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 By Jeff Baranick
Dakota Bowl 32 is officially in the books on the North
Dakota prep football scene, with four championship
clashes taking place this past Friday on Gate City Bank
Field in the Fargodome. KDKT Sports Radio called the
Division A confrontation pitting top-seeded, top-ranked,
and defending state titlist Kindred against 2nd-seeded
and 2nd-ranked Velva-Drake-Anamoose-Garrison (VDAG). And
when the horn sounded ending an intense and dramatic 48
minutes of play, the Aggies of VDGA survived the Vikings
14-12 for their 12th state crown in program history.
Leading the Aggies to their hard-fought win were a trio
of seniors-- All-State quarterback Ben Schepp (the state
coaches association's Senior Athlete of the Year), WR
Matt Jochim, and defensive lineman Evan Rensch. Schepp
completed 9-of-15 pass attempts for 154 yards and a pair
of touchdowns (25 yards to Sr wideout Reggie Bruner and
92 yards to Jochim--the latter of which broke a 6-all
deadlock at halftime) and from his safety position on
defense collected two interceptions. Meanwhile, Jochim,
besides his long catch-&-run scoring play, picked off a
pass late in the 4th quarter to seal the Aggies win; and
Rensch was a wrecking-ball force along the line of
scrimmage, recording multiple tackles-for-loss against a
potent Kindred offensive attack. The difference in the
game was VDAG tallying a 2-point conversion pass after
its second touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter
(Schepp to Sr wideout Treysen Iglehart off a tipped
ball), while Kindred's Kyran Swenson was turned back
inches from the goal-line on a Vikings' 2-point
conversion attempt following their second touchdown late
in the 4th stanza. Swenson paced Kindred's offense with
107 rushing yards on 20 carries. The gratifying win for
the Aggies--which avenged a 13-6 regular-season loss to
Kindred--improved their season-ledger to 11-1, while the
previously unbeaten Vikings finished their campaign
12-1. Kindred's setback at the hands of VDAG snapped its
24-game winning streak stretching back to the beginning
of the 2023 pigskin season. In the other Dakota Bowl
showdowns on Friday, New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock raced
past LaMoure-Litchville-Marion 62-26 for the 9-man
championship; West Fargo Horace held off Grand Forks Red
River 14-8 for the AA title (its first in the program's
brief 3-year history); and West Fargo Sheyenne handled
Fargo Davies 24-14 for the AAA crown. Now, the only
other fall prep sport still in progress is volleyballl;
and this weekend the Fargodome will host the Classes A &
B state tournaments beginning on Thursday. In Class A
quarterfinal tussles, the pairings are these: WF
Sheyenne against Jamestown; Bismarck facing Fargo
Shanley; Century colliding with Fargo Davies; and WF
Horace tangling with Legacy. On the Class B side of the
ledger, the state quarterfinals will see
Kenmare-Bowbells challenging South Prairie-Max; Central
McLean confronting Medina-Pingree-Buchanan; Dickinson
Trinity playing Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich; and Thompson
taking on Fargo Oak Grove.
Filed
by Veteran KDKT Sportscaster Jeff Baranick
Listen for Jeff on Friday Night Live - Friday
Nights 9pm/Central
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This Season's NDHSAA Broadcast/Game Schedule
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Week's Wrap-Up: The UND Fighting Hawks
fell 42-36 to the South Dakota Coyotes on Senior
Day. Sawyer Seidl got UND on the board first in the
game with a 51-yard rushing touchdown to cap off a
five-play, 68-yard drive in the first quarter. Simon
Romfo then connected with Nick Kupfer on a four-yard
passing touchdown to put the Fighting Hawks up 14-0.
South Dakota answered with two consecutive scores of
their own to bring them within four points. Quincy
Vaughn put UND up 21-7 with 57 seconds remaining in
the second quarter with a nine-yard receiving
touchdown. The Coyotes finished the first half with
a 13-yard passing touchdown to bring themselves back
within four points going into the break. South
Dakota opened the second half with four consecutive
scores across the third and fourth quarters to put
the Coyotes up 42-21. Simon Romfo brought the
Fighting Hawks within two scores with a seven-yard
rushing touchdown with 5:50 remaining in the game.
Romfo then found Bo Belquist on a three-yard passing
touchdown in the final 30 seconds of the game to
bring UND within one possession. UND's onside kick
failed and they fell to the Coyotes. Romfo went 20
of 30 through the air for 180 yards and three
touchdowns. He also rushed for 36 yards on 12
attempts including one touchdown. Bo Belquist led
the Fighting Hawks in receiving with 96 yards on 10
receptions including one touchdown. Nick Kupfer was
the second-leading receiver for UND with 42 yards on
3 receptions and one touchdown. Sawyer Seidl led UND
in rushing with 68 yards on seven attempts and he
scored a touchdown in the loss. The Fighting Hawks
close out their season against the Illinois State
Redbirds on November 23rd at noon. The NDSU Bison
took down the Missouri State Bears 59-21 for their
10th consecutive victory this season. NDSU scored
three touchdowns in the first quarter behind a
52-yard rushing touchdown from Barika Kpeenu and two
passing touchdowns. The Bison added another score in
the second quarter with a four-yard passing
touchdown between Cam Miller and Bryce Lance. The
Bears added two touchdowns in the closing three
minutes of the second period to bring them back
within two scores. The Bison fended off the Bears
with a one-yard passing touchdown between Miller and
Joe Stoffel in the final 10 seconds of the first
half. NDSU added two more touchdowns in the third
quarter with a 48-yard rushing touchdown from
CharMar Brown and a Barika Kneepu 49-yard rushing
touchdown. The final two NDSU scores in the game
came on a 32-yard field goal from Griffin Crosa and
a 27-yard passing touchdown between Nathan Hayes and
John Gores. Cam Miller went 17 of 24 through the air
for 155 yards including four touchdowns but he threw
one interception. Kpeenu was the leading rusher for
the Bison with 169 yards on 10 attempts and two
touchdowns. Brown finished the game with 113 rushing
yards on 14 attempts including one touchdown. Chris
Harris was the leading receiver for the Bison with
48 yards on three receptions. NDSU closes out the
regular season on the road to take on the South
Dakota Coyotes on November 23rd at 1:00 pm. The
Minot State Beavers finished their regular season
with a 56-23 win over the Winona State Warriors.
Carson Chrisman scored the Beavers opening two
touchdowns with three-yard rushing touchdowns to put
the Beavers up 14-0. Erik Palmquist then took a pass
from Chrisman 63 yards to the house to put Minot
State up 21-0 with 9:10 left in the second quarter.
Chrisman and Evan Lovett each scored one more
rushing touchdown in the first half to give the
Beavers a 35-0 lead heading into the halftime break.
Lovett pushed the Beaver's lead up to 42-0 with a
four-yard rushing touchdown with nine minutes
remaining in the second half. Lovett added another
touchdown in the final two minutes of the third
quarter and the fourth quarter. Carson Chrisman went
two for four through the air for 126 yards and one
touchdown. He also rushed for 81 yards on 19
attempts and three touchdowns. Lovett finished the
game with 255 rushing yards on 25 attempts and he
scored four touchdowns in the win. Erick Palmquist
and Sam Buckhanan each recorded one reception for 63
yards, and Palmquist scored a touchdown in the game.
The UMary Marauders lost their final regular season
game 52-3 to the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons.
The Marauder's only score of the game came on a
39-yard field goal from Kevin Powell in the first
quarter. Jordan Polo Solomon went 12 of 22 for 112
yards and one interception in the loss. Luke Bodine
led UMary in receiving with 39 yards on 5
receptions. Carl Henry was the leading rusher for
the Marauders with 60 yards on 18 attempts. On the
ice, the Bismarck Bobcats continued to roll with a
series sweep of the North Iowa Bulls. Bismarck
recorded a 3-2 victory over North Iowa on November
15th. Both the Bulls and the Bobcats each scored
twice in the first period, and Bismarck scored the
eventual game-winner in the opening four minutes of
the second period. Chase Reid was the only Bobcat to
record multiple points in the game with one goal and
one assist. Josh Lehto and Jakub Kopecky were the
other goal-scorers for Bismarck. The Bobcats picked
up a 2-1 victory in a shootout with North Iowa.
Holden Gallagher scored in the first period off an
assist from Tristen Trevino and Charlie Vig. The
Bulls tied the game up in the final seven minutes of
regulation. Nine shooters were needed for each team
in the shootout, but Calle Arvedson's goal decided
the Bobcat's victory. Bismarck is on the road on
November 22nd and 23rd to take on the North Iowa
Bulls at Mason City Arena. The Minot Minotauros
swept their series against the Aberdeen Wings this
weekend. John Small and Jack O'Hanisain each scored
in the first period of the game to give Minot the
lead. Ian Spencer scored in the second and third
periods of the game to put the game away for Minot.
Spencer scored two goals and recorded one assist in
the victory. O'Hanisain and Small each scored one
goal and finished with one assist in the Minotauros
win. Jesse Juhola was the final multiple-point
scorer for Minot in the win with two assists. Minot
followed it up with a 5-0 win in the second game of
the series. The Minotauros scored two goals in the
second period and they added three goals in the
third. Billy Batten and Ian Spencer were the only
Minotauros to score multiple points in the game as
each of them lit the lamp once and recorded one
assist. Lukas Swedin was in the net for Minot and he
saved all 31 shots that he faced. Minot is back on
the ice on November 22nd and 23rd to take on the
Minnesota Mallards on the road. The UND Fighting
Hawks dropped both games to the No. 1 Denver
Pioneers this weekend. UND lost game one of the
series 5-2. Dane Montgomery and Ben Strinden lit the
lamp for the Fighting Hawks in the game.
Montgomery's goal came in the first period and was
unassisted. Strinden also scored unassisted in the
2nd period. UND fell 3-2 to the Pioneers on November
16th. Sacha Boisvert opened up the scoring with a
powerplay goal off an assist from Dylan James and
Abram Weibe. Dylan James scored the Fighting Hawks
final goal short-handed off an assist from Ben
Strinden. James was the only Fighting Hawk to record
multiple points in the game as he lit the lamp once
and recorded one assist. TJ Semptimphelter was in
the net for UND and he finished the game with 19
saves. UND is back on the ice on November 22nd and
23rd to take on the Robert Morris Colonials.
Filed
by KDKT Sportscaster Josh Coleman
Listen for Josh on Friday Night Live - Friday
Nights 9pm/Central
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