Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm Claimed Top 11A Football Ranking

The NDAPSSA released new football poll rankings for 11A and 9-man divisions across North Dakota.

Updated on Oct. 7, 2026 in Football

Expressive sports illustration of a high school football player catching a pass, rendered with bold brush strokes and vibrant autumnal colors. — The Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm high school football team has ascended to the top ranking in North Dakota's 11A division after a tight poll decision. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm secured the number one spot in the 11A football poll after displacing Velva-Drake-Anamoose Garrison. Both teams received eight first-place votes, with the lead decided by a one-vote margin.

Why it matters

The weekly rankings provide official recognition of top-performing high school football programs as teams vie for position late in the season. These polls reflect the consensus among sportscasters and sportswriters regarding current team standing.

Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm moved to the top of the 11A poll, while New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock maintained its 9-man division lead. LaMoure-Litchville/Marion held the second-place spot for the seventh consecutive week.

The players

North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association

This association is responsible for evaluating and ranking high school football programs throughout the state of North Dakota.

Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm

This team moved into the number one position in the 11A high school football poll.

The details

The rankings were determined by casting first and second-place votes from members of the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters & Sportswriters Association. Napoleon/Gackle-Streeter retained the fourth-place position in the 9-man poll for the second straight week.

The NDAPSSA released the football polls on October 7, 2026.

Season Trajectory

These rankings reflect the ongoing shifts in the North Dakota high school football competitive balance as teams approach the end of the regular season. The narrow margin at the top of the 11A division indicates a highly contested field for the upcoming state playoffs.

The one-vote margin between the top two teams in 11A highlights a significant split in voter opinion that may carry over into future playoff seeding discussions. Voters will continue to monitor the performance of top-ranked schools like New Rockford-Sheyenne/Maddock as the postseason field begins to narrow.

The takeaway

Maintaining top-tier rankings requires consistent performance in the final weeks before the playoff cutoff. Fans should watch for how these narrow margins in the polls impact the high-stakes matchups in the coming weeks.