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Magi football looks to stay hot against Legacy

Justin Martinez/MDN Senior wide receiver Jacob Schiele turns up the field during the Minot High football team's practice on Wednesday.

A lot has changed for the Minot High School football team since the last time it traveled to Bismarck.

The Magicians got exposed by Bismarck High on Sept. 7 at the MDU Resources Community Bowl. The Demons dominated the front line, reached the end zone at will and played lockdown football in a four-quarter thrashing.

By the time the game finally ended, the scoreboard read 42-7 in favor of Bismarck.

But the Magi bounced back from the crushing defeat the following week with a statement performance against Williston at home. Minot clobbered the Coyotes, 42-6, in a win that marked the team’s first conference victory of the season and brought new life to the young Magi.

“We just worked together as a team,” senior wide receiver Jacob Schiele said. “It definitely made us feel a lot better about ourselves and showed us what we can accomplish.”

For the first time all season, the Magi hit their stride on both sides of the football. Quarterback Jaxon Gunville decimated the Williston defense with his arm and his legs, throwing for 128 and two touchdowns while running for another two scores.

On the defensive end, the Magi stifled Williston’s Charles Whitlock. After allowing the junior quarterback to scramble for a touchdown in the first quarter, Minot’s defense shut the Coyotes out for the remainder of the game.

The Magi forced a season-high eight turnovers in the win. It’s a performance that head coach Barry Holmen hopes to build on for a defense that came into the matchup allowing an average of 32 points per game.

“I thought our defense was the star of the game,” Holmen said. “I think we did take a step forward in terms of stopping both the running and the passing game, but we can’t take it easy now that we got a win. We’re trying to refocus and keep that consistent level of urgency moving forward.”

Now Minot is scheduled for a redemption trip to Bismarck on Friday, this time to take on a scrappy Legacy team. The Sabers (1-3, 1-0) are trudging on without a number of key players, including all-state linebacker/running back Jake Hudson, who hasn’t taken the field yet this season due to a thumb injury.

But Legacy still has plenty of firepower thanks to junior Rhett Clements. The dual-threat quarterback totaled triple-digit yardage both through the air and on the ground in the team’s 40-21 loss to West Fargo on Sept. 14, giving the Magi defense yet another test.

The Sabers defense also presents a challenge for Gunville and company. Legacy is known for placing pressure on the quarterback, blitzing its linebackers in order to force turnovers and negative plays.

“Offensively, we’re going to be challenged up front,” Holmen said. “But hopefully we can take advantage of that pressure scheme and get some explosive plays down the field because of that.”

Friday’s matchup will test Minot on both sides of the football in a showdown between two teams determined to move up in the conference standings. But for Schiele and the Magi, it’s nothing they can’t handle.

“We know we have to up our game anytime we play a Bismarck school,” Schiele said. “This game against Legacy is going to take a group effort, but we can do it.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School and

Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.

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