Off to the championship

CHINOOK - Sugarbeeter fans gathered in the Chinook High School Gymnasium this morning to send off their football team to the state Class C 8 man football championships after a grueling season.

Chinook High School students lined the gymnasium as the football team stood in the middle, bravado on display and seemingly more than ready for their game.

"These guys out on the floor - they've worked hard all year," Chinook head coach Scott Friede said to the students and community members gathered in the gymnasium. "Tomorrow, they're going to represent us very well."

After the pep rally, Friede said that he thinks the team is ready for the match-up with Wibaux.

"We've got a good game planned, and we've been preparing all week," Friede said.

The Sugarbeeters have one more practice before they head east to face Wibaux. Friede said that they are going to put the final touches on their strategies and then, they will be ready to play.

"We're going to get our game faces on, and we'll be ready to go," he said, adding that his players have worked hard to get to this point and are ready for the challenge.

Friede said that coming out of the northern division and a No. 1 seed is a feat all by itself.

"That gave us a lot of confidence going into the playoffs," he said. "Our first playoff game was outstanding. Since that game, I think we've made big steps in our offense and defense, and we've just gotten better as we go. We started our season off with a loss, and I think there was a lot of skepticism on how we were going to do."

Cheering and jubilation resounded off the walls of the gymnasium as cheerleaders gathered the students and football players into a large huddle and they chanted a fight song.

"These kids just believed in one another, and they just kept working hard and improving and getting better each week," Friede said. "It's been great"

The Sugarbeeters face the Wibaux Longhorns Saturday at 1 p.m.

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