PART ONE: THE PAIN OF THE UNEXPECTED
By Jaxson Miller
Hosted by Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Hey everyone! It’s your host, Hailey Boehme, and I’m here to welcome you back to another episode of Sheyenne Perspectives from Mustang Post News.

In our last episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, Carter Phillips delved into the human desire to create and share those creations.  

This week Jaxson Miller continues our series by taking a look at Sheyenne High School’s volleyball and football teams and how wins, losses, and the unexpected affected them.

Here’s Jaxson.

Jaxson Miller: The court.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: The field.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: Sports. They make the world a better place. They relate to the GAME we call LIFE.

There are highs. After a thrilling state title victory, the team is on top of the world.

Yet, there are lows. There is agony. There is loss. And that loss is made even worse when it’s unexpected.

In this podcast, we’ll look at those losses AND the wins. But really, we’re focusing on the unexpected and how that truly impacts teams and teammates.

Jaxson Miller: When our expectations are not met, how do we react and why do we react the way we do? Change or the unexpected is hard, challenging. And yet, in that change, or in the unexpected, there’s more to learn, more to achieve, more to reflect upon, more to look forward to.

The Sheyenne football and volleyball teams’ seasons ended just a few weeks apart. One team achieved state title glory for the first time in program history and the other suffered an agonizing defeat in the first round of the playoffs.

The football team was upset in the quarterfinal round of the 11AA playoffs by Bismarck Century, who won 27-8 on Sheyenne’s turf at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium. The Mustangs were the number one seed and were looking to win their second consecutive title after taking home their first crown last year.

Aiden Knodel, who is a senior at Sheyenne High School, was pumped throughout the week leading up to that Friday night playoff game against Bismarck Century.

The Mustangs finished the regular season strong by beating Mandan at home, 28-17, in the regular season finale. The Mustangs and the Braves were the top two ranked teams in the state at the time and the Mustangs captured the number one seed for the playoffs with the win and extended their winning streak to seven games in a row.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Aiden Knodel: Throughout the week we knew it was a playoff game, a playoff atmosphere. The week prior, we played Mandan, which was a team that we thought we would be able to see later in the playoffs, potentially a championship level team, and we were pretty high coming off that win, but our preparation was definitely serious for Century knowing that they have gotten the better of us before in years prior. During the regular season we were able to beat them 42-14. So in that element I feel like we maybe could have underestimated them, but because it was a playoff scenario I feel like everyone was locked in and ready to go.

Jaxson Miller: The Mustangs were looking to jump start another playoff run to reach their fourth consecutive Dakota Bowl and have a shot at winning back-to-back state titles.

However, the Patriots came out firing on all cylinders to start the game. The Mustangs fumbled on their second drive of the game and the Patriots capitalized. Throughout the first half, Sheyenne’s offense could not get anything rolling and they trailed 14-0 at halftime… something they were not used to all season.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: And the momentum for Bismarck Century continued into the beginning of the second half. On 3^rd & 8, with a little over nine minutes to go in the third quarter, quarterback, Kyan Barth, connected with running back, Peyton Arndt, for a 38-yard touchdown to extend Century’s lead to 20.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: Trailing 20-0 in the third quarter, the Mustangs’ offense was finally able to find a spark on their next drive. They responded by marching down the field easily. The drive was capped off by a Kaden Rahr rushing touchdown. Sheyenne converted on the two-point conversion to make it a 20-8 ballgame.

[FOOTBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: However, that spark would not last long. The offense stalled again. Despite the defense keeping the Patriots at 20 points for most of the second half, the Mustangs could not climb themselves out of the hole that they were in. Aiden could not believe what was happening.

Aiden Knodel: Never did it cross my mind that we would be in that situation where we would be down, and it was just like… we were getting beat pretty bad at that point. Never in my mind did I think that we would lose that game. So, as the clock was ticking down, it was a shock to me as I was just standing there. It felt out of my control. Nothing I could do. It just felt like a bad dream.

Jaxson Miller: Bismarck Century went on to win 27-8. Just like that, Sheyenne’s season… was over. There would be no back-to-back champion. There was not much to say.

Aiden Knodel: After the game, the locker room was honestly really quiet. Nobody had much to say. There was lots of hugs, some tears. It was definitely the most emotional I have ever had in sports where you have been growing up with these kids your entire life and it is like the last time you are going to be able to share a field, share a court, like any of that, with lots of those kids. It is really surreal, and you are realizing that your sports career is coming to an end. All the friends, all the relationships, every practice you go to, you start to miss that type of stuff and miss those connections that you used to have.

Jaxson Miller: It is hard to describe the amount of agony an athlete feels after an upset loss. It is like getting punched in the gut, like something that you wanted for so long just suddenly becomes out of reach.

But yet, in these agonizing moments, sports offer us life changing lessons that can prepare us for tough times in the future.

Aiden Knodel: Never take anything granted. I thought my football career would end with playing in a state championship where I would know that it is the last game I will every play. Luckily for you, when you got to that championship, you knew this was the last game I was going to be playing these girls, last game I was going to be playing with these guys. That is what I thought I was going to be feeling. I felt like that was stripped away from me so suddenly, so shockingly, I definitely thought that I kind of took things for granted. I didn’t really love every moment that I should have. Just don’t take anything for granted.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Sheyenne’s football team may have suffered from over confidence. And maybe that led to the unexpected… their early exit from the playoffs. But what if confidence is completely justified? What if the outcome defies the expected, defies defeat? That’s where Jaxson Miller will continue, next time in Part Two of Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected on Sheyenne Perspectives.

See you soon everyone.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News.