Football finds its footing again in the Queen City

DICKINSON — Meaningful football in early November has eluded a couple of Dickinson programs for the past few seasons. Dickinson High ended last year with a home loss to Minot North, while Dickinson State also closed its campaign with a loss at home to Montana Tech. Trinity was the lone remaining warrior in the city, coming up just a few plays short of another state championship appearance in a loss to Killdeer. Fast forward to last week, and with hardly a leaf remaining on the few trees scattered across southwestern North Dakota, football was still being played in the Queen City. Not only was Dickinson State playing football, but the Blue Hawks were doing so with a Frontier East Conference championship on the line — a far cry from last season's disappointing 3-7 campaign. A 4-1 conference record put the Blue Hawks on a bus to Butte, Montana. That game didn't go particularly well against No. 5-ranked Montana Tech — it hasn't for the past few years. But for a pro