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2008-2009 State Tournament


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Red River wins 6-2, goaltending was an issue for RR and Minot was undone by a lack of speed and skill overall from the most part they just didn't seem like a skilled team. Dean Blais in attendance chatting with a young Riders parent...

Probably Johnson and regarding Luke Johnson. Only kid really in the state that has potential and he's just an eighth grader. Let's hope this kid gains some size over the next few years or the kids hockey career will be cut short. Good player overall though.

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Bismarck was a much better team than Central... first time in a while a west team is in the finals.

South is a better team than RR, but neither team getting any good scoring opportunities so could go either way. I think South is the better team overall, so I'm sure BHS fans are cheering on the Riders tonight. Either way, it should be a good final tomorrow night.

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RR won in overtime on a wobbly shot that got past the South goalie (screened maybe?). Should be a good championship tomorrow... RR has been there alot, but BHS has a very solid team this year, I think goaltending is their only question, so we'll see if RR can exploit that.

Third place game with Central and South should be a great game also.

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Don't kid yourself, there will very likely be TWO good varsity teams in south Fargo when that time comes. Don't be surprised if we see some South vs. Davies championship games in the future. Having said that, congratulations to that Meland kid from RR. He single handedly helped his team beat a vastly superior opponent tonight. If he can do it again tomorrow the Riders will be able to add another trophy to their collection.

They just add another year to the banner. That's the saying at Red River! Nothing new there...

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Lastly, fifth straight year the riders are in the state final game, that is pretty impressive to me. While last years team was plenty deep, not all of these past teams were the front runner to win state. They just seem to get it done. I haven't seen much of this years team other then these last two days, but to get the state final with two of your top six forwards an eighth grader and a freshman, who are good players, is pretty incredible. Also add to that, that on defense they only have 3 maybe 4 legitimate defensemen and Kieth Howe was always a forward going into this year. Who was the last team to play in five straight title games? Central maybe?

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Don't kid yourself, there will very likely be TWO good varsity teams in south Fargo when that time comes. Don't be surprised if we see some South vs. Davies championship games in the future. Having said that, congratulations to that Meland kid from RR. He single handedly helped his team beat a vastly superior opponent tonight. If he can do it again tomorrow the Riders will be able to add another trophy to their collection.

Maybe you should take your own advice. :D

This is what irritates people about Fargo South in particular and Fargo in general; the arrogance and pompous attitude that the sport of high school hockey revolves around FSH. Even now, Fargo South's hockey tradition is a fraction of the tradition that has been established at Grafton-Park River. You have a grand total of three state titles all time (1994, 1999 and 2006). Between 1994 and 1999, you didn't even qualify for the state tournament. Back in 2003-04, Bruins fans were on this forum running their mouth about how FSH was "The best high school in North Dakota" and that they were going to win "the next four to five state hockey titles" and all this other garbage. Well, where's the beef (or in this case, the championship banners)? The banners are hanging in the rafters in Grand Forks and Grafton instead.

You are absolutely dreaming if you think that both South and Davies are going to be powerhouses at the same time on a yearly basis. While South Fargo is growing rapidly and most new, young families will live in that area of town for the foreseeable future, there are not going to be enough kids to field two great teams at once on a regular basis. Fargo is not Minneapolis/St. Paul; this is not going to be a situation analogous to Bloomington Jefferson vs. Edina vs. Apple Valley vs. any number of other suburban high school powerhouses fighting for state hockey superiority. I think you'll see one team be strong for one or two years while the other team is down a little and vice versa. West Fargo will probably get more competitive in time since that town is growing and hockey will at some point start to reap the benefits of that. The Grand Forks teams will continue to contend on a yearly basis. And if this year's Bismarck team is any indication of the future, the West might actually have some teams that can compete for state titles more often in the future.

I will grudgingly admit that Dean Wilson built a solid program at Fargo South and that they are very competitive year in and year out, but they are by no means the only game in town in Fargo or the state as a whole.

My 2 cents.

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Bismarck was a much better team than Central... first time in a while a west team is in the finals.

South is a better team than RR, but neither team getting any good scoring opportunities so could go either way. I think South is the better team overall, so I'm sure BHS fans are cheering on the Riders tonight. Either way, it should be a good final tomorrow night.

Central is still a young team (not as young as last year, but still pretty young). The kids will probably get bigger and stronger and, along with the speed and skill that they have, should be a formidable team next year. Bismarck impressed me a lot, they have the experienced kids who know how to win. I have to pull for the Riders since I am a life-long Grand Forksian, but if the Demons win it will be good for hockey in the state as a whole.

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Lastly, fifth straight year the riders are in the state final game, that is pretty impressive to me. While last years team was plenty deep, not all of these past teams were the front runner to win state. They just seem to get it done. I haven't seen much of this years team other then these last two days, but to get the state final with two of your top six forwards an eighth grader and a freshman, who are good players, is pretty incredible. Also add to that, that on defense they only have 3 maybe 4 legitimate defensemen and Kieth Howe was always a forward going into this year. Who was the last team to play in five straight title games? Central maybe?

GFC made the title game 4 out of 5 years from 1990 to 1995 and three straight years from 1993-1995, winning in 1993 and 1995. They also made the title game four straight years from 2002-2005, winning back-to-back titles the middle two of those years (2003 and 2004). GFRR qualified for the title game from 1996 to 2001 (six straight years!). That was when the GFC program went straight into the toilet after Chuck Ness left to coach his high school alma mater in Duluth and the Flood of 1997 decimated Central's talent sources. If I've forgotten any streaks by any other teams, please feel free to comment.

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There is a reason why the Riders are in the title game for the fifth straight year...they've been there before. These Bismark kids not better be shell shocked when the lights go out during the starting lineups because I have a feeling that RR is going to come out very strong after that win against South in OT. None of these kids have the experience on Bismarck...I know all you Demon fans are going to say "Experience...what are you talking about we just won a football championship." But the thing is thats not hockey and the Alerus Center isn't the Ralph and you were'nt playing "The Home-Town Favorite", "The Hockey Dynasty", "The Cake-Eaters", "The P.i.s.s. Head Fags", whatever you want to call them, The Grand Forks Red River RoughRiders...so that leaves me to my conclusion with the Riders "upsetting" the "favorite" Bismarck High Demons 4-2 with an empty netter...oh and by the way you wont even get a consolation prize because Crary has Mr. Hockey in the bag.

REDEMPTION '09

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There is a reason why the Riders are in the title game for the fifth straight year...they've been there before. These Bismark kids not better be shell shocked when the lights go out during the starting lineups because I have a feeling that RR is going to come out very strong after that win against South in OT. None of these kids have the experience on Bismarck...I know all you Demon fans are going to say "Experience...what are you talking about we just won a football championship." But the thing is thats not hockey and the Alerus Center isn't the Ralph and you were'nt playing "The Home-Town Favorite", "The Hockey Dynasty", "The Cake-Eaters", "The P.i.s.s. Head Fags", whatever you want to call them, The Grand Forks Red River RoughRiders...so that leaves me to my conclusion with the Riders "upsetting" the "favorite" Bismarck High Demons 4-2 with an empty netter...oh and by the way you wont even get a consolation prize because Crary has Mr. Hockey in the bag.

REDEMPTION '09

My bad no empty netter LOL

RIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Don't misunderstand me, I'm not making any guarantees. All I said is don't be surprised if we see some South/Davies championships in future years. In recent years I've seen a lot of hockey games being played by the kids that will be in high school around 2010-2014. Based on what I've seen, I expect both South and Davies contend with GPR and the GF schools on a yearly basis. We have enough kids to field two competitive rosters. Obviously our JV teams won't be very good because the depth will no longer be there, but there are more than enough kids to go around for both schools.

I find it ironic that you accuse Fargo people of thinking the sport revolves around their town when in fact GF is just as guilty if not more so. What irritates a lot of us Fargo people is the assumption by some of you in GF that South will automatically become a non-factor as soon as Davies opens up. Don't underestimate them.

You're starting to sound like Coach Eaves at the University of Wisconsin.

Not a shot at you DaveK, just a shot at Wisconsin and their over-recruitment of 14 year-olds.

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