Harvey-Wells County Wins Division 1A State Title

Harvey-Wells County beat defending champion Langdon Area-Munich 44-20 at the Fargodome for its first state football title since 2008.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Football

Harvey-Wells County Wins Division 1A State Title

Harvey-Wells County defeated defending champion Langdon Area-Munich 44-20 to win the North Dakota Division 1A state football championship on Friday morning at the Fargodome in Fargo. The title was the Hornets' first Dakota Bowl championship as a co-op and the first for Harvey since 2008.

Why it matters

The win caps a season in which the Hornets recovered from losses to Ellendale-Edgeley-Kulm and Velva-Drake-Anamoose-Garrison to win 11 straight games. For North Dakota high school football, it marks a state championship for a co-op program that now stands as the top team in its division.

Christian Mertz rushed for 281 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns, while Kyson Zerr threw for 200 yards on seven completions and Eastyn Schaefer passed for 213 yards on 9-of-24 attempts for Langdon Area-Munich. Harvey-Wells County totaled 585 yards of offense, and the source does not provide season-long comparisons for these totals.

The players

Harvey-Wells County High School

The Hornets co-op program from Harvey and Wells County that won its first state football title since 2008 and first Dakota Bowl title as a co-op.

Langdon Area-Munich

The defending Division 1A state champion program from Langdon, North Dakota, which finished the 2026 season 11-2.

The details

Harvey-Wells County built a 21-0 halftime lead on rushing touchdowns by Christian Mertz and a 31-yard run into the end zone. Dylan Heitmann caught a 76-yard touchdown pass from Kyson Zerr within six offensive plays on a contested deep throw.

Friday, November 13, 2026: Harvey-Wells County defeats Langdon Area-Munich 44-20 in the Division 1A state championship game at the Fargodome.

Season Trajectory

The Hornets' 2026 championship ends an 18-year drought for Harvey's program, which last claimed a state title in 2008. The win also shows that a team can recover from two early-season losses to take the Division 1A title after the defending champion held the crown.

Harvey-Wells County's title sets the Hornets as the state's top Division 1A team for the 2026 season. Fans and fantasy managers tracking Christian Mertz should note his 281-yard, four-touchdown performance in the finale.

The takeaway

Harvey-Wells County's comeback from two early losses shows that a midseason slide does not decide a postseason run. Teams trailing early in a season can still build momentum for a late title push.