All posts by Jaxson Miller

Podcasts, Sheyenne Perspectives, Sports

Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected

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PART TWO: THE THRILL OF VICTORY
By Jaxson Miller
Hosted by Hailey Boehme

Official Transcript:

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]

Hailey Boehme: Hello everyone. This is Sheyenne perspectives, and I’m your host, Hailey Boehme, with Mustang Post News.

In Jaxson’s last episode of Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected, Sheyenne football’s defeat and heartache was his focus.

If you missed this podcast or any other releases, they’re all free to stream on mustangpost.news.

This week, Jaxson wraps up his two-part podcast by taking a turn toward Sheyenne volleyball’s state championship victory and joy.

Here’s Jaxson.

Jaxson Miller: A couple of weeks later, Sheyenne’s volleyball team was back in the state tournament once again. Even before the Mustangs catapulted themselves into the history books, the season they were having was already historic.

The Mustangs won their first 22 games, their best start in program history, finished undefeated in the EDC conference, which helped them capture the EDC regular season title, and then they went on to win the EDC conference tournament.

Sheyenne entered the state tournament 32-2 and had to face a tough Bismarck St. Mary’s squad. The Mustangs swept the Saints.

Next up was the Jamestown Blue Jays. In another great performance, the Sheyenne Mustangs were able to get the sweep against another solid team. They were heading to the state championship for the first time in program history.

Kennedy Colter, one of the top servers on the team and one of the eight seniors on the team, described what she felt throughout the state tournament.

Kennedy Colter: “I think that whole weekend, I thought I was going to have a million heart attacks. That whole weekend was a lot because every game is so important. But, after winning that second game it still didn’t hit me because… just beating Jamestown, they are really good team, and we had to come out… and that we played really good against Jamestown so taking that whole game in was a lot after the game and I don’t think it hit me until later that night… like… holy cow, this isn’t real… like… we are actually going to the state championship.”

Kennedy Colter serving during Sheyenne’s matchup against Fargo Shanley on September 27, 2022. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Jaxson Miller: Sheyenne had to face Bismarck Century, a team that was in the state championship for the 12th straight year, a team that was looking for their 10th state title, and their 8th in the last 12 seasons. An absolute dynasty.

Did that bring a lot of pressure or nerves to the Mustangs? Of course. That is part of being an athlete. If there are not any nerves, there is something wrong.

The best athletes in the world get nervous. The players or teams that win are the ones that are equipped to handle it. So how did Kennedy and her teammates manage their nerves?

Kennedy Colter: Our team has two songs that we like to play before big games and to get us into the mindset of how important volleyball is to us and how much we care about each other. We play “I Lived” and “Halo.” And we were like, ‘Okay we have all this extra time’ before the game ‘Let’s play the song’ so we turned off the lights, we all got in a circle, and you could just feel that everyone wanted to win, and that everyone loved each other… we still do. It was a really good feeling and I think that helped calm my nerves down. I think all of us were crying, bawling our eyes out before the game, so that was great, but it was just that moment where we all got together, looked at each other, and it was like… this is the last game we will ever play together as a team, and for some of us, ever again, so it just meant a lot to know that everyone in that huddle had each other’s backs.”

Jaxson Miller: Sheyenne had faith that they could beat this dynasty of a team that Bismarck Century was.

Sheyenne beat Bismarck Century at the Bismarck Crossover, where the teams from the EDC, the Eastern Dakota Conference, travel West to play teams from the WDA, the Western Dakota Association.

Century got the upper hand against Sheyenne at the Fargo Invite towards the middle part of the regular season.

The Mustangs and the Patriots were the top two teams in the Class A state poll all season long. With each team splitting the amount of time spent at the number one spot, it was the perfect matchup for a state championship game.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

And the Mustangs did not shy away. They came out with a great amount of intensity and won the first set 25-21. Century responded with an early lead in the second set and won the second set 25-22.

Throughout the third set, Sheyenne and Century traded points with each other until Sheyenne was able to pull away. At this point, they were just one set away from their first ever state title, in their first ever state title game.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: As a winning program, Century was simply not going to back down. With their backs against the walls, Century responded with clutch defense and minimal errors in the fourth set.

However, despite taking the fourth set, the momentum did shift back towards Sheyenne late in the set.

The Patriots had a lead of 24-18, but the Mustangs went on a five-point run to get the lead down to one before Century setter, Geneva Ding, faked out the Mustangs and got the point to close out the fourth set, 25-23.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

Jaxson Miller: The next set could have gone either way as it was a winner-takes-all scenario. What more could you have asked for as a fan? There was not a lot of room for errors. It came down to who wanted it more.

After the first half of the fifth set went back and forth, Sheyenne went on 5-1 run to go up 12-7. Century called timeout.

That momentum for Sheyenne did not stop. The Mustangs did not collapse and kept their foot on the gas pedal. Great setting by Kennedy led to Isabelle Albrecht and Lexus Terhark each getting a kill to make it a 14-8 game.

Sheyenne was now just one point away from knocking off Century and capturing their first ever state championship.

On the last serve of the game, Century was able to return the ball over the net. Khloe Brown passed to Brooke Johnson, who was serving to close out the game. Brooke Johnson gave outside hitter Reagan Bogenreif a great set.

Bogenreif rose and hit the ball with great power. Century’s front row almost blocked it but… the ball made contact with the ground. At that moment, just a little after midnight, Sheyenne reached the summit at long last. They dethroned the Patriots.

[VOLLEYBALL BROADCAST SOUND – FREESOUND]

KENNEDY COLTER: “I personally didn’t even see Reagan’s hit hit the ground. I didn’t even know, I was in an awkward spot, I couldn’t see, so I was like, ‘If everyone starts running, we won.’ And then everyone started running, and I just followed them. I was like, ‘This is not real’ and it was crazy. The best part of it was… I was sitting there… I think it was the fourth set and only in front of me, I could see our parents, our fans, and the Century fans. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh’ so I was like, ‘You know what? I need to take this all in.’ I stand up, I look around, and behind us is all the teams from the East, the West, and just everyone watching the game, cheering for us, so excited that they were jumping up for every single point. To have that feeling of everyone in the gym besides the Century fans cheering for you is something I will never forget, and that was a really cool experience too.”

Jaxson Miller: Kennedy says that what went on in all the huddles that occurred during the timeouts throughout the course of the match were a big factor.

Kennedy Colter: “I think that she (Newton) was just telling us to keep playing our game and to not get scared or tighten up because that is not going to help you win at all. I think when we got that run at the end of the fourth set, that really helped our momentum coming into the fifth set. I think that is really important and a huge thing in volleyball, is having the momentum of the game and although we did lose the fourth set, we did bring a lot of momentum into the fifth set, which was very helpful and that did push us to win the fifth set.

Jaxson Miller: Aiden Knodel was one of the many fans in the Bismarck Event Center that evening. He was in the student section with some friends.

Aiden Knodel: “Just seeing the redemption that the volleyball team was able to make up for our shortcomings, it was a really cool experience to witness and probably out of all the sporting events I have been to, it honestly was just like… crazy to watch, just the amount of energy that was inside the gym and just watching the emotions of the players, it was really cool to watch. And it kind of makes your heart ache because it is something that you wanted for yourself, but to see someone else go do that for you, was also a really cool experience.”

Jaxson Miller: It took Sheyenne’s volleyball team nine years to finally bring home a state championship trophy. The next step is to build off of this. They will have a good number of seniors to lead the team next year and will look to repeat as state champions.

The football team is hoping to rebound from the disappointing end to the 2022 season and return with vengeance next season.

Here’s the thing with sports, whether you achieve your storybook ending or not, it is important to understand that sports offer us the life-changing lessons that we need to grow as people and to make this world a better place. And for us to bounce back from our failures and our shortcomings.

[THEME SONG – KOLBY THOMPSON.]  

Hailey Boehme: This podcast was recorded and edited by Jaxson Miller and hosted by Hailey Boehme. Sheyenne Perspectives theme music was composed and performed by Kolby Thompson under the direction of Mark Berntson (BURNT-son). Our thanks goes to Aiden Knodel and Kennedy Colter for their insight and time interviewing as well as Mustang Media and BEK Sports Network for providing the sports broadcast audio in this two-part podcast.

In our next episode of Sheyenne Perspectives, Carter Phillips returns for part two of his feature on creativity.

So long everyone. We’ll see you soon.

This has been a production of Mustang Post News.

 

Podcasts, Sheyenne Perspectives, Sports

Wins, Losses, and the Unexpected

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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.

Sheyenne wide receiver Aiden Knodel looking to block during an offensive play against Bismarck Century during their 11AA quarterfinal game on Friday, October 28, 2022, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.

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 3rd & 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.

Sports

Raan Rules Tennis Court: Makes SHS History

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By Jaxson Miller

West Fargo Sheyenne senior Ethan Raan is on top of the North Dakota high school tennis world after he claimed the singles championship on Saturday, October 8, at Hammond Park in Minot.

Raan defeated Grand Forks Red River’s Espen Schneider in the final round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Boys Tennis Singles State Tournament.

Raan is the first player to win an individual state championship for the Sheyenne boys’ tennis program.

“It was very rewarding to bring the boys’ tennis program at Sheyenne its first state title and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates” Raan said. “Coach Anderson and Coach Healy have always set high standards for the team and encouraged hard work, and I feel that my success is a direct product of that.”

Ethan Raan holds the bracket of the singles state tournament after his state championship victory. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

He redeemed himself against Schneider in a third set tiebreaker, 6-1, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Schneider defeated Raan 6-2 and 6-4 in the EDC (Eastern Dakota Conference) singles championship just a week prior.

Ethan Raan had nothing but a humble attitude towards his state championship opponent, “In regards to Espen, my opponent, it was our fifth time playing against each other this season and at this point we were 2-2. He’s a great tennis player and I enjoy playing competitors like him.” Raan was able to get the last laugh.

Ethan Raan went into the state tournament as the number two seed player from the East region.

He started off with a great win (6-0, 6-1) over Bismarck’s Gabe Hanson in the first round and got the chance to play his Sheyenne teammate, junior Mason Christensen, in the quarterfinal round.

Raan defeated Christensen 6-4, 6-4, to move onto the semifinal round.

He had a blast playing against his teammate in a match that had a lot on the line, “Playing Mason in the quarterfinals was great because it meant we had both been successful in the rounds prior” Raan said. “We had fun playing each other and continued to support each other in the matches that followed. He’s a great player and teammate and I can’t wait to see where next season takes him.”

Raan continued his state title run with a semifinal win over Grand Forks Red River’s Saylor Kuenzel, capturing a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
The journey to the mountain top was complete with the win over Schneider in the final round.

The EDC players came to play at the state tournament as Ethan Raan was in the mix of seven players from Sheyenne, Fargo South, Fargo North, and Fargo Davies, who were either in the championship or consolation semifinals.

Grand Forks Central’s Evan Panzer and Cole Wilber won the doubles state championship over Mandan’s Karter Hatzenbuhler and Brady Helbling.

Raan was hungry for a state title this year as he was close to achieving one last year but lost in the single semifinals to Shanley’s Kai Pierce (3-6, 7-6(4), 6-4).

He finished last year’s season on a high note with a win (3-6, 6-1, 6-3) over Grand Forks Central’s Ryder McDonald in the third-place match.

Fortunately things turned out differently this year.

The state champion himself was extra motivated all season long, “I didn’t feel that I had to redeem myself after taking third place last year as I went out on a win and played great players in the semis and the third place match. If anything, I gained confidence from it and it encouraged me to work harder for my senior season.”

Due to his success, Ethan Raan was voted the 2022 Senior Athlete of the Year.

Sheyenne’s boys tennis team went 19-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play. The program took third place as a team in the state tournament.

The 2022 West Fargo Sheyenne boys tennis team took third place as a team at the state tournament in Minot, North Dakota. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Raan felt that the team’s success helped him create a champion mindest going into the state championship, “My mindset going into the state championship was it was now or never. It was my last match of my high school tennis career and for that reason I wanted to win for myself and for my team” he said.

With that mindset, Raan also felt no pressure, “Although I was very motivated to win, I was also grateful to have made it that far and felt fortunate to have the opportunity. With the team qualifying for state, it had already been a great season that I and my teammates were proud of. So I went into the match feeling no pressure.”

The three seniors, Ethan Raan (left), Nate Angus (middle), and Kasen Baer (right), with the third place team trophy. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

One of the best things an athlete can do is finish their high school career on a high note, and go out with a bang, and Ethan Raan did just that. The young man has a bright future ahead of him.

Raan spoke about his future plans, “I plan on playing tennis in college in some capacity, whether it’s for a college team or club team. It all depends on what school I attend. At the moment, I’m interested in studying astrophysics/astronomy and aerospace engineering and aspire to have a career in a space-related field.”

It is safe to say that the Mustang faithful is very proud of Ethan Raan. He will look to have more success this spring, which will be his final high school track season.

Raan is an explosive, fast-twitch athlete, who will qualify for state in the 100m and 200m dashes once again along with being on the 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams.

One thing is for certain, Ethan Raan’s tennis state title run is something he will remember for the rest of his life.

Sports

Loss and Agony for SHS Football

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By Jaxson Miller

There’s two things every athlete feels in sports based on the outcome of their games. The thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat.

However, it is all about how athletes respond to the wins or to the losses. More importantly, the losses.

Maybe more specifically, when expectations are not met, how should athletes react to the unexpected? Change or the unexpected is hard and challenging.

And yet, in that change, in the unexpected, there’s more to learn, more to achieve, more to reflect upon, more to look forward to. This may be the case for the 2022 Sheyenne Mustangs’ football squad.

Slot back Race Wilson gets ready to run his route during Sheyenne’s 11AA quarterfinal playoff game against Bismarck Century on Friday, October 28, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.

West Fargo Sheyenne went into the first round of the NDHSAA (North Dakota High School Activities Association) Class 11AA playoffs with a seven-game winning streak and as the number one seed.

The Mustangs were coming off a 28-17 victory against the #2 Mandan Braves in the regular season finale. Sheyenne finished the regular season at 8-1.

Cornerback Ty Schlichting gets ready to defend during Sheyenne’s 11AA quarterfinal playoff game against Bismarck Century on Friday, October 28, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.

The Mustangs faced off against the Bismarck Century Patiots, the number eight seed.

Bismarck Century was most dominant program of the 2010s and the team who defeated West Fargo Sheyenne in back-to-back Dakota Bowls in 2019 and 2020.

However, the Patriots finished the 2022 regular season with a losing record of 3-6, which is something that fans are not used to seeing.
West Fargo Sheyenne defeated Bismarck Century in week 3 of the regular season, 41-14.

The Mustangs looked to begin another playoff run against the Patriots in order to reach their fourth straight Dakota Bowl and have a shot at winning their second straight state title.

Defensive coordinator Josh Karch moments before kickoff.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.

Bismarck Century began to hit their stride going into the quarterfinal round against West Fargo Sheyenne. Century started 0-5 before winning three of their last four regular season games.

The Patriots came out firing on all cylinders against the Mustangs and were able to pull off a 27-8 upset victory at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium on Friday, October 28.

And just like that, the season was over for the Mustangs. There would be no back-to-back champion.

The Mustang faithful was stunned at what just happened. The fans were wondering how could this have happened?

The Mustangs turned the ball over a whopping six times.

Sheyenne fumbled on their second drive of the game.

Century capitalized with a touchdown reception by William Ware, a Minot State basketball commit.

For the majority of the first half, the Sheyenne defense was able to keep Century at seven points. The Mustang offense on the other hand, could not get anything going.

Century’s quarterback, Kyan Barth, connected with wide receiver Ryan Brynjolfson for a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter, after Sheyenne fumbled again.

Century led 14-0 at halftime.

The Patriots got the ball to start the second half.

Century faced a third down and needed eight yards to get a first down. Kyan Barth threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to running back Peyton Arndt.

Century took a 20-0 lead.

Sheyenne answered by driving down the field easily on their next drive, which was capped off with a rushing touchdown by Kaden Rahr.

The Mustangs were able to convert on the two-point conversion to make it a 20-8 game, with 4:34 to go in the third quarter.

Sheyenne’s defense came up with big stops on the next two Century drives. One of those defensive stops included a top-ten play.

Marcus Johnson intercepted Kyan Barth on 3rd and 23, with 11:04 to go in the fourth quarter.

Unfourtunately, Sheyenne failed to score on their final three drives.
Bismarck Century scored one last touchdown with 1:42 to go in the game, right after they recovered a muffed punt.

The 27-8 first round loss to Bismarck Century will arguably go down as the most heartbreaking loss in Sheyenne’s football history. Sheyenne finished the 2022 season 8-2.

Bismarck Century was able to defeat Fargo Davies in the semifinals, 12-0, to punch their ticket to another Dakota Bowl.

The Shanley Deacons blew the Bismarck Century Patriots out of the water in the Dakota Bowl. It was a 48-7 victory for the Deacons and they captured their first state title since 2018 and their 17th overall.

This was also Shanley’s 10th state title in the modern era, which began in 1975, and the first time Shanley won the state title in the highest division since 1983.

The 2022 Mustangs featured another great squad that was full of well-rounded athletes. They looked very solid throughout their seven-game winning streak.

The seven-game winning streak started after Sheyenne lost to Fargo Davies, 35-6, in week 2.

Starting quarterback Caleb Duerr finished his first season as a starter with 90 carries, 585 rushing yards, and 9 rushing touchdowns. He was 50/116 through the air and had 839 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and finished with 5 interceptions thrown.

Quarterback Caleb Duerr scrambles out of the pocket during Sheyenne’s 11AA quarterfinal playoff game against Bismarck Century on Friday, October 28, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.

Race Wilson was the leading rusher and receiver on this Mustang football squad this season.

Wilson had 115 carries, 639 rushing yards, and punched in 4 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 21 passes from Caleb Duerr, had 222 receiving yards, and had 2 receiving touchdowns.

Senior fullback Issac Kanega, who can squat 515lbs, ran 123 times, gained a total of 505 yards, and had 7 rushing touchdowns.

Issac Kanega receives a handoff from Caleb Duerr during Sheyenne’s 11AA quarterfinal playoff game against Bismarck Century on Friday, October 28, at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.
Photo courtesy Lillian Wirtz.

Senior slot back Kaden Rahr, ran for 336 yards on 83 carries, and had 4 rushing touchdowns as well. Barieyedum Kpeenu had 48 carries, 331 yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns.

Wide receiver Dylan Beyl finished his senior season with 10 receptions, 194 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns.

Aiden Knodel, another senior wide receiver, caught 8 passes, had 151 receiving yards, and 1 touchdown.

Defensive end Karter Menz, the University of Minnesota commit, led the EDC AA in sacks for the second straight year, with 10.

The Mustangs defense will also miss the contributions from Nic Renner, Marcus Johnson, Ross Olson, and Ty Schlichting.

Marcus Johnson had four interceptions this season. One of them was a pick-six, which occurred against West Fargo High in week 7.

Sheyenne is going to the miss the seniors that are graduating this year, but they also had a few juniors such as Caleb Duerr, Race Wilson, and Barieyedium Kpeenu, who will return next year.

The Mustangs will look to bounce back in 2023 and try to make another run to the Dakota Bowl and capture another state title.

Sheyenne’s football program has grown so much since their inaugural season that took place back in 2014, and will be a team that will continue to be fun to watch in the years to come.

Feature & General, Sports

Success Is A Personal Road To Fulfillment

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By Jaxson Miller

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”

John Wooden was the UCLA mens basketball coach from 1948-1975 and won 10 national championships between 1964 and 1975.
Photo courtesy Sports Illustrated.

Success is a word or concept that can be different for every person. Everyone wants to be successful, but it is a long road to get there. So what does it take?

Success can be defined in many ways according to a person’s hobbies, interests, or goals. It is not necessarily about being super rich or being MVP all the time. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a lot of money and win awards, success should be about personal fulfillment.

Most people feel the need to be successful because they want to feel like they had a significant impact on the world. One of the biggest fears a lot of people have is looking back on a life that lacked impact or was unfulfilling. This is where hard work and being driven comes into play because there is only so much time a person gets on Earth.

The knowledge that your time on Earth will be up one day should create the focus and the need for accomplishing goals. Time is one of the most valuable things.

It takes a lot of dedication to achieve success and many people fail to work for what they want and expect everything to be given to them. That is not how it works.

Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest golfer of all time, said this in his acceptance speech when he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, “Nothing is ever going to be given to you. Everything is going to be earned. If you don’t go out and put in the work, you don’t go out and put in the effort, one you’re not going to get the results. But two, more importantly, you don’t deserve it, you didn’t earn it.”

Fortunately, it has never been easier to learn how to be successful than it is today. Perhaps this explains why there is more millionaires in the world today than there has ever been.

The first step is to stop looking for the silver bullet. That means to stop looking for the easy way out. Work and be creative! Success does not happen overnight.

Next of all, goals should be specific, attainable, have a date, and a purpose. There is nothing wrong with reaching out to people for help. Want to be successful? Learn from other people that are successful. However, do not look for validation.

Nothing kills happiness more than when a person decides to not follow their dreams. Do not be afraid to dream big: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.”

Ownership and belief in oneself leads to results. If it is a person’s goal to start their own business, they need to take ownership in themselves.

One of the best things about entrepreneurship is having the freedom to create a business from personal vision. Plus, taking self-ownership leads to enjoying the wins and learning from the losses. Most importantly, belief leads to achievement. It is all up to the individual to become successful.

There are many ways to achieve success in life. Becoming successful requires someone to stop looking for someone else to do it for them, create goals, to be dedicated, work hard, not look for validation, live their dreams, take ownership, build experience, to have self-discipline, and believe in themselves.

There are two options everyone can do. They can either sit back and not work for it or they can start creating, take some risks, discipline themselves, and work hard so they can earn it. Ultimately, make everyday count.

Remember: Work hard. Stay humble. Be kind.

Sports

Sheyenne Basketball Excels In 2021-2022

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By Jaxson Miller

The West Fargo Sheyenne boys’ basketball program and girls’ basketball program both wrapped up their eighth season as varsity programs.

The girls’ team had a new coach this year, Kenyon Wingenbach.

Wingenbach was an assistant coach for the Bismarck Century boys’ basketball program for five years and for the Bismarck Century girls’ basketball program for eight years.

Kenyon Wingenbach succeeded Brent Hintz, who was the coach for the first seven years of the West Fargo Sheyenne girls’ basketball program.

The boys team finished 20-7 overall with a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.

This was a team that graduated five seniors last year and lost 80 percent of their scoring, which came from Jacksen Moni and Jah’Heem Leake.

The girls’ program had their best season in program history, by going 20-6 overall, and had a 16-game winning streak that spanned for a little over two months.

Kenyon Wingenbach was glad to be a part of such an amazing experience, “I’m looking forward to next season, but this team was very special. I’ve been a part of a lot of successful teams, but I’ve never been a part of something like this. It’s a team I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

Both the girls’ and boys’ teams punched their tickets to the 2022 North Dakota High School Basketball Class A State Tournament, which was held at the Bismarck Event Center from Thursday, March 10, to Saturday, March 12.

Sheyenne’s boys team punched their ticket by getting to the EDC (Eastern Dakota Conference) championship game for the third year in a row.

Fargo Davies beat Sheyenne 66-60, to get the East number one seed in the state tournament. Sheyenne beat Fargo Davies in the EDC championship last year, 92-55, and in 2020, 68-48.

Sheyenne’s girls team punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2019, by beating the Shanley Deacons, 68-51, in a state qualifier match. They earned the East number three seed in the state tournament.

Maya Metcalf (right) attempts to win the tip-off against Minot’s Leelee Bell (left) during the start of the their quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 10, in the North Dakota High School Class A Girls Basketball State Tournament. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Head coach Kenyon Wingenbach talked about his team being underestimated going into the season and winning 20 games in his first year as head coach, “I thought it was possible next season, but we exceeded everybody’s expectations this season. I thought we could make a run by tournament time and possibly upset a team or two to make it to state. Our main goal was to get acclimated to a new style of play, compete, improve, and form the foundation moving forward.”

The 2022 Class A State Tournament featured many tight games and great matchups. In the boys’ bracket, there was two games that went into overtime in the quarterfinal round.

Minot defeated Fargo North 73-72, thanks to Darik Dissette’s game winning floater, after trailing 71-64 with 1:21 to go in overtime. Fargo Davies outlasted Bismarck Century in overtime, 84-72.

Sheyenne defeated Mandan in the quarterfinal round for the second straight year, 61-48. The Mustangs marched to their third straight semifinal appearance.

Kaleb Larson pulls up for a jumper over Mandan’s Nathan Gerding during their quarterfinal game on Thursday, March 10, in the North Dakota High School Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament, at the Bismarck Event Center. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

West Fargo Sheyenne took on Minot in the first boys semifinal game on the evening of Friday, March 11, 2022. The Mustangs were up 19-11 before the Magicians made a late first half comeback to go up by one at halftime, 24-23.

Both teams shot below 35 percent from the field. The second half was back and forth, and it was anyone’s game.

The Magicians built a lead late in the second half before the Mustangs made a comeback of their own, thanks to another double-double performance from senior Michael Nhial, who had 24 points and 12 rebounds. Dominic Dosmann hit clutch shots down the stretch to keep the Mustangs in it.

Michael Nhial (left) attempts a pull-up jumper over Minot’s Logan Conklin (right) during the first boys semifinal game of the North Dakota High School Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament on Friday, March 11, at the Bismarck Event Center. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Sheyenne struggled with foul trouble as the Mustangs’ second leading scorer, Kaleb Larson, fouled out late in the game.

The Mustangs tied it up at 51 to send the game to overtime. One overtime was not enough to determine a winner. Michael Nhial hit two out of three free throws to tie the game at 57 and force a second overtime.

Sheyenne came out with a couple of buckets to go up by four and a chance to put the Magicians away and punch a ticket to the state championship game. But Minot did not go away.

Minot got the lead back down to two and forced a stop. Then, the Magicians’ junior guard, Jaeger Gunville, hit one of the most clutch shots of the entire tournament, from NBA range, to take the lead 62-61.

The Magicians forced another stop and hit two free throws to go up by three. The Mustangs had one more chance to send the game to a third overtime.

Unfortunately for the Mustangs, Sheyenne senior forward, Zander Newton, was blocked in the corner and the Minot Magicians survived just barely. This win punched their ticket to the Class A title game for the second straight year.

“This group was one play away from being the favorite in the championship. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to get to state and once you make it, you must find another level. The 2022 team had it and the 2020 team never got a chance to complete their season,” Tom Kirchoffner said.

Kirchoffner completed his eight season as head coach for the boys’ basketball program at Sheyenne.

The Magicians would get revenge on the West Fargo Packers in a rematch from last year’s state title game, with a 73-62 victory, to win their first title since 2017, and 19th in school history.

The boys’ team did prove tons of people wrong, and this is a program that should not be overlooked.

Head coach Tom Kirchoffner felt the same way, “We will always have that internal drive to do well. We want our players to do their best on and off the court. The challenge with this team was that we lost all of our starters from the previous year. It was a great challenge for this group of seniors, and they exceeded everyone’s expectations this year. I’m really proud of them.”

The Mustang girls’ basketball squad did not have the brightest finish to the best season in their program’s history. They lost both of their games at state. However, they kept it close in both of their games.

In the Mustangs’ quarterfinal game against Minot, who went on to win the Class A girls basketball state title, they were behind by as much as 20 points in the first half and made a huge comeback.

The Mustangs were able to get the lead down to single digits late in the first half and were able keep it that way throughout the second half.

The Majettes were able to hold on for the win by a score of 71-63. They went on to defeat Fargo Davies 64-57 in the semifinals, and snap Bismarck Century’s 50 game winning streak in the state championship, with a stunning 75-68 win.

This was just the second time the Minot girls’ basketball team won the state title. The first came in 1978.

The Mustangs lost to Bismarck Legacy 61-58 in the consolation semifinal round and the season came to end.

Brenna Dick goes up for a contested layup over Bismarck Legacy’s Breena Sand during their consolation semifinal game on Friday, March 11, in the North Dakota High School Class A Girls Basketball State Tournament. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

The Sheyenne girls’ basketball program is going to miss Alivia Manson and Lauren Fagerland as they are graduating this year. They contributed as deadly shooters from beyond the arc and were significant role models for the rest of the team.

The boys’ team is graduating a staggering nine players. These players are Michael Nhial, Kaleb Larson, Dominic Dosmann, Zander Newton, James Hagen, Trent Freih, Matthew Gooselaw, Kellen Entz, and Derrick Lobbo.

Nhial, Larson, Gooselaw, and Dosmann have interest to play at the next level.

Matthew Gooselaw is committed to go play for the Spartans at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls. Kaleb Larson just recently committed to NDSCS in Wahpeton.

Dominic Dosmann has growing interest from Concordia College in Moorhead. Michael Nhial committed to Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Nhial will team up with former Sheyenne Mustang Jacksen Moni next year along with Fargo Davies guard, Ian Motschenbacher, who committed to Northern State back in October.

Both Wingenbach and Kirchoffner will continue to have optimistic expectations for their teams.

“The expectations are high for next year, but almost every team that finished in the top seven this year has everyone back,” head coach Kenyon Wingenbach said. “It’s going to be a very competitive league, but we will continue to set and adjust our standards of excellence to pursue. We will need to continue to emphasize the little things, start from zero, and embrace new roles with the departure of our seniors.”

Kirchoffner had similar comments, “Expectations are the same – to work hard every day, have a great attitude, and be a good teammate.”

The girls’ team will bring back a ton of varsity experience and will have a large senior class next season. The boys’ team on the other hand will bring a group of players who have not had experience at the varsity level.

Kenyon Wingenbach is excited for the years to come, and Sheyenne is grateful to have him as head coach for the girls’ basketball program.

Wingenbach had great advice and lessons to give to players that participate in high school sports, “The ups and downs of any given season are an extreme version of real life. Basketball can be used as a vehicle for a higher purpose,” Wingenbach stated.

“I think everyone in our program learned a lot about themselves throughout our journey. The collective confidence we had as a team allowed all our members to feel more comfortable with who they truly are. Ultimately that’s the biggest takeaway from this season. Each season is different. Each group is different.”

As for Tom Kirchoffner, he emphasizes the importance of a great attitude, “Attitude is everything. I learned that at a young age when I would go to my dad’s basketball camps as that is what we had on the back of the camp t-shirts,” Kirchoffner said. “Also, you need to work hard to have success. Good things come to those who work hard.”

The Mustang faithful can be sure that both programs will continue to make remarkable things happen in the years to come.

Sports

Sheyenne Reaps Wrestling Glory

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By Jaxson Miller

Lex Lunde, the 2021-2022 EDC and Class A Wrestling Coach of the Year, started the wrestling program at Sheyenne with the help of his two brothers, Logan, and Lane. The journey began in the fall of 2015.

Lex Lunde cheering on his team during the Rumble on the Red Tournament. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

“I was super excited to get the call from Mr. Grooters (former Sheyenne High School principal) and also a little bit nervous,” head coach Lex Lunde said. “But I was excited to move up to the high school level and start a program. That’s what I’ve always dreamed of.”

The Mustangs went 0-10 in their inaugural season. The inaugural season was the first year Sheyenne High School had seniors, so the numbers were tough, and it was a stressful experience for Lunde and his brothers.

“The first season was stressful for sure. My two older brothers, Logan, and Lane, are assistant coaches, and we’ve always been a part of talented teams. We coached the same way that we were coached throughout college and even a little bit of high school. We realized quickly that didn’t work, especially with five kids and having four of them not knowing if they wanted to be there or not. So that was the most stressful thing.”

Lex, Logan, and Lane realized that they needed to change up their style to get on the right track.

Lex Lunde talked about that change, “We cared as coaches more than a lot of these kids cared themselves in the first couple of years, so we had to change our style a little bit.”

Long time Sheyenne wrestler Kellen Hoornaert, who finished his high school wrestling career as the program’s career leader in wins, escapes, takedowns, total matches, dual-meet wins, decisions, major decisions, and nearfalls, was with the team for six seasons.

Hoornaert joined the team when Sheyenne was in their second season as a program.

In an interview with Logan Campbell, a sports reporter and host from WDAY, Hoornaert talked about what his experience was like when he first joined the program, “I joined the team when I was a seventh grader. During our first year, we had lost every single dual 60-0, 70-3, it was just consistent loss after loss.”

Sheyenne began to grow as a school and the Mustangs began to make progress gradually.

“For me it’s kind of a relief,” said head coach Lex Lunde. “We knew that we were doing the right things and knew that the kids were also doing the right things. It was just a waiting game essentially for kids to start getting bigger, to find different weight classes, and then for the team to spread out from there.”

Last season, the Mustangs achieved their first ever winning season going 13-8 overall and finishing 6-3 in conference play, which put them at the number four spot in the EDC.

This also gave Sheyenne their first dual state tournament appearance. They dropped both games at state, losing to Bismarck 62-7, and Devils Lake 48-27.

Sheyenne was geared up for another winning season. After that first winning season one year ago, Sheyenne has now transformed into a complete and utter dominant program.

It’s certain that head coach Lex Lunde is thrilled to see his team succeed, “It’s been exciting to see the kids have success. Hard work does pay off.”

It was the awakening of a sleeping giant. The Mustangs captured their first EDC regular season title this season and won the EDC regional tournament for the first time on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at the Devils Lake Sports Center.

WF Sheyenne celebrates after they won their first EDC tournament title on February 12, 2022. Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Sixteen Sheyenne wrestlers qualified for the individual state tournaments, which was a program record.

Marcus Johnson was one of those sixteen wrestlers. He finished his junior season with the program this year, and joined the team during his 8th grade year back in 2018.

Johnson has already set the school record for most pins in a career which currently stands at 80. He also broke his own record of 41 wins in one season, which was set during his freshman year (2019-20), by recording 44 wins this season.

In addition, he holds the school single-season records for reversals, dual-meet points, dual-meet wins, and winning percentage.

Sheyenne tallied 258.5 points at the EDC Tournament, the most ever in program history, and no other team came close to that mark.

West Fargo High finished in second place but finished a whopping 36 points behind the Mustangs.

Sheyenne went a perfect 9-0 in EDC dual play this year and finished 16-6 overall, the most dual wins the Mustangs have recorded in one season.

Sheyenne also set team records for team points at the state tournament for both boys and girls, team points in a season for dual matches with an outstanding 1,039 points, most points in a single dual match with 84 in a dual match against Grand Forks Red River earlier this season, and most consecutive wins with six.

The Mustangs were able to achieve historic milestones as their victories over Fargo Davies and Valley City during the regular season, were the first ever wins for West Fargo Sheyenne against those programs.

Jamestown knocked Sheyenne out of the running for a state championship with a 37-33 victory in the first round of the Class A Wrestling Dual State Tournament, inside the Fargodome.

Despite this, Sheyenne bounced back and finished this year just right by beating Fargo Davies and Valley City once again, 54-22 and 39-33 respectively.

This resulted in a fifth place finish for the Mustangs in the dual tournament.

Although Sheyenne didn’t win a state title this year for duals, this was a historic season for this program.

Many of the sixteen Sheyenne wrestlers at the state tournament achieved success in the individual state tournaments.

Sheyenne finished in fourth place, with 130.5 points in the individual state tournament standings.

There was eight boys and four girls who placed at state for the Mustangs, which were also program records.

Landon Zink made a run to the championship match in the 106lb weight class tournament and Stetson Gisselbeck made a run to the championship match in the 113lb weight class tournament.

The most historical win from an individual wrestler came from Morgan Strandberg.

Morgan Strandberg wrestles her opponent during the Rumble on the Red tournament that took place from December 29-31, 2021.
Photo courtesy Mustang Media.

Strandberg pinned Bismarck Legacy freshman Elizabeth Youboty at 1:17, to capture the Sheyenne wrestling program’s first ever individual state title at the 115lb weight class.

Strandberg was the number one seed going into the 115lb tournament. This was the first year of NDHSAA-sanctioned girls wrestling individual state tournaments.

One of the best things in sports is to watch a new team that gets established and progressively get better until they reach the mountain top in their conference.

Lex Lunde and his coaching staff are going to make sure that the team does not regress.

“We’re not content. I think that’s the big thing because a lot of times for young adults and for kids on this wrestling team, they have some success and then think they can relax a little bit,” Lex Lunde stated. “That’s not what we intend do. We have a lot of kids returning next year and a lot of younger kids who are super talented.”

Lex Lunde also has some goals for the program to accomplish next season, “Our goal is the same thing. We want to win EDC next year and then at state, place higher than fourth in the individual tournament, and then higher than fifth in the dual tournament.”

The EDC had a new champion this year. West Fargo Sheyenne will look to defend their title next season and to continue to climb the latter of progress. Rudy Tomjanovich, who coached the Houston Rockets and led them to their first NBA title in 1994, once said, “Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.”

Sports

Mustang Athletes From a Year of Memories Lost

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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.

WF Sheyenne attempts to rush Bismarck Century’s Schaffner during the 2020 AAA State Championship at Dakota Bowl XXVIII
Photo courtesy Jason Kirkeby at jasonkirkeby.smugmug.com

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.

Sports

Mustangs Stampede to State

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By Jaxson Miller

Another volleyball season has come to an end, and it was a great one for West Fargo Sheyenne.

Khloe Brown rises up for a hit during West Fargo Sheyenne’s quarterfinal match against Bismarck High, in the North Dakota Class A Volleyball State Tournament, at the Bismarck Event Center, on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz

Middle hitter Cally Tungseth had good things to say about the season, “I think the season went really great. My favorite part was watching everyone get better throughout the season.”

Tungseth concluded her sophomore season this year. She will be a huge factor in the next couple of years for the Mustangs.

Tungseth was one of the few sophomores on the team and contributed by getting a lot of blocks and kills at middle hitter.

Sheyenne finished 27-10 overall and as the consolation champions (fifth place) at the 2021 North Dakota Class A Volleyball State Tournament.

The Mustangs were swept by Bismarck High in the first round (25-22, 25-17, 25-21) before sweeping Bismarck St. Mary’s (25-13, 25-19, 25-18) and beating Bismarck Legacy in four sets (25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-15) in the consolation bracket.

It was a bright year and a bright finish for West Fargo Sheyenne. This was the Mustangs’ fourth straight trip to the state tournament.
Sheyenne has yet to reach the state championship.

Their four trips to the state tournament include a fifth place finish in 2018, a third place finish in 2019, a seventh place finish in 2020, and another fifth place finish in 2021.

A big goal for everyone next year is to do something big at state,” Tungseth said. “We will have so much potential to do huge things and I can’t wait to be apart of it when it happens!”

The Mustangs were looking good all-season long and were one of the favorites coming out of the Eastern Dakota Conference. Sheyenne held the top spot until the middle of the regular season.

The Mustangs swept the Fargo North Spartans in the first round of the EDC tournament before falling to the West Fargo Packers in the semifinal round.

Sheyenne then punched their fourth straight ticket to the state tournament as they avenged their late regular season loss to Fargo South in the state qualifier game.

It was an all-around team for Sheyenne in 2021 and the Mustangs had hardly any weak spots.

Most of the time up front, it was Cally Tungseth, Khloe Brown, Vivienne Heidt, and Lexus Terhark. Reagan Bogenreif and Kailee Waasdorp were some of the best outside hitters in the state.

Brooke Johnson (#12) sets the ball for middle hitter Khloe Brown during their state tournament quarterfinal match against Bismarck High on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at the Bismarck Event Center.
Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz

Both of them were selected ALL-EDC team and Wassdorp was selected to All-State second team. Bogenreif was selected for All-Tourney team for West Fargo Sheyenne.

Mia Engel, Lydia Stevenson, Kennedy Colter, Brooke Johnson, Kira Karnopp, and Kallie Dodds played in the back row.

Engel and Stevenson had a lot of digs that came in huge moments throughout the 2021 campaign. Brooke Johnson and Kennedy Colter were some of the top servers and had minimal serving errors.

It was a solid finish for Vivienne Heidt, Lydia Stevenson, and Kira Karnopp. They concluded their volleyball high school careers.

Sophomore Mia Engel, who plays defensive specialist, spoke about the team chemistry and how Heidt, Stevenson, and Karnopp were great leaders, “I am very grateful for the experience I was given this season and I couldn’t have asked for better teammates and a better coaching staff.”

The Mustangs came out hot, winning 14 of their first 17 games. It seemed like the Mustangs were nearly unstoppable.

West Fargo High and Shanley gained momentum at the right time. Shanley swept Sheyenne at home, in a two-point matchup, back on Saturday, October 2.

Sheyenne got revenge against Shanley, by winning 2-1 at the Fargo Invite, the following weekend.

West Fargo High and Shanley played each other in the EDC championship and in the state tournament third place game. West Fargo High won both.

West Fargo Sheyenne has achieved a lot of goals year-by-year as a program, but the Mustangs have yet to be the last team standing.

Head coach Leah Newton, who won the 2021 EDC Coach of the Year award, has led the Mustangs to a brilliant 97-40 record since 2018. The program has been looking bright for the past four years and that success will likely continue.

Most of the team will be playing a lot of club volleyball to keep their skills sharp for next year along with a lot of lifting to get stronger.

West Fargo Sheyenne will have a large senior class for the 2022 season, which will be an advantage in terms of experience.

Cally Tungseth talked about what the team needs to improve on to be even better next year, “the team needs to work on consistency and not playing at a lower level just because the team we’re playing isn’t as good. I think what’ll fix this is a more competitive mindset.”

Cally Tungseth (far right) celebrates with Khloe Brown, Brooke Johnson, Vivienne Heidt, Kallie Dodds (far left), and Lydia Stevenson (libero) after getting a kill against Bismarck High during the state tournament at the Bismarck Event Center on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
Photo courtesy Paige Johnson at paigeelizabeth.biz

Down the stretch, the Mustangs lost four of their last eight games, which included Fargo Davies and Fargo South, who were well-rounded and solid programs in 2021.

Fargo Davies dethroned Bismarck Century back in the 2019 state championship, which gave the Eagles their first state title.

Bismarck Century reached the state title game for the 11th consecutive season in 2021, and won their 9th state title in program history.

This title also marks their sixth title in the last seven years.

It’s going to be an interesting next couple of seasons for North Dakota Class A volleyball. Both sides of the state will remain loaded in talent.

It’s going to take a lot of hard work and skill for the Mustangs to capture their first state title.

If West Fargo Sheyenne plays hard and doesn’t sleep on any other team, they are going to be a team in the running for the years to come.

One thing is certain, the Mustangs are a team that can not be underestimated.

Sports

REDEMPTION: SHEYENNE WINS 11AA CHAMPIONSHIP!

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By Jaxson Miller

After coming up short in the Dakota Bowl two years in a row, West Fargo Sheyenne finally got over the hump in 2021.

Full-back Josh Henricks looks for an opening in West Fargo High’s defensive line during the Dakota Bowl
Photo courtesy Jason Kirkeby at jasonkirkeby.smugmug.com

It was an historic year for the Mustangs. They dominated all season long, scoring 364 points and only giving up 90 points. It was their first perfect season with a record of 12-0.

The 364 points the Mustangs put up this season is now the best mark in program history, while the 90 points they allowed is the fewest amount of points the Mustangs have ever given up.

West Fargo Sheyenne rolled to a 27-7 victory over their cross-town rival, the Packers, to capture their first state title in program history.

Josh Henricks, who was one of the top rushers in the state all season, had a whopping 39 carries for 238 yards and three touchdowns in the final game of his high school career.

Henricks was the main workhorse for the Mustangs this season and finished his senior year with 275 carries for 1,451 rushing yards, and an amazing 23 touchdowns.

Grant Warkenthien had the other rushing touchdown in the Dakota Bowl for the Mustangs as he was able to finish his glorious high school career on a high note.

Grant Warkenthien was a three-year starting quarterback for West Fargo Sheyenne and will continue his academic and football career at MSUM next year.

Warkenthien had four rushing touchdowns in the semifinal game against Shanley where the Mustangs won 36-21. He showed his leadership as a senior this year and was very hungry to bring this program a state title.

Grant Warkenthien breaks free for a touchdown against Shanley in 11AA Semi-final on November 5th, 2021
Photo courtesy Jason Kirkeby
at jasonkirkeby.smugmug.com

West Fargo Sheyenne’s defense made a statement this season and was a big factor all season long. Their 7.5 points given up per game average is the lowest in program history.

The Mustangs didn’t allow a lot of big plays this season. Defensive backs coach Andrew Rott stated, “This year we asked the secondary to do some new things that required more communication and attention to detail. They did a good job of being focused and continuously improved. Even though we allowed a few touchdowns through the air, we did a pretty good job of limiting big plays this year.”

The coaching staff put a lot of emphasis into the importance of a strong defense. “In practice, we typically focus on footwork, technique, and ball skills,” coach Rott said. “As a defense, we focused on tackling, pursuit, and setting the tempo. We also focused on playing mistake free football.”

West Fargo Sheyenne had five shutouts during their championship season which were against Grand Forks Central, Bismarck High, Minot High, Bismarck Century, and Fargo Davies. Shanley was the only team that could score at least three times against the Mustangs this year.

Shanley put up 29 points in their week three matchup against West Fargo Sheyenne and 21 points in the AA semifinal matchup.

The Deacons were also the only team to build a lead on the Mustangs. The Mustangs trailed the Deacons at halftime 21-14 in the AA semifinal game before the Mustangs scored 22 unanswered in the second half.

Other than the two games against Shanley this year, the Mustangs controlled the tempo in the other 10 games they played.

Dominance on both sides of the ball this year showed the Mustangs’ desire for a state title this season. Jeremy Newton, head coach of the Mustangs stated, “I think the team did a great job this year and hopefully they will stay hungry moving forward. We all work hard to reach the same goals every season.”

Head Coach Jeremy Newton prepares before the Dakota Bowl against West Fargo High.
Photo courtesy Jason Kirkeby
at jasonkirkeby.smugmug.com

West Fargo Sheyenne is 64-21 under head coach Jeremy Newton and are 40-5 in the last four years.

“I think we played well as a team this year and worked hard in practice. We don’t really think about that other stuff,” coach Newton said. “I think that we just took it one week at a time.”

West Fargo Sheyenne has reached the playoffs 7 times out of their 8 years as a varsity program.

Coming into the season, the Mustangs were looking to finish some unfinished business from the previous two years.
Bismarck Century knocked off West Fargo Sheyenne in the Dakota Bowl in 2019 and 2020.

Grant Warkenthien and most of the seniors knew it was their last chance at a state title this year so they wanted to make sure that they finish their high school football careers in dominant fashion.

The Mustangs were able to get revenge on Bismarck Century late in the regular season with a 14-0 victory at home in front of the Mustang faithful.

West Fargo Sheyenne snapped Bismarck Century’s 29-game winning streak. The defense only allowed four yards of total offense in the third quarter.

Tharin Parson was an animal at defensive tackle and had three sacks against the Patriots. The Mustangs carried that momentum into the playoffs.

The 2021 West Fargo Sheyenne football team will go down as one of the most dominant teams in North Dakota high school football history.

It was all about getting stops on defense and controlling the clock on offense for the Mustangs this year and that’s the way they play.

This was a team that never gave up and pushed through adversity when they faced it.

After a slow start against West Fargo High in the Dakota Bowl, West Fargo Sheyenne was going to make sure that they didn’t shut down.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 14-0 lead and held that lead for the rest of the game to win 27-7.

As the clock hit zero, the players rushed out onto the field and the fans and student section went wild.

For the first time in program history, the West Fargo Sheyenne Mustangs had the right to call themselves, state champs.

West Fargo Sheyenne holds up their first ever football state championship trophy after defeating West Fargo High, 27-7, on Friday, November 12, 2021, at the Fargodome.
Photo courtesy Jason Kirkeby at jasonkirkeby.smugmug.com