Max Palmer (Photo by Cameron Carlson)
Devils Lake football has its highest ranking of the season.
After being ranked No. 4 in four consecutive weeks, the Firebirds slid up to No. 3 in the NDAPSSA polls released Monday. They’ve been in the top five for six straight weeks overall.
Devils Lake received 45 points, barely edging out Grand Forks Central’s 43. Central had previously been No. 3. Devils Lake and Central both lost on Friday.
The pretty clear reasoning is that Devils Lake played a competitive game against No. 1 Minot North last week, while Central got blown out by No. 2 Kindred.
Devils Lake fell 26-20 to Minot North. It had the ball on the four-yard line with about a minute left. North had previously only allowed 28 points all season, and no more than 14 in any game. Meanwhile, Central lost 27-7 to Kindred.
Of course, Devils Lake also got hammered by Kindred, 42-12. But that was back in Week 1. Devils Lake followed that loss with five straight wins — its best streak in a decade and a half. The voters clearly prioritized recent results over early-season scores.
Central has a better overall record than Devils Lake, at 6-1 compared to 5-2. Both teams are 2-1 in region play.
Kindred got seven first-place votes this week, up from last week’s four. Minot North still leads the way with 13 first-place votes and 93 points. Kindred is only six points behind. Minot North and Kindred each have 7-0 records.
Devils Lake has unranked Dickinson and Watford City left on its regular-season schedule. The final game, Devils Lake vs. Watford City, will likely be for second place in the West.
The Firebirds host Dickinson this Friday at 6 p.m.
Division AA football
- Minot North (13) – 93 points (Previous: 1)
- Kindred (7) – 87 points (Previous: 2)
- Devils Lake – 45 points (Previous: 4)
- Grand Forks Central – 43 points (Previous: 3)
- Grand Forks Red River – 24 points (Previous: 5)
Received votes: Central Cass
