The 2005 North Dakota high school football season marked the end of an era in Cavalier. They had been riding a 36-game winning streak entering the season, winning three straight AA championships in a row. The Tornadoes started the year 11-0 as they faced the defending champions from the A division, The Velva-Sawyer Aggies. Their winning streak had now extended up to 47 straight victories. The Aggies got the job done and upended the Tornadoes hopes for a 4th straight state championship. The Class of 2006 had a hell of a run through high school football in Cavalier.
Dickinson Trinity, Cavalier, and Velva
When Cavalier won the first state championship of their three straight, they beat the 3-time defending state champions, Dickinson Trinity. In 2005 North Dakota high school football, few stories were bigger than Cavalier’s winning streak coming to an end. Velva was in the middle of what would eventually be a 4-peat of their own. The Aggies won state championships in 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2003-2006 during this era. Interesting tidbit about Velva, they have never made it to a state championship game and lost.
Grand Forks Central wins the title in AAA
The Grand Forks Central Knights went to back-to-back championship games in 2004 and 2005. Finally capturing the crown after an 11-1 season. It was the first time since the Brooks Bollinger era that the Knights had double digit wins. The ’04 and ’05 teams went 21-3 over two seasons. Anyone that remembers the Brooks Bollinger era in North Dakota knows how big of a deal it was. He played college football at Wisconsin and won the Rose Bowl. All behind Ron Dayne in an offensive scheme described on Wikipedia as “Smashmouth”. (Seriously look it up.)
I’d bet any Badger fan on the planet would kill for them to go back to Barry Alvarez right now. Smashmouth football over whatever it is Luke Fickell is doing.
Dickinson Trinity Back on top in AA, Richland wins the 9-man title
Dickinson Trinity won another state championship by defeating Beulah in 2005 and going undefeated. Aside from a 9-7 loss to Bottineau, Dickinson Trinity only lost to Cavalier in three playoff games from 2002-2005. Two of those losses to Cavalier were in the State final.
Richland rolled in the 9-man final to a 42-7 victory over Divide County. The team finished 13-0 and won a state championship following a season they were 3-5. Ten years later in 2015, they had another undefeated run to a state championship going 12-0. All those years in between saw every type of season you can imagine. Really holds true how one special class in North Dakota can change your entire athletics outlook. I think people (the popcorn coaches in crowd) tend to forget that.
NDHSCA Award Winners in 2005
The NDHSCA is the group that gives out awards for football. Why we have a separate group for some sports and not all is beyond my pay grade. The Powerade players of the year from 2005 were:
9-Man – Jon Griffith, Richland HS. Griffith powered Richland to an undefeated season and a state championship. This while setting two single-season rushing records — 2,047 yards and 23 touchdowns. Those records were later surpassed by his nephew, Kayne Griffith.
11-Man A – Matt Anderson, Cavalier HS. A future NDSU Bison commit, Anderson was a 4-year starter for the f Cavalier football program. He didn’t start on special teams as a freshman, either. He was their middle linebacker. As a Senior, Anderson rushed for 2,108 yards and 39 touchdowns. Defensively he recorded 103 tackles and had 10 interceptions. Upon graduating, Anderson held five school football records in Cavalier.
11-Man AA – Cody Goetz, Rugby HS. Goetz was a collegiate track athlete at Minot State University competing in hurdles, pole vault, high jump, and the heptathlon. There weren’t any stats available on Goetz as a football player. The Rugby alum finished his career going 9-2 with their final loss being to the eventual state champion, Dickinson Trinity.
11-Man AAA – Jamie Sigl, Bismarck HS. A three-sport athlete, Sigl was an All-state defensive back and a 2-time all-conference as a wide receiver/defensive back. He was also a basketball player and participated in track. Sigl bounced around a little bit as a college football player. He had stops at University of Minnesota-Duluth and UND before ultimately going “home” to Dickinson State University. His dad played there in the 80s and Sigl finished his Junior and Senior seasons on the Blue Hawks. They went 17-6, including 10-2 his senior year.
How Good Was North Dakota High School Football in 2005?
We were in an era of dynasties across multiple divisions in 2005. Cavalier had their run just coming to a close and Dickinson Trinity got back on top. Velva was in the middle of a wild amount of success, playing in 7 straight state championship games, winning six. Looking back, the 2005 North Dakota high school football season showcased dynasties, rivalries, and unforgettable performances across every division.
One last thing. Just across the border in Minnesota at this time, another crazy football dynasty was happening. The Stephen-Argyle Storm had a 76 game winning streak from 2002-2007, including six state championships in a row. That might be a special addition one day for a Minnesota sports story to be included on this site..
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