Moorhead Area Public Schools is proud to congratulate the Moorhead High School Boys Hockey team on winning the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Championship and Boys Wrestling’s Billy Ward on winning the MSHSL Class AAA Championship in the 189 pounds weight class. Both championships were won in come-from-behind fashion at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul and both were repeat titles from 2025.
Boys Hockey’s Historic Comeback Capped by Double OT Winner
Moorhead came into the tournament as the #2 seed. The Spuds’ first two opponents of the tournament were identical to the year before, as they smothered #7 Lakeville South 4-1 before taking down longtime foe #3 Edina 3-1 to advance to the final. Moorhead fell behind #1 Minnetonka by three goals after two periods, but charged back to force overtime and eventually win 5-4 on an Evan Wanner goal in the second overtime period to secure the state’s first back-to-back titles since 2014 and 2015 (Edina). No team had ever won in the Class AA state finals after trailing by three goals.
2025 Spud Statewide Award Winners:
All-Tournament Forward - Tyden Bergeson
All-Tournament Forward - Max Cullen
All-Tournament Defense - Brandon Mickelson
Reed Larson Award - Brandon Mickelson
Mr. Hockey - Tyden Bergeson
Bergeson became the second straight Spud Mr. Hockey award winner, following Mason Kraft in 2025. Moorhead’s other Mr. Hockey winner, Brian Lee (2005), announced Bergeson’s win at the award ceremony on Sunday.
Ward’s Second is a Moorhead First
Ward, just like his hockey counterparts, trailed his state championship match 4-1 heading into the third period. The senior then submitted a flawless third with an escape and a takedown to defeat St. Michael-Albertville’s John Murphy with a 5-4 major decision to claim his second consecutive Class AAA title.
His path to the state finals started with a 21-6 win over Owatonna’s Carter Flatland by technical fall. In the state quarterfinals, Ward recorded another technical fall—this time 18-3 over Eastview’s Logan Myers—before he notched a 13-2 major decision over Mounds View’s Caden Grenier in the semis to reach the title round.
Having won Minnesota’s AAA 215-pound weight class in 2025, Ward is the first wrestler to win multiple state championships with the Spuds. His 2026 individual title is the eighth in Moorhead High School history.