Cavalier, May-Port-C-G set to clash in North Dakota state 9-man quarterfinals
Oct. 27—CAVALIER, N.D. — The Cavalier football program is 44-3 through the last four seasons, unbeaten this year and a team that has been to the North Dakota 9-man state championship game three years in a row.
May-Port-C-G has won at least seven games per season for the last four years, and the Patriots' lone loss in 2022 is a four-point defeat to the undefeated defending state champion LaMoure-Litchville-Marion.
The No. 4-ranked Tornadoes have beat teams 398-54 this year. The No. 5 Patriots have beat teams 425-142.
These two dominant area 9-man programs will clash Saturday at 2 p.m. in the 9-man state quarterfinal in Cavalier.
"Their tradition and ability-level speaks for itself," May-Port-C-G coach Adam Sola said. "They didn't miss a beat when Sandy (Laxdal) retired and Mitch (Greenwood) took over."
Cavalier has been led by wide receiver Landon Carter, running back Jacob Steele and quarterback Sterling Enerson.
In a 60-0 win over North Star in the second round of the playoffs last weekend, Carter set a school-record with 214 receiving yards with three touchdowns. He broke Ken Lawonn's 1971 school record of 211 receiving yards in a game.
Carter, also a standout hockey player for Grafton-Park River, added five rushes for 84 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he had five tackles and two interceptions.
"He has come in the backfield more for us," Cavalier coach Mitch Greenwood said. "We put him all over the field. We can hand him the ball at running back. He can line up at tight end. He can line up with trips (three wide-receiver sets)."
Against North Star, Enerson threw for 340 yards, four touchdowns and the first interception of the season.
It's the sixth-consecutive season the Tornadoes have started a different senior quarterback. Enerson played quarterback at the junior varsity level but was a tight end for Cavalier last year.
"Since I've been here the last four years, the quarterbacks we've plugged in have been wide receivers or tight ends before," Greenwood said. "Even though they weren't running at quarterback, they have run routes and the concepts. Everything isn't foreign to them."
May-Port-C-G has been led by the balance of quarterback Landon Koenig and the running of Xyler Carlson.
In a 50-11 win over Wyndmere-Lidgerwood last weekend, Carlson had 147 rushing yards on 15 carries. He scored three touchdowns.
Carlson is in his first season with the Patriots as a former member of the Finley-Sharon-Hope-Page co-op that has split ways.
Carlson was the region's leading rusher with FSHP last season, then the co-op with the Patriots gave May-Port-C-G the region's top two backs in Carlson and May-Port-C-G's Ethan Bergstrom.
Last weekend, Koenig was 8-for-10 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown — all in the first half.
"I think our biggest advantage on offense is nobody can focus on one kid necessarily," Sola said. "Landon at quarterback has run it better lately and is better in the passing game. Xyler at running back has the ability to find open space and make moves. Noah Mehus has started to become more of a factor. He's maybe the fastest kid on our team, and we've been able to get him in space lately."
That May-Port-C-G speed — both offensively and defensively — is Cavalier's primary concern.
"From an offensive standpoint, I think they're going to be the fastest team we've played against," Greenwood said. "We have to do the little things right and have our blocking assignments figured out."
N.D. Class B 9-man playoffs
Saturday's quarterfinals, 2 p.m.
Surrey at LaMoure-Litchville-Marion
May-Port-C-G at Cavalier
Grant County at New Salem-Almont
Westhope-Newburg at North Prairie
