By Tom Mix
NDHSAA Media Specialist

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Each Wednesday NDHSAA Media Specialist Tom Mix posts several notable news items, current events and buzz-worthy games upcoming on the NDHSAA prep sports calendar on the NDHSAA NOW website. Keep visiting each Wednesday for all the latest midweek newsworthy items.

• Class B Girls Golf State Tournament is next week in Mapleton. We’re days away from reaching the start of the 2023 NDHSAA Fall State Tournament Calendar with the 2023 NDHSAA Class B Girls Golf State Tournament scheduled for Monday, September 25 and Tuesday, September 26 at the Maple River Golf Club. Sargent County, Linton/HMB, South Border, Kindred, Oak Grove, Carrington, Park River, Hatton/Northwood, North Star, Bottineau, Nedrose, Velva, Heart River, Bowman County, Hazen, Kenmare-Bowbells, Des Lacs-Burlington, and Stanley all punched tickets to the State Tournament with top three finishes as a team in their respective Region Tournaments. Individually, Kindred senior Avery Bartels has won the previous three NDHSAA Class B state championships (2021-Spring, 2021-Fall, and 2022). Bartels earned medalist honors at the Region 2 meet played at Maple River Golf Club on Friday, September 15 shooting a 71. Bartels, a North Dakota State University women’s golf commit, will be trying to join former South Border standout Emily St. Aubin as the only Class B girls golfer in state history to win four individual state championships. St. Aubin won individual medals in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

• Big No. 1 vs. No. 2 Division AA Football matchup to take place between crosstown rivals on Friday Night. The Fargo North-Fargo South football rivalry doesn’t need much to fuel its fire, but throw in the fact that the Spartans are the No. 1 ranked team in Division AA with the Bruins close behind at No. 2 in the Division AA polls and the 2023 meeting between the football powers has plenty of intrigue. North is 4-0 and South counters at 3-1, but is coming off a 70-6 win over Devils Lake last week. Both the Spartans and the Bruins thrive in the running game. North’s ground attack is led by senior All-State standout Peder Haugo. Haugo, a North Dakota State football commit, has rushed for 275 yards and seven touchdowns this fall. South counters with Damarion Semanko who has totaled 250 yards rushing and five touchdowns. The Spartans and Bruins can light up a scoreboard but this matchup may come down to which team can make the most adjustments on defense and put together stops late in the game.

• Class A Girls Golf Regular Season drawing to a close, region meets are up next. The 2023 NDHSAA Class A Girls Golf regular season is wrapping up this week and on Monday the East and West Region Tournaments will be played. The 2023 NDHSAA Class A, East Region Girls Golf Tournament will be played Monday, September 25 at the Grand Forks Country Club. The 2023 NDHSAA Class A, West Region Girls Golf Tournament will be played Monday, September 25 at Tom O'Leary Golf Course. In the WDA regular season finale, Mandan won the Mandan Invite on Tuesday, September 19 with a team score of 307. Mandan’s Ruby Heydt (71) edged teammate Anna Huettl (71) in a one-hole playoff to win medalist honors. Heading into the postseason tournaments defending individual state tournament medalist Rose Solberg of Fargo Davies is averaging a score of 73.2.

• Jamestown, Fargo Shanley remain Conference points leaders in boys soccer. The NDHSAA boys soccer season is heating up. Plenty of regular season matches remain to be played. Two programs – Jamestown and Fargo Shanley – climbed to the top of their respective conference standings weeks ago and have yet to be knocked out of first place. In fact neither Jamestown or Shanley has taken a loss on the pitch this fall. The Blue Jays – first place in the Western Dakota Association (WDA) Standings is 9-0-2 overall and 9-02 in WDA play. The two ties have come against Minot High this fall. Jamestown leads Bismarck Legacy by three points in the standings and Minot High by six points. The Magicians have yet to take a loss this fall, but have played six matches that resulted in ties. In the Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC), Shanley holds a seven point lead in the standings over second place Fargo Davies. Shanley plays at West Fargo High Friday, September 22. The Packers are currently in fourth place in the EDC standings but only one point separates them between fifth-place Grand Forks Red River. The top four teams in the EDC standings at the end of the regular season make the 2023 NDHSAA Boys Soccer State Tournament. 

• JOTTINGS. 2010 West Fargo High School graduate Matt Strahm continues to be an effective arm in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen. Strahm is 9-4 with a 3.24 ERA with 105 strikeouts. … Grand Forks Central and Grand Forks Red River are the only two undefeated boys tennis teams remaining in the state. Both squads are in action on Thursday and each will host a dual with Minot High on Friday before the Knights and Roughriders meet on the court for a dual on Tuesday, September 26. … 2020 New Rockford-Sheyenne High School graduate Bo Belquist is leading the University of North Dakota in receiving yards through three games played this fall. Belquist has hauled in 23 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns.     

Follow NDHSAA on Twitter at @NDHSAA and visit www.ndhsaanow.com for the latest NDHSAA sports and activities news from around the state.