Undefeated North Border Football looks for second win over Cavalier in two weeks in 9-team state playoffs – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Grant Cosley spent his first two years at North Border as a running back and wide receiver before taking over at quarterback for the Eagles last season as a junior.

His success his senior year helped North Border go 8-0 in the regular season and the Eagles' first regional title since 2007. North Border takes the No. 5 seed to the 9-team state playoffs this year and scores there with 1 on Cavalier p.m. Saturday in Pembina.

Cosley surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air. He threw just five incompletions during the regular season, going 90 of 95 for 1,080 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception.

On the ground, Cosley rushed 88 times for 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“I just know the game better,” he said. “Last year it was kind of like, 'Well, let's go out there and see what we can do.' But this year I feel like we have a standard of what we can play and we can all work together a lot better and do the jobs that we need to do during the game and just get the job done.”

Two weeks ago, the Eagles defeated Cavalier 26-16 to win the regional title. This was North Border's first win over Cavalier since 2009 and gave the Eagles a first-round bye.

“There is a great tradition in Cavalier and it was great for us to get this win,” North Border coach Tim Hartje said. “They’re a tough team.”

This 10-point win was North Border's closest game of the season. Opponents averaged 16 points per game while North Border averaged 51.5 points per game, including consecutive 70-point games against North Star and Midway/Minto.

Sophomore Weston Cosley ran 73 times for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns this year. Brody Berg added 50 carries for 499 yards and five scores.

Sophomore Kaden Moore was Grant Cosley's favorite target, recording 35 catches for 545 yards and 12 touchdowns.

“We could run the ball, throw the ball,” Hartje said. “(Cosley) just makes great decisions and is a great athlete as well. He just makes great decisions, puts people in the right spots and just makes great plays.”

While the offensive numbers stand out, Hartje and Cosley were quick to point out the growth on the defensive side.

Berg has 86 total tackles, followed by Gavin Symington with 58. Cosley leads the team with three interceptions.

“Everyone gained about 15 pounds compared to last year, and that’s all we needed, it looks like,” Cosley said. “We can score a lot more goals. We are able to do a lot more solo tackles. Brody Berg, he's been an absolute beast for us this year. He's a big workhorse defensively.

“I know our linemen have done a phenomenal job this year. I can't say anything more about it. They are the ones who get the game rolling for us on offense and defense. Gavin, Kade (Schafer), Cole (DeNault), all of them. They worked so hard and that’s what really sets us apart from last year and this year.”

The goal now is to maintain the unbeaten streak in another matchup with Cavalier, who beat Four Winds 42-12 in the state first round.

“We know it’s a big rivalry game,” Cosley said. “We’ve had this rivalry forever. I'm definitely going into this game with more confidence. Last game we didn't really manage to get the ball moving properly, but we were still able to score.

“They're probably all still broken and we haven't felt that good all season. I know that will definitely play a role in Saturday's game. And just knowing who we’re playing against, there’s always a comfort on your shoulder when you’re out there.”