Dickinson High coach Dennis Morris said before Friday's Class AAA, West Region game against Minot High that it would be a good test if his team was good or just average.
On his scale, the Midgets were just average in a 14-7 loss at the Badlands Activities Center.
"We shot ourselves in the foot," Morris said.
Four turnovers will do that to a team. Just one score from four trips inside the red zone doesn't make things better.
"We were moving the ball well," Morris said. "We had way too many mistakes and way too many stupid penalties, and a good team doesn't do that."
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Dickinson had 11 penalties for 102 yards, while Minot didn't fare much better with 10 penalties for 66 yards.
The loss ended the Midgets (4-3 overall, 3-2 West) hopes for home game in the first round of the state playoffs. Now Dickinson faces a must-win situation at Mandan in two weeks.
Both teams were held scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter when the Magicians scored two touchdowns in the span of 1 minute, 37 seconds.
Senior Jonas Tengesdal found a hole off right tackle and made his way to the sidelines to run 82 yards virtually untouched for the score. Tengesdal led Minot with 121 yards on 18 carries.
"I saw a cut there and I just had to take it," Tengesdal said. "Then I had to make another cut, and it was just daylight after that."
After senior quarterback Nick Lupo's third interception of the game, picked off by senior Adam Melom, who returned it to Minot's 40 after a 27-yard return, Minot drove downfield quickly.
Melom scored on a 27-yard run, breaking two tackles near Dickinson's 15 before scampering into the end zone. He rushed for 80 yards on nine attempts.
"We had too many guys try to be Superman and not play alignment football," Morris said.
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The Magicians' quick strikes came right after Dickinson turned the ball over on downs.
Driving from their 30-yard line, the Midgets chipped away at Minot's defense, picking up yards in 10-yard chunks.
Then junior tight end Tyrell Parker's 29-yard catch took the ball down to Minot's 34.
Senior fullback Ryan Yates' 12-yard run pushed Dickinson further downfield before the drive stalled with a holding call.
Freshman running back Dylan Skabo was stuffed at the line of scrimmage on fourth and 4.
The Midgets finally scored with 1:35 left after a senior Adam Grimsley dove in from 1 yard out.
Grant Dvorak's ensuing onside kick attempt sailed out of bounds, and Melom's 5-yard run with a under a minute to play on third and 4 finished off the game with no Midgets time outs left.
After his team gave up 40 points a game for the past three weeks, Magicians coach Barry Holman said the players clamped down.
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"We finally got kids to understand they need to do their job and not try to do too much," Holman said.
Dickinson moved the ball without much trouble, but turnovers ended drives deep in Minot territory.
"There was an occasion where they gashed us a little bit," Holman said.
The Midgets drove to Minot's 15 on their first possession, with Skabo fumbling.
On their next possession, Lupo hit senior Nate Moody with a 26-yard pass that would have taken the ball to the Magicians' 7, but a holding call nullified the play. Dickinson ended up turning the ball over on downs.
After stopping Minot (5-2, 3-1) and getting the ball near midfield, Michael picked off a Lupo pass at Minot's 21.
Lupo's second pick came just before halftime when Colt Larsen intercepted the ball at his 21.
Lupo finished the night going 7 of 16 for 121 yards.
Morris said if the team were more disciplined, the scoreline would be a lot different.
"That's kids playing in a big game, playing a bit too hard and trying to make the play by themselves," Morris said.
Minot 0 0 0 14 -- 14
Dickinson 0 0 0 7 -- 7
M-Jonas Tengesdal 82 run (Ben Love kick)
M-Adam Melom 27 run (Love kick)
D-Adam Grimsley (DJ Weismann kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: M, Tengesdal 18-121, Melom 9-80, Max Murphy 12-18, Dillon Bercier 1-2. D, Ryan Yates 10-60, Nate Moody 4-49, Grimsley 8-31, Michael Cherwinski 4-31.
PASSING: M, Murphy 2-8-0 32. D, Nick Lupo 7-16-3 121.
RECEIVING: M, Michael Nelson 1-16, David Palmer 1-16. D, Moody 3-57, Tyrell Parker 3-55, Tanner Steffan 1-9.
