If you were looking for a predictable finish to the North Dakota high school football season, you probably weren't paying attention. The 2025 playoffs felt like a fever dream. Honestly, the 2025 Dakota Bowl XXXIII wasn't just about crowning champions; it was about watching the established order in the Peace Garden State get flipped on its head.
We saw titans stumble and perennial underdogs finally kick the door down.
Why North Dakota Prep Football Scores Felt Different This Year
The scores coming out of the Fargodome this past November tell a story of high-octane offenses and some of the most physical defensive stands we've seen in a decade. Gone are the days when you could bet the house on the West Region dominating the 3A bracket. This year, the East didn't just show up; they took over.
Fargo Davies didn't just win; they dismantled the competition. Their 41-19 victory over Bismarck Century in the 3A final was a statement. For years, Century has been the "big bad" of the 3A world, but Davies found a rhythm that the Patriots simply couldn't touch. It wasn't just a win—it was a 22-point gap that left a lot of people in Bismarck scratching their heads.
The Class 2A Shootout: Devils Lake vs. Minot North
If you love defense, the 2A final probably made you a little twitchy. Devils Lake and Minot North put on a clinic in "not giving up." The final score of 39-34 in favor of Devils Lake was a back-and-forth thriller that came down to the final possessions.
Minot North, the "Sentinels," have been the talk of the state lately as the new kids on the block. They fought hard. But Devils Lake had that veteran composure. The Firebirds found a way to bridge the gap in the fourth quarter, proving that playoff experience usually trumps hype.
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Class A and the 9-Man Chaos
Class A felt like a foregone conclusion to some, but the game was tighter than the scoreboard looks. Langdon Area-Munich took down Bottineau 29-14. Langdon is basically a factory for championship trophies at this point, yet Bottineau made them work for every single yard in that first half.
Then you have the 9-man game. New Rockford-Sheyenne-Maddock (NRSM) walked away with a 38-22 win over LaMoure-Litchville-Marion.
9-man football in North Dakota is basically "basketball on grass." It’s fast. It’s high-scoring. It’s also where you see some of the gutsiest coaching calls. NRSM played a fearless brand of football that most 11-man coaches wouldn't dare try.
Beyond the Scoreboard: The Names You Need to Know
While everyone tracks the north dakota prep football scores on Friday nights, the actual stories are in the stats. Kolten Tesch was named the North Dakota Player of the Year for a reason. His ability to manipulate the pocket and find windows that shouldn't exist is why he's the top name in the state right now.
Other standout performers from the 2025 cycle include:
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- Hudson Rietschel (Northern Cass): Topped the charts with over 1,700 passing yards.
- Charlie Yon (Thompson): A rushing machine with over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.
- Zade Heier (Oakes): Led the state in receiving yards and total points, a rare feat for a wideout.
It’s easy to look at a final score and think you know the game. You don't. You didn't see Cash Danner from Thompson racking up 106 tackles. Those are the "invisible" stats that keep a team in the hunt when the offense is struggling.
Common Misconceptions About ND High School Football
People from outside the Midwest think North Dakota football is just "three yards and a cloud of dust." That is so incredibly wrong.
Actually, the shift toward spread offenses has hit the NDHSAA hard. Even in the smaller divisions, you see sophisticated RPO (Run-Pass Option) schemes that wouldn't look out of place on a Saturday afternoon in the Big Ten. The speed of the game has increased. The players are bigger. The coaching is more analytical than it was even five years ago.
Another myth is that the Bismarck schools always have the advantage because of their size. While Bismarck High and Century are always in the mix, the 2025 season showed that Fargo and the surrounding areas have closed the gap. The parity in Class 3A right now is the best it's been in twenty years.
Tracking Results in Real-Time
If you’re trying to keep up with these games in 2026 and beyond, you've gotta know where to look. MaxPreps is the standard for raw data, but it doesn't always capture the "soul" of the game.
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For the real-time updates and the "inside baseball" of North Dakota prep football scores, local sources like KFGO or the NDHSAA’s official portal are your best bets. They’re the ones on the sidelines when it’s 10 degrees out and the wind is ripping across the prairie at 30 miles per hour.
Moving Forward into the 2026 Season
Now that the dust has settled on the 2025 Dakota Bowl, the focus shifts to the juniors who are about to become the leaders of their respective programs.
Expect Minot North to be a massive problem for the rest of Class 2A next year. They’ve tasted the championship atmosphere, and they’re returning a core group that isn't going to be satisfied with a runner-up trophy. In Class 3A, watch out for West Fargo Horace. They showed flashes of brilliance in 2025 and are poised to be the next big breakout team.
To stay ahead of the curve, you should start scouting the Region 1 and Region 2 schedules as they are released this spring. Pay close attention to the transfer portal—yes, even high school ball has a version of it now with families moving for better opportunities—and keep an eye on the summer camp circuits in Fargo and Grand Forks. The work for the 2026 championship starts in the weight room this January.