Photo by Cameron Carlson
FARGO — Thomas Allmaras made the catch that sealed the deal.
Up 22-0 at the half, New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock had let LaMoure-Litchville/Marion creep back in it. A rematch of last year’s nine-man title game — between two powerhouse offenses — had been a defensive battle in the first quarter, before the Rockets lit up the scoreboard in the second.
But Allmaras did what he’s done all year: step up when the situation calls for it. Allmaras wasn’t even a starter on last year’s championship team. He’s done a ton for this Rockets squad, whether it’s on offense, defense or special teams.
“We practice all the time,” Allmaras said. “We were running routes, one-on-ones, all the time. Credit to our coaches for doing that stuff.”
Allmaras sprinted into the end zone by the left sideline. He anticipated the throw from senior quarterback Easton Simon, who converted the final touchdown of his storied high school football career.
“I was so jacked up,” Allmaras said. “It was awesome.”
Allmaras also caught the two-point conversion pass. The Rockets led 38-16 with just 5:56 on the clock.
Hugs and cheers already began commencing on the sideline. The Rockets knew they’d won it.
In the end, NR-S/M beat L-L/M 38-22 at the Fargodome on Friday in Dakota Bowl XXXII. It was the squad’s 25th consecutive victory dating back to last season. The Rockets became the fourth team to ever win nine-man state titles in back-to-back years, joining Cavalier, Linton/HMB and New England/Regent. It was the third state championship in NR-S history — and for Elliott Belquist, in his 17th year as head coach.
Belquist was named Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
But the way they won this one was a little different. In an unfamiliar turn of events for a team averaging over 60 points per game, it was a 0-0 first quarter.
“They did a nice job of changing things around, moving guys, and it was hard for us to get a read on what they were doing,” Belquist said. “We just knew we had to stick with it, not panic, play our game style and we’re gonna find some plays that work eventually.”
Simon unleashed a 55-yard pass to Grant Engebretson on the second play of the game. But the Rockets couldn’t capitalize after three straight incomplete passes, and they turned it over on downs at their own six-yard line.
The Loboes couldn’t score on their only full possession of the first quarter. Vaunted running back Gunner Thielges made six carries for 32 yards, but the Rockets forced a punt near midfield.
Simon startled to settle in on the Rockets’ second drive. He converted seven complete passes in a row, getting the ball past midfield. But Jackson Schumacher and Simon were each tackled for loss, and NR-S/M had to punt.
In a duel between teams that had each averaged around 60 points a game, neither cracked the scoreboard in the first quarter.
“We knew they were a good team — the best team we’ve seen all year,” Simon said. “And we just had to stick to the game plan, come out, do what we do, and we were gonna score some points.”
The Rockets pulled out some wrinkles in the second quarter. Simon threw to Allmaras, who made a lateral flip to Engebretson for a 17-yard gain. Engebretson and Schumacher secured first downs.
Simon, calm and cool as he’s been all season, threw to Allmaras in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. After Easton Benz caught the two-point conversion pass, the Rockets led 8-0 with 6:52 left in the first half.
Then the Rockets went back to one of their secret weapons that benefited them in the earlier playoff rounds.
Schumacher executed an onside kick to perfection. Benz recovered it to keep the momentum riding in NR-S/M’s favor.
“These ones, we actually tried,” Belquist joked about his team’s onside kicks. “Some of those in the postseason, we weren’t trying so much for. But yeah, it’s something we practiced all week. We knew we weren’t gonna kick it deep to Gunner.”
And the Rockets capitalized. Engebretson flew across the middle and snatched a pass from Simon. He was down just short of the goal line, but Allmaras carried in the final yard on the next play. The Rockets grabbed a two-score lead, 14-0, with 4:14 to go.
Two plays later, Schumacher grabbed an interception. Simon made a 12-yard pass to Allmaras, along with passes of 18 and nine yards to Benz, to find the end zone again.
Everything was coming up Rockets. It was 22-0 at the half. The Loboes entered the locker room looking confused, frustrated and disgruntled.
Thielges, their star running back who’s set to play in the Fargodome for North Dakota State next year, had just 33 rushing yards in the first half.
“We came into this game thinking we weren’t even gonna stop him,” Allmaras said.
Thielges more than doubled his yardage for the game on the first play of the second half. He ran 42 yards from around midfield. Quarterback Mason Warcken ran in the final three yards to get L-L/M on the board.
After a three-and-out by the Rockets, the Loboes drove the ball for the next six minutes. They converted on fourth and 11 with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Logan Potts.
Thielges ran in for the two-point conversion. All of a sudden, the score was 22-16.
But the Rockets capped the third quarter on a positive note. Allmaras caught a deep 33-yard pass, and Schumacher scored a six-yard rushing touchdown.
Benz caught the two-point pass to make it 30-16.
On one of the last moments of hope for the Loboes, Chaztin Wobbema tackled Avery Kramer for a loss. The Rockets forced a turnover on downs early in the fourth quarter.
And Allmaras’s third touchdown put the game on ice.
Simon, despite a scoreless first quarter, ended up casually throwing for 405 yards. It brought him to 3,622 for the season after nearly 3,000 as a junior.
Engebretson and Allmaras led NR-S/M in receiving yards with 167 and 122, respectively.
Thielges had just 97 total rushing yards. Schumacher led the Rockets with 6.5 tackles, while Wobbema had 5.5 and Benz had 4.5.
“Phenomenal,” Belquist said of the defense. “The front seven, they played their tails off there. … Guys got to the ball. Guys believed in what Coach [Reed] Weisenburger was calling on defense. And they knew the game plan. They studied it. And they executed.”
The celebrations for NR-S/M weren’t flashy or explosive. There was, overall, a sense of gratitude amidst the sideline, with the sense that they could rightfully hold their heads high — knowing they accomplished something few nine-man football teams in North Dakota ever have.
The Loboes did add one more touchdown, on a short run by Warcken. But the Rockets got the ball back and cruised all the way home to victory.
For some, the 25-game winning streak will be waiting for them next fall.
For others, they got to finish on as high of a peak as one gets.
“It’s something I’m never going to forget,” Simon said. “It’s going to be in history forever.”
