Clearbrook-Gonvick Routs Blackduck for Section Title

Clearbrook-Gonvick claimed its first section championship since 1995 with a 60-21 win over Blackduck in Fargo.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Football

Expressive editorial sports illustration of two football players in crimson and navy team colors mid-stride on a sideline run under bright dome light. — Clearbrook-Gonvick routed No. 2 seed Blackduck 60-21 in the Section 6 9-Player Championship at the Fargodome, its first section title since 1995. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Clearbrook-Gonvick defeated Blackduck 60-21 in the Section 6 9-Player Championship at the Fargodome. The win gave Clearbrook-Gonvick its first section title since 1995.

Why it matters

The victory marks a return to the top of the section for Clearbrook-Gonvick, a No. 4 seed that defeated the No. 2 seed Blackduck. The result advances Clearbrook-Gonvick toward the 9-Player State Tournament.

Avery Ostenaa scored five touchdowns, including runs of 65 and 66 yards, while Ryan Gerlofs returned the opening kickoff 75 yards for a score. Clearbrook-Gonvick led 46-21 at halftime, a margin that held through the final result.

The players

Clearbrook-Gonvick

A small-school North Dakota football program that won its first section title since 1995 with a speed-based offense.

Blackduck

The No. 2 seed in the Section 6 9-Player bracket that lost the championship game.

The details

Clearbrook-Gonvick used its speed to outpace the larger Blackduck team, opening with a 75-yard kickoff return by Gerlofs and a 27-yard first-play rushing score by Ostenaa. The team ran sideline-to-sideline racing plays that wore down the Blackduck defense.

1995: Clearbrook-Gonvick last won a section title.
Nov. 5, 2026: Clearbrook-Gonvick defeated Blackduck 60-21 in the Section 6 9-Player Championship at the Fargodome.

Season Trajectory

The section title moves Clearbrook-Gonvick into the 9-Player State Tournament within North Dakota's smaller-school classification. Its status as a No. 4 seed that beat the No. 2 seed reshapes the bracket picture for the state tournament.

Clearbrook-Gonvick now moves on to the 9-Player State Tournament as an undersized team with a proven speed-based offense. Fans following the bracket should track the team's first state-tournament game against its next opponent.

The takeaway

Speed and sideline-to-sideline tempo can offset a size disadvantage in small-school football, as Clearbrook-Gonvick showed against a larger Blackduck team. Teams facing bigger opponents can use that approach to control the pace of a game.