Submitted Photo Bottineau coach Zach Keller talks to quarterback Emerson Marum on the sideline during a game earlier this season. The Braves set a program record for wins in a season (10) and travel to play Killdeer in the Class A state semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 8. Photo by Matthew Semisch/Bottineau Courant.

Trailing by 14 heading into the fourth quarter, it appeared as if the clock was about to strike midnight on the Bottineau football team’s magical run this season.

Instead, it was the clock running out on Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm – literally.

The Braves kept their historic season going, scoring 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning two-point conversion with 4:22 left in a 36-35 victory over the fourth-ranked Thunder in the Class A quarterfinal round on Saturday, Nov. 1. E/E/K couldn’t get the game-winning field goal off before time expired, sending Bottineau to the state semifinals against Killdeer on Saturday, Nov. 8.

“That kind of reflects the character of this team,” Bottineau coach Zach Keller said. “They don’t ever get down on themselves. They just keep their chins up and they want to keep fighting no matter the situation.”

Bottineau didn’t take its first lead until the final 4:22 and trailed by double digits throughout the majority of the second half. The Thunder held a 20-7 advantage at halftime before Bottineau quarterback Emerson Marum broke out in a big way. The junior signal caller tossed four touchdowns in the second half and finished with 317 yards through the air and added another 99 on the ground. His first touchdown pass of the afternoon was one of three to Landen Solberg, a 25-yard connection to get the Braves within 20-14.

An 83-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff for the Thunder to push the deficit back to 14 points looked like it could have been the final nail in the coffin on Bottineau’s season, but Marum and the Braves didn’t panic. Instead, Marum and Solberg struck again, this time for 8 yards. After the Thunder again extended their lead back to two touchdowns, the Braves responded with their biggest play of the game, a 72-yard touchdown pass from Marum to Bentley Hahn. It was Hahn’s only reception of the game.

Bottineau’s defense kept E-E-K’s offense off the scoreboard the rest of the way, and its offense produced the game-winning drive late, capped off by a 10-yard touchdown pass from Marum to Solberg. Feeling like they were playing with house money as the underdog, the Braves elected to go for the two-point conversion instead of electing to kick the extra point and the tie. It paid off, as Toby George found the end zone on the two-point attempt to give the Braves their first lead of the game.

The Braves converted a 4th-and-11 near midfield during that drive. On the play, Marum hit Mason Bristol, who lateralled to Daniel Morin, who picked up the first down with a 34-yard scamper down to the E-E-K 18-yard line.

Solberg finished with six receptions for 85 yards. He was one of four receivers to eclipse 60 yards receiving, joining Landyn Grant (63), Hahn (72) and Morin (76).

“It’s a fun group to coach,” Keller said. “They are an unselfish team. They don’t really care who makes the tackle or who scores the touchdown. They just want to win and keep going.”

The game was not over – however – as the Braves still needed to make one final stop to preserve their spot as one of the final four teams remaining in Class A. The Thunder took possession at midfield and found themselves in prime position to win the game after driving all the way down to the 5-yard line. E-E-K ran the ball three straight times, all resulting in 1-yard gains, advancing the ball down to the 2, but the Thunder couldn’t successfully get the field goal off before time expired, keeping Bottineau’s season alive for at least another week.

The victory was Bottineau’s 10th of the season, further establishing a program record as a member of Class A. Its previous best season in Class A came in 2022, when it won eight games. But that season ended in the first round of the playoffs. Entering this season, the Braves had never won a Class A postseason game. They’ve won two just this year, opening the playoffs with a victory over Central McLean.

“I knew this team was going to be pretty good,” Keller said. “I didn’t know if we’d be quite at this level, but it’s a credit to what these kids have done in the offseason, putting time in the weight room and doing their own workouts on the field. That’s the character of the team. They want to get better and they want to win.”

Bottineau’s postseason success doesn’t surprise Keller, as his team has been battle-tested all year with their schedule during the regular season. The Braves played four playoff teams during the regular season, winning three. One of the other four remaining teams in the playoff field – Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison – is a fellow Region 3 representative.

“Even our two non-conference opponents with Lisbon and Northern Cass were playoff teams from Region 1,” Keller said. “We played a lot of playoff football teams in our schedule and I think it prepared us for what we’ve been enduring in the playoffs.”

The Braves find themselves just one win away from a trip to Fargo to play in the Dakota Bowl. To get there, they will have to once again go on the road and topple a top-ranked opponent in Killdeer. The second-ranked Cowboys are undefeated against teams from North Dakota, with their only loss coming against Malta (Mont.). Killdeer defeated Bottineau, 48-21, in Week 2 last season in the only career meeting between teams.

“Being the last four teams in the hunt here, they are a very athletic team and then they have speed and they have weapons,” Keller said. “It should be a good matchup.”