BISMARCK, N.D. — Jersey Berg’s senior year at Bismarck high was nearly the perfect end to a high school career, leading the Demons to the state championship game on the court and the diamond.
“People will say it’s all a Cinderella run and stuff like that, but I really did believe in the team the whole time and I think that was part of it too,” Berg says. “We were all such close friends. We really were like better together. And that’s how you can really put it. And I think Shet would say the same. He said before he’s never had a team closer. And I can really say the same thing about softball, which you wouldn’t really expect because it’s a really young team. But, that’s also why I was so proud of them going into the postseason because they’re so young. They hadn’t been in those big situations before. So, I was really proud of both seasons, really.”
Berg’s lasting legacy at Bismarck High can be felt outside the gym and off the field with teammates and coaches feeling the impact she has.
“I’ll never find another Jersey and a girl that plays like Jersey and a girl that we have that strong connection with,” longtime teammate Paige Breuer says. “Jersey is irreplaceable. I never will, but it’s just been so special knowing that we’ve been able to play together for seven years, playing against each other our whole lives.”
“Jersey was a leader,” former coach Bill Shetler adds. “She was a catalyst for both of these programs, and just watching her have the success that she had wasn’t a surprise because it was definitely earned and definitely something that she she deserves. So, super proud of the way she finished her career.”
Berg, a Williston native, is heading home to live out a childhood dream, continuing her basketball and softball careers at Williston State.
“That’s always been a goal since I was younger was to play in college and more specifically play at Wilson State,” she says. “So, that’s why it’s also kind of a dream. There’s pictures of me when I’m like five years old in a Wilson State basketball shirt. And so it’s kind of surreal knowing I’m going to a school that I looked up to all those girls there when I was like living there. And now I get to finally go there and hopefully I can make a difference for those young kids too.”
The Berg name holds its own legacy with the Tetons. Jersey’s father, Hunter, donned the green and white on the court as a player before roaming the sidelines as head coach and athletic director. Despite the pressure, Jersey says she’s working on making a name for herself.
“It’s kind of impossible to be like my dad,” she says. “So, obviously he’s someone I strive to be like. I practice the moves he did. I do all that. He pushes me to work harder, too. He’s also a main source of motivation, not only getting to a state championship or doing it for my teammates, but also my dad. I’m always gonna work hard for my dad and I might not get a banner up on the gym like my dad does, but I can still make a difference. And I want to make a name for myself, not necessarily under my dad.”
And those close to her know that Jersey won’t be standing in the shadow of her dad for long.
“She’s going to be able to mold it in any way that she wants to because she’s just so, so good and has so much work ethic and just everything about her,” Breuer says. “I know she’s going to make her own path and it’s going to be great.”
“She’s her own person and she’s out to make her own name,” Shetler adds. “So, ultimately I’m super happy that she’s in a place where she’s going to be comfortable, a place where she’s definitely wanted, but also a place where she has family and friends that can really support her. So, I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
While representing the Tetons on the court and diamond, Berg will be studying pre-physical therapy at Williston State.
