“RUN. IT. BACK.” The Benilde St. Margaret’s football team has been motivated by this slogan their entire season. With an impressive undefeated record of 8-0 in the regular season, they have attained the #1 seed going into the section tournament. This Saturday, the boys of fall hope to continue their winning streak by being the victors in the section semi-final game. They will be playing Orono, whose regular season record is 5-4.

The team has received a first round “bye.” This has been very beneficial for the team because they have suffered many injuries throughout the year, and the ten extra days have served as a time for many of their key players to heal and be available to play this Saturday.  “To recover for all of the injuries our team has suffered—Braeden Fitzgerald, John Whitmore, Liam Ford, Mehdi Duda, Patrick Kalb, and Dustin Dallman are key players who need to step up in order to secure defense and be effective on offense,” senior Clyde Sellke said.

In preparation for Sections, the team has been hard at work every day after school. “Our goal is to ultimately maintain our State Title, so to do this we first have to train hard to get through Sections. We are gonna trust the process,” senior Mehdi Duda said.

The team maintains a ridged schedule to help prepare for the game, as the team believes that working hard and spending a lot of time in practice helps them to perform better in games.. “On Mondays we watch film, go to the weight room, and then have practice. Then on all the other days of the week we have practice from 3:00 to 6:30,” Sellke said. 

As the reigning 4A State Champions, BSM football feels the pressure to maintain their standing this year. “In Sections games, there is more pressure because it’s loser goes home, but if we work as a team, we can maintain our goals,” guard and linebacker John Whitmore said.

A reputation of success makes the boys more determined than ever to carry out their reputation and make it back to the U.S. Bank Stadium, but they know they have a target on their back. “It doesn’t help that we went undefeated in the regular season, because it creates a bigger target on our back,” Sellke said.

Another positive influence on the team is the home field advantage. “The team definitely plays better and has a stronger energy with the fan’s support, so make sure to come out and support the men of the fall,” Duda said.