Mike Kraft/MDN Minot High wide receiver Tariq Bell leads the team with six receptions for 58 yards through two games. The Magicians are seeking their first win of the season when they host West Fargo on Friday, Sept. 12, at Duane Carlson Stadium.

Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.”

While neither Minot High or West Fargo can argue with that fact that they both enter their non-conference matchup on Friday, Sept. 12, at Duane Carlson Stadium with an 0-2 record, they can make an argument that they are better than their record would indicate, and perhaps that the schedule makers have it out for them.

The Magicians were a mere 34 seconds away from knocking off fifth-ranked and defending state champion West Fargo Sheyenne before Mustangs quarterback found Max Zenker in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown, handing Minot a 31-27 defeat to drop the team to 0-2 for the first time since 2021. This followed a season opener against now-No. 1 Fargo Davies, which looks like a clear title favorite two weeks into the season.

The Packers could very easily enter Friday’s contest undefeated, having lost both of its games by a combined two points. West Fargo opened its season with a 13-12 loss in overtime to then-No. 4 and current-No. 3 Bismarck High and then dropped another heartbreaker, falling to No. 2 Bismarck Legacy, 28-27. The Packers held late leads in both contests, including in overtime against the Demons, but Bismarck High was able to score the tying touchdown and kick the game-winning extra point.

“We throw the record out,” Minot High coach Chauncy Hendershot said. “West Fargo is a really good football team. If you look at the games they’ve played, they’ve played two really tight football games against two really good football teams. We know to expect to get their best and they’re going to come in and prove to be hungry after their first two games and we are looking to take another step too from our first couple weeks of progress.”

West Fargo has been in a period of rebuilding over the past couple of years. The Packers haven’t had a winning season since going 9-3 and advancing to the Class AAA title game in 2021. That year was also the last year in which they defeated the Magicians. Minot has had the upper hand in the series as of late, winning the last four contests, including twice last season. The Magicians have outscored the Packers 123-24 during that stretch. The two teams have each won 12 of the 24 all-time matchups.

The Packers also enter Friday’s game having lost six straight games dating back to last year. Their last victory came in a 38-0 victory over Fargo North on Sept. 27, 2024. But Hendershot and the Magicians know the Packers are much improved, as they return five offensive starters and four defensive starters from last year and have size on the line.

“They’re going to be very big,” Hendershot said. “They’re big up front. They’re physical. They have two really athletic quarterbacks and a running back and receiver that are extremely athletic and a couple guys that have been two- or three-year starters who have been very productive for them. We expect to see a really physical ball game. Seeing their first two games, they’re kind of physical, gritty games that we’re just trying to prepare for.”

Senior Tim Walla and juniors Ethan Bye and Roman Medrud provide experience on the line for the Packers, aiding a running game that features Ian Skari and Aiden Samek. Samek rushed for 654 yards and five touchdowns on 129 carries last year, and Skari caught 23 passes out of the backfield for 400 yards and five touchdowns, adding 338 yards on nine kick returns.

The Magicians have moved past last week’s last-minute loss and were encouraged by the improvement they saw from Week 1 to Week 2. The offensive line got some push up front and allowed the Magicians to rush for 243 yards on 44 carries, operating at 5.5 yards per clip. Blake Anderson led the ground attack with 129 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Anderson was held to 44 yards against Fargo Davies.

“Up front we’re making improvements,” Hendershot said. “We have a long way to go, but our offensive line is taking steps and with them doing that it just kind of sparks everything else we’re able to do. We have a number of athletes like Blake and our receivers on the edge that we want to get the ball to. If we’re holding the line scrimmage or at least holding our own, it opens up a lot of things that we can do.”

Sophomore quarterback Ryder Sutton completed 14 of 21 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown and didn’t throw an interception after tossing two against the Eagles in his debut. He also ran 10 times for 43 yards. James Pollatta was his primary target against the Mustangs, completing six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown to his wide receiver. Sutton completed passes to seven different receivers.

Keeping the turnovers to a minimum as well as eliminating costly penalties will be at the forefront for the Magicians if they want to avoid starting the season 0-3.

“We have to eliminate the turnovers,” Hendershot said. “We had too many penalties in some key situations that we’ll look to eliminate. Some of those will be through progression that we’re going to get to improve on that.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.