BISMARCK -- Just days removed from winning a second straight state title, two Century seniors still have reason to celebrate.
Offensive tackle Hunter Harvey announced on Sunday night he'll be playing college football at the University of North Dakota.
The 6'5, 250 pound lineman accepted a preferred walk-on spot with the Fighting Hawks.
"It's been kind of crazy, getting calls from all these recruiters," Harvey said. "My goal my whole life was to play DI football, and I have that chance now."
"I feel like the coaches and I really connected, and the players reaching out to me was kind of like the turning point, that just made me want to go up there."
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Harvey thought he would be the lone Patriot from this class to head to UND.
Then on Monday afternoon, his quarterback, Noah Schaffner, made the same call.
"It's always been a dream of mine to play there," Schaffner said. "I went to their youth camps from sixth to eighth grade, and it's always been a dream. The coaching staff always had this energy. They were doing a great job coaching even us young kids."
The all-WDA quarterback for the Patriots tallied 19 total touchdowns in 2020. He'll switch to tight end in Grand Forks.
"It'll be a big transition, especially with not having a lot of blocking experience," Schaffner said. "Route running, I did a little bit this summer because I'm a big guy, I knew I might have to change positions."
The two are close friends, but never planned on playing in college together.
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"We had dreams of playing college football but just not at the same school at that level," Harvey said.
Once Harvey found out from UND wide receivers coach Sam King that UND was talking to Schaffner, the light bulb went off.
"It was pretty awesome. He texted me earlier today saying he was going to commit and I was pretty excited," Harvey said. "Two kids from Bismarck going to UND it'll be a fun experience."
They'll also be joined by another mutual friend. Bismarck Legacy wide receiver Nick Kupfer is also committed to UND, and for Schaffner, it's a perfect situation.
"Nick and Hunter are both great guys," Schaffner said. "They're both better guys than they are football players, and they're really good football players. It's awesome."
