FARGO — The Fargo Shanley football team finished with just three wins last season.

The Deacons went 3-7, falling to Bismarck in the first round of the Division 3A playoffs to officially conclude what was their first losing season since 2008.

For the history-rich program that is Shanley, not ideal.

“Last year, we just weren’t meeting that standard that we know for Shanley football,” sophomore receiver/linebacker Jacob Perkerewicz said. “We’re just trying to get back to that this year.”

So far, so good. The Deacons have already matched their 2024 win total with a 3-0 start to the 2025 campaign.

Unranked in the preseason media poll, Shanley has shot up to the No. 2 spot heading into this week’s Homecoming game against Minot (0-3). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at Sid Cichy Stadium.

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What changed for the Deacons in the offseason? According to senior quarterback Jax Mattern, not much needed to be said within the locker room to right the ship.

“There really didn’t have to be a message,” Jax Mattern said. “It was internal from everybody. Everyone felt the embarrassment that was last year. It was just, ‘Get to work every day, put your head down and get ready to go for this next year.’ ”

Shanley head coach Troy Mattern said this year’s senior class played a significant role in turning things around.

“The nice thing as coaches is that we didn’t have to say a lot,” Troy Mattern said. “We had a senior class that when we left Bismarck last year after losing in the quarterfinals, they understood that this is not OK. They went to work right away, fixed it and had a great offseason.”

That leadership has trickled down to the younger players as well.

“I think if you look at the first three games, it pretty much shows what they’ve done in the offseason,” Troy Mattern said. “Not only for the senior class, but bringing the rest of the kids along with them. Because we’re having a lot of success with younger kids, too. That’s where I’m really enjoying it, is just the leadership they’re bringing to the whole football program.”

Troy Mattern admitted that the culture within the locker room in 2024 hadn’t been as strong as prior years.

“I think the biggest thing is that we just didn’t have buy-in,” Troy Mattern said. “We weren’t clicked as a unit. There was way too much divide in our program and roster, and whenever you have that in any sport, you’re never going to have success.”

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The Deacons are clicking now. Jax Mattern — who committed to Concordia College in July — has averaged 245 pass yards per game this season to go with eight passing and three rushing touchdowns.

Perkerewicz has emerged as his go-to target with 29 receptions for 292 yards and three scores. Landon Mitchell, Kai Zabel and Michael Hollcraft have also caught TDs for Shanley this season.

A strong receiving corps combined with size in the trenches make Jax Mattern’s life easy at the QB position.

“Especially up front, we’ve got really good protection,” Jax Mattern said. “No sacks so far this year. My job is easy. I just throw it to the open guy, don’t have to worry about pressure and don’t have to worry about wide receivers not being open.”

Perkerewicz said the consistency of his QB makes easy work for him as well.

“It’s great because I know where the ball is going to be every single time,” Perkerewicz said. “We’ve just kind of been clicking lately.”

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Mitchell is behind Perkerewicz in receiving with 13 catches for 130 yards and a score. The senior has also paced the Deacons’ ground attack with an average of 39 yards per game this season.

The Shanley defense has also been potent, allowing an average of just 14.3 points per contest over the first three games. Alisandro Isaac has pulled in two interceptions and two tackles-for-loss while Perkerwicz also has an INT, fumble recovery and a defensive score.

Wesley Sweat Jr. has recorded a sack and two TFLs while Briggs Hanson leads the team in total tackles with 25.

“We just have a lot of key cogs back that saw a lot of reps last year that are making things happen,” Troy Mattern said. “And I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about our defense. They’re playing at a high level, they’re playing fast and anytime you have a good defense in high school football, you’re going to have a chance to win.”

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Shanley has opened the 2025 campaign with wins over Bismarck Century, Mandan and Bismarck.

The Deacons fell to the Braves and Demons last season as well as the Magicians, who will be the last West Region opponent Shanley faces before an always-challenging Eastern Dakota Conference slate begins.

While most teams look forward, the struggles against teams out west last year aren’t lost on this year’s Shanley squad.

“A lot of these teams that we’re playing out west are teams that kind of took it to us last year,” Troy Mattern said. “I don’t want to say we’re on a revenge tour, but everything that happened last year is in the back of these kids’ minds. It’s been their motivation at practice, in the weight room and in the offseason and these kids are taking it to heart.

“So any time an opponent shows up that kind of embarrassed us last year — which was truly the case, we got embarrassed in a lot of games — and whenever you talk Shanley football and embarrassment, that’s not OK. And these kids are ready for another challenge.”

So how far can this season’s Deacons team go? Jax Mattern said the sky is the limit.

“The expectation at Shanley football is winning out,” Jax Mattern said. “Two home playoff games. That’s what our goal and what our mindset is going to be through conference play.”

Perkerewicz echoed the sentiment.

“Again, it’s that standard of Shanley football,” Perkerewicz said. “We’ve just got to win out and be at the top of the EDC.”