Northern Cass Routs Bishop Ryan 27-13
Several Class A quarterfinal matchups produced wins for teams advancing toward the state title game in Fargo.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Football
Harvey/Wells County beat Southern McLean 43-14, Northern Cass defeated Bishop Ryan 27-13, and Ray/Powers Lake edged top seed Thunder 20-18 in Saturday's Class A quarterfinals. Langdon Area/Munich also won, topping Velva-Drake-Anamoose/Garrison 28-6.
Why it matters
The quarterfinal results set the field for the state championship, which winners will contest at the Fargodome on November 13th. Ray/Powers Lake's win over the top seed reshapes the remaining bracket.
Brooks Crockett scored four touchdowns for Northern Cass in its 27-13 win over Bishop Ryan. Christian Mertz's rushing touchdown covered more than 50 yards for Harvey/Wells County in its 43-14 rout of Southern McLean.
The players
Northern Cass Jaguars
The Northern Cass football program is a North Dakota high school team that advanced in the Class A playoffs with its win over Bishop Ryan.
Ray/Powers Lake Outlaws
The co-op football team from Ray and Powers Lake upset the top-seeded Thunder in a Class A quarterfinal.
The details
Quarterback Kyson Zerr tucked the ball for a long touchdown run that extended Harvey/Wells County's lead to two possessions. Northern Cass controlled the trenches and tempo from start to finish against Bishop Ryan.
Timeline
Saturday: Quarterfinal games were played, including Ray/Powers Lake's 20-18 win over Thunder.
November 13: State championship games are scheduled at the Fargodome in Fargo.
Season Trajectory
The quarterfinal round narrows North Dakota's Class A field to the teams that will contend for the state title in Fargo. Ray/Powers Lake's upset of the 1-seed Thunder shows how seeding alone does not determine playoff outcomes in this classification.
Teams that advanced from the quarterfinals will face one another in the state semifinal round as the bracket narrows. Fans tracking playoff brackets should note that the November 13th championship date is now set.
The takeaway
Upsets like Ray/Powers Lake's win over the top seed show that playoff brackets can change quickly, so readers following North Dakota high school football should watch each round closely.
What happens next
The state championship games will be played at the Fargodome on November 13th.
Further reading
For the full playoff context, see more North Dakota Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KX NEWS.
