“Tight-Knit” Senior Class Ready To Lead Esko Football Back to Successful Season

This year's senior class for Esko is a smaller one with just 13 players, but they say it's one of the closest groups they've ever had.

ESKO, Minn. – We’ve officially kicked off the second week of practice for Minnesota High School football and for Esko, they used week one to build their chemistry and are now feeling ready to go.

This year’s senior class for Esko is a smaller one with just 13 players, but they say it’s one of the closest groups they’ve ever had. And with the relationship already there, the Eskomos are hoping it translates onto the field on game days.

“We got to know each other really well, I think this is one of the closest our team’s have ever been because we’ve just been hanging out all together and bonding very well,” wide receiver/cornerback Brett Lillo said.

“I’ve been around them and coached them for now six years. They’re a really tight group. They’re really good friends, they’ve been through a lot so it’s a great group, I’m going to miss them a lot but I think they’re really just tight-knit more than anything,” head coach Scott Arntson added.

This senior group was part of the team that won the section title in 2019, then dealt with the roller coaster that was last year where the Eskomos finished the regular season at .500. Those moments are helping them stay focused as this season approaches.

“We can see what we can be and then we see that obviously last year was difficult for us but even with that, we still were around .500. Last year we just got thrown into it and we had to work hard and this year I hope we don’t lose that mentality and we still work just as hard even with more time. I think we can be a really good team if we do that,” wide receiver/cornerback Keone Anderson said.

Esko will open the season Sept. 2 hosting Duluth Denfeld.