2024 New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock football team/Photo via NDHSAA
After a 2-0 start, New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock is ranked fifth in the nine-man football poll for the second straight week.
The Rockets trounced St. John 69-0 in their season opener, then followed it up with a commanding 44-14 defeat of Cavalier in Week 2. Cavalier was no slouch, either, as it received a vote in the previous poll.
NR-S/M is coached by Elliott Belquist, father of current University of North Dakota wide receiver Bo Belquist. The current team is led by junior quarterback Easton Simon. The Rockets have won one nine-man state title in their history, back in 2012.
With 27 points in the poll, the Rockets are still narrowly behind fourth-place South Border, which is also 2-0 and received 29 points.
LaMoure-Litchville/Marion remained in first place by its widest margin of the season thus far, receiving 12 of the 17 first-place votes. Curiously, four of the remaining five first-place votes went to third-place Westhope/Newburg/Glenburn, while only one went to second-place North Prairie.
Week 3 brings a crucial matchup for the Rockets, as they’ll face off against No. 2 North Prairie. It’ll also be the home opener for NR-S/M. A victory would make a strong case for it to gain ground in the poll.
The Rockets are coming off a 10-1 season, while the Cougars are coming off a 12-1 season.
In the Division A poll, Langdon Area/Munich fell from second place to fourth place after losing 34-28 to Central Cass in Week 2. For Central Cass, the win bumped it up from third place to second place.
Central Cass is 2-0, beating an AA team in Devils Lake and now one of the top-ranked A teams in LA/M. The Cardinals, coming off an 11-1 season, are 1-1 this year.
Kindred received all 17 of the first-place votes in Division A. LA/M, with 26 points, trails third-place Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison’s 48 points.
Finally, in Division AA, Devils Lake received at least one vote but was unranked after beating Watford City 26-6 in its home opener. The Firebirds received a vote in the preseason poll, then didn’t get any votes after losing their opener to Central Cass, 34-27. But after getting in the win column and evening their record at 1-1, at least one voter decided to recognize them.
Grand Forks Red River — which will be Devils Lake’s opponent in the final game of the regular season — leads the AA poll with 14 of the 20 first-place votes.
The Firebirds are back in action on the road against Valley City in Week 3. The Hi-Liners, 0-1, play in the same region as Watford City.
