Wigestrand's 119 yards propel West Fargo into 3A semis

West Fargo running back Ashton Wigestrand accumulated 119 rushing yards on 15 carries to lead the Packers to a 35-26 victory over the Mandan Braves in the North Dakota Division 3A quarterfinals.

The game took place Friday at Essentia Health Packer Stadium, marking the first time West Fargo has advanced to a state semifinal since 2021. The win improved the Packers' record to 7-3 while eliminating the Braves, who were the West Region No. 3 seed. West Fargo entered the contest as the East Region No. 2 seed.

Wigestrand, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior, scored three rushing touchdowns. He opened the scoring for the Packers with a 30-yard run in the first quarter. His final two scores occurred in the fourth quarter, including a 37-yard burst that restored the lead with 6 minutes and 50 seconds remaining, and a 24-yard run that extended the margin to 38-26 with 1 minute and 48 seconds left on the clock.

The Braves had taken a 26-24 lead in the third quarter. Mandan running back Tate Sailer scored on a 5-yard rush with 4 minutes and 23 seconds left in the third period, marking his second touchdown of the game. West Fargo responded immediately on the next possession, with Wigestrand finding the end zone to shift momentum back to the Packers.

A defensive stop proved decisive in the fourth quarter. Wyatt Knudsen forced a turnover on downs after recording a strip-sack on fourth down. The subsequent drive resulted in Wigestrand's final touchdown of the night. Wigestrand praised his teammate's versatility, calling Knudsen a beast on both sides of the ball.

Head coach Eric Peterson, in his first season leading the program, described the victory as surreal. He noted that while some viewed the current season as a rebuilding year, the team maintained high expectations. Peterson said the players believed in their talent and executed as a semifinal-caliber team throughout the contest.

The game featured a back-and-forth offensive battle. West Fargo opened the scoring on the second play of the game when wide receiver Joaquin Valdez returned a pitch 65 yards for a touchdown. Mandan answered with a 9-yard run by Brandon Baker. The third quarter saw Mandan take a 20-17 lead on a 41-yard catch by Daniel Wentz, but West Fargo regained the lead on a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Camarillo to Dockter, who also kicked a 37-yard field goal to cap the first half at 17-12.

West Fargo will host East Region No. 4 Fargo Davies in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 6. The specific game time has not yet been announced. The Packers defeated the run-heavy Davies 43-40 during the regular season on Oct. 9.

Wigestrand said the team faced some ups and downs but stuck together to finish the game. He added that the focus now shifts to securing another win against Davies.