James Jackson/MDN The Velva/Garrison/Drake-Anamoose Aggies sent Larry Sandy off in the most appropriate fashion by bringing home their tenth state title of his tenure, and eleventh in school history, at Friday’s Dakota Bowl.

In a modern world where seemingly everything’s significance is determined by endless analytics, even North Dakota 11B high school football cannot escape its unavoidable reach. Each team is measured by quantitative standards like inches, yards, touchdowns, wins, losses, and at the end of the day, championships.

Judging by the incredible statistics tallied by the Velva/Garrison/Drake-Anamoose Aggies over the course of an unblemished 2022-2023 season, it is easy to see how they paved their way to the Dakota Bowl to battle the Central Cass Squirrels for the title of the best in North Dakota.

Concluding his 33rd and final season as the No. 2 Velva/Garrison/Drake-Anamoose Aggies (12-0) head coach, Larry Sandy entered Friday’s contest with the chance to write the perfect final chapter to a storied coaching career in which he has accumulated 295 wins, tallied a .780 all-time winning percentage, and went a perfect 9-for-9 in North Dakota high school football state title games.

Dating back to 1989 and his first year of coaching, Sandy’s tenure has spanned five different decades, accounting for 13 region championships and nine of Velva’s ten total state championships, with the only one not captured by a Sandy-led squad coming in 1983.

Adding to the embarrassment of riches on the gridiron this year for Velva, in addition to a Hall of Fame head coach on the sidelines, has been the deadly combination of an atomic offense and an equally suffocating defense.

The sophomore quintet of dual-threat standout quarterback Ben Schepp, wide receiver Treyson Iglehart, running backs Hank Bodine and Bradyn Bossert, and tight end Reggie Bruner, along with senior contributors in the form of tight end Payton Bodine and Preston Kraft have powered the Aggies to a staggering average of 41 PPG.

In the regular season alone, these seven Velva scoring threats combined for 402 points by way of 1,512 yards and 28 TDs on the ground, 1,712 yards and 23 TDs receiving, and 1,887 yards and 21 TDs passing.

Working double-duty in the trenches of the offensive and defensive line, many of the same unheralded facilitators of Velva’s high-powered offense have also operated as the backbone of a virtually impenetrable Aggies defense.

Velva sack leader and defensive end Kyle Sandy is joined by fellow seniors and linebackers Brayden Selzler and Payton Bodine in wreaking havoc on opposing offensive units, holding them to an average of only 10 PPG in the regular season.

Aiding their elder teammates, Schepp leads this year’s squad with three interceptions, while Hank Bodine paces the Aggies in tackles with 40 on the year.

Despite Velva owning a team stat sheet out of a sports analyst’s dreams, the Central Cass Squirrels (9-2) have earned some irrefutable clout of their own by knocking off No. 1 Kindred, No. 2 Bottineau, and No. 4 Beulah in the playoffs while en route to the Dakota Bowl for the first time since 1980.

Routing their scoring efforts primarily through the dynamic quarterback-running back duo of Brayden Mitchell and Owen Wiersma, the two combined for 36 total TDs and 218 points over the course of regular season play.

Utilizing a balanced air and ground strategy as a recipe for success, Wiersma rushed for over 1,000 yards while Mitchell passed for 1,255 yards in Central Cass’ first eight games.

Although averaging 24 PPG in the playoffs, it is the stingy Squirrels defense that has been the difference maker in their run through a brutal gauntlet of foes, as they have allowed just 9.5 PPG against their high-powered opponents.

In spite of Mother Nature tucking in much of North Dakota with a thick blanket of snow ahead of Friday morning’s kickoff, faithful fans comprised of rowdy students, family, and friends headed out days early in anticipation of the weather to fill the Fargodome in support of their hometown teams.

After a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, Velva would take the opening kickoff looking to capitalize on a chance to put points on the board early and establish the tone of the game.

Nevertheless, the opening drives of both teams sputtered out quickly, perhaps a result of each squad battling not only their adversary’s defense, but a case of nerves as well.

Mixing things up on their second possession, Velva utilized a variety of ground and air attacks that showcased the skills of Bruner, Iglehart, and Hank Bodine before Schepp capped off a deadly efficient scoring drive via a 2-yard QB keeper up the middle and a subsequent 2-point conversion to give the Aggies the first lead of the game at 8-0 in the middle of the first quarter.

Following up an impressive showing on the offensive side of the ball, it was Velva’s defense’s turn to show off what has made them one of the stoutest defenses in 11B football.

Feeding off the energy of senior defensive end Sandy, a galvanized Aggies defensive line and linebacking corps snuffed out a Squirrels drive that was picking up steam before ending in a punt that buried Velva on dangerous ground at their 2-yard line.

Narrowly avoiding a fumble and two safeties just outside their end zone, the Aggies were forced to punt, setting the stage for Central Cass to start the first drive of the second quarter with premium field position.

Leaning heavily on their run game, the Squirrels rode their backfield workhorse Wiersma to just outside of the red zone before Mitchell took to the air and fired a strike to shifty senior wide receiver Cooper Johnson that he took to the house for a 20-yard touchdown to bring Central Cass to within one point of Velva at 8-7.

Going on the offensive once again midway through the second quarter, this time with more optimal field position, Velva narrowly avoided disaster after Iglehart recovered a fumble by Payton Bodine after a catch to retain possession and keep the Aggies drive alive.

However, sniffing out the familiar WR screen to Iglehart that Velva has begun to fancy, Central Cass put the brakes on the drive and forced a punt by the versatile Schepp, who would pin the Squirrels on their own 2-yard line to start their drive with less than five minutes left before halftime.

Trusting the talents of their backfield, huge runs by Wiersma that went for a combined 93 yards would lead to a 4-yard rush between the tackles by junior running back Isaac Wisnewski to put the Squirrels up 14-8 on a drive that took under a minute.

Showing off their ability to take a solid shot on the chin by Central Cass and keep composure, the Aggies wasted no time in putting together a rebuttal to the stellar Squirrels drive, with Schepp doing what he has made a living doing all season by using his arm talent to hit Bruner for a 79-yard foot-race touchdown and converting the 2-point conversion to regain a 16-14 lead heading into halftime.

As both teams eyed the final 24 minutes of the 2022-2023 season, and some players the last two quarters of their high school careers, the gravity of every possession started to take on a whole new level of weight.

Wasting no time in showing they were more than equipped to go toe-to-toe with No. 2 Velva, the first possession for Central Cass was a statement drive to open up the second half.

Sharing not just a first name with Cooper Kupp, Squirrels wide receiver Cooper Johnson showed that he shared elite hands with him as well by snagging a bobbled over-the-shoulder catch that he would take for a 59-yard gain to put Central Cass within the red zone.

Making the most of a chance to recapture the lead, Mitchell turned a run-pass option into a 1-yard passing touchdown after connecting with wide receiver Peyton Lemar to put the Squirrels back on top 20-16 just two minutes into the new half.

Over the remainder of the third quarter, both teams relied heavily on defenses that had proven themselves time and time again leading up to the Dakota Bowl, as both units would secure key interceptions to put the brakes on scoring drives and any chance for their opponent to gain sustained momentum heading into the final 12 minutes of play.

Yet, pivotal defensive play did not stop in the fourth quarter, as a forced fumble by defensive centerpiece Sandy and recovered by Schepp provided an immeasurable surge of life into an Aggies offense looking for a spark.

Chipping away at the Central Cass defense and methodically progressing their way down the field, it looked as if a rare dropped pass by Iglehart could bring a premature end to what had been a promising drive.

Never losing faith in his stud wide receiver, Schepp went right back to Iglehart on third-and-long, who in more familiar form fought his way to the first-down marker to keep the offense’s heart beating with another trip to the red zone.

Making their way to the goal line, Schepp followed his bruising offensive line into the end zone in a fashion reminiscent of Tom Brady, lifting the Aggies ahead 22-20 on Schepp’s second rushing touchdown on the day with just six minutes left in regulation.

Unfolding in a fashion straight off the pages of a Hollywood script, the final two minutes of play epitomized everything that fans love about the game of football.

Muscling down the field on the back of determined running by Wiersma, Central Cass looked poised to put an exclamation mark on their Cinderella run through the playoffs by capping off a goal line possession with a touchdown to stake their claim as state champs.

Denied entry into pay dirt three times by an unwavering Aggies defense, it all came down to the decision by Central Cass to forego a chip-shot field goal to take a one-point lead, instead rolling the dice to possibly punch the title-winning touchdown into the endzone.

As the Squirrels attempted to angle a rush into the end zone near the left pylon, Velva senior linebacker Brayden Selzler busted into the backfield to make the biggest tackle of his life, wrapping up the Central Cass runner in a one-on-one confrontation to force a turnover on downs and preserve the Aggies 22-20 lead with less than a minute left on the clock.

Still not out of the woods, Velva would force Central Cass to use their remaining timeouts to stop the clock, leading to a punt by Schepp that placed the Squirrels just behind midfield with 13 seconds left before a new state champion was crowned.

Out of timeouts and battling a Velva defense firing on all cylinders, the Squirrels were unable to find the miracle they needed, falling 22-20 in an 11B championship game for the ages.

Fighting back emotions when asked about the fairy-tale conclusion to his 33-year career, Sandy praised his group of young men by explaining, “They sent me out on a perfect note. I couldn’t ask for more.”

Before heading off shortly thereafter to accept the award for NDHSAA 11B Coach of the Year, Sandy summed up the moment in the words, “It’s a dream.”

Claiming their eleventh state championship and first since 2010, there are a million reasons to be found when combing through the analytics of the 2022-2023 season that explains the success of the Velva/Garrison/Drake-Anamoose Aggies during their undefeated season and 11B title run.

Ultimately though, it was the factors that don’t show up on a stat sheet that fueled this team comprised of passionate players from four different schools and cities to unite as one brotherhood and work towards a common goal.

For these communities and all Aggies fans, the number that truly defined this unforgettable season is the incredible amount of coaches, family members, friends, fellow students and hometown supporters who were behind the players every step of the way as they marched to a moment in time that they will never forget.