UND commit Deng Deng of Four Winds, eight others from area receive North Dakota 9-man all-state honors
Nov. 13—GRAND FORKS — UND football recruit Deng Deng of Four Winds, along with eight others from the area, were selected Monday to the North Dakota 9-man all-state football team.
North Prairie led the way for the area with four all-state selections including two on the all-state first team. The all-state teams are selected by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association.
Deng, North Star senior quarterback Dane Hagler and North Prairie teammates Nate Tastad and Blake Mattson were chosen to the all-state first team.
North Star's Reuben Clay was picked to the first team defense.
Tastad, a North Dakota State offensive lineman commitment, and Mattson won the North Prairie co-op's first state championship last week in the Fargodome with a tight win over South Border.
Tastad, who was named the division's Senior Athlete of the Year, is a repeat all-state first team choice, while Mattson landed on the second team last year.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Deng, who played quarterback, running back and wide receiver this season, had 28 catches for 604 yards this season. He also ran 69 times for 652 yards.
Deng scored 11 rushing touchdowns, seven receiving and two passing.
Deng, a basketball standout who is projected as a wide receiver for the Fighting Hawks, also had 43 tackles and an interception on defense.
Mattson finished with an incredible 336 carries for 3,464 yards and 53 touchdowns. He had 30 carries for 90 yards and two touchdowns in the state championship game.
Tastad was the bulldozing center for Mattson on a team that rushed for more than 5,400 yards and 80 touchdowns.
Hagler, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound multi-sport standout, threw for more than 2,000 yards and ran for more than 650. He had 26 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions. Defensively, Hagler picked off five passes.
Clay, a 6-2, 205-pound senior linebacker and Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year, had a team-high 80 tackles for North Star, which finished 6-3 in 2023.
North Prairie's all-state second team selections included junior Cole Henderson and classmate Brett Tastad.
Henderson had seven catches for 256 yards. On defense, he had 70 tackles and an interception.
Brett Tastad had 24 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss.
Nelson County's Zachary Gibson and Ross Thompson were picked for the second team to round out area selections.
First team offense
Quarterbacks — Javin Friesz, Grant County-Flasher, Walker Braaten, Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn, Tyler Brandt, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood, Dane Hagler, North Star; running backs — Lucas Sims, Central McLean, Gunner Thielges, LaMoure-Litchville-Marion, Connor Kosiak, South Border, Blake Mattson, North Prairie; tight end — Luke Martinson, Sargent County; wide receiver — Deng Deng, Four Winds; offensive line — Nate Tastad, North Prairie
First team defense
Defensive line — Josh Wittich, Sargent County, Keaton Wehrman, Alexander, Hunter Tolstad, Westhope-Newburg-Glenburn, Chase Cooper, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood, Easton Benz, New Rockford-Sheyenne; linebackers — Reuben Clay, North Star, Ryan Pingel, Alexander, Wyatt Kuhn, New Salem-Almont, Daniel Schumacher, South Border, Jaren Rafferty, Hettinger County
Second team
Riley Morlock, Mohall-L-S
Treyton Lesmann, Westhope-N-G
Jacob Wolf, Central McLean
Beau Rider, Alexander
Maddox Juntunen, Westhope-N-G
Levi Kackman, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood
Grady Whelander, Sargent County
Parker Hubrig, Hankinson
Nick Hansen, Sargent County
Nick Wulfekuhle, Richland
Gentry Richter, Linton-H-M-B
CL Weinberger, Grant County-Flasher
Cole Stock, South Border
Matthew Huether, Hettinger County
Berkley Frantz, South Border
Zachary Gibson, Nelson County
Ross Thompson, Nelson County
Carter Engebretson, New Rockford-S-M
Logan Maddock, New Rockford-S-M
Cole Henderson, North Prairie
Levi Buchholz, South Border
Brett Tastad, North Prairie
Connor Knatterud, New Rockford-S-M
Owen Lesko, LaMoure-L-M
Easton Simon, New Rockford-S-M
Brody Nordmark, Westhope-N-G
Brock Norton, New Salem-Almont
Tallen Binstock, Hettinger County
Senior Athlete of the Year — Nate Tastad, North Prairie
Coach of the Year — Evan Mellmer, South Border
