With a new school year already in full swing and the fall sports season starting, the BSM football team will be hoping to repeat as State Champions and build off a strong 2-0 start this season.

With wins over Waconia and Orono to start off the new season, the team has high expectations of what is to come, but they know they have to improve a few aspects of their game. “We are off to a good start, we won both games, but there are a few things we need to address. We will work on touching up routes and making the holes bigger for running backs, but it’s still a great way to start the season,” senior captain Braeden Fitzgerald said.

With the loss of last year’s key seniors Ricky Floyd and Eric Wilson, the team will be hoping some of the younger talent will really step up. “We lost a lot of seniors and they all had big roles on the team, some obviously will be a difficult spot to fill. We are making up for the losses with a group of great running backs and an extensive offensive line,” senior Henry Wolfe said. Two members of this offensive line are sophomores who have performed well so far. “Sophomores Elijah Brown and Noah Layton have really stepped up on the line,” Fitzgerald said.

While there is still room for improvement, the team is optimistic they are in a good spot because of all the off-season training they completed. “We had summer almost everyday in the morning, and would have two-a-days as well. We also had a four day camp where we played other teams and improved a lot. It really has made a difference and helped our team bond a lot,” Fitzgerald said.

The team is in a new conference this year, so it is tough to know what to expect, but the Red Knights are confident they will be successful. “I think we have a chance to go undefeated in conference play and hopefully in the Sections and State Tournament,” senior captain Liam Ford said.

For this to happen, the team will need many key players to perform to the best of their ability. “We have a great group of guys and I think the key to our success is in the offense. In my opinion, we have the best defense in the state so it will be up to [the quarterbacks], the offensive line, a healthy back field, and our receivers playing well,” Wolfe said.

The team has set many goals for themselves and refuse to get ahead of themselves. “We take it game by game and try and win every time we go on the field,” Fitzgerald said. But on a broader scale, the ultimate goal is to once again win the State Championship. “The goal is to get back to the Bank (US Bank Stadium) and win State. We all want to repeat as State Champions,” Ford said.