I don't know much about the teams from the east so I'm not going to pretend like I do. Here are my predictions for that side of the bracket.
Northern Cass over Langdon- Revenge is a dish best served cold. 40º is cold enough to affect Langdon's passing game. The Jags get their revenge from an early-season defeat by the Cardinals.
EEK over Larimore - My cousin is an assistant coach for the Thunder, so I'm picking this one with my heart instead of my brain.
Now for the west. I've had a blast breaking these games down.
Bishop Ryan vs. Hazen - In my opinion, this a battle of the best athlete in the west (Carr) vs. the best overall team in the west. It's Ryan's run game vs. Hazen's pass game. Look for Hazen to pass early and often. Ryan's pass defense has been terrible this season. That's no secret. But from what I've seen, Hazen gets sloppy at times, relying on Carr's athletic ability to get them out of trouble. If Ryan can put together clock-chomping drives that result in TDs early, it will be a long second half for the Bison. Ryan's MO has been to wear down teams with their big line and dominate the second half. Discipline will be the key for the victor. If Hazen's offense stays focused, they'll win. If Ryan's offense avoids penalties and turnovers, they'll win. My prediction?
Bishop Ryan over Hazen in a very entertaining game.
Velva-Sawyer vs. Des Lacs-Burlington - In my opinion, this is a battle of the most athletic team in the west (DL-B) vs. the best coached team in the west (although I am a bit biased). After a big upset of DL-B in the final week of the regular season, followed by an upset of Killdeer in the first round of the playoffs, Velva has become the darlings of the west. But we need to remember, had Berthold not lost to WNG in the final week of the regular season, the Aggies would not have even MADE the playoffs. So why are they looking so good now? First, they're getting healthy. A couple key players are back after early-season injuries. Jon Thomas and Aaron Dean didn't play in losses vs. Bishop Ryan and Berthold-OR. But, digging into Velva's wins the last 2 weeks shows they benefitted most by turnovers. Turnovers early and often helped propel them to early leads which their defense then made stick. DL-B's receivers are fast, aggressive and make plays. If they avoid the turnovers and keep their offense balanced, I think the Lakers should win. So, my pick?
Velva-Sawyer over DL-B because I'm picking with my heart instead of my head again. I have way too many cousins who coach in North Dakota!!
For the record, my dream game for the state championship is cousin Garrit's EEK Thunder vs. cousin Larry's Velva-Sawyer Aggies with play-by-play being done by cousin Jack Michaels.