WEST FARGO — West Fargo Sheyenne has punched its ticket to the Fargodome.

In an effort headed by Kaden Olson's 247 yards and two touchdown passes, the Mustangs topped Bismarck 35-16 in the Division AAA state semifinals Friday at Essentia Health Mustang Stadium.

Olson went 16 of 19 passing with a pair of touchdowns to Sullivan Ihry and Cash Gilseth. Kye Schlicting and Tate Herrmann added rush TDs, while Brennen Gable picked up a defensive score as East No. 1 seed Sheyenne advanced to Dakota Bowl for the first time in three seasons.

"It means everything," said Olson, a senior. "We've been working four years to get back there since our freshman year. It means everything to this group. This is a great group of guys we've got here and it just means the world to us."

Sheyenne (9-2) will take on East No. 2 Fargo Davies (10-1) in the Division AAA state championship game next Friday night. The Mustangs grinded out a 3-0 win over the Eagles in the regular season on Oct. 17.

"We're going to need a good week of practice," Olson said. "We're going to be ready to go next week."

The cherry on top for the Mustangs was Gable's 41-yard fumble return for Sheyenne's final score of the night, which made it a 35-10 game with 1:46 remaining in the third quarter.

After teammate Kade Pietrzak stuffed Bismarck running back Logan Dockter near the line of scrimmage, it was Gable — the 220-pound lineman — ripping it out of Dockter's arms and taking it back for his first career touchdown while being met with elation from the sideline.

"I shot that gap and I saw (Pietrzak) come and stuff him," an amped up Gable said. "Just stopped in his tracks. So I just went in, grabbed that thing and ripped it out. As I'm running, I'm looking around and I'm like, 'There's no way I get caught.'

"I don't think anyone knew I had the ball. So I'm just running. I don't know, it doesn't feel real. I don't touch the ball usually. I scored and didn't know what to do with myself. I was just so happy."

The junior said there's no other group he'd rather go to battle with for a state title next week.

"Man, this is the best group I've ever played with," Gable said. "I love these guys. I can't wait, I'm so hyped. A ring would be a perfect storybook ending with a team I absolutely love. There will never be another group of guys like this and a group of seniors like this."

Ihry finished with eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown, which came on Sheyenne's first offensive possession. After forcing a Demons' three-and-out to open the contest, Olson found Ihry for a 9-yard score on third-and-two to make it 7-0 following the extra point midway through the first quarter.

Gilseth chipped in 95 receiving yards on four receptions, while Schlicting led the Mustangs' ground attack with 96 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries.

Sheyenne finished with 360 yards of offense to Bismarck's 229.

"Obviously it feels great to come out here and beat an exceptional football team like we did (tonight)," Sheyenne head coach Jeremy Newton said. "(Bismarck) is a great team, they're well coached and it was a good team win."

Bismarck, the No. 2 seed from the West, ended its season 8-3.

Demons quarterback Grady Swanson finished 10 of 19 passing for 103 yards while the offense was paced by Dockter with 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

Sheyenne led 21-10 at halftime off of the Ihry, Herrmann and Gilseth touchdowns while Deegan Staudinger added a first-half receiving score for Bismarck coupled by Ross Fischer's 22-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.

The Mustangs will now aim for their second state championship next week.

"We'll take a look at the film (tomorrow) and then we've got to move on," Newton said.