Beulah Holds Off Central Cass Rally to Capture First State Title Since 2012
FARGO, N.D. — A back-and-forth battle at the FargoDome ended with a long-awaited celebration for Beulah on Saturday, as the Miners held off a furious late push from Central Cass to claim the North Dakota Division A state championship.
The teams went into halftime tied at 21, setting the stage for a tense second half. Beulah seized momentum early in the third quarter, opening the half on an 8–0 run that helped the Miners build breathing room in what had been a tightly contested game.
Adding to the impressive performance, Beulah leaned entirely on its starting five throughout the game, never making a substitution as the Miners rode the same group from start to finish in the championship victory.
Beulah continued to apply pressure and stretched its lead to as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter. But Central Cass refused to go away. The Squirrels mounted a late surge, closing the game on a 12–1 run and giving themselves a chance in the closing moments. With two opportunities to take the lead near the buzzer, Central Cass just missed, allowing Beulah to hold on for the thrilling championship win.
Senior Braylen Schirado led the way for the Miners, finishing with a team-high 17 points. Bensyn Schirado added 14 points, while Philip Weidner delivered a dominant performance on the glass with 10 points and 21 rebounds. Bennett Larson chipped in six points and 10 rebounds, and Shane Schmidt added two points and three rebounds in the title effort.
After the final horn sounded, the moment was still sinking in for Beulah’s players.
“It feels incredible,” senior Braylen Schirado said. “I don’t really know how to describe it. It almost hasn’t sunk in yet. You know, you dream of this when you pick up a basketball, and you never expect this to happen. You can dream of it, you can want it to happen all you want, but when the buzzer rings and you’re a state champion, it’s only anything I’ve ever felt in my life.”
The title marks Beulah’s first State championship since 2012, a milestone that meant just as much to the community as it did to the team.
“I think it’s awesome,” head coach Brandon Schirado said. “We’ve got some good people in Beulah. It’s a smaller town, and we’re a blue-collar town, and I think our kids just thrive off that. Our people treat us so well. They follow us all over. They treated us great on the way here. It’s real. It means everything. We play for our people.”
For Central Cass, the loss came after a resilient effort that nearly turned into a remarkable comeback.
Trailing late, the Squirrels battled until the final seconds and had chances to steal the title before coming up just short.
“They were just super resilient,” Central Cass head coach Matt Norman said. “We said that going into the game, that we needed some resiliency tonight, especially if we’re going to play a solid team that can score it the way they can. I was super proud of them. In between the third and fourth quarter, we said, ‘We’ve got to try to do something spectacular here.’ And they did. We had a look at the end. Heartbreaks for the boys. They did such a great job. I couldn’t be more proud to be their basketball coach right now. They’re great kids.”
Despite the heartbreaking finish, Central Cass’ late rally showcased the determination that carried the Squirrels throughout the tournament, while Beulah’s endurance and balanced production from its five starters proved just enough to secure the championship in a memorable title game.
