Oct. 12: Devils Lake (6) at West Fargo (52)

Another game, another blowout.

I sure can pick 'em.

That's seven weeks in a row where the game has been a yawner.

So this is why most Fargo football stadiums don't have visitor-side bleachers...

On paper, this one didn't look that bad -- 5-3 West Fargo vs. 3-5 Devils Lake. On paper, skills don't really show. West Fargo definitely had superior skills.

My wife and I hung out long enough to watch the Packers' burly running back, Preston Lehmann, score five touchdowns. Then we left. That was at halftime.

All kinds of questions came out of watching the Packers do their work. For example -- why was Fargo, 9-12 student population of about 2,000, playing Devils Lake, 9-12 student population of about 500? Why is North Dakota's classification system set up like that? Why is West Fargo the only school in the area to have two-legged goalposts? And, if I ever have children, could I see returning to these bleachers in 18 (or 20 or 25) years to watch MY son playing for what is now my home-area school?

As I bring this venture to a close, the one thing that sticks out to me is how unlucky I was -- the scores of the eight metro games I attended this year, in order, were 21-20, 47-7, 66-7, 35-0, 50-20, 35-20, 47-12 and now 52-6.

Unfortunately, the gameday atmosphere at five of the eight F-M metro stadiums was not enough to make sticking around all that interesting. The three stadiums I found most interesting were, perhaps not coincidentally, the three smallest schools: Fargo Shanley, Fargo Oak Grove and Moorhead Park Christian. The five large metros -- Fargo North, Fargo South, Fargo Davies, West Fargo and Moorhead -- all had their quirks, but none of the five really stood out as truly interesting or unique settings for high school football games.

All five followed the same basic template -- metal bleachers stacked next to the school. None of the five seemed to have any sort of deeper tie to the community around it. I suppose what bothered me about each one of the fields was that I could feel no sense of history at any of them. I couldn't tell if those fields had been there five years or 50. And the metal bleachers and chain-link fence gave me the feeling that those stands could be torn down and the field moved within a day or two, if needed.

Shanley nearly followed this template, as well, but broke from the mold with some brick work (or faux brick, but does it matter?) on the outside of its stadium and with artificial turf on its field. Those quirks helped set the Shanley stadium apart and give it at least some semblance of permanence. I liked that.

The two small schools actually did the best. The Park Christian field -- new this year, as I understand it -- was anchored on the far side by large trees befitting a school with the word "Park" in its name. The stands were still metal, but at least the field had an ambiance built into its setting.

And I've already talked about Oak Grove's setting. I just wish I had been there on a warmer night.

My eight-week excursion into the Fargo-Moorhead football scene, though, has been worth it. I feel more connections to the community I now call my home. I feel I understand better what Fargo folks value, and what they appreciate, and what they reject.

Of course, no matter how disappointing the games, or the stadiums, the players themselves never disappointed -- just as always.

--patrick

Oct. 5: Fargo South (47) at Fargo Davies (12)

Eighty-seven seconds.

Fargo South only needed that much time to let everyone at Davies Field know they were silly for coming out on such a cold and wet night.

The Bruins were going to beat Fargo Davies. They were going to beat the Eagles by a lot. They were going to keep rolling, the second-ranked team in North Dakota's big-school classification, by beating a team barely a couple years past the imagination stage.

At first I was like...

With wind chills hovering at about 20 degrees all game long, and with a steady snow expected to arrive sometime during the night, the message was pretty clear: This one's over.

Zach Reich's touchdown run just 87 seconds into the game was all the Bruins needed to let everyone know this game was merely a cold, wet formality to putting another notch in their win column.

And yet, a devoted fan base -- not more than maybe 400 people, both schools, combined, in the Davies bleachers, significantly down from the number that filled South's stadium last week for the Bruins' game with West Fargo -- stayed.

The crowd there at the beginning of the game was the crowd there at the end. Cold, snow, wind? A North Dakota high school football fan fears not these things.

 And then I was all...

With apologies to Davies fans and players, everyone on the field and in the stands had a pretty good idea of how this one was going to turn out. Even so, the fans stayed. After 87 seconds, after Davies fumbled away possession on its third offensive play of the game, after South recovered a squib kick after its second touchdown, after a Davies shanked punt gave the ball to South on the Eagle 22-yard line and South's James Johannesson scored on the next play to make it 26-0 midway through the second quarter, after halftime when the snowflakes started to fall, after the third quarter when the snow REALLY started coming down and the wind out of the north made passing the ball an awkward afterthought, after sleet started building up on the bleachers and seeping through shoes and coffee and hot chocolate no longer did enough to prevent toes from going numb, the fans stayed. 

Random observations: Not many. Too busy trying to stay warm. ... I did notice the Davies PA announcer has an amazing voice. Don't know the dude's name, but he has to have some kind of broadcasting background. Any Davies fans who can fill me in?

Next week: Devils Lake at West Fargo. First home game I'll see for my hometown Packers.

--patrick

Sept. 28: West Fargo (20) at Fargo South (35)

Some football games are absolutely unforgettable.

Friday's game between West Fargo and Fargo South was not one of those games.

Not close enough to be exciting, not decisive enough to be a blowout, the game between the Packers and Bruins was, quite frankly, forgettable.

But some moments stood out, most of them unrelated to the action on the field:

• The Fargo South field apparently sits in the flight path for airplanes approaching Fargo's airport from the south. At least three airplanes flew over the field at low altitude and low speed. The first one came midway through the first quarter; we just figured the flyover was about 15 minutes late.
• I finally figured out why the opposing student sections always wear hunter orange when their teams play against South (I saw this with North's student body in the North-South game and with West Fargo's student section -- on South's home field, no less -- on Friday). They're hunting for bear.
• A classy move by the small Fargo South pep band, which played the fight songs of both schools prior to kickoff. And another metro school joins the "On Wisconsin" bandwagon, as South fans stood and clapped for the Badgers' traditional song.
• For the first time in, maybe ever, I saw two large schools "tunnel up" for starting lineups on the 50-yard line. Normally, with large schools, starting lineups are done from opposing end zones so the teams' tunnels don't run into each other at midfield. West Fargo and South almost joined to form one tunnel on Friday.
• As far as actual gameplay, only one play stood out in my mind. That came in the first half. Late in the second quarter, trailing 21-0, the Packers crossed midfield for the first time in the game. On their first play on the opposing side of the 50, they fumbled, and South recovered. That about summed it up. 

Proof I was there

As I left midway through the fourth quarter, with South leading 35-8, I reminded myself of several things -- one, it was a beautiful, calm, temperate fall evening; two, I got to spend quality time with my wife; three, I got to see at least one play that at least one person will never forget for the rest of their life. Who that is and what that play is, I have no idea, but every game has a moment that someone never forgets. In this case, though, I'll be hard pressed to remember anything I saw last Friday a week from now....

Next week: Fargo South at Fargo Davies.

--patrick

Sept. 21: Northern Cass (50) at Fargo Oak Grove (20)

The Oak Grove football field is barely visible from a block away, even with the lights on.

As spectators walk toward the field from the parking lot, though, the scene unfolds like something from a movie.

With the school on the hill in the background and the Red River of the North flowing only about 30 yards from the visitor's bench, the Grovers' field seems perfectly placed.

And then there are the trees. Oh, the trees. The trees that help give the Oak Grove school its name. The trees that line the river and surround the field, giving the spot of green grass protection and sanctuary.

In short, Oak Grove Lutheran School has one of the most beautiful high school football fields I have ever seen.

The setting helps Oak Grove overcome the limitations tied to being a small school -- limited seating, scruffy grass, particle-board press box. In some ways, the limitations make the field even more charming and give it the character that makes it unique.

Such beauty comes with a price.

For the past couple seasons, the Grovers have played their home games across the river on a college field in Moorhead after their home field was severely damaged by consistent flooding from the Red River.

The Grovers almost gave up on having a home field. But with a mild winter followed by a dry spring and summer, the Grovers decided to try again and brought their home field back to life.

In so many ways, the refurbished field is perfect for the high school game. One such way is how the field is more or less an extension of Oak Grove Park, which hugs a bend in the Red River, separating Fargo from Moorhead and North Dakota from Minnesota. The park is, of course, filled with river-lining trees, trees that give way only for frisbee golf and football. Never mind the falling leaves; the cleats can handle them.

The hidden nature of the field, too, fits the feel of the school, as well. It almost feels like a rite of passage just to find the school, then reassure yourself you are in the right place, even though those Friday night lights aren't really visible behind the trees that protect the field. 

As nice as it might be for high school players to play on a college field, the Oak Grove home field has an ambiance few, if any, schools can match.

Even though the wind and chills of fall's first real cold front pushed us away from the field after halftime, I'm glad we had the chance to see such a beautiful sanctuary -- and feel incredibly fortunate that, thanks to mild and dry weather and the chutzpah of a group of dedicated Grover football supporters, the sanctuary exists at all.

Random observations: Trees don't really stop cold fronts all that well, hence our early exit. ... The wife was disappointed that the Grovers' colors weren't blue and red. ... Two words: mini donuts. ... I didn't mention it much, but the Oak Grove school campus is darn near as pretty as the school's football field. ... I've lived in Fargo for a little more than nine months, and I'm still blown away that I can sit on a football field and look across the way and see another state. Just like I'm still in awe a bit that when we go shopping, we cross the state line. ... Not too much to say about the game. It was 24-6 when we left at halftime. Northern Cass was quite good for its school size, while Oak Grove was competitive and won't be a pushover for anyone.

Next week: West Fargo at Fargo South.

--patrick

Sept. 14: Duluth Denfeld (0) at Moorhead (35)

Of the four stadiums I've seen so far in and around the Fargo area, the field at Moorhead High School has felt most like home.

Two pieces came together to form this at-home feel:

First, the Moorhead High band, after the Spuds' scores, played the school song, which is done to the tune of "On Wisconsin." The song is the same as that of my alma mater, Midwest (Wyo.) High School. Really, I didn't even listen to the words the Moorhead folks used; my mind was locked into the Oilers' version.

(By the way, I never noticed this until well into my 20s, but did you ever notice that in the animated version of "Robin Hood," Disney used a version of "On Wisconsin" during a football-esque Lady Kluck scene?)

Second, the field is oriented exactly on an east-west format -- just like Midwest, and unlike any other large metro school in the region. Moorhead Park Christian also has an east-west field, but the Falcons don't have lights, so the sun rarely comes in to play, at least in the way it does when one team goes into it and one team doesn't.

And the second one is much more important, because it actually affects how the game is played, especially in these early season games where the sun doesn't go down until long after kickoff.

Shinin' down on me, shinin' down on me...

Going into the sun is usually a disadvantage. When Midwest played at home early in the season, we tried to swing the flip so we could pick direction rather than possession and go with the sun at our backs in the first quarter.

Moorhead had no such problems, though. Before the sun went down, the Spuds -- going into the sun -- scored twice, effectively ending the competitive phase of the game against Duluth Denfeld. The sun finally sunk below the trees to the west at about 7:25 p.m. About a minute later, Moorhead's Chase Morlock ran about 50 yards for a score to put Moorhead up 21-0 with 1:25 to go in the first quarter.

Clearly, going into the sun isn't always a disadvantage.

Actually, once the sun went down, the game got downright boring. Moorhead scored twice more to make the final 35-0.

The Spuds are 3-0, off to one of their best starts in recent memory.

Maybe the home field has something to do with it.

Random observations: Two things made me not feel quite at home in Moorhead. First was what I'm unofficially dubbing "The World's Largest Outdoor Daycare," the patch of track and grass on the west end near the scoreboard. It seemed like the field tilted and everyone who didn't have the weight to hold on slipped down to that end of the stadium. The only way I can describe walking through that pack of children on my way out of the stadium is awkward. ... Second is the music, piped through the stadium speakers between pretty much every play. I've never hated the bass line to "Seven Nation Army" as much as I did on Friday. ... Props to the Spuds for the best team socks I've seen all year: black, with an orange stripe near the knee with a black block "M." They looked great in conjunction with Moorhead's black pants. Too often, teams put no thought into their team socks and it's always cool to see a school actually put some thought into it. ... I finally found a large-school stadium with visiting-side bleachers. About 10 Denfeld supporters made the trip across Minnesota to sit in those stands. ... Denfeld has an awesome nickname -- the Hunters. Fantastic.

Next week: Northern Cass at Fargo Oak Grove.

--patrick

Sept. 7: Fargo South (66) at Fargo North (7)

What time is it? Game time!

Midway through the third quarter of a blowout game, Dave Weiler and I lost track of the game.

Weiler's friend brought our attention back to the field with five words: "This is a big one."

The upcoming play had little outcome on the game -- by now, Fargo South was beating Fargo North 53-7. The Bruins, thanks in part to Weiler's sons Jacob and Josh, were going to win this one handily.

The "big one" in question was the fourth down South now faced. And rather than mess with a punt or try a risky play, South coach Troy Mattern sent Jacob Weiler out to try a 52-yard field goal.

The time was right for such a kick -- little risk, no wind, centered placement.

Never mind that Jacob Weiler had already put in a full day's work prior to the kick. And then some.

Jacob and Josh Weiler aren't just football players. They're soccer players, too. And in North Dakota, that means they split their time on two different teams.

Dave Weiler explained how it works -- most of the time, Jacob and Josh practice with the soccer team. About once a week, they come to football practice to work on special teams.

Most of the time, soccer games aren't scheduled for Friday nights, so Jacob, a senior, and Josh, a sophomore, can play games for both teams. For the football team, Jacob handles field goals and kickoffs while Josh handles extra points.

Soccer is the first priority, as Jacob Weiler is drawing interest from several college soccer programs, including a couple Division I schools. Football, however, is an opportunity neither Weiler wanted to give up.

Not every school does the double-dip, but Dave Weiler said the South coaches of both teams have been open to the idea and willing to work around his sons' schedules. So many things have to go right, and so many coaches and players have to coordinate, that Dave Weiler knows just how fortunate his sons are to have the chance. 

"It's a neat thing South does," he said. 

But on Friday, the South Bruin soccer team had a nonconference soccer match scheduled against Eden Prairie, Minn. The soccer game was scheduled for 5 p.m.; the football game, 7 p.m.

Dave Weiler said it was the first time the schedules had ever intersected. Most games are spread throughout the week, like the 1-1 tie game South had with West Fargo on Thursday night, in which Jacob Weiler scored the Bruins' only goal and, according to the tracker on his shoe, ran about eight and a half miles.

On Friday, Jacob Weiler, a central midfielder, scored a goal to help the Bruins beat Eden Prairie 4-2.

But as soon as the game was over -- even before the South squad got together for their postgame huddle -- the Weilers were gone, dad Dave, mom Paula, boys Jacob and Josh zooming across Fargo in the family car, off to the football game.

Try as they might, they couldn't get to North High School in time.

And when South scored the first touchdown of the game, the Bruins, minus their two kickers, elected to go for the two-point conversion.

The Weilers saw the touchdown; Jacob and Josh hustled as fast as they could, scampering onto the sidelines as the team lined up for the conversion. Although they didn't make it in time for the kick (and South converted anyway to take an 8-0 lead), Jacob did make it to the field in time for the subsequent kickoff.

That first kickoff wasn't great for Weiler's standards; it only reached to about the 10-yard line.

"He was worried he was going to get too tired," Dave Weiler admitted. 

But that kick came just after Jacob had finished running about five miles. After he had the chance to rest and regain his legs, he was fine.

With South scoring touchdowns seemingly at will, the senior had plenty of chances to swing his leg. Several kickoffs went into the end zone for touchbacks; a 41-yard field goal sailed through the uprights with ease. Josh added five extra points as the Bruins took a 46-7 halftime lead; Jacob's opening kickoff of the second half went eight yards deep into the end zone.

And then: the "big one."

After running more than five miles and scoring a goal in a soccer game that ended just a couple hours prior; after eight kickoffs and a 41-yard field goal; just barely a full day after a 8.5-mile soccer game against West Fargo; and, oh yeah, after a full day of school, Jacob Weiler lined up for a 52-yard field goal.

No problem.

The kick sailed over the crossbar, darn near down the middle, with about a yard or two to spare. Jacob Weiler had just set new South school record for longest field goal, breaking the old record by a full six yards. 

The score was now 56-7.

Dave Weiler let out a shout -- or, more specifically, several shouts -- that normally don't come attached to a late field goal in a blowout.

The shouts weren't for the score, though. It was the stress of multiple commitments, the hectic schedule of two teenage boys in two sports apiece, the adrenaline rush of a quick cross-town commute from one game to another, the opportunity few high school students have and even fewer attempt.

This was the moment that made it all worth it.

For the players and the parents.

Why not shout about that?

Random observations: The North football facility is really nice, if not a bit cramped. Do all Fargo fields eschew visitor-side bleachers? I guess I'll find out. Of course, the lack of visitor bleachers gave us a beautiful view of the North pool twisty blue water slide. ... From what I've seen, for the most part, Fargo is a city (and North Dakota is a state) where sportsmanship is not much of a worry. Everyone is pretty well-behaved. Even so, South's student section really got on North's players, specifically North quarterback Avery Thompson, in a way that made me uncomfortable. To Thompson's credit, he was the bigger man (at least from what I saw) than the fuzzy-hatted heckler in the South student section who was trying to pick on him. ... Full disclosure -- I left soon after the "big one." We just bought a house and I had left my wife alone cleaning the new house. I left at 56-7, but as I was driving away, I did notice the scoreboard had flipped over to 63-7. ... Depending on how I schedule the rest of my Fridays, I may not have the chance to see North again. Which is too bad. Even though the Spartans are 0-3, I see flashes of good things from that team and would like to see them again after they have a couple more weeks under their belts. That said, I know I will see South again, at least once more and maybe twice.

Next week: Duluth Denfield at Moorhead.

--patrick

Aug. 30: Goodridge-Grygla-Gatzke (47) at Moorhead Park Christian (7)

Found it!

Small-town football in the big city -- it exists at Park Christian School in Moorhead.

The Falcons, in just their second year as an independent program after breaking off a co-op with another private school, Oak Grove across the river in Fargo, play in the smallest division of Minnesota high school football.

Playing mostly against co-ops from Minnesota's small towns, the Falcons play nine-man football, an adaptation of the 11-man game that has five players on the line of scrimmage instead of seven.

I'm no stranger to nine-man -- my hometown, Midwest, Wyo., had nine-man football when I moved there in 1993, but the state eliminated the nine-man division after the 1994 season.

And since then, I've covered eight-man and six-man football games.

But it took a minute to get used to the nine-man version again.

Especially in a place I never expected to find it.

Want a front-row seat? Just stop by any time....

If not for the site of the occasional large passenger plane in the distance to the west, heading for the Fargo airport, the Park Christian field could be mistaken for being in any small town in the Midwest.

Its placement belies its place. Large trees block downtown Moorhead and the train tracks; the school itself blocks the view to the west and Fargo. Conversely, from the field, you see only the neighborhood in which Park Christian is situated.

Other factors give the new facility a small-town feel: no lights, no track, no chalk on the yard lines ending in 5 (only every 10th yard is chalked all the way across the field).

Those bits and pieces combine to make Park Christian an oasis of small-town football in the 200,000-person metro area of Fargo-Moorhead.

But, on the afternoon I watched the Falcons, small-town football belonged to the team that was actually from a small town. Er, three small towns: Goodridge, Grygla and Gatzke.

The GGG Chargers were the better team on this day, as senior running back Daniel Polansky ran up and down the field seemingly at will. His first touch of the afternoon was a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown.

Even so, after falling behind 26-0, the Falcons mounted a drive right before halftime, and Matt Moberg snagged a high, looping pass in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to cut the lead to 26-7 at the break.

Celebrating the touchdown.

Then, on Park Christian's first drive of the second half, the Falcons sustained a drive down the field and inched close to the goal line. But on fourth and goal from the seven, quarterback Simeon Reiswig was stopped at the 1-yard line.

GGG put together a 99-yard drive on its subsequent possession to go up 34-7, Park shanked a punt after a three-and-out on its next drive, and GGG's Daniel Polansky scooted about 50 yards on the first play after the punt.

Just like that, instead of 26-14, it was 41-7.

That's when I went home.

I missed the fourth quarter -- another GGG score made the final 47-7 -- but I didn't miss the things that made Park Christian unique in Fargo-area football.

Random observations: Another thing that gave away the big-city setting: three television cameras. When you play a 5 p.m. game on a Thursday, it makes for a little bit bigger than usual media contingent. ... One of the coolest things about the stadium were the end zone seats -- two small risers of metal bleachers right behind each goal post. ... A lot of small-town football has to do with what you hear. When someone boos, everyone is quick to turn and give the stink-eye; there's no anonymity in this crowd. You can also hear the players, coaches and officials talking. That's an insight into the game you don't get with larger schools.

Next week: Another intra-city Fargo rivalry game: North vs. South.

--patrick