The sports world took a major blow when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March of 2020. Sports were some of the greatest casualties.

For West Fargo Sheyenne, the boys basketball team was preparing for their state semifinal matchup against the 2019 state champion Jamestown Blue Jays.

The 2019-2020 West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs boys’ basketball team was one of the major favorites to win the 2020 state title.

It was a 23-2 season that was taken away from them right at the end, when they were looking to claim a spot in the Class A title game, North Dakota high school basketball’s biggest stage.

In addition, all the spring sports were forced to cancel their seasons and it was a heartbreaking end for the athletes of the 2020 class.

Throughout the world, sports shut down for the rest of the spring. In the United States, sport leagues started to resume around June of 2020.
West Fargo Sheyenne athletics were able to return as well going into the 2020-2021 school year.

But the atmosphere of the games wasn’t the same as before. Precautions took place and the number of fans that were able to attend the game were limited.

Heartbreak returned when the boys soccer team was having arguably one of their best seasons in program history.

They made it to the semifinal round of the 2020 state tournament before COVID infected most of the varsity squad, forcing the junior varsity players to play against varsity competition. It was a 6-0 loss to Bismarck Century for the Mustangs.

The Mustangs’ football team made their second straight state title during the fall of 2020 but came up short to Bismarck Century 34-0, in front of a limited crowd in the Fargodome.

The volleyball team achieved a seventh-place finish in 2020.

Going into the winter season, the boys basketball team had a motto that stuck with them, “Unfinished Business.”

The 2020-2021 squad was one of the tallest in the history of North Dakota high school basketball. It featured four players that were over 6’5 which were Jacksen Moni at 6’10, JahHeem Leake at 6’9, Dominic Dosmann at 6’8, and Michael Nhial at 6’6.

This squad also featured Ben Manson, one of the best shooters to come through the program, along with Gage Anderson and Barika Kpeenu.

It was another dominant season for head coach Tom Kirchoffner and his crew. After losing the season opener to West Fargo High, 87-84, the Mustangs went on to win a school record 24 straight games.

They captured their first EDC regular season title, giving them the number one seed in the EDC conference tournament, and their third EDC conference tournament championship, which gave them the East number one seed for the state tournament.

The dominant season came to an end as West Fargo High knocked off the Mustangs 78-73 in the semifinal round of the 2021 Class A State Tournament, at the Bismarck Event Center.

For the Mustangs, it was like getting punched in the gut after a season filled with COVID safety roadblocks.

Despite this, this was a team that broke almost all their team records that were held from previous years. Jacksen Moni is now excelling at Northern State University, one of the best NCAA D-II schools in the country.

Barika Kpeenu is playing football at NDSU, who just won their ninth FCS title in the last eleven years back on Saturday, January 8.

Likewise, the spring season of 2021 was a huge success for West Fargo Sheyenne. The baseball team captured their first state title, along with the boys golf team winning their first state title.

The Mustangs’ track and field teams featured a lot of stars as well. Jordan Aus, the boys track and field head coach at Sheyenne, won EDC and State Coach of the Year honors.

Mimi Gu, who is now a senior at Sheyenne, won the girls singles state tournament last year. She’ll be looking to repeat this year.

The sports world started to return to normal during the summer of 2021 and heading into the fall of 2021. Restrictions on fan capacity were lifted and Sheyenne athletes could finally once again enjoy the energy the Mustang faithful produced.

The momentum from the 2021 spring season continued into the fall season of 2021.

Sheyenne’s 2021 football team had one of the most dominant seasons in all of North Dakota high school football’s history. They posted a 12-0 record, scored 364 points, and only gave up 90 points, which were all team records.

Five out of the twelve wins were shutout wins. The Mustangs made it look easy on the gridiron and as the season progressed, they knew it was their year to win it all.

It was third times the charm for Sheyenne in the Dakota Bowl.

After losing to Bismarck Century in the Dakota Bowl two years in a row, Sheyenne was able to beat their cross-town rival, West Fargo High, 27-7 this past November, in the Fargodome, to capture their first state title in program history.

Aiden Johnson, a sophomore at Sheyenne, finished first in the individual standings at the cross-country state meet, posting a time of 15:35.

Boys soccer took third place at state this past October, which was a good way to bounce back after last year’s unfortunate finish.

Basketball, hockey, and wrestling fans have been able fill up the seats once again for the 2021-2022 winter season.

Last year, Sheyenne Mustang Media came in handy when they started streaming a variety of events at Sheyenne High School. This included multiple sports and concerts.

The purpose was to provide a new way to watch these events as a lot of parents and grandparents could not make the games last year due to capacity restrictions.

Sports fans are relieved that sports are making a return to normal, and the athletes are thrilled to enjoy the full atmosphere when they step foot onto the field or court.

The Mustangs’ boy’s and girl’s basketball teams are enjoying winning seasons once again. Both teams are in the state polls.

Sheyenne’s wrestling team had their most dominant season in program history. After acheiving their first ever winning season as a program, they went even further this year. The Mustangs captured the EDC title, going undefeated in EDC dual play.

The best time of the year for basketball is right around the corner, with March being a couple weeks away.

Both Sheyenne’s boy’s and girl’s basketball teams conclude their regular seasons against Valley City on February 22. The EDC tournament will be up next.

The play-in and first round games will be at the higher seed, while the second and third round games will be played up at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex, the home of NDSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The 2022 NDHSAA Boys’ and Girls’ Class A Basketball State Tournaments will be out at the Bismarck Event Center in downtown Bismarck, from Thursday, March 10 to Saturday March 12.

It’s going to be another exciting postseason of North Dakota high school basketball. Sports fans know, when it’s March, expect the unexpected.