Bismarck's Dexter Werner blocks for running back Layne Johs. Photo by Mark Potts.

FARGO – Friday’s Division AAA state title game was everything you’d expect of a cross-town rivalry: intense, loud and close – at least for the first 28 minutes.

Bismarck broke open a tight game with back-to-back touchdowns by Layne Johs in the third quarter as they knocked off Bismarck Century for the AAA state title in primetime Friday night at the Fargodome.

“Hats off to the Bismarck community,” Bismarck head coach Mark Gibson said, crediting both sides for creating a fantastic atmosphere at the Fargodome. “This is good for Bismarck football in general, and that’s a very good football team we beat today.”

Johs finished the championship game with 193 rushing yards and two touchdowns, finding big holes in the second half behind his offensive line. Johs, who missed the first two rounds of the playoffs due to injury, had 144 of his yards in the second half.

Bismarck receiver Devin Schirado reaches for a tipped pass that's just out of his reach in the end zone Friday. Photo by Mark Potts.

“We came out a little slow,” he said. “But our offensive linemen kept fighting and opened some big holes for me. We got it together in the second half… Without (the offensive line), we wouldn’t be anything.”

The two Bismarck teams were locked in a 7-3 defensive struggle early in the third quarter after Century’s Dominic Neameyer nailed a 31-yard field goal with 10:25 remaining in the third.

After taking the ensuing kickoff at its own 15-yard line, Bismarck took control of the game with a seven-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. Johs had a 33-yard run on the drive, and quarterback Ben Jolliffe hooked up with receiver Brett Adam for a 37-yard gain, setting the Demons up with first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Johs gave Bismarck a two-score lead with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Just 2 minutes later, after a Century fake punt failed, Johs busted a 37-yard touchdown run that put Bismarck up 21-3 with 5:02 left in third quarter.

“Our timing was off a little bit in the first half; we were a little ru

Bismarck Century running back Benjamin Kraft breaks into the middle of the Bismarck defense Friday night. Photo by Mark Potts.

sty with Layne (Johs) being out,” Gibson said. “But we put it on those offensive linemen like we’ve done all season long. We came out (in the second half) and executed a lot better.”

The big second half by Johs and Bismarck ended what was a defensive struggle in the first half. The only scoring in the first half came by Bismarck after a 37-yard punt return by Brett Adam gave the Demons great field position at Century’s 21-yard line. Jolliffe capped off the short drive with a one-yard touchdown run and the extra point put Bismarck up 7-0 just 4 minutes into the game.

Century only made one serious scoring threat in the first half when a 13-play drive took them down to Bismarck’s 32-yard line. But the drive stalled after a holding penalty and two incomplete passes turned the ball back to Bismarck on downs.

As well as Johs and the offensive line played for Bismarck, the Demon defense played just as well. The Demons allowed just 130 total offensive yards by Century, and harassed Century quarterback Jared Fischer all night, sacking him three times and forcing him into a 5-for-17 game throwing the ball.

“That was awesome to watch (the defense),” Johs said. “They came ready to play, watched film every night this week and they were ready to go.”

The state title is Bismarck’s third in the last four years.

 

Bismarck running back Kip Jangula is hit by a pair of Century defenders Friday. Photo by Mark Potts.

Bismarck 21, Bismarck Century 3

CEN     0          0          3          0          –           3

BIS       7          0          14         0          –           21

Scoring summary

1: BIS – Jolliffe 1 yd run (Seibel kick)

3: CEN – Neameyer 31 yd FG

3: BIS – Johs 4 yd run (Seibel kick)

3: BIS – Johs 37 yd run (Seibel kick)

Individual leaders

Rushing (att/yds/td): BIS – Johs 35/193/2; Jangula 4/10/0; CEN – Kraft 11/48/0; Weisz 8/44/0.

Passing (comp/att/yds/td/int): BIS – Jolliffe 6/13/116/0/1; CEN – Fischer 5/17/49/0/0

Receiving (rec/yds/td): BIS – Werner 3/54/0; Schirado 2/25/0; Adam 1/37/0; CEN – Maund 4/30/0; Wiseman 1/19/0.

Century's Dillon Pierce, left, tries to block a punt by Bismarck's Dexter Werner. Photo by Mark Potts.

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