Park football makes history
Orioles secure State berth with win over Cooper
November 5, 2017
The St. Louis Park Orioles edged out Cooper 13-12 to win the Section 5AAAAA championship, reaching the State Tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
Senior quarterback Jonny Sorenson said the defense prevented a last minute, two-point conversion by Cooper to earn the win. According to Sorenson, after winning the Section championship, the team has one goal in mind—winning the State championship.
“We look to capitalize on this opportunity by cherishing this incredible moment for a little longer and then understanding that we are not finished with what we want to accomplish,” Sorenson said.
Head coach Ben Wolfe said the team’s win was a testament to the hard work and tireless hours spent preparing throughout the season. He said he credits the team’s success to their persistent mindset.
“We were locked in and focused from the beginning and had an unwavering belief in what we were doing,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said after losing to Cooper on Sept. 8 by a score of 17 – 40, the team felt the score did not reflect their work ethic. He said the team made it their priority to make sure the final result was different this time.
“We were willing to fight until the final whistle and put it all out there for the victory,” Wolfe said.
Sorenson said the team is ready for whatever challenges lie ahead in the State tournament. He said the team’s pride for the city of St. Louis Park motivated their historic victory.
“We want to put the city on the map and show people why we deserve to be where we are, and there’s no better spotlight to do that than the State tournament,” Sorenson said.
Wolfe said the support of fans who cheered on the team at the game was integral to the team’s resilience in the final moments of the win, and he hopes to see continual support from the community on their path to the State championship.
“We will play Brainerd on Saturday at 6 p.m. in St. Cloud. There will be fan buses, so hopefully that will help get people out there to support us,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe said after earning a 7-3 record in the regular season, two Sections wins and a Section championship, the team has expectations to contend for a State title. He said while the team looks ahead to their next matchup with optimism, it is important to take a step back to recognize the journey amidst their historic season.
“We committed to doing all of the little things right day by day, and that’s really what brought us to this point,” Wolfe said.
Park plays the Brainerd Warriors in the Section 5A quarter-finals at 6 p.m. Nov. 11 at St. Cloud State University.
