FARGO — It was around this time last season when Grant Nelson finished his career at North Dakota State and the popular assessment was the 6-foot-11 standout was going to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which he ultimately did at the beginning of May.
Nelson officially transferred to Alabama at the end of June after attending the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in May.
A lot going on there. Pro ball? Major college? Apparent big money in the NIL collective with the Crimson Tide?
What Nelson never got, however, was a high school state championship. On Saturday night at the Fargodome, Devils Lake junior Joel Nelson did something his older brother Grant never did in high school — he was in the middle of a wild celebration at center court. The Firebirds ended a 99-year title drought with a 59-54 victory over previously unbeaten Kindred.
“Feels good, I one-upped him,” Joel said.
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Grant’s third-seeded Tide were beaten by No. 6 Florida in Friday’s Southeastern Conference quarterfinals, which meant he could tune in Saturday to watch his little brother play. At 6-6, Joel may be smaller but he’s no longer on the short end of state trophy plaques.
Grant was North Dakota’s Mr. Basketball his senior year in 2020. Those were the two-class days and it certainly helped that Devils Lake didn’t have to beat West Fargo Sheyenne or Fargo North in this day and age of three-class state tournaments.
Grant was on a bus during the game but Joel figured he would find a way to watch the game. Grant Face-Timed his brother before the game to offer words of encouragement.
“He just wished me good luck, random stuff,” Joel said. “He’s a good brother. All my brothers are good brothers.”
It was a battle on the court. The Viking fans came prepared, bringing styrofoam sticks that lit up with the dome lights out during the announcement of starting lineups. It was the Firebirds, however, who came more ready to play jumping to a 13-2 lead in the first quarter.
Nelson was one of the instigators in Devils Lake being first-half sharp with an array of buckets in the lane and a 3-point field goal. Wylee Delorme's almost desperation-looking 30-foot 3-pointer at the halftime horn gave Devils Lake a 32-24 lead at intermission.
The Vikings scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second half to draw even at 34-34 but could never overtake the Firebirds.
Delorme, the tournament MVP, led the way with 16 points. But Nelson was right behind with 15 points.
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“Joel was pivotal tonight,” said Devils Lake head coach Dustin Brodina. “He was fantastic all weekend. His strength, his defense, his rebounding was awesome and without him and all the other guys, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
The title adds to the legacy the Nelson family has formed in Devils Lake. Brodina said Joel never felt any sense of being in Grant’s shadow. That’s not the way he’s wired.
“Joel is about as free spirit as you can get,” Brodina said. “He calls Grant his older brother instead of ‘Joel the little brother’ to Grant. He’s his own individual and we love him.”
The story in Devils Lake all week was the hope of finally winning a modern-day state championship. The last title was in 1925. There’s an ode to that team on the wall in the Devils Lake gym and now it will have company.
“Man, it feels good to hang another one next to it,” Brodina said.
There will be plenty of brighter days ahead for the Vikings, who return all five starters next season. With guards that go 6-3, 6-4 and 6-8, it’s highly doubtful many small-college teams could match up with that size, much less competition in North Dakota Division A.
Is there a way the Vikings can schedule the Fargo-West Fargo schools? Head down to the Twin Cities to play a couple metro teams?
For now, Devils Lake is the Division A king.
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“We’re kind of like that small town, that feeling where everybody knows everybody, everybody knows what they’re doing at any time,” Brodina said. “That’s special. This is special that this is something these guys will take with them forever. Nobody can ever take that away from them.”
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