FARGO – The Fargo Davies football team had everything going its way in the final minute of Saturday’s Eastern Dakota Conference football game against Fargo South at Davies High School.
Davies’ junior running back JD Arguelles had just scored a three-yard touchdown with 54 seconds remaining, pulling the Eagles within one point of the Bruins. That left Davies head coach Jason Thielges with a decision to make.
Go for the 2-point conversion or try a kick for the tie.
Two fingers went up on the Eagles’ sideline and Davies senior quarterback Aidan Hartness delivered, converting the two-point play giving Davies a 50-49 lead, which ended up being the final score between the crosstown rivals.
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“We knew we were going for two there,” said Hartness, who passed for 159 yards and rushed for 154 yards in the game. “Coach Thielges looked me square in the eyes and told me ‘no one is going to stop you from getting two.’ He believed in me and I can’t ask for anything more than that. I’ve never been a part of a game like that one. Our coaches had us prepared, and we knew we could win.”
Davies trailed 28-14 at halftime and never led in the game until the 2-point conversion.
“Aidan wasn’t going to be denied,” Thielges said. “I knew if we were in a position to go for two late in the ball game with a chance to win, we would put the ball in Aidan’s hands.”
Hartness passed for two touchdowns in the game, each going to his twin brother, Tristan Hartness, who finished with six catches for 118 yards. Both Hartness brothers also rushed for a touchdown Saturday.
“We battled adversity all day,” Tristan Hartness said. “We wanted to win this game so badly and avenge last year’s loss when we almost had them. We thought something special was happening in the second half and it worked out. I can’t believe we won it. It is incredible.”
The victory is also Davies’ first ever against South. The Bruins had won the previous four meetings between the schools. Davies began its varsity program in 2010.
“It’s the biggest win in our program’s history,” Thielges said. “The guys kept playing and found a way. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
South (7-1, 5-1 EDC) entered the game ranked No. 1 in North Dakota Class 3A and the loss to the No. 3-ranked Eagles (7-1, 5-1) snaps a 12-game winning streak for the Bruins.
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South scored on the game’s first play when Ty Brooks scored on a 65-yard run.
Davies answered with a nine-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped off by a three-yard touchdown run by Ty Jochim.
Senior running back James Johannesson accounted for the rest of the Bruins’ touchdowns in the first half, scoring on plays of eight yards and two more scores from 43 yards out. Johannesson rushed for 180 yards on 11 carries in the first half alone nearly scoring another 43-yard touchdown as time expired, but was stopped at the 1-yard line.
Johannesson finished the afternoon posting a school-record 356 yards and six touchdowns.
Davies recovered two on-side kicks in the second half that allowed its two overcome 14-point deficits twice.
Davies tied the game 42-42 with 5:42 remaining, but Johannesson answered with a 63-yard touchdown run on the first play of South’s ensuing possession.
Davies’ final scoring dive lasted 14 plays, covered 80 yards and took up 4:30 of clock.
“I don’t how many chances in the football game that we had a chance to put it away and we didn’t do that,” South head coach Troy Mattern said. “If we want to be a championship-level team we need to do that. Give credit to Davies. There is a reason they are where they are right now and they made some plays down the stretch.”
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Fargo South 14 14 14 7–49
Fargo Davies 7 7 1422–50
S–Brooks 65 run (Weiler kick)
D–Jochim 3 run (Cyr kick)
S–Johannesson 8 run (Weiler kick)
D–T. Hartness 2 run (Cyr kick)
S–Johannesson 43 run (Weiler kick)
S–Johannesson 43 run (Weiler kick)
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D–T. Hartness 70 pass from A. Hartness (Cyr kick good)
D–A. Hartness 14 run (Cyr kick)
S–Johannnesson 26 run (kick failed)
S–Johannesson 33 run (Johannesson run)
D–Arguelles 9 run (Cyr kick)
D–T. Hartness 7 pass from A. Hartness (Cyr kick)
S–Johannesson 63 run (Weiler kick)
D–Arguelles 3 run (A. Hartness run)
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: S, Johannesson 20-356, Brooks 8-106, Saiway 1-(-2), Solem 6-16. D, Jochim 20-127, Arguelles 12-46, Rayl 5-23, T. Hartness 6-46, A. Hartness 25-154.
PASSING: S, Solem 3-6-0–23 yards. D, A. Hartness 10-15-1–159, T. Hartness 0-1-0–0.
RECEIVING: S, Brooks 3-23. D, T. Hartness 6-118, Drake 1-12, Arguelles 2-22, Jochim 1-7.
Readers can reach Forum reporter
Tom Mix at (701) 241-5562
