Here are the games to watch Friday night in North Dakota high school football.
Class 11AA
West Fargo Sheyenne (4-1) at Minot (3-2): Minot fell out of the AA poll this week after getting thumped by Fargo Davies. But they have a chance at redemption when No. 2 Sheyenne comes to town.
Fargo Davies (4-1) at Fargo South (4-1): It isn’t very often in North Dakota that we get a game between two teams ranked No. 1 in different classes. But that happens Friday night in Fargo when the Eagles, ranked atop Class 11AA, visit Fargo South, No. 1 in Class A. This now something of an odd rivalry game between two schools separated by just miles – one with a long legacy of football success and one relatively new school having established its dominance in the state in a very short time.
Mandan (4-1) at Bismarck High (0-5): It’s one of the state’s best and oldest rivalry games, but this one is likely going to the No. 3-ranked Braves, as the winless Demons have struggled – though they gave No. 1 Davies a heck of a fight, losing 35-28 on the road. Regardless, this is always a game one should check out if you’re anywhere near the Community Bowl.
Class 11A
Wahpeton (3-2) at Valley City (5-0): Fresh off a homecoming upset win over previously top-ranked Jamestown, Wahpeton goes to No. 4-ranked Valley City looking to knock off the last unbeaten team in Class 11A.
Dickinson (3-2) at Jamestown (4-1): Likewise, No. 2 Jamestown looks to bounce back against a Dickinson team that has struggled offensively, and keep its spot near the top of the class standings.
Fargo North (4-1) at Grand Forks Red River (4-2): North and Red River will face off with the chance to put themselves in a better position for a home 11A playoff game. North is currently third in the 11A standings, coming off a 17-14 loss to South, and Red River is fifth. The top four teams at the end of the season will host a quarterfinal playoff game.
Class 11B
Bottineau (6-0) at Hillsboro/Central Valley (5-1): This one will be the best of the night in 11B, as Burros, unranked but always stingy at home, look to hand No. 4 Bottineau its first defeat. Fifth-ranked Thompson currently stands atop Region 2, with these two right on its heels.
Kindred (6-0) at Central Cass (5-1): Kindred, the unanimous No. 1 in 11B, looks to stay unbeaten against rival Central Cass in a pivotal Region 1 matchup. Should the Squirrels score an upset, they’ll create a three-way tie for first place along with Oakes.
Beulah (5-0) at Shiloh Christian (5-1): The winner of this game should position themselves to be at least the No. 2 playoff seed from Region 4. It’ll be interesting to see how a reworked three-man defensive front plays for Beulah against Shiloh’s more modern passing game.
Hazen (4-3) at Dickinson Trinity (6-0): No. 2-ranked Trinity is in the middle of its toughest stretch of the season. After beating Bowman County last week, they’ll host a Hazen team looking to stay in playoff contention before going to Beulah next week.
9-man
Hankinson (4-2) at LaMoure/LM (6-0): The top-ranked Loboes look to continue rolling with a Region 1 home game.
North Prairie (6-0) at New Rockford-Sheyenne (3-3): A win would establish No. 5-ranked North Prairie as the Region 4 leader and likely eventual champion.
Hettinger County (3-3) at Hettinger-Scranton (3-3): The first official matchup against the two “Hettinger” teams (who are actually longtime rivals, regardless of co-ops and names) comes with a likely playoff spot on the line. Both teams are 3-3 overall and 2-1 in Region 6.
Tioga (6-1) at St. John (4-2): The best 9-man game of the night could be a non-region matchup between these two playoff-bound teams in far northern region of the state.
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