High School Football Practices Begin in Minnesota

The six-week regular season for high school football starts next Friday, Oct. 9.

ESKO, Minn. – There was a special level of excitement in the air in Minnesota on Monday afternoon as high school football practices officially began for the fall 2020 season. And although everyone’s happy to get back on the field, there’s no time to waste as the season starts next week.

“We’ve been waiting for it and it’s awesome that it’s finally here, I think we’re all ready to play,” Esko linebacker Riley Firn said.

The past few months have been a whirlwind for Northland high school football teams after the MSHSL voted last Monday to move the football season back to the fall.

“They told us in August that we weren’t going to have football and everyone was sad and upset. Then people started making plans and no football this fall, and then in about a week they said OK you’re playing again so it’s been a little crazy, it’s great, we’re all excited to be here,” Cloquet head coach Tom Lenarz said.

“I’ve been telling people normally I spend an entire summer getting ready for a season, now it was a weekend. Normally, we have a 3 weeks before a game, now we have two so you’re trying to condense stuff as much as you can,” Esko head coach Scott Anrston added.

And even though it’s only the first day of practice and many teams are just getting back into a routine, they already have to prepare for an opponent in just 10 days.

“We’re just trying to get the tone right, make sure everyone’s business as usual like it would be a normal season and get ready to go get a win hopefully,” Carlton-Wrenshall tight end/middle linebacker Aaron Schilla said.

“We really just want to get the plays down, and our technique obviously so whatever needs to be done to make sure we’re ready to go next Friday,” Cloquet guard/middle linebacker Mason Avey added.

“It’s just maybe accelerating some things maybe that we’ve done in the past, that’s kind of our goal right now is maybe simplify some things for that first game so that kids don’t get overwhelmed, I’d rather be able to do 3 things really well then a bunch of things mediocre,” Lenarz said.

“It’s kind of a different mindset and the kids have to get in that focus mindset of ‘we’ve got a game coming up in a week and a half’ so there’s a lot of things that we have to go over,” Carlton-Wrenshall head coach Jeremy Zyqicki added.

The six-week regular season will start next Friday, Oct. 9. Cloquet will be at North Branch, Esko will start against Virginia at MIB and Carlton-Wrenshall will play at Cromwell-Wright/Floodwood.