BEK Football Friday Preview: Top-5 Clash Headlines Schedule
This week's BEK broadcast features three high school football games, including a top-5 Class 3A matchup between Mandan and Davies in Fargo. In addition, newly-ranked South Border will face their rival Napoleon, and LaMoure-LM aims to recover from a previous loss in their game against Enderlin.
Mandan @ Fargo Davies – 7:00 PM on BEK TV
After both teams reached the state semifinals last year, Mandan and Fargo Davies will clash in a season-opening blockbuster Friday night.
Despite losing several key players to graduation, each of these teams were picked to finish first in their respective conferences by the preseason coaches’ polls. The Braves stand in third place in the Class 3A polls while the Eagles sit in fifth.
Mandan won last year’s season-opener by a score of 34-26 and all signs point to a similarly tight affair. Quarterback play will be a huge factor -- Mandan’s Hudsen Sheldon and Davies’ Gage Brewer combined to throw just 15 passes last season. Each will have big shoes to fill in their first starts under center.
South Border @ Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter – 7:00 PM on BEK Sports 2
Ranked fifth in the latest 9A poll, coach Evan Mellmer has the South Border Mustangs clicking on all cylinders. They will travel to face the rival Imperials of Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter on BEK Sports 2 this Friday.
The Mustangs are led by all-state linebacker Daniel Schumacher – a dominant force in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Along with two other returning linemen, Schumacher sets the tone for the very physical brand of football that South Border plays.
Running back Connor Kosiak returns from injury to join Cole Stock, a backfield tandem that churned over 300 yards in their season-opening win over Beach.
Napoleon-GS was hit hard by the injury bug last year, contributing to their uncharacteristic 3-5 record. 16th year head coach Kelly McCleary made the switch to a double-winged offensive set in the offseason, but it was the Imperials defense that came up clutch in a 14-12 win over Hettinger County on Saturday. All-state WR/DB Trevor Moos broke a 70-yard touchdown run in the victory and will need to play a big role if the Imperials pull the upset Friday.
Enderlin @ LaMoure-Litchville/Marion – 7:00 PM on BEK Sports 3
A perennial powerhouse in 9-Man football, the LaMoure-LM Loboes will look for their first win of 2023 on Friday night. Coach Andy DelaBarre’s team dropped their season opener to Sargent County 59-28 – showing the difficulty of replacing the large senior class they lost in the offseason.
Sophomore quarterback Gunner Thielges offers a glimpse into an optimistic future for the Loboes. He accounted for all four of their touchdowns last week, including two passes, a rush, and a kickoff return. Behind an offensive line that added some size in the offseason, he can help LaMoure pick up where they left off.
Coach Beau Diegel’s Enderlin Eagles are looking to turn momentum around after a 46-6 loss to former Co-Op partner Maple Valley. In his first season, Diegel inherits a program that has lost eight straight games. Led by sophomore quarterback Karson Gruba, they are hoping to build a culture of effort and toughness throughout the season.
