Just when you thought the football season was over between the #1 Bismarck Demons and the #2 Bismarck Century Patriots, both teams are back in a familiar setting except this time it will not be at the Community Bowl in Bismarck, but at what we will call Community Bowl East in Fargo this Friday evening at 6:40 p.m. for all the marbles in North Dakota Class AAA football.
What we have here are two teams that know each other like family and are usually battling it out for the top seed in the Western Dakota Conference lately. This will be the fourth time that these two teams have met for the State Championship game in the last eight years, with the Demons holding a 2-1 edge in the title matchups, but with the Patriots winning the last time they met in 2016, defending their 2015 title. This will make Head Coach Ron Wingenbach’s Centurys team fifth championship game in the last eight years, losing title games to BHS in 2011 and 2012. Meanwhile the Demons under Head Coach Mark Gibson will be playing in their ninth championship game in the last twelve years in the Dakota Bowl with state titles in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012 with other appearances in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016.
The key for this game will be if Century’s defense can contain the Demons high flying offense which averaged just short of 49 points a game in six conference games. Century was able to “hold” BHS to 36 points in their 14 point lost to the Demons back on October 12th. It will be interesting to see what game plans both Defensive Coordinators Dale Colby for BHS and Century’s Rod Breitbach will come up with to counteract the play of Quarterbacks Will Madler of BHS and Cade Feeney for Century.
It will be interesting which team will hoist the championship trophy and have Capital City bragging rights until next football season. Good luck to both teams and may it be a well played game!
