Stillwater football has a long history of many great games and moments. These moments are shared not only with the players, but also with the entire student body, staff and local community. They can stay with a person for a lifetime. These football games can also bring students together and create school spirit.

Junior defensive lineman Andrew Olson said his favorite memory was “winning last year’s homecoming game against Mound’s View.”

In the state of Minnesota, Stillwater is one of the most prestigious schools for high school football. Having won 26 conference titles and gone to 22 state tournaments they have become a top team in state.  This environment and group of individuals show what it means to be a Pony.

“It’s a tremendous honor. I can remember, even when I was young, watching Stillwater play football, even though I grew up in Wisconsin, it was a powerhouse during those years I was growing up in middle school and hearing about the teams and watching the prep bowl,” Michael Puhrmann, assistant coach and social studies teacher, said.

This team has many traditions that the coaches encourage the players to carry on and continue each year. These traditions help make a strong bond between players and coaches. Unique practices like this and the different celebrations that happens before and after the games have been passed on from many teams before them.

“Just being part of the program, they get involved in traditions that have been going on a long time. The Thursday night pasta feed, the celebrations on the way home from road games when we win and drawing a horseshoe on the whiteboards after a victory,” Puhrmann explained.

The team has an incredible community of players, coaches and families. This support helps the team build trust and confidence in one another, giving players a strong sense of belonging and unity. The community that you build now with the team can help make lifelong friendships.

Team events are encouraged within the football team to help foster more team bonding and build a true sense of family. Emilio Rosario-Matias, a senior running back and captain of the team, said, “our senior igniter” is his favorite team memory, and he goes on to say, “All of our seniors get together, and kind of eat, have a bonfire and talk.” Moments like these help create lasting friendships and a deeper connection among teammates.

With a rich history behind them and plenty of young talent ahead, the Stillwater Ponies are poised for a bright future. As Olson said, “I think the season is going well. There’s a lot of young talent on this team, so the future of Ponies football is very solidified. We just need some of that young talent to step up, but I know they will in the coming games. I trust them.”