Staples-Motley football team returns to state championship after 40 years

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It's been nearly 40 years in the making, but it's not the outcome the Staples-Motley High School football team was hoping for as they fell short in the state championship game against Jackson County Central.

But there’s less disappointment than you think.

Two seasons ago, the team went 0-9, leaving tonight to be more about the experience of how far they’ve come.

"Hopefully, we don’t have to do this again, come here and lose," said Brooks Twardoski, a fan.

It’s the feeling of many Staples-Motley fans had after the Cardinals lost to Jackson County Central 42-26.

The entire community came from the Staples-Motley area in cars and on buses to Minneapolis to watch the boys play.

"I didn’t like it, but I’m happy that we came. It was a good experience," said Twardoski.

Fans were excited, many wore white shirts to show school and town spirit. The football team went from never being able to win a single game two seasons ago, to playing at U.S. Bank Stadium where the Vikings play. 

"They played hard," said Chuck Holst. "They had a few bad plays and they scored on them, so it could of went either way."

The game going either way isn’t bad considering many fans haven’t seen the team do this well since 1988.

And now, the Staples-Motley football team has something to really work toward next season. 

"It was a very good game. This is like the first time that we’ve made it this far in like almost 40 years," said senior Elizabeth Larimer.

Overall, fans believe they played a great game, and they are proud of the team for how hard they worked.