Weekly football polls are back.
New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock, the defending nine-man state champion, is ranked No. 2 to start the school year. The first polls of 2025 for nine-man and Division A football were released by the NDAPSSA on Thursday.
Last year, the Rockets were ranked No. 5 to start the season. They ended up going 12-0, winning their second nine-man state title in school history. They never won a game by fewer than 30 points.
Some key players have since graduated, including running back Carter Engebretson, lineman Brody Weisenburger and wide receivers like Bennett Meier and Kage Walford. The Rockets do, however, return quarterback Easton Simon, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards as a junior.
NR-S/M received seven of the 16 first-place votes. It earned 65 “points” in the polling.
The remaining nine first-place votes went to LaMoure-Litchville/Marion, which is ranked No. 1 to start the season with 73 points. The Loboes lost to the Rockets in the nine-man state championship game last year at the Fargodome, 62-26.
L-L/M returns senior running back Gunner Thielges, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards last year. While the Rockets were ultimately a more balanced team than the Loboes last season, Thielges was an undeniable force, and he’s expected to challenge NR-S/M once again.
The nine-man poll is rounded out by North Border, Linton/HMB and Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood.
Others receiving votes, but not in the top five, were Grant County/Flasher, Hankinson and Westhope/Newburg/Glenburn.
In the Division A poll, Langdon Area/Munich starts the season at No. 2. The Cardinals received two of the 16 first-place votes and earned 45 points.
LA/M went 9-3 last year. It fell to Velva-Drake-Anamoose-Garrison in the state semifinals. The squad returns senior quarterback Jax Johnson, who was an all-state selection as a junior.
V-D-A-G leads the way in Division A with 12 of the first-place votes and 73 points. The Aggies are the defending champions, as they beat Kindred 14-12 in the championship game last fall. Kindred has since moved up to the Division AA level.
The lone remaining first-place vote in Division A went to No. 4 Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm. Dickinson Trinity, with zero first-place votes, came in at No. 3, while Bishop Ryan/Our Redeemer’s sits at No. 5.
A whole host of additional teams received votes but didn’t crack the top five: Valley City, Harvey/Wells County, Shiloh Christian, Killdeer, Carrington, Ray/Powers Lake, May-Port-C-G, Central McLean, Thompson and Oakes.
The football season kicks off on Friday, Aug. 22 for the nine-man and Division A levels. NR-S/M’s first game is at Cavalier at 7 p.m. LA/M, meanwhile, first plays at home against Oakes at 7 p.m.
Divisions AA and AAA start the following week on Friday, Aug. 29.
