Covid-19 has unsurprisingly caused many disruptions within the school sports scene, especially for a higher contact sport like football. Despite all the hardships that come with that, as well as the instance of multiple injuries, South High’s football team came back this season with their best record in years, at 4 wins and 4 losses. 

“I’m really proud of our team this year,” said Rio Starr, a senior who is undecided about playing in college. “I think the program is only going to get better, and this year proved that.” South High’s football season just finished up last week with a game against DeLaSalle. Within the team, spirits are high, and most see a bright future for South High Football. When asked if Covid had an effect on the team this year, Starr said, “It definitely did. We had several key players have to miss a couple games, and that affected the whole team.” He also added that the final game and the banquet that followed gave him good closure for the season. 

Senior Elliot Kennedy, who isn’t planning on continuing into college, said that he felt good about the season overall, but wished the team could’ve done better in their last match. “We’ve broken even two years in a row now. I think the team is gonna start to become one of the best in Minneapolis in the next couple of years.” Kennedy added that he thought compared to other years that this year saw more serious injuries, but he chalked it up to bad luck. 

Daniel Hendrickson, a Senior who spent his first year on the team this season, talked about how Covid impacted the season. “We had this one kid… he got put on contact tracing like 2 or 3 times… that definitely impacted our chances of winning games but not enough that I think our record would change.” He also said that Covid affected every team’s season, and that South wasn’t any worse impacted than the rest of Minneapolis. He continued by declaring he feels content with the way the season ended. “I mean, everyone wants to win in the playoffs but, yeah, I would say I’m content.” Daniel closed by saying he would like to play in college, however it isn’t a must.

“Covid brought extra challenges this season. However, once we understood the protocols, we were able to move forward as best as possible,” Coach Rodney Lossow said. “Challenges are a part of all Athletic Teams.” Lossow understands the ups and downs that come with teaching a team, especially during such a tough time. “These young men started to grasp what it means to love one another unconditionally. They started to realize what it means to serve without being asked.” He’s very proud of the team and feels that they bounced back extremely well this year. “There was an eagerness to be a part of something after being quarantined for an extended period of time. It was fun to be together again, as a family, with fans, participating in a game we love.” In the end, he remarked on how no matter if it’s during Covid or not, he loves coaching. “I am given the opportunity to shape these student athletes I work with to be better people. How can you not enjoy that?”

It is clear that the South High football team is an incredibly tight-knit and close group of people. Even with all the hardships that come with playing a sport in a pandemic, South High’s football team has persevered and overcome these obstacles, so much so that they even earned their best record in years.