Winning has been a routine occurrence lately for the Devils Lake boys’ basketball team, now ranked No. 2 in Division A.
It was just a couple weeks ago that senior Wylee Delorme said he felt his team was “disrespected” with a No. 4 ranking. Not only has this team proved its doubters wrong lately with two wins over ranked opponents, but it might be even better than some think — a team that could make a serious run at a state title.
They, once again, proved they can beat any level of opponent
Though it’s been a successful season from the start, Devils Lake’s win over No. 2 Grafton could be viewed as a turning point.
That’s when this run against quality opponents began. The Firebirds handily beat Region 2 opponent Thompson 72-50, then won 77-56 over Shiloh Christian, a school that’s been on the outskirts of the top five.
But the biggest — and latest — statement was their 84-68 win over No. 5 Beulah.
Beating a ranked team by such a large margin is the kind of result that can catapult a team’s stock. It also bodes well for Devils Lake’s upcoming games and the postseason, because schools like Grafton and Beulah are the types of teams the Firebirds will need to beat to achieve their ultimate goals. And they didn’t just beat Beulah; they won in unrelenting fashion.
It’s also worth noting that earlier in the year, they won 89-73 against Grand Forks Red River — an AA team. There’s no perfect way to judge the disparity between divisions, but beating an AA squad is just another example of this team’s ability to be competitive against any kind of opponent.
They’re deep
A theme earlier in the year was that the Delorme show would come to town a few times a week.
While Delorme is still performing well, and has been a huge part of this Devils Lake team, he hasn’t been the only major contributor. And the Firebirds haven’t had to rely on him to carry them, because usually, when he has a down quarter or a down game, somebody else — or multiple people — pick him up.
Parker Brodina has consistently been one of the team’s top shooters. His brother Beau, while usually lower on the points-scoring leaderboard, has been an under-the-radar presence as well. Head coach Dustin Brodina was adamant about the value Beau brings after Saturday’s win over Beulah. He praised his senior son’s ability to guard, deflect and steal the basketball. But Beau showed on Saturday that he, too, can score points, finishing with 14 on the afternoon.
Joel Nelson has come through with the occasional dominant quarter lately as well. Delorme had a slow start on Saturday with no points in the first quarter, but Nelson put up nine and finished with 16 overall. Then there’s Drew Hofstad, another under-the-radar guard who contributes with his athleticism and aggressiveness.
Twins Max and Mason Palmer, though just sophomores and both under six feet tall, have shown a shooting prowess off the bench at times. They will likely have more significant roles on next year’s team when the seniors have graduated, but having shooters that talented who aren’t in starting roles is valuable nonetheless.
They’re still a contender for the No. 1 spot
Ultimately, the Firebirds are showing that they’re very much still in the race for No. 1 honors.
Ever since their 68-66 win over No. 2 Grafton, none of their wins have even been close. Each of their last three victories came by a margin of at least 31 points — and one of those was against a team ranked only two spots lower than them at the time.
Their only loss this season was a six-point defeat to Four Winds/Minnewaukan, which is now ranked No. 3. One could argue that the Firebirds hadn’t fully gelled yet back in December — and a similar sentiment could be shared about the Indians. In any case, Devils Lake was competitive against a team that just last weekend went neck and neck with undefeated No. 1 Kindred. The Indians led for the first three quarters until the game fell out of their hands at the end.
There’s little reason to think Devils Lake couldn’t put up a similar fight.
The top three teams in Division A right now are separated only by thin hairs. Had FW/M held onto its 11-point lead in the fourth quarter last Saturday and beaten Kindred, the polls could look a lot different. All three of these teams have proven to be competitive with each other, suggesting any one of them could emerge as the best. The point is that the Firebirds are, at the very least, not drastically behind No. 1 Kindred, and at least one NDAPSSA member realized that last week by giving Devils Lake a first-place vote.
Devils Lake will get a chance at rematches with FW/M on Feb. 6 and Grafton on Feb. 13. Those will be the biggest opportunities remaining in the regular season for the Firebirds to prove they’re the best Division A basketball team in North Dakota.
Joseph “Mojo” Hill is a reporter covering Lake Region sports for the Devils Lake Journal. Contact him on Twitter @mojohill22 or at jhill@devilslakejournal.com for any tips, questions or story ideas.
