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Junior Judah Thomas launches the ball into the air for a reception.

The SMB Wolfpack, the co-op between Saint Paul Academy and Summit School, The Blake School and Minnehaha Academy, has played its final game of the 2020 season. Over the weekend, the Wolfpack had their season called off. There was plenty of drama to begin the season- arguments over whether or not the football season in Minnesota would happen. Ultimately, the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) decided in September to allow the season to happen this fall. Now, with COVID-19 cases on the rise everywhere and a Blake player testing positive for the virus, the SMB Wolfpack is done for the season.

The risk of spreading the virus throughout the team was too great to gamble with. The Wolfpack does have most of its games and practices outdoors, however, the risk of spreading COVID-19 at team lifts or team meetings was enough to call it quits. The Wolfpack is not the only team to have called off the season. Multiple programs around the state of Minnesota have also decided to call the football season off.

The team finished the season with a 3-3 record. Coming off of multiple successful seasons, including back-to-back trips to the state championship where they won one, this is not the season some expected. First and foremost, COVID-19 provided challenges and secondly, the team lost multiple stars including Jalen Suggs. TheWolfpack had victories over Mound Westonka, St. Anthony, and Providence Academy.

Members of the team have been expecting this decision for a while, but are grateful for the opportunity to play for as long as they did. “I think we were one of the lucky teams this year because we made it through the entire regular season without a case,” junior Charlie Johnson said. “I would not be surprised if the governor put an end to the season and winter sports for that matter soon,” Johnson said.

Johnson and the team are optimistic for next season, however. Johnson, who was sidelined for this season with two broken fingers, is gearing up for his senior season. “We all know that next year we have the opportunity to make something special happen, we have tons of returning guys and only lost 10-12 seniors so next year we can definitely make a run,” Johnson said.

While the SMB Wolfpack has played its final game of the 2020 season, the team is ready to look past it and move on to the next season.