AAA playoffs begin with quarterfinal play
BISMARCK -- The playoffs kick off this Friday, Nov. 1 with the quarterfinals. The AAA field features seven teams that were in the postseason a year ago. Minot High is the defending champion. Fargo Davies, Bismarck High and WF Sheyenne are among the strong contenders.
(3W) Mandan (5-4) at (2E) Fargo Davies (8-1)
How they got here: Mandan finished third in the AAA WDA standings with a 3-2 record while Fargo Davies finished second in the AAA EDC with a 3-1 mark.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, Fargo Davies 34, Mandan 14
About Mandan: The Braves program has become a perennial playoff contender as this is the seventh consecutive trip to the postseason. During that stretch, the squad has reached the semifinals three times, but has yet to make it to the Dakota Bowl. It will need to play near-perfect football to get there this season. The squad does have one of the most gifted players in the state in quarterback Hudsen Sheldon (114-206 for 1900 yards). The senior standout possesses running abilities and a strong, accurate arm, enabling him to extend plays and give defenses fits. He has rushed for 466 yards. Mandan had just over 3,000 yards of total offense with 1,965 coming in the air. Jensen Schulz is one of the state’s busiest receivers with 842 yards on 47 catches and nine TDs. Tristan Ulmer has 508 yards on 20 receptions and 11 scores. Mandan is averaging just over 30 points per game.
About Fargo Davies: Like Mandan, the Eagles are also a perennial playoff qualifier. Davies is making its third-straight appearance and seventh in the past eight seasons. Fargo Davies had just over 3,000 yards of total offense with the lion’s share coming on the ground (2,862). Ball-control offense is what FD wants to do. Malachi Werremeyer has 1,600 yards rushing on 196 carries and 26 touchdowns in nine games. Collin Williams has 416 yards. The teams is averaging 34.5 points per game and its lone loss was a 3-0 decision to WF Sheyenne.
Final kicks: Fargo Davies has won five of the eight, all-time, meetings...The Eagles won a state title in 2014...Mandan’s last playoff win came in 2022 vs. West Fargo.
(4E) West Fargo (2-7) at (1W) Minot High (7-2)
How they got here: West Fargo finished fourth in the AAA EDC standings with a 1-3 record. Minot High, meanwhile, won the AAA WDA with a 5-0 mark.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, Minot 30, West Fargo 6
About West Fargo: The Packers enter the postseason with a losing record and its two wins came against Fargo North and Williston which went a combined 1-17. It will have a tall task against the defending state champion Magicians. Scoring points has been a challenge for WF which had 78 in its two wins, but just 66 in its seven losses.
WF has just over 1,800 yards of total offense with a good balance of pass and run. Mason Miller leds the team with 50 of 115 passing for 714 yards and 10 TD passes. Three players have 200 yards receiving led by Ian Skari with 290 yards on 19 catches and five scores. Giving Miller time to find his receivers is critical for WF. Aiden Samek is the top rusher with 654 yards on 129 carries. The team will need its best offensive game of the season to have any chance to knock off Minot High. And just as important, trying to avoid Minot’s offensive of line from controlling the line of scrimmage.
About Minot High: The Magi finally got the proverbial monkey off its back last season, winning the state title for the first time since 1980. Several key offensive contributors returned, including running back Griffen Broderick and Kellan Burke. The team has just over 3,100 yards of total offense and two-thirds coming on the ground (2,081). Winning the line of scrimmage has been the recipe for success for Minot. The team has been able to churn out yards consistently. The aforementioned Broderick has 1,101 yards rushing on 192 carries and 12 TDs. Burke has 479 yards on 77 carries. Blake Anderson has 333 yards on 38 carries. The key player in the passing game is Kaden Kraft. He has 529 yards on 26 catches. Defensively, the team has been just as stellar, allowing just under 13 points per game, and many of the points surrendered came late with reserves in the game.
Final kicks: This is Minot High’s fourth-straight trip to the playoffs...The last time the teams met in the playoffs was in the 2014 quarterfinals (Minot won, 24-8).
(4W) Legacy (5-4) at (1E) WF Sheyenne (7-2)
How they got here: Legacy finished fourth in the AAA WDA standings with a 2-3 record while WF Sheyenne won the AAA EDC with a 4-0 mark.
Last meeting: Aug. 25, 2023, WF Sheyenne 41, Legacy 7
About Legacy: If there was a comeback team of the year award, the Sabers would be the unanimous selection. Legacy did not win a game a season ago, but turned things around in 2024, winning four of its first five contests and posting a reaching the playoffs with a 5-4 mark.
The team has just shy of 3,000 yards of total offense with the majority coming on the ground (1,658). Yusuf Jama has been the workhorse in the backfield with 997 yards on 149 carries and 13 TDs. Connor Lang has rushed for 252 yards on 30 carries. The squad can also air it out with QB Easton Bergrud completing 83 passes for 1,290 yards and 10 TDs. Kalen Lucas leads the team with 666 yards and 44 receptions and 7 TDs. Jack Julson is next with 304 yards receiving. That balance has allowed the Sabers to move the ball and produce points. The team has made big improvements on defense from a season ago in points surrendered and total offense allowed. A sharp performance is required to have a shot at upsetting WF Sheyenne and picking up the program’s first-ever playoff victory.
About WF Sheyenne: The Mustangs currently own the longest playoff streak of any AAA team at 10-straight seasons. That remarkable stretch includes a championship in 2021 and two runner-up finishes to Century the two seasons prior. The team will be one of the strong contenders to get back to the Dakota Bowl again.
WFS has 2,828 yards of total offense with a good balance of pass (1,584) and run (1,244). Kaden Olson has been one of the state’s busiest passers going 122-205 and 1,582 yards and 15 TDs. The primary target is Sullivan Ihry who has 510 receiving yards on 31 catches. Cooper Bryant has 342 yards on 23 catches. Kye Schlichting has been the go-to rusher with 578 yards on 122 carries. Two others have over 200 yards rushing (Tate Herrmann, 279; and Olson, 242).
Defensively, the team has been solid, especially in the second half of the season where it has allowed just 20 points over its last four games, including a shutout over one-loss Fargo Davies.
The Mustangs are particularly stingy against the run where it holds teams to just 90 yards per game.
Final kicks: WF Sheyenne has won the last five meetings between the teams, including a quarterfinal game in 2018...Legacy is making its sixth playoff appearance (all on the road).
(3E) Fargo Shanley (3-6) at (2W) Bismarck High (7-2)
How they got here: Shanley finished third in the AAA EDC standings with a 2-2 record while Bismarck High was second in the AAA WDA with a 3-2 mark.
Last meeting: Sept. 20, BHS 40, Fargo Shanley 14
About Shanley: It’s been a rebuilding season of sorts for the Deacons after back-to-back Dakota Bowl appearances, including a title in 2022. The team struggled early with one win in its first six games. However, the squad managed to get two EDC victories to secure a postseason berth Offensively the team likes to pass, illustrated by 2,034 yards through nine games. QB Jax Mattern has thrown for 1785 yards with 179 completions and 12 TDs. Four players have 225 or more receiving yards. Kai Zabel is the leader with 454 yards on 29 catches. David Hollcraft (375); Jake Kraft (374) and Justin Ajeo (226) have had productive seasons as well. When the team does run, Corban Youngmark has 274 yards on 51 carries. Carson Busek has 21 yards on 49 carries. Stopping offenses has been problematic for Shanley as its allowed 40 or more points in it six losses. One of those coming against Bismarck High. Stopping the run has been a big challenge and its where many teams have had success.
About Bismarck High: A week ago a playoff spot was still in doubt for the Demons. But a down-to-the-wire victory over Mandan enabled them to secure not only a postseason berth but also a home game.
The Demon offense is predicated on the run where they have 2,500 yards on the ground, averaging 277 per contest. Thanks, to a big, physical offensive line, Ayden Tincher (141-855 yards, 9 TDs) and Logan Dockter 95-699 yards, 11 TDs) have been finding plenty of running lanes. Tincher, however, was injured in the final game and is out of the lineup. A ball-control style of offense suits the Demons the best. If teams do try and stack the line of scrimmage, the squad can air it out. Grady Swanson has taken the majority of the snaps and has 502 yards with 36 completions. Weston Scott has 237 yards on 11 receptions to lead the team. Deegan Staudinger had 166 yards on 15 catches. The Demons defense has been strong in stopping the run and the pass. In fact, the stats are almost identical. The team allows an average of 129.5 yards rushing and 129.7 yards receiving. The secondary will get tested against Shanley.
The last time BHS reached the Dakota Bowl was 2018. The team won that year and reaching the finals again within its grasp. A win and the squad would mostly likely meet WF Sheyenne in the semifinals. A squad it defeated 28-7 earlier this season.
Final kicks: The last the time the teams met in the playoffs was the 2003 semifinals (BHS won, 28-19)...Five of BHS’ wins have come against playoff qualifiers…Shanley entered this season having won 21 of its last 24 games.
Photo: Bismarck Legacy's Yusuf Jama vs. West Fargo