GBB: Fargo Davies Captures First Ever State Title

FARGO DAVIES WON THE CLASS AA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AS THE EAST'S 3-SEED.

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR)–The road to the top was not easy for the Fargo Davies girls basketball team. On Saturday, the captured their program’s first ever State Title.

After falling to West Fargo Horace in the Eastern Dakota Conference Tournament, the Eagles entered State as the East’s 3-seed. But they did not let that seed determine their destiny. After defeating the East’s 1-seed, Grand Forks Red River, in the semifinals, the Eagles dominated Saturday’s title game versus Bismarck High, winning 64-55 and capturing their first state championship in program history.

“It is unreal,” said head coach Tonah Safranski. “It is super special. The girls deserve it. They have put a ton of time in. When they were little kids, coming to games when they were little, watching us start the program from the ground up and they deserve it.”

“We worked hard all year,” said senior guard Karley Franks. “[We] came through a lot of tough games and it is amazing. We have been craving this since I started playing basketball and to do it with this group of girls in unreal.”

To win a state championship is one thing, but for the tournament Most Valuable Player Ashton Safranski, she did it with her mom coaching her.

“It is so amazing,” said Ashton Safranski. “I love having her as a coach and I would not want it any other way.”

For head coach and Mom, she felt all along she was coaching a team full of her daughters.

“It is special, yeah,” said coach Safranski. “All these girls I kind of feel like are my daughters because they are together all the time, been with them since they were all little. You know, they do stuff together all the time, so they are all like my daughters.”

In addition to Ashton being named tournament MVP, she, Karley Franks and Fallon Passanante were named to the All-Tournament to cap off their historic seasons.

For Franks, to end her senior season as a champion was something she says the team never doubted.

“The minute we got on the bus to come here,” said Franks on when she knew they would win State. “I knew this was going to be my last one and everybody could just feel like it was going to be our year.”

The Eagles are set to graduate three seniors.