FARGO — Ethan Barthel, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound senior for Upsala-Swanville Area, is listed as an offensive lineman/linebacker. Add battering ram.

Barthel’s 1-yard second-quarter plunge gave his team a commanding lead as the Patriots repeated as the Minnesota Section 5A champs with a 54-12 win over Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on Friday at the Fargodome.

“I love it, I think that’s one of my highlights of the game when I get to run it,” Barthel said.

Barthel started as a guard as a sophomore but broke his elbow in the first game of that season. When he returned, his replacement on the line was doing so well, Patriots head coach Jay Loven said, that Barthel’s role expanded into the backfield.

It’s a tough combination.

“He was a running back as a young player, but we turned him into a lineman,”

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