Photo via NDHSAA
Langdon Area/Munich is now the unanimous No. 1 in Division A football.
The Cardinals received all 17 of the first-place votes in the NDAPSSA polls released Wednesday. They totaled 85 points, 41 more than the next-best team. It’s the third straight week LA/M has been ranked No. 1, but the first it’s done so unanimously.
The Cardinals are 4-0 on the season. Two of those games have been shutouts, with just 14 total points allowed. Most recently, they beat Turtle Mountain 41-0.
LA/M is coming off a season where it lost in the Division A semifinals. Its most recent state title came in 2020, when it won a third consecutive championship.
The biggest shakeup in this week’s polls came right below the Cardinals. Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm, the previous No. 2, lost 6-0 to unranked Hillsboro/Central Valley on Friday. E/E/K dropped to No. 5, while H/CV received votes.
Previously-unranked Killdeer entered the top five at No. 3.
In nine-man football, New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock was ranked No. 1 for the fourth straight week. It received 14 first-place votes, three more than last week, and 81 overall points.
LaMoure-Litchville/Marion remained at No. 2 after a 50-7 win over South Border. L-L/M, the team the Rockets beat in last year’s state title game, is 3-0 to start the season. The Loboes received only three first-place votes after six last week. They trail NR-S/M with 68 overall points.
The Rockets are off to a 4-0 start. They’ve won each game by at least 40 points. Dating back to last year, when they won their second state title in school history, they’ve won 16 consecutive games by at least 30 points each.
Most recently, NR-S/M beat then-No. 4 North Border 48-8. It was the fewest points the Rockets have scored since the first round of last year’s playoffs. The eight points were tied for the most they’ve given up in a game this year.
North Border fell out of the top five. It merely received votes in this week’s poll.
Hankinson and Alexander, both previously unranked, entered the top five. Grant County/Flasher, the previous No. 5, fell out after losing 32-12 to Linton/HMB.
Nine-man football
- New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock (14) – 81 points (Previous: 1)
- LaMoure-Litchville/Marion (3) – 68 points (Previous: 2)
- Linton/HMB – 51 points (Previous: 3)
- Hankinson – 24 points (Previous: NR)
- Alexander – 10 points (Previous: NR)
Received votes: Grant County/Flasher, Divide County, North Border, Griggs/Midkota
Division A football
- Langdon Area/Munich (17) – 85 points (Previous: 1)
- Velva-Drake-Anamoose-Garrison – 44 points (Previous: 4)
- Killdeer – 41 points (Previous: NR)
- Park River Area – 33 points (Previous: 5)
- Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm – 21 points (Previous: 2)
Received votes: Dickinson Trinity, Bottineau, South McLean, Hillsboro/Central Valley, Des Lacs-Burlington
