Adam Papin/MDN Minot High’s football team has played as a team all year long and now they squad is a victory away from the school’s first state championship since 1980, in the final season of a unified varsity program before Minot North opens play next year.

WEST FARGO — Chauncey Hendershot spent all week preaching redemption to the Minot High football program, as the Magicians traveled four hours east for a rematch of their only loss on the season.

Down 24-7 after the opening drive of the third quarter, Minot High hyper-focused on redemption, outscoring West Fargo Sheyenne 40-6 in the final 22 minutes of the game to win 47-30 and advance to Friday’s Dakota Bowl.

They will face the defending state champion Shanley Deacons, who defeated Fargo Davies 31-8 in the other state semifinal matchup.

“I feel a lot of joy,” said Hendershot. “I’m so happy with their resilience. It’s a credit to the leaders on our team.”

The senior class led the way.

After West Fargo Sheyenne opened the scoring with a field goal, Griffin Broderick intercepted a Kaden Olsen pass for the Magicians. Seven plays later, Tyson Ruzicka followed Noah Bledsoe into the endzone for a two-yard touchdown run to give Minot High a 7-3. lead.

The Mustangs answered back with four minutes left in the first quarter when Olson through a jump ball that Caleb Fuerr beat Conklin for. Fuerr than found the end zone for a 53-touchdown reception.

Things nearly went from bad to worse when Ruzicka fumbled the ball at the one-yard line. A West Fargo defender picked the ball up and ran it 97 yards the other way before Conklin tackled him from behind and saving a touchdown.

Minot High’s defense got to work to keep the Mustangs out of the end zone.

Then, with 2:30 left before the half and West Fargo Sheyenne punting from their own zone, Sullivan Ihry took the fake punt and ran it out to the Mustangs’ 29-yard line for the first down. Six plays later Olson found Colby Walter for a 28-yard score to give the home team a 17-7 halftime lead.

The two teams traded scores in the third quarter, with Beeter finding Conklin for a 30-yard touchdown to make it 24-14. Then Broderick found the end zone from 34 yards out to pull Minot High within four after the PAT was blocked.

The Mustangs expanded their lead to 30-20 when Beeter opened the fourth quarter with a quarterback sneak into the end zone from the one-yard line to cap an eleven-play drive that started at the West Fargo Sheyenne 48 yard-line.

With 5:53 left in the game, Minot High faced a 4th-and-15 from the Mustang 21 yard-line, when Beeter found Kaden Kraft for the first down at the two-yard line. Then, Broderick scored his second touchdown of the game to give Minot a 33-30 lead.

Conklin added an interception with 3:42 left and Minot High’s offense sealed the game with Beeter ran it in for his second touchdown with 54 seconds left to give the Magi a 40-30 lead.

Without any timeouts left, the Mustangs took shots down field, and one of those shots found Brady Larson, who ran the interception back for a touchdown to close out the game.

The 47-30 win puts Minot High back in the Dakota Bowl for the first time since 2017, when they lost to West Fargo 56-28.

Their opponent this time around is Fargo Shanley, the defending Class AAA champions. The Deacons also ended Minot High’s season last year with a 42-12 win in the opening round of the playoffs.

The last time Minot High won the Dakota Bowl was in 1980.

The game will be played on Friday, Nov. 10 at the Fargo Dome in Fargo. Kickoff is at 6:40 p.m.