Weight of the West

Last week's loss to Fargo South came with some upside for the Dickinson High football team.

The Midgets hung with the Bruins throughout the entire game and didn't allow South to score until midway through the second quarter. Dickinson coach Dave Michaelson said being down by a touchdown at halftime would have been satisfactory.

But that didn't happen. With 1:30 remaining, Dickinson got burnt on a 49-yard touchdown pass and in the final minute, they gave up a fumble for a TD to trail 21-0 at halftime.

"We really felt like the halftime score should have been 7-0," Michaelson said. "That put us in a tough situation."

The Midgets didn't let it get them down, though, as senior quarterback Connor McNeilly found junior wideout Nate Moody on a 7-yard pass for Dickinson's first TD since Kaleb Hutchens scored on a 7-yard run in a season-opening win over Dawson County (Mont.).

"It was really encouraging about the second half," Michaelson said. "We found some ways to pick up yards and do some things in the passing game."

Dickinson outscored South 21-14 in the second half, meaning the final 1:30 of the first half made the difference in the final score as the Bruins prevailed 35-21. The loss rounded out a 1-3 record in Dickinson's nonconference schedule that also featured perennial East Region power West Fargo.

"We feel like we've had as good a nonconference schedule as we've had in many years," Michaelson said.

Now starts the games that count.

Dickinson hosts Mandan in both teams' West Region opener at 7 p.m. today at the Badlands Activities Center. The Midgets are the only Class AAA team to have only had one home game through four weeks of play.

"This is a big game," Michaelson said. "I'm sure Mandan's looking at it the same way we are."

With top-ranked Bismarck High (4-0) an odds-on favorite to win the West Region, the final three playoff spots are up for grabs.

"After (Bismarck), it does appear there's a race for second," Michaelson said. "With only five conference games, they're all going to be big. No one wants to start the conference (schedule) with a loss."

Dickinson fans that saw West Fargo top the Midgets at home two weeks ago will see a similar offense from the opposing team. Mandan utilizes the same formation with a notable difference.

"Mandan's quarterback likes to throw," Michaelson said. "It's not that he won't run it, but he doesn't seem quite as much of a running threat (as West Fargo quarterback Seth Jorgenson)."

Jorgenson scrambled for 136 yards, scoring three rushing TDs and throwing another in a 28-3 victory.

"West Fargo's quarterback really chewed up some yards on the ground." Michaelson said. "Mandan could see that and probably put in some things where the quarterback runs more. We have to take care of that."

Mandan actually dealt West Fargo a season-opening loss at the Bismarck Community Bowl. Since then, Mandan lost Grand Forks Red River and Grand Forks Central, but is fresh off a 50-42 overtime victory over Fargo North last week. The Braves are averaging 29 points a game, but allowing 39.

"They've had trouble stopping people," Michaelson said. "We have to be able to sustain some drives."