Minot High is coaches' pick to take WDA boys' soccer crown

BISMARCK – With five out of nine first-place votes and 60 total points, perennial contender Minot High claimed the top spot in the 2026 preseason boys' soccer poll. Just four points back sits Bismarck Century (56 points). Snagging three first-place votes of its own, the Patriots enter the fall with enough firepower and respect across the conference to easily flip the standings come tournament time. Meanwhile, Bismarck High collected the final remaining first-place vote, locking down third with 44 points—a team poised to disrupt the top two spot.

The defending conference champion, Bismarck Legacy, finished with 41 points and in fourth position. Flying slightly under the radar compared to last year's dominance, Legacy finds itself in an unfamiliar role: the hunter rather than the hunted. Minot North is not far behind, sitting in fifth with 39 points. This marks just the third varsity season for the Sentinel program. Jamestown, which has reached the state tournament in each of the past three seasons, is sixth with 37 points. Mandan-St. Mary's is seventh with 23 points; Williston, eighth, with 16 and Dickinson, ninth, with eight points. The annual poll was conducted by Matt Mullally, WDA executive secretary. Teams receoved eight points for a first place vote; seven for second; six for third; five for fourth; four for fifth; three for sixth; two for seventh; and one for eighth. Coaches did not include their own team in their respective rankings. The season gets underway for a handful of teams on Friday, Aug. 14.

2026 WDA Preseason Coaches' Poll

1. Minot High (5), 60 points

2. Bismarck Century (3), 56

3. Bismarck High, (1), 44

4. Bismarck Legacy, 41

5. Minot North, 39

6. Jamestown, 37

7. Mandan-St. Mary's, 23

8. Williston, 16

9. Dickinson, 8

(First place votes in parenthesis)

Photo courtesy of Eric Pearson