MOORHEAD — Minnesota State Moorhead has added a veteran post player with local ties to its women's basketball program.

Emily Srejma, a 2022 Fargo Shanley graduate, has verbally committed to the Dragons after playing two seasons at Minot State.

“I’m excited to start a new journey and open to the experience and learning new things and becoming a better player," Srejma said Thursday afternoon.

The Dragons were 13-16 overall and 12-10 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference this past season, losing to eventual NCAA Division II national champion Minnesota State Mankato in the NSIC quarterfinals in early March.

Dragons head coach Karla Nelson can't comment on Srejma until she officially signs.

“I wanted to be closer to home and it just worked out that MSUM was right now." said Srejma, who was a three-year varsity starter at Fargo Shanley.

Srejma played in 58 games, including 22 starts, in her previous two seasons at Minot State. She averaged 6.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 20.7 minutes per game this past season.

Minot State went 10-22 overall and 7-15 in the NSIC last season.

Srejma is set to join five incoming prep recruits as newcomers to the Minnesota State Moorhead program for the 2024-2025 season. The Dragons have signed Tresa Baumgard, from Chisolm, Minnesota; Caylin Kelly, from Clark, South Dakota; Breck Mills, from Harcourt, Iowa; Ashton Safranski, from Fargo Davies; and Ayelishka Teko-Folley, from Rosemount, Minnesota.

The 6-foot-4 Srejma said scoring from the mid-range is one of her strengths.

“I liked how they used the post players in their offense," Nelson said. “The coaching staff always pushing you to be a better person appealed to me.”

Srejma is joining a relatively young roster. The Dragons have one senior for the upcoming season in guard Natalie Jens, from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

“I wanted to find a school where I could balance academics and athletics," Srejma said.

FARGO — Emily Dietz is already pondering what not being part of the North Dakota State women's basketball program could look like in the future.

The Fargo Shanley graduate has been a fixture on the Bison bench for seven seasons, five as a player and two as a graduate student manager. That run is coming to an end once this season is complete.

“I’ve kind of already tried to predict what kind of fan I’m going to be in the stands. I have this fear that I’m going to be calling out ball-screen defense," Dietz said with a laugh. “I’m excited to continue to be a Bison fan for the rest of my life.”

The Bison (21-11) play Montana (23-9) in the second round of the Women's NIT at time, date and location to be determined. NDSU received a first-round bye in the tournament. Once this season ends, Dietz will move on from the program to a yet to be determined career. She would like to remain in the Midwest and also stay involved in basketball in some capacity.

The 24-year-old Dietz will leave NDSU with three degrees.

“I will have a few degrees to jump into the workforce with," said Dietz, who is finishing her master's degrees in communications. “I’m excited for what opportunities present themself.”

David Samson / The Forum

For now the focus is on finishing off this season in which the Bison advanced to the Summit League tournament title game for the first time in program history.

“Continuing to watch our program trend in an upward direction has been amazing," Dietz said.

Dietz played for the Bison from 2017-2022 and played 131 games over those five seasons, including 111 starts. She finished her career with 1,142 points before moving to a support staff position on the NDSU coaching staff.

“Not only was she a good player, but she was a fantastic teammate," said Bison head coach Jory Collins, who also coached Dietz for three seasons. “For her to get to be a part of this and kind of see the fruition of what she started when we first got here has been great.”

While it was more emotional when her playing career came to an end with the Bison, moving on after this season also won't be easy.

“It will still be hard," Dietz said. "It has been my home for seven years. ... Most of all I think I will have a lot of gratitude in my heart for what I’ve been able to experience here.”

The Bison won nine games in 2017-2018, which was Dietz's first in the program. She has played a role in helping the program ascend since, whether on the court or from the bench.

NDSU has been the No. 2 seed for the Summit League tournament the past two seaons. The Bison won 18 games last season and followed that with 20-plus wins this season.

While Dietz joined the program prior to Collins becoming the head coach for the 2019-2020 season, she wanted to be part of helping the Bison ascend once again.

“The conversation was we want this program to turn into something," Dietz said. "We want to go back to its former glory."

Bison sophomore guard Elle Evans said Dietz has been an "amazing person to have around" the past two seasons.

“You can tell how much she loves basketball and loves Bison basketball and wants the world for this program," said Evans, who is averaging 15.3 points per game. "To have someone like that on the staff and to be around us every single day is just huge for us. We’re playing for ourselves, but we’re playing for people like her.”

Dietz said the past two seasons have given her a chance to pay forward what she learned during her five seasons as a player for the Bison.

“What can I do to pass that on to the next generation?" Dietz said. “It’s fun to be able to work with our team. ... We have such great kids."

FARGO — The top quarterback in North Dakota Division 3A high school football last season is staying close to home.

Fargo Shanley's Landon Meier announced his commitment to the North Dakota State football program on social media Wednesday afternoon.

"It feels amazing," Meier told The Forum. "Especially to commit to a team I grew up watching throughout my childhood years and watching guys like Easton Stick, Trey Lance and Carson Wentz ... all of those guys.

"And then just knowing I get to stay local, be with my family and to commit to a program with a huge tradition of excellence, it just means a ton."

David Samson/The Forum

The 2023 MaxPreps North Dakota High School Football Player of the Year honoree helped the Deacons to an 11-1 record and a runner-up finish in Division 3A last season, breaking seven single-season state records in the process.

In his senior campaign, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound quarterback passed for 3,529 yards and 44 touchdowns while also rushing for 17 scores to bring his mark to 61 total touchdowns.

Along with the single-season records for pass yards, pass TDs and total TDs, Meier also broke the state records for completions with 253, pass attempts with 390, pass yards per game with 294 and 4,398 yards of total offense.

Shanley averaged 47.3 points per game and never scored below 31 points in any contest. Meier's efforts also helped the Deacons to the state single-season points-for record with 568, surpassing Bismarck's 543 points set in 2019.

Meier said he had a handful of offers from other schools before NDSU reached out to him this winter.

"I had received a couple of offers from schools in North Dakota and NDSU had reached out sometime this winter," Meier said. "I took a while to say yes to it, but I got to the point where I was like, 'This is a no-brainer,' and committed a few weeks ago."

Meier is also a multisport athlete, playing hockey for Fargo South/Shanley and baseball for the Deacons and Fargo Post 2.

Originally, Meier said he was all but set on continuing his career on the baseball diamond. But after his stellar senior season on the gridiron, he had a change of heart.

"My plan most of my high school career was to play baseball," Meier said. "I didn't receive a ton of college attention for baseball. Then, after this last football season with how fun I had with it, I knew I was willing to play football in college and here I am."

David Samson/The Forum

In fact, staying close to home wasn't part of Meier's plans either.

"Honestly, throughout most of my high school career my plan was to get out of Fargo," Meier said. "Escape the cold. But once NDSU reached out, I knew it was going to be a no-brainer.

"To be able to stay local and not have to go far away and figure out my plans for that ... to stay local and at a great program as well is amazing."

Meier said after talking to various members of the Bison coaching staff, his decision was made easy.

"What stood out were the coaches for sure," Meier said. "I had a chance to talk to a couple of coaches, and all of them were very outgoing and I could just tell they were going to be great coaches. The conversations I had with them were very good.

"Also, seeing their facilities and the new (indoor practice facility), it was very nice. To have facilities like that to improve on my game and to have coaches like that to make me a better person and player was great to see."

David Samson/The Forum

Meier said he's undecided on his field of study at NDSU.

He ended by saying he couldn't have gotten to where he was without his Deacon family.

"Shoutout to all of my high school teammates and coaches," Meier said. "For sending me on the path to commit to play college football. Because without them, I'm nowhere close to the player and man I am today. They've helped me improve my game on and off the field in various aspects."

David Samson/Forum Communications Co.

FARGO — If North Dakota State’s first men’s golf tournament of the spring season was considered spring training, the Bison looked in mid-season form. NDSU torched the field last week at the Loyola Intercollegiate event in Goodyear, Arizona.

The Bison not only broke the school record for 54 holes, they beat it by 14 shots. Whatever they did in offseason training, the results were obvious.

“We’ve all been putting in the work,” said sophomore Jake Skarperud. “Obviously it’s shown and it truly improved us. I think it’s a combination of, one, our team is super close and, two, we all use that competitiveness that we all have because we’re all so close. We use that to our advantage and we push each other past our limits.”

The players are getting plenty of bonding time these days. The Loyola tournament ended last Tuesday. Instead of flying back to Fargo, the team is taking advantage of spring break and remained in the Phoenix area staying with friends or family to take advantage of the Arizona golf weather.

Skarperud, for instance, is staying with his older brother and cousin at their apartment complex. The Bison will fly to Oregon later this week for the Bandon Dunes Championship in Bandon, Oregon, a tournament hosted by the University of Idaho.

The Bandon Dunes complex along the Pacific Ocean is one of the more reputable golf tracks in the country.

“Yeah, we’re all super excited,” Skarperud said.

North Dakota’s 2022 Mr. Golf winner at Fargo Shanley was in and out of the lineup last year as a freshman, but shot 65-71-66 last week to claim the individual title by two shots over teammate Nate Adams. Skarperud has put on 20 pounds since high school.

“I just have longer shots that I can use to my advantage,” he said.

The Loyola tournament was Skarperud’s first medalist honors as a college player. He led the team onslaught, breaking the school 54-hole individual scoring record of minus-13 by Nate Deziel by one shot. Deziel’s record was set in the 2022 Summit League tournament.

NDSU’s 40-under team total at Palm Valley Golf Club bested the previous school mark of 26-under set at the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate in Powells Point, North Carolina, in 2019. Northern Colorado and Loyola Marymound (California) were each six shots off the pace.

“The course itself wasn’t extremely difficult but it for sure had its parts like any course where it was,” Skarperud said. “The greens were very firm and bouncy, almost like a trampoline. To get to the front pins, it was tough. It was your typical Arizona course. It has its fairway, a little bit of rough but not much and then desert. If you’re in the desert, it wasn’t terrible but it also wasn’t fun.”

The weight training benefitted Skarperud in driving distance, which in turn tends to help the other facets of golf like shorter approach shots and fewer long putts. Also, chalk one up for the new NDSU indoor facility, a football complex where other sports like golf are taking advantage.

“We practice with our team every day for a couple of hours,” Skarperud said. “And then every single guy is in there later in the day for more hours working on things.

GRAND FORKS -- Fargo South-Shanley will have a shot to defend its North Dakota state boys hockey championship.

The Bruins used Landon Meier's two goals in a three-goal first period before hanging on for a 3-2 win over West Fargo Sheyenne on Saturday in a state qualifier at the East Region tournament at Purpur Arena.

"Anything can happen in the state tournament," said Meier, who scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season. "Just to get there is such a blessing. Now that we're going to be there, let's show them what we've got."

The Bruins carried the No. 4 seed into the matchup, with the Mustangs at No. 6 but Sheyenne beat South-Shanley twice during the regular season.

This time, the Bruins took advantage of Sheyenne's slow start. The Mustangs played to triple overtime in a loser-out game Friday afternoon.

"We knew they'd played almost six periods of hockey (Friday) and so the message was to jump on them early," said South-Shanley coach Matt Hansen, who's in his first season as head coach of the Bruins after taking over for the retired Dean French. "Luckily, we were able to hang on. (Sheyenne coach David) Benson knows how to get their guys going. We knew it was going to be a battle and our guys did what it took to win."

Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald

The Bruins went ahead 2-0 when Meier scored at 5:51 of the first and 8:58 of the opening period.

"We came out with a lot of energy," Meier said. "We got pucks on net, and you never know what's going to happen. We got rebounds and got that early lead."

South-Shanley's Andrew Kankelfritz made it at 12:57 of the first before Sheyenne finally answered with an Ian Iverson goal at 14:08 of the first.

After a scoreless second period, the Mustangs made things interesting with a wrap-around goal by Cooper Clouse to cut the lead to 3-2 with 6:05 left in the game.

The Mustangs came close to tying the game when Iverson rang the post with 3:08 remaining.

Sheyenne's comeback efforts were set back by a roughing penalty at 14:50 of the third period.

Sheyenne pulled its goal with 42.9 seconds after a timeout. But South-Shanley center Zach Skarperud was tough on draws and the Mustangs never had a serious threat with the goalie pulled.

Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald

"We hit three, four posts," Sheyenne coach David Benson said. "One of those goes in, and it's a different game. That's the game. You could tell the legs were a little heavy in the first but we got after it in the second and third. We gave it our all, and that happens sometimes."

Sheyenne's Jadon Beeter made 20 saves, while South-Shanley's Landon Walter had 36 stops.

The Bruins return to the state tournament, where they beat Grand Forks Red River in triple overtime a season ago.

Eric Hylden/Grand Forks Herald

FARGO — The Concordia football team has landed its fair share of Fargo Shanley recruits over the years and the Cobbers will be adding yet another next season.

Deacons kicker Matthew Berg announced his commitment to the school via social media last week and will join two other Shanley alums on the Cobbers' roster in 2024.

"I picked Concordia because it is a program that goes into Shanley really well," Berg told The Forum. "So many great kids have played for that program in the Shanley family and I have heard so many great things."

Cooper Mattern and Damon Hospidales are the other former Deacons on Concordia's roster. Mattern is a 2021 Shanley graduate who just completed his second season at quarterback for the Cobbers. Hospidales graduated in 2023 and just completed his freshman campaign as a defensive lineman.

Berg was a senior for the Deacons this past season, helping the program to a runner-up finish in the North Dakota Class 3A state championship.

He finished his senior season making his one field goal attempt from 29 yards while going 57 of 63 on extra points. For his career, Berg was 3 of 5 on field goals, with a long of 38, and was 75 of 89 on PATs.

David Samson/The Forum

Berg is a state champion in both football and soccer, winning the Class 2A (now 3A) football title with the Deacons in 2022 before helping the Shanley soccer team to its first state title in 15 years as a goalkeeper this past season.

Prior to 2023, Berg hadn't been on the Deacons' soccer roster since his sophomore year in 2021. It was never his intention to play soccer again, opting to focus on his kicking duties with the football team.

But when the injury bug hit Shanley and the team was in need of a goalkeeper, he rejoined the program early in the season while maintaining his role on the gridiron on Friday nights.

Berg admits his love for soccer rekindled in that moment and he considered taking that route through college. But he ultimately decided to stick with football.

"After joining soccer again I did have a love for soccer again that came with all of that," Berg said. "I felt so natural in goal and I honestly thought about playing soccer if I had got any serious looks."

The Cobbers compete at the NCAA Division III level in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Head coach Terry Horan just completed his 23rd season at the helm while Concordia finished with a mark of 5-5.

Berg said he also received an offer from NAIA Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., but it was the open conversations and interest from Concordia that will keep him local with a short commute across the Red River.

"The recruiting process with Concordia was really simple," Berg said. "They had always been around with contacting me throughout the whole process. Coach Horan is so great in that he was always around and watching."

David Samson/The Forum

Berg said he plans to study business finance at Concordia in the fall.

Despite the excitement of embarking on a college sports career, Berg said he will miss the bond created among his prep teammates and friends.

"I will miss playing with the kids I grew up with and played with for 12 years," Berg said. "Whether it’s soccer or football, I’ve played sports with those guys since we were able to play."

FARGO — Fargo Shanley football coach Troy Mattern has another accomplishment to add to his already impressive resume after being selected as Section 5 11-player Football Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

The award is based on the 2022-23 high school sports season, for which Mattern was also selected as the state football Coach of the Year in Class 11AA (now Class 3A) by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association after guiding the Deacons to a 10-2 record and a state championship in 2022.

Winning the state award, in essence, made Mattern a finalist for the Section 5 honor. The NFHS is divided into eight geographical regions, with Section 5 encompassing North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.

Mattern is now one of eight finalists for the national Coach of the Year award in 11-player football, with awards for each sport to be announced in early 2024.

"Yeah, it's my name on the award but like I always tell our coaching staff and our players, this is our award," Mattern said. "Because without the coaching staff that I have and, obviously, without the players that come through our program, this wouldn't happen. It's a credit to all stakeholders involved and it's just great for our program."

Mattern just completed his seventh season with the Deacons with an overall record of 58-16 with state championships in 2018 and 2022.

In 2022, Shanley capped a 10-2 season by routing Bismarck Century for the school's first state title in North Dakota's largest classification of high school football, a goal the Deacons emphasized for quite some time.

"The biggest thing is just to get recognized for what we're doing by being the team that opts up," Mattern said. "And to have success by opting up and playing in a division we don't have to. I think it just validates what we're doing is exciting and I think people are taking notice of what we're doing."

Coaches are nominated for the sectional award by their state's high school activities associations before nominations are reviewed by the NFHS Coaches Association.

No North Dakota football coach has ever won the NFHS version of the national Coach of the Year award, although two have earned the honor through the National High School Athletic Coaches Association — Shanley's Sid Cichy in 1974 and Watford City's Fred Fridley in 1997.

According to NFHS data, the last North Dakota coach to win the sectional award was former Linton-HMB head coach Daniel Imdieke in 2004-05.

Mattern said it's humbling to emerge out of a six-state radius as this year's sectional honoree.

"If you look at the section we're in across the Midwest, there's a lot of really good coaches," Mattern said. "And to be in the conversation and to receive this honor among all the coaches that are part of the Midwest, it's humbling.

Prior to accepting the Shanley job in 2017, Mattern had been the head man at Fargo South beginning in 2010. He coached the Bruins to state titles in 2010 and 2013.

Several of the Bruins' staff followed Mattern to Shanley, and now the Deacons continue to see success on the gridiron.

"To have the coaching staff that I do ... this is our award," Mattern said. "It's got my name on it, but it's our award and everything that we've accomplished. Many of my coaches have been with me for 10-plus years. It's a credit to them and the sacrifices they've made to make this possible."

Shanley followed up the 2022 state title campaign with a return to Dakota Bowl in 2023. The Deacons finished the season 11-1, ultimately falling short to Minot in what was an instant classic of a 3A championship game at the Fargodome those in attendance won't soon forget.

David Samson/The Forum

Despite the shortfall this past season, Mattern says the football culture at Shanley has never been better, and he hopes that culture is instilled for years to come.

"When we moved up to the big schools (division) in 2019, our goal was to be in the conversation," Mattern said. "When you talk big-school football, we wanted Shanley's name to be part of that conversation. That was our goal and we continue to tell that to the kids and all of our stakeholders, parents and coaches that we simply just want to be in the conversation and I think we're doing that."

FARGO — Ryan Christianson is going out on top.

After guiding the Fargo Shanley boys soccer team to a state championship this season, Christianson announced Monday that he's stepping down from his position as Deacons head coach.

Christianson amassed a 93-65-27 record with the Shanley boys over nine seasons. His teams won Eastern Dakota Conference titles in 2015, 2016 and 2023, and the Deacons won the program's second state title with a 2-1 victory over Bismarck Legacy in the 2023 North Dakota boys soccer state championship game on Oct. 14.

Christianson was also named EDC Coach of the Year in 2015. The Deacons finished 16-1-2 this season.

In a news release from St. John Paul II Catholic Schools on Monday, Christianson said that he intended this past season to be his last with the Shanley boys program no matter the results.

“My time here at Shanley was nothing short of memorable for the boys soccer program," Christianson said in the release. "I was able to coach some phenomenal athletes and be a part of many successful teams. I knew this fall was going to be my last no matter the outcome.

"I’m grateful I got to experience a state title with a special team. Thank you everyone who has supported the program in the past nine years. I’ll use this extra time off to spend more time with my family and focus on my new job with the Fargo Public Schools.”

Tom Stromme/Bismarck Tribune

Christianson has coached the Deacons' girls program the last two seasons after taking the reins from former coach Lance Hansen following the 2021 season. Christianson's girls teams are 23-10-3 during his tenure and earned a spot in the 2022 state tournament championship game.

Shanley activities director Reggie Jackson said the school will begin its search for a new boys coach immediately.

“It has be a pleasure getting to know Ryan these past few years," Jackson said in the release. "He’s a great coach. I understand the many directions that life can take young coaches and am grateful to be able to retain him as the girls coach.”

FARGO — For the first time since 2015, Fargo Shanley will play for a Class A volleyball state championship.

The Deacons topped Fargo Davies 25-14, 13-25, 25-19, 25-22 in the state semifinals Friday at the Fargodome, advancing to Saturday’s title match for a chance at the program’s fourth state championship and first since 2014.

Shanley, the No. 2 seed out of the East, improved to 26-10 and will square off with East No. 1 and defending Class A champion West Fargo Sheyenne (27-10) for the title at 5 p.m. Saturday.

David Samson/The Forum

The contest will also serve as a rematch of last week’s Eastern Dakota Conference championship, which the Mustangs claimed in five sets.

“We want it even more than we did for EDC,” said Shanley junior Katelyn Ommen, who finished with 12 kills. “We’re just going to give it our best, play as a team, cheer each other on … just give it our all and hopefully it’ll turn out for us in the end.”

The Eagles, the East No. 4 seed, fell to 29-6 and will face West No. 2 Jamestown (29-7) in the third-place match at 2 p.m. Saturday.

David Samson/The Forum

It was a block by Shanley senior Jordyn Paul and sophomore Megan Dietz that sealed match point for the Deacons. Tied 22-22 and Davies hoping to keep its season alive, Shanley scored the final three points on an Eagles error and two blocks.

An emotional Alexis Bachmeier, in just her second season as Shanley’s head coach, struggled to come up with the right words after a dramatic victory over the Deacons’ 25th Street rival in front of an electric Fargodome crowd.

“I don’t have words,” Bachmeier said. “I’m just incredibly grateful to be here. Just so proud of my girls. So proud.”

David Samson/The Forum

There were several long rallies throughout the match that the Deacons came out on the winning end of. When a ball did land the opposite way, the mindset was simply next play.

“We saw a lot of those,” Bachmeier said. “But it was just the next-ball mentality. No matter whether we got it or not, we moved on and we did our stuff today. We did really good.”

For Davies, a strong season under first-year head coach Stephanie Oliver will come to an end at the conclusion of Saturday’s third-place match.

“Like I told them in the huddle afterwards, it’s an honor to be here,” Oliver said. “We played hard for that game. We knew it was going to be a battle coming back-and-forth, but honestly we left it all on the court and that’s all you can ask for.

“We’ll go in and play our last game hard. Especially the seniors. It’s going to be their last game, it’s going to be our last game as a team. So we just go in, play hard and have fun with it.”

David Samson/The Forum

Junior Clara Robin led Shanley with 13 kills and an ace. Senior Paige Renschler finished with 10 kills while junior Ella Stimpson had 23 assists and an ace.

Senior Hannah Kotrba finished with 41 digs while Robin chipped in 31. Dietz and senior Mesiku Hakim each finished with six blocks for the Deacons.

Senior Cayla Sailer led the Eagles with 11 kills. Sophomore Quinn Skari finished with 14 assists and an ace while senior Paige McCormick added 13 assists.

Junior Carly Dormanen led Davies with 32 digs and also had two aces. Sailer finished with 26 digs while senior Ava Graf had 2.5 blocks.

David Samson/The Forum

Shanley won the regular season contest with Sheyenne before the Mustangs claimed victory in the East Region championship. So what will it take for the Deacons to prevail in the rubber match and dethrone the defending champs?

“A lot of guts, good sleep and just an overall great attitude,” Bachmeier said. “Because no matter what, it’s going to be good volleyball and we’re just going to be super grateful for the time that we have.”

David Samson/The Forum

FARGO — If any team is seasoned in five-set matches, it's Fargo Shanley.

The Deacons ground out three-straight five-setters at the East Region tournament last week, and Thursday's North Dakota Class A state tournament quarterfinal match with Bismarck Legacy was no different.

In a match that came down to the wire, it was Shanley using its experience in pressure situations to win the fifth set and the match 25-23, 21-25, 25-15, 11-25, 16-14 to advance to Friday's Class A semifinals.

David Samson/The Forum

Sophomore Carly Hulstein had the final point for the Deacons, sending East Region No. 2 seed Shanley (25-10) into a semifinal tilt with East No. 4 Fargo Davies (29-5) Friday at 7 p.m.

"This was our fourth (match) going to five sets," Deacons head coach Alexis Bachmeier said. "Honestly, I don't know where it comes from. They're tough."

The matches have been fun yet stressful at the same time, and Bachmeier admits she'd eventually like a match to end sooner, both on the scoreboard and the clock.

"We're well-conditioned right now," Bachmeier said. "But we'd like to win games sooner than in five sets. I'm really proud of them. This is really difficult. It's 10:30 at night, we've been up since 9 (a.m.). I mean, truly I'm just amazed right now."

Bachmeier thanked the Shanley community for sticking it out.

"I can't even imagine our fans right now," she said. "All these students staying and watching on a school night and then all these parents so excited for us."

David Samson/The Forum

Junior Katelyn Ommen finished with 16 kills to lead the Deacons while junior Clara Robin added nine. Senior Hannah Kotrba finished with 36 digs while junior Ella Stimpson added 26 assists.

Kotrba and Hulstein both finished with two aces while Hulstein and senior Mesiku Hakim both had three blocks.

Legacy, the West Region No. 3 seed, dropped to 22-16 and will face West No. 1 Bismarck Century (27-8) in the consolation semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday.

Senior Halle Severson led the Sabers with 18 kills while senior Aleah McPherson added 11 kills to go with 21 digs. Senior Reese Duchsherer finished with 35 assists and Severson added four aces. Senior Madi Herzog led the Legacy block attack with 2.5.

FARGO — Only one thing is guaranteed at this year’s North Dakota high school state volleyball tournament and that’s the fact that the Class A championship game won’t be ending at midnight.

That’s because this year’s title match is set for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Fargodome with the Class B final to follow, a flip-flop of last year’s tournament schedule.

The field to get to Saturday’s Class A championship appears wide open, as four teams from the West Region and four from the East will vie for the title with quarterfinal play commencing at 1 p.m. Thursday.

David Samson/The Forum

West Fargo Sheyenne, Fargo Shanley, Fargo North and Fargo Davies are this year’s East Region representatives.

The Mustangs and Spartans both have state tournament experience from last season. This is the sixth-straight year defending champion Sheyenne has qualified for the tournament and the second year in a row for North.

Meanwhile, the Eagles and Deacons both return to the field eyeing hardware after failing to qualify in 2022.

Fargo Davies

The Eagles are 28-5 over and are East's No. 4 seed. In search of its first state title since 2019 and second in program history, Davies will face West No. 1 and last year’s state runner-up Bismarck Century (27-7) in the quarterfinal round at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Prior to last season, the Eagles had advanced to every state tournament since 2012. That streak came to an end when Davies fell to Fargo South in a state qualifying match.

Despite being the No. 2 seed at this year’s EDC tournament, Davies found itself playing in a state qualifier yet again. This time, however, the Eagles were determined to be on the winning end and topped Grand Forks Red River in four sets.

“We really came in with a fight this time,” said senior outside hitter and two-time all-conference selection Cayla Sailer. “We kind of knew that it was either do-or-die. We had to get it done.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Sailer, who was a second team all-state selection in 2022, added that last year’s setback was used as motivation to get over the hump this time.

“We wanted it really bad,” Sailer said. “We for sure wanted to come back to the state tournament after not making it last year. So we were ready to fight.”

Sailer leads the Eagles in kills this season and is third on the team in aces. Fellow senior Leah Laqua is second among Davies kills leaders and leads the team defensively in the blocks category as well.

Laqua, a two-time all-conference pick, said the goal from the start of the season was to return to state.

“Our goal was to get the state at the start of the year and we achieved that,” Laqua said. “Now we just have to go into the next three days and really give it our all here.”

The Eagles are guided by first-year head coach Stephanie Oliver, who said her first season at the helm has exceeded expectations.

“This is a good group of girls,” Oliver said. “Very competitive and they work hard every day in the gym when they come in. So they want to be here and they want to play volleyball.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Buy-in from players, Oliver added, has been smooth.

“Coming in, they knew that I was new and that my system was a little different,” Oliver said. “But they saw what I was doing and liked what I was doing. They trust me and I trust them to understand what I want them to do.”

Laqua noted that Oliver has bought into her players as well.

“She’s been amazing,” Laqua said. “She’s really helped us and encouraged us along this path to get to this point. I think she’s really bought into us as a team and has helped us achieve (our goals).”

The Eagles saw the Patriots once this season at the season-opening Bismarck Crossover tournament in August. Davies topped Century 3-0 in the match.

“They’re always a tough team,” Oliver said. “We’ve got to go in, we’ve got to take care of business and serve aggressively. We have to be consistent on our side, be consistent with our hits and I think it’s going to be a tough matchup for sure.

“It’s going to be a fun match to watch because it’s anybody’s game. But it’s going to come down to who’s the most consistent and the team who wants it more.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Fargo Shanley

The Deacons are back in the state tournament with a 24-10 record and will represent the East Region as the No. 2 seed after falling to Sheyenne in a thrilling five-set EDC championship match. Shanley is eyeing its first state title since 2014 and fourth overall and will first need to get through West No. 3 Bismarck Legacy (22-15) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

This season has served as a turnaround for the Deacons, who finished with a sub-.500 record in 2022. Shanley’s seven seniors have played a major role in that, according to second–year head coach Alexis Bachmeier.

“Seven seniors who all return and a majority of the team is the same from last year,” Bachmeier said. “We’re really comfortable with each other and it’s really fun to come to practice every day.”

Rightside hitter Mesiku Hakim is one of those seniors. Hakim, who’s second on the team in blocks, attributed this season’s success to the chemistry among the six on the floor at any given time.

“I think we’ve just gotten used to playing with each other a lot more,” Hakim said. “I think we’ve really highlighted our own personal strengths and have definitely come together as a team. We work better together.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

The Deacons had three players named all-EDC, including junior setter Ella Stimpson. Stimpson heads into this week’s tournament as Shanley’s ace and assists leader.

“A lot of it was experience and we all came back together,” Stimpson said on getting back to state. “We only lost a couple of seniors last year, so it was a lot of the same girls getting to come back and play together. I think the chemistry was a lot better this year.”

No team may be more prepared for the pressure of a state tournament than the Deacons, after a gauntlet run through the EDC tournament that saw all three of Shanley’s matches go to five sets.

“I think we’re one of the only teams in the West or the East that had all matches in conference play go to five sets,” Bachmeier said. “I think our bodies are conditioned now and I think mentally, it’s just little things that need tuning. I think we’re in a great spot heading into the tournament.”

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Shanley faced Legacy twice in the regular season, winning both matches at the Bismarck Crossover in August and the Fargo Invitational in October.

“They’ve got a big block and they’ve got a really good middle,” Hakim said of the Sabers. “So I think it’s about really looking to hit in different places and play together as a team.”

Bachmeier’s message to her team before taking the court Thursday? Give 110%.

“Play your hearts out,” Bachmeier said. “I have seven girls who will never wear a (volleyball) jersey past Saturday again. So it’s taking in every moment, being really grateful for it and not taking anything for granted.”

Fargo North

After not having made the state tournament since 2011, the Spartans have now gotten there in back-to-back seasons. North (30-5) will represent the East as the No. 3 seed in search of its first state championship since 2000 and sixth overall. The Spartans will square off with West No. 2 Jamestown (28-6) at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The Spartans claimed their first EDC regular season championship in 23 years after blazing through the conference slate and winning 18 of its first 19 regular season matches. North fell to Sheyenne in four sets in the EDC tournament semifinals before staging a furious comeback against West Fargo and winning a state qualifier in five sets to get back to the state tournament for the second-straight year.

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The team’s success can be credited to its core players who returned from last year’s state run. Senior setter Betsy Schiltz was named to the all-EDC team for a second time this season and earned first team all-state honors last year. Senior libero Evy Berg also returns and is now a two-time all-conference pick.

Joining Schiltz and Berg on this season's all-EDC team are junior outside hitter Solei Berg and sophomore middle hitter Audrey Rydell.

Rydell and Solei Berg lead the team in kills and aces this season. Evy Berg paces the Spartans in digs with Solei right behind her in that category while Schiltz leads in the assists department. Rydell also paces the team in blocks.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Other leaders include senior outside hitter Ali Thykeson who’s third on the team in kills, junior setter/rightside hitter Channing Kommer who’s second on the team in aces and junior middle/rightside hitter Carrie Osier who is second on the team in blocks.

The Spartans saw Jamestown once in the regular season, falling to the Blue Jays at the Fargo Invitational in October.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

West Fargo Sheyenne

The Mustangs return to the state tournament as defending Class A state champions for the very first time after securing their first-ever state title with a dramatic five-set victory over Century in last year’s late-night title bout.

Sheyenne (25-10) is the East's No. 1 seed and will begin its state title defense against West No. 4 Bismarck (25-9) at 1 p.m. Thursday.

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This is the sixth straight season Sheyenne has advanced to state and the second time the Mustangs will serve as the East’s top seed after winning back-to-back EDC tournament championships.

The Mustangs are heating up at the right time, winning seven straight matches heading into Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Heading into the 2023 campaign, it was unclear whether the Mustangs would be a title threat again with no returning all-conference or all-state players. The picture is more clear now, as players like senior middle/rightside hitter Izzy Albrecht and junior outside/rightside hitter Alexa Killoran have stepped up and led the way.

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Killoran leads the Mustangs in kills and aces this season and is second on the team in digs, good for all-conference accolades. Albrecht is also an all-EDC selection, third on the team in kills and second in blocks.

Other role players for Sheyenne include: freshman outside/rightside hitter Peyton Saxlund, who’s second on the team in kills; sophomore setter Marley Budeau and sophomore defensive specialist/libero Addi Kill who are right behind Killoran in the aces category; senior defensive specialist/libero Mia Engel, who leads the team in digs; and junior middle/rightside hitter Mya Bloedow, who paces the Mustangs in blocks.

Budeau leads the way in assists along with freshman setter Makayla Amundson.

Sheyenne squared off with Bismarck once in the regular season, earning a victory over the Demons at the Bismarck Crossover.

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BISMARCK — Fargo Shanley's Brooklyn Hanson and Fargo North's Addison Cerney were double winners during Saturday's final day of the NDHSAA Girls Swimming and Diving State Meet at the Bismarck Aquatic Center.

Hanson, a junior, won the 200- and 500-yard freestyle races while Cerney, a junior, won the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke.

Bismarck Century won the team championship with 363.5 points. Minot was second at 271, Bismarck Legacy was third at 215.5, West Fargo Sheyenne was fourth at 204 and Fargo Shanley was fifth at 178. West Fargo (sixth, 151) and Fargo North (10th, 110) earned top-10 finishes.

Sheyenne's Brooklyn Keney was named Senior Athlete of the Year and Shanley's Jackie Snyder was named Coach of the Year.

Shanley's Hanson placed first in the 200-yard freestyle in 1 minute, 53.41 seconds. Bismarck Century's Lauryn Caster was second in 1:54.42 and Minot's Sam Vonkokern was third in 1:54.72.

Sheyenne junior Lauren McDonagh knocked more than five seconds off her preliminary time to win the 200 individual medley. McDonagh placed first in 2:10.49. Minot's Ava Williamson, who had the top time in prelims, placed second in 2:11.46 and Shanley sophomore Alexa Heckaman was third in 2:12.41.

Tom Stromme/Bismarck Tribune

Fargo Davies eighth-grader Helen Wu and Bismarck Legacy's Abby Erickson tied for first in the 50 freestyle, both clocking 24.57 seconds.

Davies senior Halle Braaflat placed second in 1-meter diving with 463.60 points. Minot's Haley Conklin won the event with 482.35 points.

North's Cerney won the 100 butterfly by almost two seconds, finishing in 57.78. Bismarck Legacy's Brinley Steele was second in 59.71 and Bismarck Century's Molly Osadchy was third in 59.75.

Bismarck Century's Lauryn Caster won the 100 freestyle in 52.74 and Bismarck Legacy's Abby Erickson was second in 53.67.

Shanley's Hanson swam 5:13.58 to handily win the 500 freestyle. Bismarck Century's Sienna Mrachek was second in 5:18.43 and Bismarck's Madeline VerDouw was third in 5:19.13.

Cerney won the 100 backstroke by more than two seconds, finishing in 57.59. Bismarck Legacy's Tova Blikre was second in 59.61 and Jamestown's Allysah Larson was third in 1:00.67.

Shanley's Heckaman and Sheyenne's McDonagh went 1-3 in the 100 breaststroke. Heckman won in 1:04.80. Bismarck's Madeline VerDouw was second in 1:05.56 and McDonagh was third in 1:05.82.

In the 400 freestyle relay, the Sheyenne team of Myah Lund, Brooklyn Keney, Evie Sevald and Lauren McDonagh won in 3:37.17. Century was second in 3:38.25.

In the 200 medley relay, the West Fargo team of team of Hallie Schatzke, Ella Montplaisir, Rachel Kunz and Linnea Bruns placed third in 1:52.00. Bismarck Century won in 1:49.82.

In the 200 freestyle relay, the West Fargo team of Montplaisir, Ellie Nelson, Bruns and Sadie Wavrin placed third in 1:41.87. Bismarck Century won in 1:38.91.

FARGO — Defending state champion West Fargo Sheyenne earned a trip back to the North Dakota state volleyball tournament with an upset win over No. 1 seed Fargo North in the Eastern Dakota Conference Tournament semifinals on Friday at Fargo Davies High School.

The Mustangs won 21-25, 25-23, 25-13, 25-15.

Sheyenne's Alexa Killoran had 14 kills and 12 digs, Mya Bloedow had 10 kills and seven digs and Jaida Langlois had nine kills. Payton Saxlund had eight kills.

Makayla Amundson had 28 set assists and 16 digs, Marley Budeau had 20 assists and 10 digs and Mia Engel had 29 digs. Addi Kille had 17 digs.

North's Solei Berg and Audrey Rydell both had 11 kills and Carrie Osier had nine kills. Betsy Schiltz had 33 set assists and 11 digs. Evy Berg had 51 digs and Solei Berg and Grace Thiel both had 12 digs.

The Mustangs play Fargo Shanley in the EDC championship match at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Fargo Davies High School.

Shanley locked up a state tournament spot with a 23-25, 25-23, 26-24, 21-25, 15-11 marathon victory over Davies Friday in the EDC's other semifinals match.

Shanley's Katelyn Ommen had 12 kills and Clara Robin had nine kills. Brynn McNeally had 21 set assists, Mesiku Hakim had eight blocks and Hannah Kotrba had 43 digs.

The Deacons take on West Fargo Sheyenne in the EDC championship match at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Fargo Davies High School.

Red River defeated South 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 in an EDC loser-out match on Friday.

South's Talyn Hoffert had nine kills and three blocks an Sela Guggisberg had 10 kills and five digs. Teigen Malo had six kills, served and ace and had a block.

Laynee Silseth had eight assists and four digs, Amelia Hawley had 28 digs, three assists and an ace and Kiersten Hoppe and Abby Baukol both had 11 digs.

Red River plays Fargo Davies in a state qualifier match at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davies High School.

West Fargo earned a spot in a state qualifier match with a 25-16, 25-18, 27-25 victory over the Hawks in a loser-out game on Friday.

West Fargo's Ruby Chitty had 10 kill, Ellee McIntosh had nine kills and Ava Halvorson had eight kills.

Aubrey Finn had 21 set assists, Liv Odden had 11 assists and Raina Chwialkowski had five assists and 24 digs.

West Fargo plays Fargo North in a state qualifier game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Davies High School.

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Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

FARGO — Assistant coaches don’t often get the credit they deserve.

Many stick around for a long time, whether it be for their love of the game, their want to help student-athletes thrive or simply to keep busy in their spare time.

Todd Molden is one of those coaches.

In the fall, you can find Molden on the football sidelines as the wide receivers coach at Fargo Shanley. Come springtime, he serves as an assistant with the Fargo South baseball team.

He’s no stranger to success. Should Shanley win the Class 3A football state championship game against Minot on Friday night, it will be the sixth time Molden has won a state title while serving as an assistant coach.

Molden previously served under current Deacons coach Troy Mattern at Fargo South when the Bruins won football titles in 2010 and 2013. He then followed Mattern to Shanley, where he was part of another pair of football championships in 2018 and 2022.

On the diamond, Molden was an assistant under Donn Bryant when South won the Class A baseball state championship in 2011.

“I’ve definitely been blessed to be a part of some pretty terrific teams that have played high school athletics,” Molden said ahead of Friday’s Dakota Bowl showdown.

Molden expects no credit, noting that the student-athletes are the ones succeeding on the field while coaches are there to simply teach and guide them.

“The key is just having great kids that work hard and buy into what we’re teaching them,” Molden said. “And really, it’s all about the kids, right? They work so hard. These guys are incredible, they’ve done everything we’ve asked of them and that’s why it’s so cool to be a part of it.”

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Molden has been involved with coaching for more than 20 years. He also had a stint as coach of the Gardner American Legion baseball team and served as an assistant with the Fargo Little League 12U All-Star team this past summer, which made its historic run to the Little League World Series. It was the first team from North Dakota to qualify for the tournament held annually in Williamsport, Pa.

“Obviously memories that will last a lifetime there,” Molden said of the Little League experience. “The similarities (to high school sports) are so cool, because they're great kids who buy into what you’re doing, work super hard, are super coachable and they just have fun doing everything that they’re doing.

“That’s what these guys do (at Shanley). They have fun, they work hard and it’s just so cool to be a part of all of that.”

Molden said it’s impossible to pick just one favorite state title, .

“They’re all special,” Molden said. “You just feel so blessed to be a part of any of them.”

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The Shanley football team is 11-0 this season and eyeing back-to-back state championships. Molden said it’s the work ethic, attitude and culture that makes this year’s Deacons squad a special one and a squad he’s proud to be a part of.

“Just how hard they work,” Molden said. “The time they spend in the weight room, the time they spend watching film, and they just love each other too. I see the interactions these guys have and it’s such a great team we have. They’re all pulling for each other all the time. It doesn’t matter who’s doing what. They just love each other and that’s pretty cool.

“That’s the key that we’ve had between (baseball) and this. Again, I’m so blessed to be a part of it. Great kids, great families and great teammates that work hard and love each other.”

FARGO — Last season, Fargo Shanley wanted to prove it could win a state championship in North Dakota’s highest classification of high school football.

The Deacons did just that, and now they want to prove they’re here to stay.

Top-seeded Fargo Shanley (11-0) will meet third-seeded Minot (10-1) in the Class 3A football state championship game at Dakota Bowl XXXI. Kickoff is set for 6:40 p.m. Friday at the Fargodome.

The Deacons have been firing on all cylinders since day one of practice, and even longer than that as the team enters Friday’s battle with the Magi on a 15-game winning streak dating back to Oct. 20, 2022.

Shanley has shown no signs of slowing down, and don’t expect it on Friday either as the Deacons go for a 26th state championship since their first organized season in 1935.

“We’ve literally been waiting the whole time just for this week,” said Isaac Butler, senior all-conference lineman for the Deacons. “All the other weeks we get through and we’ve been waiting the whole time for this week. We’re making the most of it every single day and now we’re just waiting for Friday.”

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It’s been a historic year for the Deacons, who are 11 points away from breaking the state single-season points record. Shanley has outscored its opponents 533-243 this season, averaging 48.4 points per game and winning all 11 of its contests by two scores or more. Bismarck currently holds the single-season points record, racking up 543 points in 2019.

“We don’t even get caught up in the numbers, we just play football,” Deacons head coach Troy Mattern said. “These kids love football. Every day they come to practice and their job is to get better, and that’s what they do.”

The key to Shanley’s success on offense is simple: speed. Mattern utilizes a quickfire, no-huddle offense that has the Deacons another 20 yards down field before you can blink.

“We finished last year going no-huddle, up-tempo,” Mattern said. “We spent the offseason as a coaching staff thinking, ‘You know what? I think we can get even faster.’ With the personnel we’ve got coming back and with the athletes we’ve got coming back, let’s find a way to simplify things even more and play faster and I think we’ve accomplished that this year.”

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Senior all-conference quarterback Landon Meier is the man leading that offense and he’s had a record-breaking year himself.

Meier has thrown for an eye-popping 3,254 yards and 41 touchdowns, and he also leads the Deacons on the ground with 819 yards and 17 rush touchdowns, meaning two more trips to the end zone on Friday would put him at 60 total TDs this season.

He now holds the state records for passing touchdowns, total touchdowns, passing yards and total yards in a single season.

“To be a part of this team, this record-breaking team, not only myself but this team has done things that haven’t been done before either,” Meier said. “To play with this type of team and these coaches has been amazing.”

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It’s not only Meier getting the job done for Shanley. Contributions from others have been plentiful in all facets of the game.

Shanley’s top two receivers, senior all-conference selections Sam Ovsak and Jordan Leininger, have combined for 159 receptions, 2,545 yards and 34 touchdowns. Isaac Perkerewicz, another senior all-conference pick, leads the Deacons among true running backs with 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Leinigner leads Shanley with six interceptions this season and he has two defensive touchdowns. His contributions on both sides of the ball are what made him one of this year’s Eastern Dakota Conference Class 3A Senior Co-Athletes of the Year, sharing the award with Fargo Davies’ Zach Lilly.

“That feels great but right now it doesn’t mean a thing,” Leininger said. “My goal and our team’s goal is to win Dakota Bowl.”

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Leininger’s focus is on a Minot team that's only loss came to a strong West Fargo Sheyenne squad on Sept. 29. The Magi earned redemption in the state semifinals last week, rallying from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to top the Mustangs and advance to the Dakota Bowl for the first time since 2017.

Minot is seeking its first state title since 1980.

“We played them last year in the quarterfinals and handled them,” Leininger said. “But they’re a new team this year and so are we. It should be good.”

Like Shanley, Minot has a perfectly capable offense, averaging 35.2 points per game this season with no shortage of star power. The Magi are led by the likes of senior running back Tyson Ruzicka, senior quarterback Lucas Beeter and senior receiver Logan Conklin.

Ruzicka has rushed for 1,491 yards and 16 touchdowns this season while Beeter has passed for 1,258 yards and 16 touchdowns. Conklin leads Magi receivers with 26 receptions for 527 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Defensively, Minot allows an average of 135.7 pass yards per game and 56.8 rush yards per game.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

“You would expect that when you get to the state championship game,” Mattern said. “You’re going to play a good team and Minot is that. They’ve got a really good running game and obviously they’re going to come in with a lot of confidence the way they came back last week in the semis.”

Mattern noted Minot’s playmakers on offense along with its ability to lock teams down on defense.

"Coach (Chauncy) Hendershot does a great job there,” Mattern said. “We know we’re going to play a well-coached football team that runs the ball very well and obviously they’ve got a receiver in Conklin who’s a real good athlete. But even moreso, they don’t give up a lot of points. They’re very good defensively, they’re very sound, they’re very physical and they play fast, so we’ve just got to find a way to move the ball.”

Should the Deacons come out on top, it will be the first time Shanley has repeated as state champions since topping Devils Lake in consecutive years back in 2009 and 2010.

Shanley is also seeking its first unbeaten season since 2018.

David Samson/The Forum

The final message heading into Friday, Mattern said, will be to embrace the moment.

“Just have fun,” Mattern said. “Just do what we’ve done all season. Trust your buddies, trust it and like we say every time we break out, ‘We’re on you again seniors. Everyone’s jumping on your backs, just give us one more ride.’ ”

Twenty seniors will take the field for Shanley one final time Friday, and Butler said he is determined to either go out on top or go down at least knowing he gave it 110%.

“It’s just doing everything I can,” Butler said. “Last time with the boys to get the win. Because that’s all we want is a win, man.”

FARGO — Fargo Shanley receiver Sam Ovsak has wreaked havoc on opposing defenses all season long and he’ll continue causing commotion in the North Dakota Class AAA Dakota Bowl next Friday.

The top seeded Deacons bested the No. 5 Fargo Davies Eagles 31-8 in their semifinal matchup on Friday night at Sid Cichy Stadium. Shanley will face off against the Minot Magicians at 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10, in the Fargodome.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Ovsak ended his night with two receiving touchdowns and 40 yards on five receptions. He snared both scores in the second quarter with 18-yard and 14-yard grabs.

“It was amazing,” Ovsak said. “Big rivalry between us and Davies, so that has our emotions high. It was great that we could shut down their offense and put a big number up on the board.”

The star receiver has 20 touchdown receptions. He's made 83 catches for 1,304 yards. The feat is a state record for TDs by receivers in all divisions.

“It means a little to me,” Ovsak said of the record. “It’s kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m a record holder,’ but it doesn’t mean anything if we’re not champions. I just try to do whatever I can to help the team win.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Quarterback Landon Meier's ability to find Ovsak in the end zone has been one of the keys to the explosive Deacons offense. The pair’s chemistry translates both on and off the gridiron.

“Me and Landon are really tight,” Ovsak said. “We’ve kind of just been brothers so it’s always nice of him dropping passes right in the breadbasket whenever.”

Shanley head coach Troy Mattern said the work ethic of the duo has been second to none.

“Nobody sees what they do in the offseason,” Mattern said. “They throw countless balls to each other and their chemistry is unbelievable.”

Meier rumbled 1 yard into the end zone for the Deacons’ in the first touchdown. Kicker Matt Berg drilled a 29-yard field goal.

Berg sparked a Shanley turnover on the kickoff with a rugby-style drop kick that bounded out of Davies returner’s hands. The turnover gave the Deacons the ball on their 36-yard line.

“We got a soccer kid kicking,” Mattern said of Berg’s dropkicks. “We just said kick the ball hard at them and it actually worked on one of the times to give us a touchdown.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Davies broke up the shuout with 7:35 left in the fourth. Eagles running back Zach Lilly broke loose on a 46-yard touchdown haul. Davies converted on the two-point conversion to make it 24-8.

On their next possession, the Deacons drove down the field with running back Isaac Perkerewicz snagged a 30-yard TD to cap off the Shanley win.

“It doesn’t matter how you win,” Mattern said. “You get the W and move on.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Shanley had 192 total yards. Defensively, the Deacons forced five turnovers. Defensive back Adam Leininger had two interceptions and Ovsak grabbed one.

“Our defense came out and just played unbelievable,” Mattern said. “Credit to our defensive coaching staff.”

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

Davies ended with 275 total yards and made use of two Shanley turnovers. Eagles head coach Wayne Werremeyer said his team always came ready to compete regardless of the opponent.

“These kids surprised a lot of teams,” Werremeyer said. “They bought into a brand of football that’s unique and not really all that exciting at times.”

Werremeyer said that his seniors battled through a lot in their four years of Eagles football but “when you combine those special talents together, you made a special team.”

With the Magicians on the docket next, Shanley knows that they’re the team to beat.

“All our kids understand they’ve had an X on their backs the whole season,” Mattern said. “They’ll be ready to go.”

FARGO — For the first time in 15 years, Fargo Shanley is celebrating a state championship in boys soccer. The Deacons beat Bismarck Legacy 2-1 Saturday, and the guy protecting the goal in that championship match wasn't even supposed to be on the team this year.

Senior goalkeeper Matthew Berg grew up playing soccer, but walked away from the sport two years ago to focus on kicking for Shanley football. Two games into the fall season, his plans changed.

"(Sophomore goalkeeper) Hayden Braun went down with an injury," Berg said. "I was in the stands and coach Ryan (Christianson) sent over an ex Shanley soccer player to come try to recruit me and I said, 'absolutely man, I'll do it."

Even after a year off, Berg felt right at home between the posts, starting every game but one since he joined the team.

"Honestly, it came pretty natural," Berg said. "With the same guys around me, I felt so natural with them and had the communication I've had with them in the past."

Between practices, and upwards of four games a week, juggling two sports was no easy task. One Thursday, Berg had to be at football practice in the afternoon before hustling to Fargo North high school to start a match at goalkeeper.

"It's football one day, then it's a soccer game - football practice - soccer game - then obviously Friday night I've got a football game," Berg said. "It came down to a lot of trial and error on what's going to work and what isn't going to work. I think we found a pretty good medium."

Berg has already drained 37 extra points for the undefeated Shanley football team. He wasn't expecting to add a 2023 state soccer championship to his trophy case.

"I grew up with these boys, dreaming of what I just achieved with them, so it was such a relief," Berg stated. "I couldn’t believe what I had just done, especially because I thought I was done with a sport I had a lot of love for and came back to dominate the state with my boys. To me this championship means so much more."

Berg and Shanley football will try to put the finishing touches on an undefeated regular season Thursday night in Bismarck against St. Mary's.

BISMARCK — Fargo Shanley coach Ryan Christianson said Friday it was going to take more than one goal to win the North Dakota boys soccer state tournament championship game.

He was right. Following two 1-0 results to advance to Saturday’s state title bout against Bismarck Legacy, the Deacons found themselves in a 1-1 deadlock with the Sabers midway through the second half.

Fortunately for Shanley, the one-goal trend didn’t stick, as the Deacons found the go-ahead tally in the 60th minute that ultimately secured a 2-1 victory and their second state championship in program history in a match played at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

On a team laden with seniors, it was a sophomore who turned out to be the hero for Shanley. The game-winner was off the head of Andrew Schneider, who slipped a ball past Legacy goalkeeper Liam Horner on a free kick sent in by senior teammate and captain Peter Noah from 53 yards.

“I saw the ball coming and I heard the keeper yell that he had it,” Schneider said of the winning play. “I knew he was going to be there, so I just went for it and knew I had to get a flick on it if it was going to go in. I looked back and it was in the net. It felt surreal.”

Previously, Shanley’s lone state title in boys soccer came in 2008. Fifteen years later, the Deacons will need to make room in the trophy case.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet I don’t think,” Shanley head coach Ryan Christianson said. “This is my fourth one with the boys and we finally got one. Especially with this special group of seniors.

Tom Stromme/Bismarck Tribune

“It’s a special moment. Not just for me, but for my coaching staff and for the program.”

The Deacons couldn’t have done it without senior goalkeeper Matt Berg, who unofficially set aside six Legacy shots — only surrendering a penalty kick to the Sabers’ Reece Snow in the 50th minute which tied the match at one.

Perhaps the most crucial moment of the match came with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. Searching for the equalizer, Legacy’s Urial Rivera — who already had three goals on the weekend — stepped up from the middle of the pitch and booted a hard strike on net that Berg leaped up to save and keep Shanley in the lead.

“It was a big save,” Berg said. “I was just relying heavily on my muscle memory and just getting to the ball confidently and just making sure I got a firm hand on that ball. That’s just what I focused on.”

Snow’s penalty kick was the only goal Berg allowed in the tournament.

“It’s not really something I can control, just be better next time,” Berg said. “It was just we can’t dwell on it, we’ve got to get back. It’s the championship game, we’ve got to get back, just score another one.”

Score another, they did. The Deacons showed no signs of folding after the penalty kick, shifting momentum back in their direction quickly with a flurry of quality scoring chances at the other end.

“Our guys, I told them the biggest thing was to keep your heads, stay focused and we’ll get through it,” Christianson said.

Shanley struck first in the 33rd minute when senior captain Andrew Kankelfritz scored on a free kick from 24 yards that was sent through cleanly, beating Horner to his right.

The score remained 1-0 through halftime until Snow’s penalty kick drew the Sabers even.

Final unofficial shots totals were 20-12 in favor of Shanley. Horner finished with eight saves for the Sabers.

Six yellow cards were issued in what was a physical match — four on the Deacons and two on the Sabers.

Shanley, the top seed out of the East Region, capped its state championship run at 16-1-2. Legacy, the top seed out of the West, finished 15-2-2.

“It feels great,” Berg said. “I have a little experience from (winning a state title last year) because of football, and it kind of just carries over but it never gets old. It’s awesome.”

“It feels surreal,” Schneider added. “It’s a great feeling.”

Berg, Noah and senior midfielders London Gray and Michael Noack were all-tournament selections for the Deacons. Rivera, junior midfielder Kamden Kooiman and senior defender Nathaniel Olheiser were all-tournament picks for the Sabers.

Elsewhere in the East Region, Fargo Davies senior midfielder Rick Peng and junior forward Leon Hidanovic were named to the all-tournament team.

Minot senior midfielder Brayden Oswalt was named boys soccer Senior Athlete of the Year as voted on by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association. Jamestown head coach Brandi Harti was selected as boys soccer Coach of the Year.

Minot won the third-place match over Jamestown 3-2 while Davies topped Bismarck 4-1 in the fifth-place game.

ByRyan Spitza

BISMARCK — Sometimes, all it takes is one.

That's all the Fargo Shanley boys soccer team needed on Thursday as senior midfielder Michael Noack scored in the 61st minute to give the East No. 1 seed Deacons a 1-0 win over West No. 4 seed Bismarck in the North Dakota boys soccer state tournament quarterfinals at the MDU Resources Community Bowl.

Noack struck top-shelf from 15 yards to send the Eastern Dakota Conference champions into Friday's semifinals, where they'll face West No. 2 seed Jamestown (12-2-2) at 6:45 p.m.

"Earlier in that play, me and my teammate Aiden (Fitzgerald) ran into each other and the ball was just bouncing around," Noack said of the goal. "I was lucky enough that the ball just came to me, I hit it, it was a good shot and it went in."

Tom Stromme/Bismarck Tribune

The shot — Shanley's 12th of the game — beat Bismarck junior goalkeeper Tate Schaner to put the Deacons ahead for good.

It was a match the Deacons dominated, with the unofficial shot total 18-3 in favor of the victors. Shanley also had seven corner kick chances to Bismarck's two.

Frustrations tend to grow when you're playing well but there's nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

"We felt (a goal) coming eventually, but at state, it may never come," Shanley head coach Ryan Christianson said. "So we've just got to keep at it, keep pressuring and pray for one to go in eventually."

Christianson said Noack's goal couldn't have come at a better time.

"He was kind of having a rough go earlier on," Christianson said. "But he always finds a way to pick himself up and do well the rest of the game. That was a big goal for him."

Schaner recorded 10 saves for the Demons. Deacons senior goalkeeper Matt Berg set aside three shots.

Bismarck fell to 7-8-3 and will face East No. 3 seed West Fargo (8-6-2) in the consolation semis at 2:15 p.m. Friday.

As for Shanley, who improved to 14-1-2, Christianson said his team needs to play better on Friday if it wants a chance to advance to the state finals.

"Play better than we did today," Christianson said of the mindset. "We just have to be ready to go. Both these teams we could go against are going to be very tough and we just have to be ready to play our game."

Noack said the mindset will be keeping things business as usual.

"Just keeping playing our game," Noack said. "We've done it all season. Don't change anything. Just get ready, get sleep, come back tomorrow and win."

FARGO — One season ago, the Fargo Shanley boys soccer team was the last team out of the East Region to qualify for the state tournament.

The Deacons didn’t expect to be there because they weren’t supposed to be.

Originally, Shanley was on the outside looking in before a controversial decision to disqualify West Fargo Sheyenne from postseason play prompted a standings adjustment and slid the Deacons up into the East Region’s No. 3 seed.

Fast forward to this season and Shanley wants to make sure it advances to the state tournament on its own merit.

So far, it’s been a breeze. Led by 14 seniors, the Deacons are 11-1-2 and are on the cusp of clinching their first Eastern Dakota Conference title since 2016.

The 2022 Shanley squad had just seven seniors, meaning this year’s group doubled. That senior leadership has been a key to this season’s success, said Deacons head coach Ryan Christianson.

“I think having 14 seniors kind of helps with the leadership role,” Christianson said. “These kids have been a part of the program since they were eighth-graders. They know their roles and everyone’s doing their part and they’re succeeding at it.”

David Samson/The Forum

Shanley finished last season 7-7-2 and began this season’s slate 11-0-2 before its first setback on Tuesday, Sept. 26 — a loss to second-place Fargo Davies to keep the Eagles alive in the EDC race. The Deacons next play at Fargo North at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28.

“Halfway through the season and we’re undefeated … we had a target on our back and knew everyone wanted to take us down,” Christianson said. “Soon enough, I had a feeling it was going to happen. I didn’t know who was going to do it, but I knew it was going to happen and I’m glad we got it out of the way so we don’t do it at state.”

Nonetheless, the season has been a turnaround for the Deacons, going from being a .500 team last year to taking an unbeaten streak into the final three regular-season games.

“I think it’s the senior leadership we have starting from captain's practices last winter and spring,” said Andrew Kankelfritz, a senior forward and captain. “Getting through captain's in the summer, getting everyone there, continuing to work hard in the offseason when others aren’t. I think it’s really reflecting throughout the season this year.”

Kankelfritz agreed with his coach that taking a loss now is better than taking one later.

“It’s a good loss,” Kankelfritz said. “It’s something we needed, it’s a reality check. We know how it feels now, we know what not to do, we know how bad we played. We just learn from it, reflect on it and do better next time.”

David Samson/The Forum

Shanley has found the net 43 times this season while allowing just 12 goals.

Kankelfritz and sophomore forward Drew Schneider lead the team with eight goals apiece. Senior midfielder London Gray has a team-high nine assists while Kankelfritz has seven.

Shanley has utilized five different goalkeepers this season, combining for seven shutouts in its 11 wins. Senior keeper Matt Berg leads the way with four goose eggs. Sophomore Hayden Braun has two while senior Zach Skarperud has one.

The team has plenty of postseason experience. Shanley has qualified for state the past two seasons and will make it a third this year. The Deacons roster includes 10 players who participated in the 2021 state title match against Davies, a game the Eagles won in a dramatic, 19-player penalty shootout.

“We lost a few players last year but we basically reloaded instead of rebuilt,” Christianson said. “These guys have been playing together for awhile, they know how each other works and it shows from our success.”

David Samson/The Forum

The Deacons’ last and only state championship came in 2008. This year may be their best chance to get back to the promised land.

“We just need to stay positive and play our game,” Christianson said. “If something doesn’t go our way, we know we can score goals. Just be positive and keep trucking.”

Guided by those 14 seniors, Kankelfritz views his team as the favorites to go all the way. But he knows in order to achieve that goal, Shanley has to continue playing like it has all season.

“We haven’t been a top team the past couple of years and I think this year is our year with all of the seniors we have,” Kankelfritz said. “I think if we win out, we can still be EDC champions and going into state, I think we have a great chance against the West and the rest of the EDC.

“We’ve obviously beat them all once, and I think we can do it again.”

David Samson/The Forum