After finishing his ninth year of football, senior Milkaso Dedefo said he wasn’t ready to stop playing the game he loved, so he decided to continue his football career by committing to play football at the University of Minnesota Crookston.

Dedefo said his longtime dedication and his love for football inspired him to continue playing in college.

“I have played it for a long time, and I enjoy playing,” Dedefo said.

Park football coach Rob Griffin said the best part about coaching Dedefo is the effort he puts in to try and get a win.

“The best part is his desire to win. He is a winner. He wants to win,” Griffin said. “Whether he is having a bad day or a great day, he still wants to work hard and try to win. I definitely like that part about coaching him.”

Junior Cole Ewald said he looks back on playing football with Dedefo in a positive light because of his attitude toward the game.

“(Milkaso’s) personality and his work ethic (are some standout attributes he brings to the table) and he is just a good person and cool to be around,” Ewald said.

Senior Aaron Sledge said his favorite part of playing football with Dedefo at Park is how their chemistry from playing together for so long works out on the field.

“I can always depend on him. We have been playing together for a while, since sixth grade,” Sledge said. “So it’s really fun being able to depend on him, just knowing that he had my back and then I can do my thing too.”