BSM’s version of Friday Night Lights are back in style. With a Homecoming victory now in the rearview mirror, an improved Red Knight football team is looking to continue its success into the latter parts of the season.

After a mediocre regular season in 2015, the squad rolled through Sections, only to end on a bitter loss to Becker in the first round of state. “The loss to Becker stung, because we worked so hard to get to that point. We’re off to a great start this year, and we’ve worked even harder this summer and fall to get where we want to be, and the expectations are higher,” senior Peyton James said.

The football team earned their first Homecoming victory in five years, and it came over crosstown rival St. Louis Park 31-22. “Being at BSM since eighth grade, we’d never won a Homecoming game. For all the players and everyone in attendance, it meant a lot to finally get over that hump. Our defense was unbelievable, and our offensive line opened good holes; overall [it was] a great team effort,” senior captain Eric Wilson said.

There’s a different attitude for the team on and off the field this year, as senior Malachi Johnson noted. “This year, it’s all about the team. The ‘me’ attitude has held us back in past years, but we’re not allowing that to happen this year. We’re always thinking about how we can help each other out. There’s no ‘I’ in team,” Johnson said.

The work ethic of the football team can be seen everyday, as they practice for two to four hours after school. “Each day we come to practice ready to work and focus.  We are all about the team, and we never let each other slack off, because that detracts from our goals as a team,” Wilson said.

In addition to a high work ethic, the football team has a team chemistry that’s taken multiple years to develop. “I’ve been on varsity for two years, but I’ve been playing with most of the guys since ninth grade. Our team chemistry and communication has never been better, and I think it’s a huge contributor to our success. The fact that we’ve been together for multiple years–no one can take that away from us,” Johnson said.

There’s a bigger goal in sight for the players and coaches. With the brand new U.S. Bank Stadium set to host the State Tournaments this fall, there’s even more incentive for the team to continue working hard. “We have some tough games coming up, but we still expect the same effort and results [as previous games],” Wilson said. “We want to win every game from here on out, and ultimately make it to State,” Johnson said.