Submitted Photo Velva quarterback Cooper Kittleson throws a pass during a Class A semifinal game against Langdon Area/Munich on Saturday, Nov. 8. The Aggies season came to an end in a 36-26 loss to the Cardinals. Photo by Kolby Koerner/Grand Forks Herald.

There will be a new champion crowned in Class A at the Fargodome on Friday, Nov. 14, after Langdon Area-Munich knocked off current title holder Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison in the semifinal round last weekend, 36-26.

The Cardinals got revenge on the Aggies, who ended their season in the semifinal last year with a 51-13 rout. With the win, LA-M advanced to its sixth Dakota Bowl and first since 2020. The Cardinals lost their first three appearances in the title game before winning three in a row between 2018-20. LA-M are undefeated heading into the Dakota Bowl, just like it was during its three title seasons.

The Aggies gave the Cardinals their closest game to date. Their previous closest margin of victory was 15 points against Northern Cass. Velva surrendered its first first-quarter touchdown of the season three plays into the game when Jax Johnson scored his first of three touchdowns on the afternoon, breaking through the secondary for a 55-yard score.

A special teams miscue set up the Aggies with a short field and they capitalized with an 8-yard touchdown run by Logan Vincent to cut it to 7-6 after an unsuccessful 2-point conversion. The Cardinals were also on the fortunate side of a special teams play as well, as Johnson returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score in the second quarter for a 21-12 advantage.

The Cardinals would tack on another score right before the half for a 29-12 lead.

The Aggies simply ran out of time for any chance of a second-half comeback. Mason Kraft scored on a 2-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 36-20 and Cooper Kittleson hit Grady Crawford for a 42-yard score with 18 seconds left.

LA-M has certainly been a goliath of a program this season, but its Dakota Bowl opponent – Bottineau – wouldn’t consider itself to be David despite making its first ever trip to the Fargodome.

The Braves won their second straight playoff road game, upsetting No. 2 Killdeer, 24-22, to further build on their most successful season in program history. They have won 11 games for the first time ever and won their first 11-man playoff games after entering this year having never gotten past the first round in five attempts. Now they are 48 minutes from a title.

The Braves scored all 24 points in the second quarter and held on in the second half. Quarterback Emerson Marum had a hand in all three of Bottineau’s touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for another.

Killdeer led 7-0 after one quarter following a 28-yard touchdown pass from Tucker Bohmbach to Chase Kling before the Braves found their rhythm in the second quarter. Emerson Marum tied the contest with a 13-yard touchdown run and put the Braves in front with touchdown passes of 48 yards and 19 yards to Landen Solberg and Landyn Grant, respectively. Nik Halvorson also converted on a 36-yard field goal attempt.

The Cowboys used two explosive plays in the third quarter to climb back into the game. Bohmbach hit Ayrain O’Hotto for a 49-yard touchdown and then found Michael Dukart for a 64-yard score to cut Bottineau’s lead down to two.

Bottineau’s defense held up in a scoreless fourth quarter to earn a spot in the Dakota Bowl, denying Killdeer its fourth trip.

The Cardinals and Braves are no strangers to one another. Prior to this year, the two played in the same region for three seasons. The Cardinals won two of those three meetings and own a 19-10 career head-to-head record.