Richfield, MN - The Academy of Holy Angels Stars enter the 2017 football season with experience, increased size, and a never say die attitude.  After coming one game from the State Class AAAA State Tournament last year, the Stars are poised to make a run led by a veteran group of players and experienced coaching staff that is in sync with one another. They have their sights set on a 6th trip to the State Tournament this year and have every reason to believe they are a state tournament caliber team.

With 17 seniors and 19 players that started games for the Stars last year, the one thing that comes with age is experience.  With that experience comes the ability for the coaching staff, led by Jim Gunderson, to generate more results and have more productive practices.  

“You can’t replace experience,” Stars Head Coach Jim Gunderson said.  We’ve got about 17 guys, actually 19 guys that started games or us last year.  Coming into summer, coming into camp, we could just do a lot more with the guys because there is all that retention from all the experience from the previous year.  They are used to new situations so nothing really catches them off guard in terms of what we try to throw at them in practice.”

One of the most notable differences is in size the team has increased with the offensive line showing the biggest gains from a tireless and dedicated off season in the weight room. It plays to the things that Gunderson, entering his third year as Head Coach and eighth year overall at the Academy of Holy Angels said his team can control.

“Starting with physically, our whole offensive line up 15-20 pounds across the board.  Even our running back, Jack Anderson, is up from 205 to 225 this year and he hasn’t lost a step in his 40.  The guys really committed to the off season in the weight room so physically, they are just more mature and you can see it in what they are able to perform.”

Things Gunderson has noticed is his team’s ability to know the system and be able to execute the little things.  Last year, with a younger team that finished the season 4-6, Gunderson and his staff would spend a lot of pre-snap time getting them lined up properly.  This year, with experience, things will be different, and already are.   

“Just from last year, getting them to line up correctly, execute the right assignment on the play, now they are executing the right details to be successful with their assignment,” Gunderson said.  

Led by a pair of one-thousand yard rushers, a one-two punch of running back Jack Anderson (174-1,058-15td) and quarterback Joseph Heimbold (143-1,006-12td), the Stars bring back their two most explosive offensive threats on the ground with a much larger and improved offensive line.  They have the ability to control the ball for long stretches on the ground yet both break the long runs, while mixing in an effective passing game from Heimbold (45-114-634-3td).  The run game is bolstered by the Stars coaching staff who expects disciplined and detailed football. So far, that has been a bright spot in the Stars effective practice schedule leading up to game one.

“Our philosophy has been discipline and attention to details, stressing that it’s all about the little things from where how we warm up to how we execute a play has been about the details and they have been responding very well.”

The team has plenty of speed on both sides of the ball and Gunderson pointed to the team-wide growth in strength being a complementary factor to their success.  

Gunderson noted in a recent “Coaches Corner” podcast how pleased he is with that component and said,  “Physically, our speed has always been our strong suit and now we have added some guys who have gotten stronger through the off season so I am looking for a big improvement from our offensive line that should be one of the most improved areas that we have had.”

During two section playoff games last year the Stars were challenged with early deficits and stormed back each time.  They showed a resilience and belief in themselves as a group.  While they were a very young team and at times learning the ropes, the Stars fought back with vigor each time and displayed a never-say die mentality on the field.

“I think we definitely, with that experience and never quit mentality always choose your effort and have the mental toughness and through the adversity, you are going to choose your effort and have a great attitude,” Gunderson said.  “Those are the pillars of the program, but now with that experience going in, I think this team has a lot of potential.  We have a long way to go reach that potential but I think the potential is there for a championship.”