Each sporting 2-0 records, New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock and Langdon Area/Munich enter Week 3 with firm No. 1 rankings in their respective divisions.
The Rockets are making history in real time. Their 62-12 win over St. John on Friday was their 27th straight victory going back to the beginning of the 2024 season. It tied the 2013-15 Cavalier teams for the second-longest winning streak in North Dakota nine-man history. NR-S/M plays 0-2 Larimore on Friday, Sept. 4 — and a Rockets win would give them sole possession of that honor.
They’d still need a couple more seasons of consecutive winning to catch New England/Regent’s 47 mark.
Through two games as starting quarterback, NR-S/M junior Jax Demester has gone 41-for-56 (73%) in passing, collecting 584 passing yards. Senior Thomas Allmaras has been his top target, with 283 yards and eight touchdown receptions, in addition to a 43-yard punt return for a touchdown.
The Rockets are the overwhelming No. 1 but still not unanimous, as two-time defending runner-up LaMoure-Litchville/Marion received two first-place votes.
Four Winds did not get any votes this week after falling 54-34 to North Border. The Indians led 28-20 at halftime but couldn’t sustain their offensive attack in the second half. It was still a more competitive game than last year, when North Border beat them 54-14.
Interestingly, North Border didn’t receive votes either this week, despite that win over Four Winds. The Indians and Eagles are both 1-1. Four Winds is set to play a 2-0 North Star team on Friday, while North Border faces 1-1 Midway/Minto.
The dark-horse team to watch out for in Region 2 might just be North Prairie, which has a 48-14 win over North Border and a 44-6 win over Larimore to its credit already. Last year, the Cougars played NR-S/M closer than any other region opponent, with the Rockets giving up the most points they’d allowed since 2023 in a 62-36 win.
North Prairie was the only team from Region 2 besides NR-S/M to receive votes this week. Four Winds and North Border had both received votes in the previous poll.
North Prairie faces NR-S/M on Sept. 18, North Star on Sept. 25 and Four Winds on Oct. 2. Those are key matchups to watch.
LA/M, meanwhile, is holding steady at No. 1 as the defending state champion in Division A. Junior Eastyn Schaefer has taken over quarterback duties with seemingly little issue, going 27-for-44 (61%) for 210 yards with three touchdown passes and four touchdown rushes. Junior Evan Ottem has filled in at running back and has 39 carries for 245 yards. Schaefer and Ottem are both filling in for all-state first-team players who graduated last spring.
The Cardinals beat all their region opponents by 20-plus points in last year’s championship season. They carry a 15-game winning streak as a program.
The Cardinals are still not unanimous either, with 10 of the 15 first-place votes. Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison and Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm are virtually tied for No. 2.
Region opponents Thompson (2-0) and Bottineau (1-1) are receiving votes.
Nine-man
- New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock (13) – 73 points (Previous: 1)
- LaMoure-Litchville/Marion (2) – 58 points (Previous: 2)
- Linton/HMB – 47 points (Previous: 3)
- Divide County – 22 points (Previous: 4)
- Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter – 15 points (Previous: 5)
Received votes: North Prairie, Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood
Division A
- Langdon Area/Munich (10) – 67 points (Previous: 1)
- Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison (2) – 55 points (Previous: 2)
- Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm (3) – 54 points (Previous: 3)
- Northern Cass – 32 points (Previous: 4)
- Central McLean – 9 points (Previous: 5)
Received votes: Thompson, Bowman County, Bottineau