2021 9B Playoff Bracket

[WalkingStick]

Updates
HALF: LaMoure-LM leads Grant County/Flasher 20-14
End 1st Q: Nelson County & Bottineau are tied 0-0
HALF: Divide County leads New Salem-Almont 24-22
HALF: Surrey leads Cavalier 8-0

[Sportsrube]

LaMoure up on Grant County 20 - 14 at halftime. A very good game. Grant County is trying to control the clock with their running game and having some success. LaMoure has their hands full, but Potts has been the difference maker so far.

Wow! LaMoure made the right adjustments at halftime. They are up 36-14! LaMoure has dominated this 3rd quarter.

[Sorenson23]

Semi-Finals
Saturday November 6th
G21 - (10-0) R4#1 #4 Bottineau @ #1 LaMoure-L-M R1#1 (10-0) LaMoure-L-M 40-12
G22 - (10-0) R2#1 #3 Cavalier @ #2 New Salem-Almont R5#1 (10-0) New Salem 32-28

Two long road trips for both Bottineau and Cavalier, will that play a factor?

Bottineau to LaMoure 245 miles almost a four hours bus ride
Cavalier to New Salem 311 miles nearly a five hour bus ride

State Titles per team
Bottineau - Never
Cavalier - 1987, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2014,
LaMoure - 1991
New Salem - 1986

[Sportsrube]

I will take Cavalier over New Salem by less than 8 points.
I will take LaMoure over Bottineau by 14+. (Potts will be the difference maker for LaMoure again)

[WalkingStick]

New Salem-Almont 34-28
LaMoure-LM 42-6

[woodchuck10]

LaMoure-LM 40 Bottineau 20
New Salem-A 20 Cavalier 16

[Sleepy]

LLM vs GCF - Based on watching the 2 quarterbacks, I would take Friesz over Potts. Potts throws a great ball, but Friesz also made some great throws and is an exceptional runner and scrambler. Friesz faced a tougher defense, whereas LLM has top level receivers to throw to. The main difference in the game that I noticed was tackling.

[ChickenNuggets]

#4 Bottineau @ #1 LaMoure/L/M
I know that I've been critical of LLM all year about who they've played (or haven't) but their win over GCF was impressive and I give them the credit they are due for that. I'm not super familiar with Bottineau. It sounds like they have a solid running game and a pretty good defense (Have held opponents to 1 score or less in 7/10 games and only gave up 2 scores in the other 3) that has helped them to get to the 10-0 mark this year. I don't think they've seen an offense like LLM though. I think LLM puts up a big number on the scoreboard and wins something like 48-14

#3 Cavalier @ #2 New Salem/Almont
Homefield advantage means something when the visitors are traveling 5 hours like Cavalier will be doing. With that said, Defense wins championships. Cavalier has only given up 34 points over their last 4 games (8.5/game) and all four of those opponents were playoff teams. This should be a great game but I am going to take the Tornadoes 18-14

[UNDSiouxfan]

I agree with the comment by Sleepy on Friesz, I think he'll get 1st team all state at QB. He's the best I've seen this year, but Potts is right there although it really helps him to have his talent level at the Receiver and TE positions. One other note on Friesz, (and a great coaching decision by GCF,) he followed LLM's TE Colton Ness everywhere he went and did a pretty good job of defending him. Ness did get a TD, but he's had games this year where he's had several per game.

A very sound defensive team could give LLM a run, but I'm not sure if they'll get challenged in the semis. GCF did provide a formula for competing with LLM but it was only for the 1st half. One thing LLM really needs to clean up is the unsportsmanlike penalties, I believe they had either 4 or 5 in the game against GCF, and they lacked discipline which was very evident. Sure - LaMoure is very tough, but in the regular season they developed a reputation to keep their starters in all the way to the end which doesn't do anyone any good other than padding the stats. But, that's a whole other story - In this game I'll take LaMoure 46-6 over Bottineau.

NSA beats Cavalier in a great game 26-24. A battle of excellent teams and I believe both of these teams would give LLM a test in the final.

[sportsphenom]

I agree with the comment by Sleepy on Friesz, I think he'll get 1st team all state at QB. He's the best I've seen this year, but Potts is right there although it really helps him to have his talent level at the Receiver and TE positions. One other note on Friesz, (and a great coaching decision by GCF,) he followed LLM's TE Colton Ness everywhere he went and did a pretty good job of defending him. Ness did get a TD, but he's had games this year where he's had several per game.

A very sound defensive team could give LLM a run, but I'm not sure if they'll get challenged in the semis. GCF did provide a formula for competing with LLM but it was only for the 1st half. One thing LLM really needs to clean up is the unsportsmanlike penalties, I believe they had either 4 or 5 in the game against GCF, and they lacked discipline which was very evident. [b]Sure - LaMoure is very tough, but in the regular season they developed a reputation to keep their starters in all the way to the end which doesn't do anyone any good other than padding the stats.

NSA beats Cavalier in a great game 26-24. A battle of excellent teams and I believe both of these teams would give LLM a test in the final.

LaMoure's starters only played 2 whole games and that was against Wyndmere Lidgerwood and Enderlin and Enderlin played LLM tough and they had to get ready for playoffs where they would need to play a whole game, the other games they were sitting at half. Their 3 unsportsmanlike penalties could or could not have been called, they were just showing emotion, I've rewatched the game a couple times on BEK. But I agree, they do need to keep their emotions in check.

[ChickenNuggets]

I agree with the comment by Sleepy on Friesz, I think he'll get 1st team all state at QB. He's the best I've seen this year, but Potts is right there although it really helps him to have his talent level at the Receiver and TE positions. One other note on Friesz, (and a great coaching decision by GCF,) he followed LLM's TE Colton Ness everywhere he went and did a pretty good job of defending him. Ness did get a TD, but he's had games this year where he's had several per game.

A very sound defensive team could give LLM a run, but I'm not sure if they'll get challenged in the semis. GCF did provide a formula for competing with LLM but it was only for the 1st half. One thing LLM really needs to clean up is the unsportsmanlike penalties, I believe they had either 4 or 5 in the game against GCF, and they lacked discipline which was very evident. [b]Sure - LaMoure is very tough, but in the regular season they developed a reputation to keep their starters in all the way to the end which doesn't do anyone any good other than padding the stats.

NSA beats Cavalier in a great game 26-24. A battle of excellent teams and I believe both of these teams would give LLM a test in the final.

LaMoure's starters only played 2 whole games and that was against Wyndmere Lidgerwood and Enderlin and Enderlin played LLM tough and they had to get ready for playoffs where they would need to play a whole game, the other games they were sitting at half. Their 3 unsportsmanlike penalties could or could not have been called, they were just showing emotion, I've rewatched the game a couple times on BEK. But I agree, they do need to keep their emotions in check.

https://youtu.be/7TO5EX4hTcQ

If you fast forward to the 2:30:00 mark of this video of LLM vs. FSHP you can watch LLM's starters scoring in the 4th quarter to make it 48-0... not sitting on the bench at halftime, despite it being 42-0 at halftime with a running clock to start the 2nd half...

[sportsphenom]

Looks to be the start of the 4th you are right but what do you expect these good teams to do? How do you prepare for playing a full game down the stretch? So they scored 1 more TD after halftime. They didn’t run up the score to 80 like they could easily do. Yes a lot of their games were sometimes 60-0 at half, but you can’t stop kids from playing the game. When other teams can’t tackle what are you supposed to do? Take a knee? Football in ND goes in spurts. Lamoure just happens to have good athletes at the moment. I guarantee their time will come when they will be on the other side of the ball, getting beat. That’s high school sports.

[ChickenNuggets]

I get what you're saying. And in many ways I agree with you, but previously someone made a statement that LLM has a reputation of running up the score and keeping starters in late into the game (I'm not saying that I agree or disagree or that it's good or bad one way or the other) but you responded that they did not and that they took starters out at halftime of all their games except two, which was not accurate at all, so I pointed that out.

Trust me, I get it. I've been blasted on here before for my way of thinking, but I don't think it should be up to the "good" team to call off the dogs and quit playing at halftime. I think it should be up to the other team to stop them. A team like LLM has obviously put in a lot of time in the weight room, camps, summer programs, etc. to get this good. Their kids obviously care about FB and want to be good at it and want to play. It's backwards thinking to expect these good teams to pull their players early in the game. They're the ones who deserve more than anyone to play 4 full quarters.

[WalkingStick]

If you pulled your kids at halftime every game then those players wouldn’t know how to play all 4 quarters in a game where it’s needed…as much as I agree not to run up the score…those kids need to have those reps and be prepared for the postseason; work on some things and slow the scoring…If it’s well in hand mid or end of 3rd…that’s where you utilize the development of your bench while also rotating in new players in that 3rd Q

[sportsphenom]

If you pulled your kids at halftime every game then those players wouldn’t know how to play all 4 quarters in a game where it’s needed…as much as I agree not to run up the score…those kids need to have those reps and be prepared for the postseason; work on some things and slow the scoring…If it’s well in hand mid or end of 3rd…that’s where you utilize the development of your bench while also rotating in new players in that 3rd Q

Spot on.

[Sportsrube]

I will take Cavalier over New Salem by less than 8 points.
I will take LaMoure over Bottineau by 14+. (Potts will be the difference maker for LaMoure again)

Cavalier by 2 over New Salem in OT.
LaMoure over Bottineau 20-6. Bottineau's starting RB was hurt in the first half and they turned from a running attack to an all out air assault. Bottineau's defense is legit.
Going to be a good game next Friday morning!

[UNDSiouxfan]

I'll take LaMoure in the championship 42-14. Somewhat competitive and close in the first half, but they run away with it after halftime. LaMoure's team speed will prove evident on the Fargodome turf.

[5-time state chump]

I'll take Lamoure by 20 pts.

[WalkingStick]

LaMoure-LM 34
Cavalier 18

[ChickenNuggets]

In the same fashion as the last two weeks, Cavalier by one score.

[woodchuck10]

In the same fashion as the last two weeks, Cavalier by one score.

Have the same feeling for some reason.
Cavalier 28
LaMoure-LM 24

[sportsphenom]

Loboes 34
Tornadoes 14

[Flip]

Loboes 34
Tornadoes 14

I'll second this.

[bison football73]

Is it just me or is WDAY making it harder to watch the Dakota Bowl every year?

[Region2FootballFan]

Is it just me or is WDAY making it harder to watch the Dakota Bowl every year?

“You don’t think he wants it?” “You don’t think this town wants it?”