Johnson's 3 TDs, pop pass spark Kindred into ND Division 2A state title game

David Samson / Forum file photo By Eric Peterson November 06, 2026 at 9:31 PM Listen Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? KINDRED, N.D. — Myles Thielges was a like a Swiss army knife Friday night at Jerlow Field. Thielges ran for a touchdown, completed a pass for a 2-point conversion and added a touchdown. That array of skills helped spark Kindred to a 41-21 victory against Dickinson in the North Dakota Division 2A football semifinals. ADVERTISEMENT Kindred (11-0) advanced to the Division 2A title game for the first time. The Vikings have played in three 1A championship games since 2021, winning the 2023 Division 1A state crown. “It’s really special for all the guys," said Kindred running back Brock Johnson, who rushed for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns. “It means a lot to us.” In their second season in 2A, the Vikings lost in the state semifinals a season ago. Kindred plays for the state championship Friday, Nov. 13, at the Fargodome. “It’s really special," said Kindred head coach Eric Burgad. "Whenever you can reach that game, it really reflects your body of work. I’m proud of our group. They earned their right to play in this game.” Kindred started pull away from the pesky Mavericks in the third quarter, thanks to Thielges. On second-and-goal, Thielges took a direct snap and faked a run into the middle of the line. He then pulled up before the line of scrimmage for a pop pass and lobbed a 20-yard scoring strike to Lukas Starcevic for a 21-7 lead with 7 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the third quarter. “Thielges could not hit that pass all week in practice," Burgad said. "He was still working on it after practice, when there was no daylight left. ... It was awesome when it worked.” More related coverage Fisher Johnson special teams TD lifts Kindred over Squirrels for EDC 2A title Oct 23 Minot North’s Cameron Jesz has one of the greatest interceptions you’ll ever see Oct 28 Central Cass' Brody Kegley just broke a Squirrels football record that stood for 59 years Oct 23 Johnson added: “At practice, everyone was kind of joking with Myles. It was so satisfying when it worked in the game." ADVERTISEMENT That was Kindred's first pass attempt against Dickinson. Johnson added a 28-yard TD run for a 28-7 lead with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter. It was his second rushing TD. “The coaches were telling me, keep pounding the rock," Johnson said. "I knew it was time to put down the hammer.” Johnson ripped off a 33-yard touchdown run for a 35-14 lead with 10:59 to play in the fourth quarter. He broke multiple tackles on that run. “We know when we need tough yards, Brock is such an explosive back," Burgad said. "He’s been that workhorse for us all year.” Johnson credited his offensive line for his big performance. “We had a lot of linemen step up in a really big way," Johnson said. "They were making massive holes and that made it a lot easier work for me and Myles." ADVERTISEMENT DHS 0 7 0 14—21 KHS 6 8 14 13—41 KHS—Johnson 6 run (kick failed) DHS—Hammond 7 pass from Stevenson (Martin kick) KHS—Thielges 26 run (Kittelson from Thielges) KHS—Starcevic 20 pass from Thielges (Hesse kick) KHS—Johnson 28 run (Hesse kick) DHS—Hammond 34 pass from Stevenson (Martin kick) KHS—Johnson 33 run (kick failed) KHS—Huesman 2 run (Hesse kick) DHS—Lyson 27 pass from Stevenson (Martin kick) Comments Share Share this article News Reporting News Reporting Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Trust Project What is this? Tags Tags KINDRED VIKINGS FOOTBALL NDHSAA By Eric Peterson Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996. Twitter Listen to this article Conversation ADVERTISEMENT What To Read Next Prep Live at 1 p.m.: Linton H-M-B vs. LaMoure-Litchville-Marion in Division 9-Man football playoffs 1h ago · By WDAY News Prep Charles Steer rushes Hawley to state for first time since 2014 12h ago · By Rob Beer Prep FIRST DOWN FRIDAY: Playoff football on both sides of the river 13h ago · By Riley Swenson ADVERTISEMENT Get Local Must Reads Moorhead How will vacant Moorhead City Council, Moorhead School Board seats be filled? 6h ago · By Ingrid Harbo North Dakota Driver charged in fatal Cass County crash settles Grand Forks cases 18h ago · By Matt Henson Business Sisters developing Kindro app to help users find their chosen family 6h ago · By Stephanie Dickerson Lifestyle What if this winter’s forecast holds true? 5h ago · By Don Kinzler