North Dakota 11AAA Championship Preview

FARGO, ND-- We are about to watch in t-minus one hour a battle of the best offense in 11AAA in Fargo Shanley square off against the best defense in 11AAA in Minot. In now our 4th year covering the Dakotas and the state championship games in North Dakota 11AAA, I do not think I have ever seen a more stacked group of under the radar talent from both teams than what I see from these 2024 classes from these two teams. I can't wait to watch it, and to prep yourself for the game here is my 11AAA preview for tonight's action at the FargoDome.   Fargo Shanley Deacons (11-0) vs. Minot Magicians (10-1)   Fargo Shanley, Quick Notes:   <ul> <li>The Deacons by far have the most proficient offense in 11AAA, averaging 48.5 points per game which leads 11AA by just under two touchdowns.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>No team passes the ball more in 11AAA than the Deacons, as they are averaging a whopping 376 passing yards per game which is led by senior quarterback Landon Meier with 38 passing touchdowns thus far this season.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Their defense is led by MSU-Moorhead commit Kaden Christmann who logged 72 tackles on the season including 5 for a loss/sacks on the season at the linebacker position.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>I know for a fact in my years of scouting the Dakotas that I have never seen a program with TWO wide receivers over 1000+ yards receiving in a season which Fargo Shanley got from seniors Sam Ovsak and Jordan Leininger who I will mention are still uncommitted in the 2024 class.</li> </ul>   Deacons to Know:   Jordan Leininger, WR/LB (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanLein14">Twitter</a>   Jordan is a wide receiver prospect in the North Dakota 2024 class that I am kicking myself I didn't have on my radar sooner. At 6'1 200 pounds, Jordan has excellent hands and an intriguing catch radius that can go up and get the ball out of nowhere as he consistently shows on tape from his senior season. The physical stature and chip on the shoulder mentality that Jordan brings on both sides of the is evident. Jordan certainly is an athlete on both sides of the ball that has excellent instincts that is well deserving of playing on Saturdays.   Luke Rogen, OL (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogenLuke">Twitter</a>   A 2024 offensive guard that is a senior bloomer I am excited to watch 6'4 275 pounds offensive linemen Luke Rogen tonight at the FargoDome. Luke shows off a well-balanced bend and is vicious at the point of attack and can commonly get into the second level with his proficient pad-level and punch. I also like how well Luke uses his vision as well, as you can tell when he gets up field he uses that vision and football IQ to suit the best angle on his blocks. Although he is a late-bloomer in the 2024 class that popped out after our 2024 rankings come out, the college programs have taken notice in the Midwest, however I still feel he is sufficiently an under the radar target especially in the Northern Sun.   Landon Meier, QB (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/landon_meier">Twitter </a>   Replacing a North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year in Michael Rostberg is no small task, but Landon logged a colossal of a season as a senior, logging 54 total touchdowns (38 pass, 16 rush) which certainly are video game numbers to me. Landon has captivating precision especially on his intermediate routes which he has shown fluidly all year long for Fargo Shanley. Not only was he progressive passing the ball this year, he also showed off great perception running the football and although he broke some big runs on tape I thought he was very patient with his athleticism. Excited to see if Landon and the Deacons can continue throttling with their raging offense in tonight's state championship game. Yet another under the radar 2024 prospect to know for Fargo Shanley.   Sam Ovsak, WR (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/OvsakSam">Twitter</a>   Have I mentioned yet how under recruited these Deacons are yet? Their top 2024 wide receiver in Sam Ovsak smashed plenty of state records this season as the leader of this Shanley receiving core. Sam is an agile wide receiver that I feel certainly shows off the springs in his legs on intermediate and deep routes. He also has some great bases of route-creativity with his route running, as his versatility is such an asset in space with his well built vision. Somehow someway, Sam still does not have his first offer yet which is one of the biggest surprises I have with this North Dakota 2024 class as he and would be in my "offer now" category.   Minot, Quick Notes:   <ul> <li>While the Deacons are the most efficent offensive team in 11AAA, the Magicians are the most efficent defenses in 11AAA giving up only just over 10 points per game defensively.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>This will be the first matchup the season between the Magicians and the Deacons, which in a state championship setting with that first quick note is setup to be a good one.</li> </ul>   <ul> <li>Minot's rushing attack really intrigues me as senior Tyson Ruzicka and junior Griffin Broderick were a couple of my favorite RB prospects from the NDSU and UND prospect camps over the summer.</li> </ul>   Magicians to Know:   Tyson Ruzicka, RB/DB (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/TysonRuzicka">Twitter</a>   The Magicians 1000-yard rusher has a smooth running ability and can shift really well with his agility and long ranged burst to get into the open field with his elusive skillsets Tyson brings to the table. Watching Tyson on tape, I can see that he plays with much longer strides than his measurables will show off, as he logged 8.4 yards per carry during the 2023 season with his ability to stretch the field. It seems like we are finding tons of under the radar talent playing in this 11AAA state championship game, as Tyson is another NSIC target that needs more attention from the Dakotas schools for sure but would be an excellent fit at hometown Minot State.   Logan Conklin, WR (2024) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoganConklin13">Twitter</a>   Logan is a pass-catcher that has plenty of size at his disposal to use for his advantage at 6'4 in high-traffic areas, as he shows off ample balance on tape around the edges of the field. Not only do I love this young man's vertical, Logan is fluid with rotating his hands quickly to the ball as he shows a great football IQ with how efficiently he brings the ball to his chest. How Logan just has one local offer is another 2024 prospect that just baffles me as I see Logan as one of the top ranked wide receivers in the North Dakota 2024 class and is still a hidden gem.   Michael George, LB (2024)   Michael intrigues me in tonight's game with how much pep he has in his step off the snap, as he has a quick first step and has plenty of upside in pass coverage that I hope to watch in tonight's game. Constantly on tape, Michael plays with such an excellent downhill presence when attacking the backfield as leaving this young man unblocked along the edges should be well-noted by the Magicians opponent in the Deacons in this game. Michael to me would be a really solid small school fit at linebacker for the next-level as a young man that is a flyer to the Minot defense and is one to watch fly around tonight. He had the highest tackle for a loss/sacks stats as well for the Magicians.   Griffin Broderick, RB/LB (2025) <a href="https://twitter.com/GriffinBrod23">Twitter</a>   One of my favorite running backs in the 2025 classes is Minot's Griffin Broderick and one that was a prospect camp standout in my time at the North Dakota camp in Grand Forks this summer. Griffin's durability is built like a Division I running back in my eyes at 6'0 220 pounds and shows off every ounce of adaptable force he has in the reps you see on tape. I love Griffin's efficiency with his downhill running competence as an excellent one cut-back that makes a ton of noise with just how agile he is with his size that fits so well already for the next-level. I am excited to see what tonight brings for Griffin and the Magicians as this young man is going to be a special prospect in this North Dakota 2025 class.

FARGO, ND-- We are about to watch in t-minus one hour a battle of the best offense in 11AAA in Fargo Shanley square off against the best defense in 11AAA in Minot. In now our 4th year covering the Dakotas and the state championship games in North Dakota 11AAA, I do not think I have ever seen a more stacked group of under the radar talent from both teams than what I see from these 2024 classes from these two teams. I can't wait to watch it, and to prep yourself for the game here is my 11AAA preview for tonight's action at the FargoDome.