Positive memory from an NDHSAA state championship football game 23 years ago comes full circle for a former player and official
By Tom Mix
NDHSAA Media Specialist
FARGO – I’ve been covering prep sports in North Dakota for more than a decade and in that time I’ve written many stories about standout student athletes, championship teams, coaches, officials, administrators and even a few super fans.
The best part of my job is that you interact with a lot of people while at games, meetings and of course state tournaments. Inevitably, anytime a group of people in my line of work get together, high school sports is the main talking point and many times that subject evokes stories from past seasons or state championship games.
I chime in when I can, but I love to hear others talk about high school sports and listen to their positive experiences they had while playing, coaching, officiating or even just watching a game as a fan. I’ve also learned if you listen long enough a great story might unfold right in front of you. One such occasion was on November 10, 2022 – the eve of Dakota Bowl XXX.
I’ll set the scene: I had traveled to Fargo a day early to beat the poor weather forecasted for the region leading up to North Dakota’s state championship football games. I and some colleagues – NDHSAA Assistant Director Justin Fletschock, Teall Properties Group General Manager for NDHSAA sponsorships Brent Tehven and former NDHSAA officials Ron Wright and Jeff Risk, who would be serving as replay officials at the Dakota Bowl – met for dinner at a local restaurant. All of us would be working at Dakota Bowl XXX the next day at the FARGODOME and naturally conversation gravitated to our various duties and eventually Dakota Bowls of the past.
Brent Tehven told an interesting story from his playing days as a defensive lineman for Jay Gibson’s West Fargo High Packers who won back-to-back NDHSAA Division AAA football state championships in 1998 and 1999. Tehven’s senior season – 1999 – West Fargo High played Minot High in the state championship game and won 24-14. Just as vivid as the moments celebrating the state title with his teammates was Tehven’s recollection of a positive encounter he had with an official from that game. During the course of the game Tehven was called for a roughing the passer penalty. The official called the penalty and play resumed. A couple of plays later, Tehven said the official came up to him and asked him if he knew the reason why he had called the penalty. Tehven said he nodded and to give the moment some levity said “My grandma is going to be so mad with me.” Tehven said the official laughed and knew then the player had a good disposition – certainly not one to let a miscue get the best of him in the big game.
Tehven said about two weeks after the game the official had sent his parents a letter explaining to them how poised their son had been in the championship game. A passage from the letter read: “Please accept my congratulations from one parent to another for raising a son who seemed to understand that this was just a game … and he was going to enjoy the experience from start to finish.”
The letter was framed prominently at Tehven’s Graduation Party and was eventually stored with the rest of his prep football awards, but that experience stuck with Tehven through the years.
I thought that was a neat story and as we all ate we talked about more Dakota Bowl memories. Jeff Risk and Ron Wright had both officiated multiple state championship games and as we all got ready to leave the restaurant, Ron Wright brought it all full circle when he said “You know Brent, I didn’t want to interrupt your great story you told earlier about you and the official, but I wanted to let you know that official was me.”
I couldn’t believe it and I can only imagine what Brent felt in that moment. Everyone at the table was smiling and amazed that after 23 years the player and official were reunited by chance of both working at the same event years later.
That’s the good stuff. That’s why I enjoy high school sports. Moments like that are why high school sports matter.
Brent immediately called his dad to retrieve the storage tote where the letter had been kept so he could read it again. Ron was just as happy knowing he’d had a positive impact on a student athlete as an official.
The next day, everyone got to work, but I found a break in the action to get a photo of Brent and Ron on the field. I knew this story had to be told and shared, so I offer it to all as we approach the Holiday Season.
Ron summed up the experience best while at the Dakota Bowl.
“I only wrote one letter in my 38 year officiating career and that was the ‘one’,” Wright said. “I continue to stay involved with officiating in any way I can and the reason why is moment’s like the one I had today with Brent. You never think you will see these kids again all of sudden they re-enter your life. What a day.”
Indeed, what a day, and what a story.
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