North Dakota 11AA Week 5 Preview/Midseason Superlatives

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We scanned thru the Power Scores from last week to this week to see what changed by the numbers and gave out some players to watch, and game previews on each squad. Plus, we had to dish out Week 5 superlatives and being we are at the midseason point, Midseason Superlatives as well!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>By the Numbers </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We tell you too who moved up and down in the team rankings from last week</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#1/#1 Kindred (4-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Up one spot in the 11AA rankings and up three spots in the overall team rankings. Now the #1 ranked team in state in all divisions. Might I have to add, this is their FIRST year in 11AA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#2/#2 Minot North (4-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Down one spot in 11AA rankings and did not move in overall power rankings. One of the most interesting moves in the power scores this week as both the Vikings and Sentinels handled business last week against similar opponents strength of schedule wise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#3/#4 Grand Forks Central (4-0)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 4-0 team that not a lot of folks in the media are talking about is Grand Forks Central. Did not move in 11AA rankings this week and are trending up five spots from last week in the state power rankings. They have a favorable scheudle until Week 7 and Week where they will face new 11AA members Kindred and Central Cass back to back but what needs to be factored is both those games are at home at Cushman Field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"16px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:16px"><strong>#4/#18 Central Cass (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Central Cass is an interesting one that showed no movement in either the 11AA rankings or the overall state power rankings. They face Wahpeton (0-4) this week in which I would expect big stat lines from Montana Tech RB commit [player_tooltip player_id='929959' first='Colton' last='Cruchet'] and 2027 quarterback Brady Kegley with a stacked offensive line with two next-level commits, 2026 #1 ranked prospect [player_tooltip player_id='1112591' first='Aiden' last='Wunderlich'] (North Dakota) and top 15 ranked [player_tooltip player_id='675358' first='Evan' last='Wiersma'] (MSU-Moorhead).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#5/#21 Devils Lake (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll say it the sleeper thru the first four weeks has been the Devils Lake Firebirds who moved up one spot in the 11AA team rankings and three spots in state from their win over Fargo South last week. I am intrigued by their offensive line which features [player_tooltip player_id='1314674' first='Casey' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1259264' first='Carter' last='Christensen'] which both have overwhelming size.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#6/#28 Watford City (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Watford moved down one spot to #6 in the 11AA team rankings and also down seven spots in the overall rankings. Always been a team that is hard to unpack via tape, but they feature Minot State offensive line commit [player_tooltip player_id='1590721' first='Thaydan' last='Arnold'] who is ranked in our top 25 overall in our 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#7/#32 Grand Forks Red River (2-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Roughriders are the biggest stockrisers this week in our power rankings, sitting up three spots in 11AA and 11 spots in the overall team poll. They get a home game tilt against #1 Kindred tonight in Grand Forks. I'll be intrigued watching the quaterback battle in this one, which features Uncommitted 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1422613' first='Gabe' last='Whipple'] of Kindred versus 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1625519' first='Reese' last='Walters'] of Grand Forks Red River.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#8/#38 Dickinson (1-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dickinson just moved down one spot after a two touchdown loss to Central Cass last week. Their matchup this week in Watford City is an interesting one, as the Wolves have the win/loss advantage but I feel the Mavericks have the better roster. College coaches should watch more of [player_tooltip player_id='1407865' first='Dylan' last='Glasser'] in this matchup.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#9/#40 Bismarck St. Mary's (1-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A team that we said would be "<strong>winless no more</strong>" last week was Bismarck St. Mary's as they lived up to that prediction in a 34-14 road win over Wahpeton. With the win, the Saints move up two spots from last week in the 11AA poll and up eight spots in the overall state poll. Their game at home tonight in Bismarck against Minot North (4-0) features tons of Prep Redzone Dakotas ranked prospects on both sides. The x-factor for the Saints? [player_tooltip player_id='1314732' first='Beckett' last='Price']. I will be interested to see if the Minot North linebackers will be able to slow down our RB1 in the 2027 class in the Dakotas.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#10/#42 Fargo South (1-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bruins move down two spots in the 11AA poll from last week and down five spots in the overall state poll. They have a meat-grinder of a next three games with #3 ranked Grand Forks Central (4-0). They have an intriguing WR duo that both 2026s are still uncomitted in [player_tooltip player_id='1468528' first='Amari' last='Taylor'] and camp season stockriser Kobe Siemers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#11/#45 Jamestown (1-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blue Jays are down two spots in11AA this week and five spots in the overall North Dakota football poll. They head to Devils Lake (3-1) tonight as I would expect them to rely on the running game behind <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='929965' first='Liam' last='Frey']</strong> who was an impressive local name at the Jamestown Jimmies camp this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#12/#51 Wahpeton (0-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The last winless team in 11AA the Wahpeton Huskies although the good news is in the polls, there wasn't much movement as they stayed in the same spot in 11AA and only moved down one spot in 11AA. They are another 11AA school that has a gaulet these next two weeks. On the road twice, tonight at Central Cass and next Friday at Grand Forks Central. The bright spot I know for sure with this Huskies team likely has been [player_tooltip player_id='1226690' first='Luke' last='Anderson'], who is one of the biggest sleepers in the trenches in this North Dakota 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Midseason and Week 5 11AA Superlatives</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Surprise Team Thus Far</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Devils Lake (3-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Firebirds have been towards the bottom of 11AA for most of the years we have been around in the Dakotas but this year they have turned the corner. They also have impact players on both sides of the ball, including uncommitted 2026 quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='1568605' first='Mason' last='Palmer'] who has been an x-factor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Best Game/Biggest Upset</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kindred beating 11AAA West Fargo Horace in Week 2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's flashback for a second to last winter at the state championships at the FargoDome. We saw Kindred as runner ups in 11A and West Fargo Horace winning their first ever state title in 11AA. Both teams have been regulated up a division with the Vikings now in 11AA and the Hawks in 11AAA. We know that Kindred has had a factory of athletes for the last handful of years, but to beat a team on the road at their place in Week 2 in what was a close 34-32 win is very impressive. Being that these two schools are just 20 minutes apart, my question is could we see this as a future rivalry? I would love to see these two on the schedule every season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Under the Radar 2026 Recruits Still Uncommitted</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1468528' first='Amari' last='Taylor'], WR, Fargo South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kobe Siemers, WR, Fargo South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1226689' first='Henry' last='Agray'], LB, Fargo South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1226690' first='Luke' last='Anderson'], OL/DL, Wahpeton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1161045' first='Roman' last='Barnes'], OL, Bismarck St. Mary's</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1407843' first='Dominic' last='Zander'], WR, Bismarck St. Mary's</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1590681' first='Brady' last='Ruggles'], WR, Bismarck ST. Mary's </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1222777' first='Brayden' last='Blikre'], ATH, Minot North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1422613' first='Gabe' last='Whipple'], QB/DB, Kindred</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1222779' first='Tanon' last='Johnson'], LB, Kindred</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1407865' first='Dylan' last='Glasser'], WR/DB, Dickinson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Biggest Lock</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Grand Forks Central over Fargo South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Most Interesting Games</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jamestown at #4 Devills Lake</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>RV Watford City at Dickinson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>State Championship Prediction</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kindred vs. Minot North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-One of these teams is going to win their first state championship in 11AA. It's early, but if I picked a winner right at this given moment it's the <strong>Kindred Vikings</strong>. Oddly enough, these two also do not play eachother during the regular season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->