No mulligans, no redos, no second chances.

Esley Thorton is well aware today's playoff game with West Fargo could be his final high school football outing. He's determined to forestall that eventuality.

"You don't get another chance if you lose. This is it," Thorton, the Bismarck High quarterback, said as he looked ahead to today's 1 p.m. semifinal against West Fargo at the Community Bowl. "I think we'll definitely pick up our game from that perspective."

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Pick up our game? Bismarck is coming off a 55-20 quarterfinal victory over Fargo North. The Demons are the defending state AAA champions, they've been ranked No. 1 all season and they're riding a 20-game winning streak. No one has gotten closer than 24 points to BHS this season.

Thorton, however, insists that Bismarck's 35-point win over North wasn't all it seems.

"Mainly we learned that our guys have to come more prepared and fired up," said Thorton, one of Bismarck's four senior returning all-state players. "I think some of our guys didn't realize the whole atmosphere and intensity of the playoffs is entirely different from the regular season. ... Every team is going to bring its A game and we have to be playing our best football. We have to up our level of play in the playoffs and that's going to be our goal against West Fargo."

West Fargo won a 31-27 squeaker over Minot in the quarterfinals. The Packers, 7-3, are the last team to defeat Bismarck. They trimmed the Demons last year on the second week of the season.

Thorton said the concept of revenge has absolutely no bearing on today's game. "That's all in the past. We're a new team this year and we're focused on this year," he said.

West Fargo, the winner of five straight, ranks first in the East Region in scoring defense and second in scoring offense. Thorton said the Packers, who racked up 410 yards of total offense against Minot, are not a team with which to trifle. Senior quarterback Bryce Jorgenson burned Minot for 313 yards and a touchdown through the air.

"It will be a thinking week," Thorton noted. "We have a lot to study with their offense. Our defense is going to have to have a lot of different playmakers. They run a lot of misdirection. They can both run and throw the ball and they have a smart and good coach in Jay Gibson.

"Everyone will have to stick to their assignments so they don't get faked out by the misdirection," Thorton said. "... The reason we were so successful last year in the playoffs against them is we had our assignments down."

Bismarck trimmed West Fargo 42-14 in last year's quarterfinal round.

The way the Demons have been scoring, the team statistics are growing like Jack's beanstalk. BHS has outscored the opposition 242-42 in its last four games and leads the West Region in scoring offense (47.3) and scoring defense (9.0). BHS is averaging 430 yards a game total offense while surrendering 223.

Individually, the Demons can claim the regional rushing leader in senior tailback Jake Miller. He's rushed for 1354 yards in 116 carries and has scored 29 touchdowns. Thorton is No. 3 in passing yardage (1,192) and eighth in rushing (411), which puts him third in total offense (1,603). The lefty quarterback has scored 11 touchdowns and thrown for 10 scores.

Backup tailback Channing Mann is the region's No. 5 rusher with 635 yards and has scored 11 TDs. Versatile Calvin Krueger has kicked 52 extra points and has scored three touchdowns - via a run, a catch and a kickoff return - and has caught 13 passes for 146 yards. Wideout Nick Jolliffe is third in the region in receiving with 22 grabs for 446 yards and two TDs.

That's all just so much fluff, according to Thorton.

"If you get too caught up with statistics it gets to be more of an individual thing. We need to be team-oriented and that's how we are. ... It's nice having guys like Jake or Krueger, but we've got to have those guys on the sidelines, too. Even our practice guys make us better, so you need to have everyone to build the team you want."

Thorton said the Demons haven't slipped into neutral, expecting a lopsided victory to just happen every week.

"We're all excited about the wins, but like coach always says, you've got to bury it and look on to next week. ... That ultimate goal of the state championship is what keeps us motivated."

So, Thorton said, the Demons won't be looking beyond West Fargo to the Dakota Bowl.

"Our 100-percent focus is on West Fargo. We can't overlook them," he said. "... We need to put all our focus on that game if we want to get to where we want to be."

Century meets Fargo South at the Fargodome in today's other AAA semifinal.