The Luverne Cardinals football team is coming off a 2019 campaign in which they finished the season with a 6-4 record and fell one game short of reaching the section championship.
It was a disappointing end to what was a strong season. The Cardinals finished second in the district with a 4-1 record.
In what is likely going to be a crazy 2020 fall season, the Cardinals will be led by a strong core of seniors and juniors, according to Luverne head coach Todd Oye.
“We have a lot of starters returning,” he said. “This group of seniors and juniors have done a great job.”
The Cardinals will have 15 seniors on the roster and 15 juniors.
A trio of those seniors earned All-District honors last season as juniors.
Bailey Cowell, LaShad Smith and Zach Ahrendt will be looking to repeat that success in 2020. Cowell also earned Co-Offensive Back of the Year honors within the district last year.
Oye said he is looking to that group of seniors to help lead the way this season.
“There are always seniors that stand out,” Oye said. “They get a year older and stronger. Those guys have stood out in practice.”
There was a time when it looked like there was going to be no prep football in the state of Minnesota due to Covid-19.
Friday Night Lights will return Friday, Oct. 9, when the Cardinals open the season in Pipestone in the annual Battle Ax showdown. The Cardinals defeated the Arrows last season 13-12 to gain possession of the coveted trophy.
The Cardinals’ first home game this season will be on Oct. 23 when they play host to Jackson County Central. JCC ended Luverne’s season last year in the section semifinals.
Luverne’s final regular season game will be played on Nov. 13 at home against Worthington. The Cardinals defeated the Trojans twice last season. The first victory came to open the season (41-12). The Cardinals then opened the section tournament with a 14-0 victory over the Trojans.
The chances that the Cardinals would take the field to play a game this fall seemed bleak. The fact that the student athletes will get a chance to play already makes this season a success in Oye’s eyes.
“We just need to get to play,” Oye said. “If we get to play some games, it will be a success. From week to week across the state I think we are going to see games that aren’t played because of Covid.”