FARGO — Moments after celebrating its first state football title in school history — helmets flying, players jumping into each other’s arms — Devils Lake had to go back to the line of scrimmage.
There was ruled one second left on the clock.
So then they did it again.
“There was no calm fiber in my body,” quarterback Mason Palmer said. “Until that final buzzer was off, I was nervous the whole time.”
Whichever ending you want to count, the Firebirds completed a football season in a way that no other group from their town ever has. In Devils Lake’s fifth ever Dakota Bowl appearance, the Firebirds (10-2) upset previously-undefeated Minot North (11-1) at the Fargodome to win the Division AA state championship.
Devils Lake made an undeniable statement with 20 points in the first quarter and 39 overall in a 39-34 triumph that still had the Firebirds sweating in the final minutes. Minot North had only allowed 92 points all season. Twenty of those points had come against Devils Lake, although even in that game, the Firebirds had a big goose egg on the scoreboard at halftime.
Palmer, who ended the season with exactly 2,700 passing yards, was named Division AA Senior Athlete of the Year. Lambrecht was named Coach of the Year.
“It helps when you have someone like Mason,” Lambrecht said. “Because they just can’t key on Bryar [Exner]. So they worried about us throwing the ball down the field. They were kind of short in the box. And we just ran the ball.”
Exner put up 225 rushing yards in his final game of high school football, leading the Firebirds to glory.
A stunning start
In the first minute of play on Friday, it looked like maybe the nerves of the bigger indoor atmosphere had gotten to Devils Lake.
The offense went three and out to open the game. Palmer then fumbled the snap on the punt attempt. In a move of desperation, he swatted the ball out of the end zone. It was initially ruled an incomplete pass before being overturned, with the ruling that Palmer’s knee was down in the end zone.
It was a safety. Devils Lake trailed 2-0.
“We were in awe,” Lambrecht said. “We had the ‘OMG’ eyeballs. And I could see it, and that’s why I pulled the guys over. It’s like, they’ve been in these situations before. The biggest thing is just to focus on the field, and not all the hype that’s going on around you.”
The first break to go Devils Lake’s way was a three-and-out from the Minot offense. The Sentinels kicked it all the way back to the Firebirds’ four-yard line, but Devils Lake found respectable field position with two carries by Exner and a 13-yard pass to Will Heilman.
On third and nine, Palmer found himself in trouble. Scrambling around the backfield, he was nearly sacked twice. After avoiding the tackles, he flung a dart up the middle to Heilman.
“To be honest, those guys, they were rushing me. I wasn’t even really thinking about [Heilman],” Palmer said. “I was trying to get away from them.”
Not only did Heilman make the catch — he escaped a tackle and took it all the way to the house, 74 yards downfield.
“I was trying to get an open spot,” Heilman said. “And when he hit me, I was lucky enough to get in the end zone.”
Palmer said he was just happy to make the completion.
“He has such a tenacity for seeing the field, for extending plays and making things work,” Lambrecht said. “And that’s why he’s a captain. That’s why he’s a leader. That’s why he got Senior Athlete of the Year, because of those situations.”
The good fortunes just kept coming in the first quarter. Minot North had an open receiver in the end zone, but Coby Dronen Levitt picked off a potential touchdown pass. A play later, Exner fended off a swath of coverage for an 81-yard touchdown run.
The Sentinels fumbled the resulting kickoff return, and Devils Lake’s Rylan Samuelson came up with it. Fast forward one more play. Heilman got downfield for his second touchdown, a 34-yard reception.
Palmer threw for 161 yards and three touchdowns in the first half.
“Mason’s a freaking dog,” said his twin brother, wide receiver Max Palmer. “He’s so good. We were just ready to play tonight.”
The Firebirds had pretty much shocked Minot North to its core by this point. Remember, this was a team that held a No. 1 ranking in the state all season. It was 20-2 just eight minutes into the game. And the rest of the contest, by default, became a catchup attempt for the Sentinels.
And boy, did they try.
They’re ranked No. 1 for a reason
Christian Deadmond both started and finished Minot North’s next drive, with a 52-yard run to get in the red zone and a six-yard rush to score. Devils Lake’s lead was 20-9 entering the second quarter.
Exner made seven plays on the next drive. On third and goal from the three, Palmer fittingly found his twin brother.
The two did the same thing in the Fargodome as sixth-graders.
“But I think this one’s a lot better,” Max said.
After Mason shanked the extra point, Minot North drove the ball over most of the half’s remainder. The Sentinels converted on fourth and 10, with a 19-yard touchdown reception by Deadmond.
Minot North missed its own extra point. Devils Lake still led at halftime, 29-15. But one could feel the iceberg tipping ever so slightly in the Sentinels’ favor.
And, as the second half opened, they let Devils Lake know this thing wasn’t over. A two-yard rush by Evan Berg ended a 70-yard touchdown drive for the Sentinels. Minot North failed a two-point conversion attempt, but the Firebirds’ lead was down to just one score.
Devils Lake’s next drive looked promising, getting within the 30. But Palmer was sacked and the Firebirds had to punt. Minot North got back to midfield by the time the third quarter was over.
Doing just enough to hold on
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Luke Wasness recovered a Sentinels fumble.
From there, Devils Lake had two separate instances where it looked like it might have put the game away — only for Minot North to respond right back.
The first was an 11-yard touchdown by Heilman — the third score in what had to be the game of Heilman’s life. He totaled 168 receiving yards. The lead was 33-21 with 6:55 left.
“It’s just doing our jobs and all doing our assignments, and getting it done,” Heilman said.
Minot North stayed alive by picking up a pair of third downs. Berg’s second two-yard touchdown rush got it back to a one-score game with just under five minutes to go.
Then Exner had his moment — as if he needed another one. After a first-down reception by Weston Nelson, Exner unleashed a 56-yard dash into the end zone. The senior running back put an exclamation point on his tremendous 2025 campaign.
Up 39-28 with 2:51 left, surely that was enough, right?
Well, not so fast.
“It’s always crazy,” Lambrecht said. “It always is. The heart’s always racing. Because football is so finicky; the ball can bounce a little bit one way, a little bit the other way. It can change the whole game.”
The Sentinels converted a fourth down with a pass down the right sideline. A quarterback keeper got it within the 10. Then Brandon Blikre made a seven-yard touchdown pass to Deadmond.
So the Firebird fans had to squirm in their seats for just a little longer.
Devils Lake ran the clock down to 17 seconds before a deep punt. Minot North had two plays left. Both were incomplete passes. The Firebirds celebrated after each one — the first, admittedly, with probably a little more juice than the second.
“It was crazy,” Heilman said. “Everyone was dog tired. But we found a way to get it done.”
As Devils Lake won for real, Lambrecht put his hands on knees and keeled forward. Assistant coach Brandon Elfman rushed over to give him a hug.
And then madness ensued at midfield.
“It’s surreal,” Max said.
“It doesn’t even feel real,” Mason added.
And now they’ll bring the celebration — and the trophy — back to the familiar confines of Devils Lake.
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