Three autumns ago, the Dakota Ridge freshman team put Class 4A on notice.

That Eagles team, featuring the core of this year’s seniors who have Dakota Ridge ranked No. 1 in the Post Preps preseason rankings, was a juggernaut. In a 10-0 campaign, they had a staggering plus-499 point differential, with their closest victory coming by 39 points.

“That was a really, really fun year,” recalled Dakota Ridge star running back/linebacker Landon Kalsbeck. “And it was a season that was a preview of what we were able to do last year by making the semifinals, and can do this one, too, with our goal being the program’s first title (winner).

“… You can be really good at freshman football, then when you start playing against 18-year-olds on varsity, you realize you’re not all that. But we never got

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