09/04/2026
Labor of Love:
Area teams work for wins in Week 2
PSP Analyst: James Jackson
With grind on the mind and focused on putting a notch in the win column, eight teams from North Dakota’s top classes prepare to suit up and clock in for a must-see slate of Labor Day weekend showdowns on the PSP Network.
Friday night has football fanatics from all corners of the state working overtime, beginning with two WDA vs. EDC grudge matches to kick off back-to-back days of high school coverage.
Fargo South travels to No. 2 Minot North for a Class 2A battle at Sentinel Stadium, while cross-conference foes West Fargo and No. 4 Bismarck Legacy engage in Class 3A warfare at the Sanford Sports Complex.
The WDA’s own Williston and Dickinson also take to the field under Friday night’s favorite lights, squaring off in a Class 3A vs. 2A conference contest at the Biesiot Activities Center.
Class A has the Saturday shift covered, taking over the gridiron and cooking up a heaping helping of pigskin action as Bottineau visits Herb Parker Stadium to face Region 3 rival Bishop Ryan-Our Redeemer’s.
** Statistic and roster disclaimer: All statistics and roster data used in the writing of this preview are from the official NDHSAANow site, official Western Dakota Association (WDA) site, Eastern Dakota Conference (EDC) site, and North Dakota High School Football site. Incomplete or incorrect reporting of information to these sites from teams/programs is possible and can potentially cause data discrepancies out of our range of control.
Class 3A Throwdowns
West Fargo Packers (0-1 overall, 0-0 EDC) at No. 4 Legacy Sabers (1-0 overall, 0-0 WDA)
History says: Out of the 10 total contests between West Fargo and Legacy, the Packers have downed the Sabers seven times, including their first five consecutive meetings from 2016 to 2021. However, the Sabers have feasted on West Fargo as of late, capturing 3 of their last 4 matchups (2022, 2024, 2025).
As well, a game between these two non-conference competitors usually ends with an average score of 31-16 in West Fargo’s favor based on total head-to-head points. Yet, the past four matchups have witnessed the Packers and Sabers both average 19 points, which suggests the odds of another closely-contested battle between these two established foes are high.
Kick-Off: Friday, Sept. 4 @ 6:30 p.m.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change Pre-Game Show: 6:00 p.m.
WATCH LIVE: www.psp.network or on YouTube at PSP Network
Williston Coyotes (0-1 overall, 0-0 WDA) at No. 4 Dickinson Mavericks (1-0 overall, 0-0 WDA)
History says: Dating back to 1975, Dickinson has more total matchups against Williston (52) than any other team they have faced across North Dakota, leading the Coyotes in head-to-head wins by a margin of 36-16 (.692 winning %). However, 16 of their 52 total games (31%) have been decided by 7 points or less, serving as a testament to the unpredictability of this immensely entertaining WDA rivalry.
Ironically, despite Williston notching only four victories in the past four seasons, one of them was a defeat of the Mavericks by a score of 27-14 in 2022.
Kick-Off: Friday, Sept. 4 @ 7:00 p.m.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change Pre-Game Show: 6:30 p.m.
WATCH LIVE: www.psp.network or on YouTube at PSP Network
Class 2A Tussles
Fargo South Bruins (0-1 overall, 0-0 EDC) at No. 2 Minot North Sentinels (1-0 overall, 0-0 WDA)
History says: Since last season’s contest between Fargo South and Minot North marked their inaugural meeting, little data is available to search for trends in their head-to-head history. Additionally, the fact that the Sentinels only have two full (yet meteoric) seasons as a fully-fledged program on their resume makes identifying patterns tricky at best.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the metric of putting points on the scoreboard, Minot North has more than solidified their perennial status as a bonafide offensive juggernaut. In their 2025 campaign alone, the 385 total points posted by the Sentinels was more than the 350 cumulative points tallied by the Bruins from Week 1 of their 2024 season until this week’s impending matchup.
Kick-Off: Friday, Sept. 4 @ 7:00 p.m.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change Pre-Game Show: 6:30 p.m.
WATCH LIVE: www.psp.network or on YouTube at PSP Network
Class A Clashes
Bottineau Braves (1-1 overall, 0-0 Region 2) at Bishop Ryan-ORCS Lions (1-0 overall, 0-0 Region 3)
History says: Of the 29 total meetings (all in the regular season) between Bottineau and Bishop Ryan-Our Redeemer’s, the Lions have hunted down a victory 23 times since 1975 (.793 winning %). Outscoring the Braves 824 to 387 over this stretch, the typical margin of victory for Bishop Ryan-Our Redeemer’s is historically over two touchdowns, reflected in the average final score of 28-13.
Prior to last season’s 35-6 win for Bottineau over the Lions, Bishop Ryan-Our Redeemer’s had won 6 of the previous 7 matchups dating back to 2006.
Kick-Off: Saturday, Sept. 5 @ 2:00 p.m.
Valvoline Instant Oil Change Pre-Game Show: 1:30 p.m.
WATCH LIVE: www.psp.network or on YouTube at PSP Network
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