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The new look 9-man class dubbed 9B will expand from four regions to eight and feature a total of 41 teams after Garrison exited region 7 for an emergency co-op with Velva. It might be the small school division, but there are some strong teams with great tradition ready to lineup for a shot at the state title. Speaking of state title, this is the lone class without any defending state champion in the field. It’s a result of last year’s 9-man state champion Linton-HMB being designated for the 11B class. Cavalier, the 9-man runner-up each of the last two years, does return and will be a force along with traditional powers LaMoure-Litchville-Marion and New Salem-Almont.

With the class changes comes schedule changes, too. One thing you’ll notice throughout the year is that each region has a partner region for non-region games. Region one is paired with region two. Region three is paired with region four, region five is with region six and, you guessed it, region seven is paired with region eight. In my opinion, region five might end up being the most competitive with Kidder County, Napoleon-Gackle-Streeter and New Salem-Almont all being legitimate contenders for making a deep playoff run. They’ll be paired with region six which includes Beach and Grant County/Flasher, two programs that have enjoyed plenty of success in recent years.

ND Class 9B

1. LaMoure-Litchville-Marion

Entering the postseason last year, I felt LaMoure-Litchville-Marion was the team to beat in 9-man. They were ranked number one boasting an 8-0 record and outscoring opponents by an average of 60 to 11.5 points per game. Yes, they were averaging “basketball-like” point totals. The Loboes miracle run came up short though after Linton-HMB beat them in a 46-38 shootout in the semifinal round. The good news for Andy Delabarre is that a huge chunk of his roster returns headlined by two of the state’s top 9-man players in senior QB/DB Corban Potts and junior TE/DL Colton Ness. Tri-State and Wyndmere-Lidgerwood pose some tough competition within region one, but I’ll be surprised if the Loboes don’t earn a top seed in the playoffs.

Impact Players

I’m sure L-L-M fans would love to have one more year of Brett Wendel (1,802 rush yds, 18 TD; 63 tackles, 2 sacks), but he’s run out of eligibility. Even with the departure of the all-state standout, there are plenty of studs coming back for the Loboes. The quarterback position is often the pulse of the team and that should prove to be true with senior Corban Potts back to run the show. All he did as a junior was lead an offense that put up the most points in the state. Potts will be happy to see his top passing target back in 6’1 180 lb TE/DL Colton Ness. The junior-to-be burst onto the scene with a sensational sophomore season turning 36 catches into 867 yards and 18 touchdowns, a stat line that you need to re-read a few times to make sure it’s accurate. Ness also added 42 tackles and six picks on defense. He’s a division one prospect and his stock will continue to rise with another strong season. Junior RB/LB Garrett Hebl earned 2nd team all-state honors a year ago and with his strong wrestling pedigree, you know he’s going to be one of the top tacklers on that defensive unit.

2. Surrey

Just like the team ranked #1 on my list, the Surrey Mustangs saw their season come to an end courtesy of the eventual state champs from Linton-HMB. It was a tough first round draw for the Mustangs who at one point were 6-0 before finishing 1-2 with losses to the Lions and Divide County. The good news for Mustang fans is that they only graduated one senior off that team and return all their starters including a young man who I dubbed the preseason player of the year in the division. Head coach Mark Kennedy has a group returning that boasts the combination of varsity experience and a hunger for more success after tasting the top of the rankings last fall. The expectations have been on the rise in recent years for Surrey and the expectation for this year’s group is to make a serious run at the Dakota Bowl. Kennedy seems like an easy coach to root for, as well. When I asked him about the program having higher expectations this season he responded by saying, “We don’t really talk about wins and losses here in Surrey. We talk about being better people.”

Impact Players

After deliberating for days, I settled on Chris Jenner for my Class 9B preseason player of the year. I think the senior running back and defensive end is poised for an outstanding season. Jenner’s name was a frequent candidate for our weekly Game Ball award last year. He finished his season with 1,750 rushing yards (250 rush yds/game) and 14 touchdowns to go with 20 tackles for loss and 8 sacks on defense. Although he’s developed enough strength to power over guys in the ground game, he prefers finding the open grass and using his speed. As for defense, coach Kennedy dubbed Jenner the “unknown monster” because teams would elect to run at Jenner because of his small stature on the defensive line only to abandon that game plan soon after. In addition to Jenner, senior Randy Polum is a playmaker that can lineup in the slot or in the backfield. Polum’s speed makes him dangerous in the return game, as well. Jagger Dickman helps anchor the offensive and defensive lines. He and the rest of the boys up front plan to open some big holes for Jenner and the rest of the offense all season long. Junior Rylan Scheig returns under center and his experience with the playbook will be a huge benefit to the offense, as well.

3. New Salem-Almont

After spending two years playing 11-man football, New Salem-Almont returns to the 9-man level where it finished runner-up to Thompson for the 2018 state championship. The Holsteins were becoming a powerhouse in 9-man winning double digit games in each of their last three seasons spent at the level. The move to Class A brought a new set of challenges for Steve Kleinjan’s program who finished 7-3 in 2019 and 5-3 in 2020, while failing to reach the playoffs. This year, the Holsteins return six starters on both sides of the ball which is always critical in high school football. Kleinjan told me, “We have good experience on the offensive and defensive lines but need some kids to step up in skill positions.” Maybe it’s the memories of the Holsteins from the Dakota Bowl a few years ago or maybe it’s my recent stop to visit Salem Sue, but I expect New Salem-Almont to be pushing for a trip to the Fargodome this fall.

Impact Players

The Holsteins boast 17 upperclassmen this season, which would be a huge boost for any program. Steve Kleinjan expects big things from a lot of his returners with varsity experience including Weston Kuhn, Dylan Rud, A.J. Heins, Ty Wolding, and Levi Becker among others. Sophomore Ethan Maier moves into the starting quarterback spot after seeing some varsity action a year ago. He’ll hold the keys to an offense that averaged 38 points per game last year (4th in Class A). The Holsteins always seem to be one of the higher scoring teams in their division and I see no reason that trend won’t continue with the transition back to 9-man.

4. Cavalier

The Tornadoes have finished two consecutive seasons by playing in the Dakota Bowl, unfortunately for the orange and black both of those title games ended in heartbreak. The question this fall is how the team will use that to fuel them toward another chase for a championship. Usually, that question would be posed to legendary head coach Sandy Laxdal. But the long-time head coach and 2020 9-man coach of the year retired after last year’s Dakota Bowl appearance. Laxdal coached Cavalier for 13 seasons, finishing with a record of 120-25. He led the Tornadoes to four Dakota Bowls, winning a pair of state titles in 2013 and 2014. The new man in charge is former offensive coordinator Mitch Greenwood, who also played for the Tornadoes and was a senior on the 2002 state championship team. Greenwood says there’s plenty to like about the roster he’s coaching this fall. “I’m just so impressed with the way the kids want to compete on this team. I think that every starter that I expect us to have this year will be a 2-sport athlete and many are 3-sports athletes.” He adds, “they’re a very self-driven group.” Those are all good traits for a football team, and I expect Cavalier to remain as one of the powerhouses in 9-man football.

Impact players

The Tornadoes return five starters on offense and six starters on defense from last year’s team. Jake Steele and Landon Carter both earned 2nd team all-state honors a year ago as sophomores. Steele was the 2nd leading rusher on the team, while Carter flourished as a rusher and receiver. Both guys will also lead the defense. Steele registered over 100 combined tackles last year, while Carter led the team with six interceptions. The Tornadoes did graduate a trio of all-state picks off last year’s team including starting quarter Brannin Cleem who recorded 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards passing. Brannin’s younger brother, Brysen, is expected to take the reins of the offense this fall. Brysen, who’s 3-4 inches taller than Brannin, played mostly tight end last year. Senior Trevor Hinkle might be the x-factor for the team. You’ll see him lineup at halfback and in the slot. He’s just as versatile on defense and will be one of the team’s top tacklers in 2021.

5. Grant County/Flasher

It’s been a dry summer, but here comes the storm or more appropriately, the Grant County/Flasher Storm. Jamie Krenz’s team has title aspirations in 2021 after building this program into a strong contender the last few years. The 2020 campaign was historic for the program but ended in heartbreaking fashion. The Storm claimed the region four title and looked like a legitimate state title contender after finishing the regular season with back-to-back wins against Kidder County and Linton-HMB, the two most recent state champions. But they ran into a buzzsaw in the opening round of the playoffs and fell to TGU at home by a score of 42-28. The good news is that they return some talented players at key positions. A lot of the coaches I spoke with in the offseason tabbed Grant County/Flasher as one of the top teams and that’s why I made sure to include them in my top five.

Impact Players

Senior quarterback Jace Friesz returns as a leader on both sides of the ball. Friesz put together a terrific junior campaign by slinging the ball all over the field from his quarterback spot on his way to earning 2nd team all-state honors. Friesz was a regular contender for our weekly Midco Sports Game Ball award. Jace’s favorite target in the passing game just so happens to be his younger brother Javin, who will be a sophomore this fall. Javin made some highlight-reel plays as a freshman and I expect him to turn it up another level this year as he gets more comfortable at the varsity level. Junior TE/LB Layton Woodbury and junior lineman Kayedenn Rivinius are also key returners for a squad the has only two seniors on this year’s roster. The Storm might be young, but they are talented and well coached.

The Bubble Teams

Beach

The Bucs reached the state semifinal round for the first time in program history last season. There will be some adjustments after losing a talented senior class headlined by all-state picks Blake Van Horn and Tyson Mattern, but that just opens up an opportunity for new guys to shine. Look for the senior duo of Tevin Dietz and Trin Schumacher along with junior Trey Swanson to lead the Bucs in 2021. It’s a difficult start to the schedule for Mike Zier’s team with trips to New Salem-Almont and Kidder County before hosting Grant County/Flasher in week three.

Ray/Powers Lake

The Outlaws finished 5-2 last year and graduated 10 seniors. Co-head coach Seth Wisthoff told me that he’s excited about the core group of players returning which includes a pair of outstanding athletes in senior WR/DB Jace Nelson and sophomore WR/DB Tyson Enget. The key will be developing a solid line to provide the playmakers enough time to do their thing. The Outlaws have had an explosive passing attack in recent years and we’ll see if that continues.

Wyndmere-Lidgerwood

The Warbirds were one of the most improved programs in the state last season, jumping from 1-8 in 2019 to 7-3 in 2020. They’ll try to stay in that top tier in 2021 with six starters returning on both sides of the ball. Tyler Brandt is expected to take over at QB after the departure of all-state pick Preston Bohnenstingl. Look for senior lineman Tate Jerdee and junior running back Andrew Arth to be the leaders this fall. Arth rushed for over 1,400 yards last season as a sophomore.

Class 9B Preseason Player of the Year

Chris Jenner, Surrey

10 Players to Watch in Class 9B

• Andrew Arth, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood
• Kelby Azure, Hatton-Northwood
• Jacob Biegler, Kidder County
• Landon Carter, Cavalier
• Jace Friesz, Grant County-Flasher
• Jace Nelson, Ray-PL
• Colton Ness, LaMoure-L-M
• Corban Potts, LaMoure-L-M
• Tucker Schneider, Napoleon-G-S
• Jacob Steele, Cavalier