’s early football history. Complete schedules and season records have not yet been found, but these reports show that SDSD regularly competed against local schools, high schools, and colleges during the early decades of the program.