North Dakota Preps

who are the top 4 teams in each region this year?

Trinity, Minot Ryan, Hazen and Watford city in no specific order should be a really good competitive region also has Beulah and Bottinieau who will also be putting up a good fight for a spot.

The West appears to be stronger this year, five really solid teams; Trinity, Watford City, Hazen, Beulah, and Ryan.

The better programs out East all lost very good senior classes last year; Lisbon, Oak Grove, & Rugby all lost alot.  I'd still say those three will reload to a certain extent along with Northwood/Hatton. 

i thought that rugby only lost like 3 or 4 kids from last year

Watford City will be tough, but alot depends on whether their QB can come back. He tore his other knee up during the spring. They also lost a couple key players. Trinity loses some key players. Losing a Landon Smith, Jake Mellmer and Luke Steiner will be huge, but they will reload and be tough again. Rugby lost their horses, but Scott will keep them competitive again. Hazen lost 2 starters from their semi-final team from last year. They return their entire line for a team that rushed for well over 2,000 yards last year and they are HUGE. 3 of their linemen are being recruited by UND and NDSU.  They also return their QB. Minot Ryan should also improve but I don't see them making the playoffs. Same goes for Bottineau. I see the west playing out like this. 1. take your pick Trinity or Hazen 3. Beulah 4. Watford City.  

anyone know where i can find official rankings?

Pigskin Preview should be available Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

does anyone know the condition of Watford City's Qb. Heard he had some kind of leg or knee injury?

My understanding is that Mr.Shippman will not be playing this year. I talked to a coach who told me this back in July, but maybe things changed. Yes, it was a knee injury.

I don't think Shipman will be playing. He tore one ACL is hoops as a freshman, now he tore the other one this summer (I think he was playing hoops again).

 

that's too bad... quite a good athlete. How bad do you think this will affect Watford now? And any news of the Pigskin Preview yet?

I still think Watford City is one of the two or three best teams in the West, and probably in the entire state.
Their running game is so strong that they may be best suited to lose their quarterback.
The thing about Shipman is that if he wouldn't have injured his knee, the first time, he would have likely been one of the top scorers in the history of North Dakota prep basketball.
Dude had a ton of points as an 8th-grader, then missed his entire freshman season. He had a good sophomore season, but now, who knows?

We will see just how good Watford is right away. They have Trinity next week and Hazen the week after that. If they start 0-2 in region play, it might be over before it starts. I just don't think they have the fire power to stay with those two teams.

First poll has Trinity #1, Rugby #2, Watford City #3, Hazen #4, Oak Grove #5. This will change in the next few weeks. Trinity plays Watford next Friday. Hazen plays Watford the next two weeks after that

well trinity lost to watford 15-14, sounded like trinity just made too many mistakes.