It had been decades since Spring Lake Park recorded consecutive losing seasons. Yet that’s where the Panthers found themselves at the conclusion of last fall’s season.
Four-win years in 2023 and 2024 had the players looking directly in the mirror. Many members of the current senior class played on both teams as sophomore and juniors. They had to determine where they’d gone wrong, though most seemed to know.
“This was a bunch of people, including myself, we were getting a little lazy in all of the small details,” Senior wing Tyler Wilkinson said.
That couldn’t happen again. Not if the Panthers were to fulfill what they believed to be high potential. Junior quarterback Nolan Roach said all the players, led by the seniors, got together after last fall and vowed “to do everything as well as we can.”
The result is a Prep Bowl appearance. Spring Lake Park is 12-0 heading into the Class 5A title game against Chanhassen (11-1) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
The Panthers are one win away from another thing the program hasn’t experienced in decades, a state title. It’s been 34 years since Spring Lake Park last stood atop the state.
For the Panthers, the transformation all started in … warmups.
Spring Lake Park opens practice with a half-lap jog around the field. It also does 10-yard form runs. In past years, those may have been fairly relaxed. No longer. Every player has countless watchful eyes — those of their own teammates — scanning to see if they cut a corner on the lap or pull up short on a sprint. Violations are flagged.
Cut corners require a player to go back and do it again the right way. Wilkinson said other self-policed mistakes result in five up-downs at the end of practice.
“Some people think those are silly little things,” Spring Lake Park coach John Stewart said. “But when you start watching kids hold each other to it when we’ve talked about it, it just sets a different tone.”
Spring Lake Park wide receiver Calen Truckenbrod (84) stays inbounds after catching a pass as St. Thomas Academy defensive back Matthew Wagner (11) defends in the first half during a Class 5A semifinal of the State Football Tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. (Craig Lassig / Special to the Pioneer Press)
Everything gets sharper. Senior receiver Calen Truckenbrod noticed how locked in everyone was dating back to summer mini camps.
“We realized right away that we have a special group of guys that were going to do something great,” he said. “It was just something amazing that we saw.”
Accountability was at the forefront of it all. Stewart asked his players to carry the philosophy into the weight room. If someone doesn’t go all the way down on a squat, it’s just as much on the spotter to realize it as the person doing the physical lift. And then say something.
That’s not easy to do for multiple reasons. A lot of people don’t like calling out their peers, much like people don’t like being called out.
It can be uncomfortable.
But Panthers quarterback Nolan Roach noted there are natural leaders who take the reins on those fronts to set an example on both sides of the coin.
“Part of the growth of the team is that those guys have done that, and people that weren’t comfortable doing that have started doing that,” Roach said. “Because they see the leaders doing it, so then everyone is holding each other accountable.”
“It’s gotten to the point where it’s just second nature,” Wilkinson said. “If you make a mistake, you’re just doing what you can to fix it.”
While others may hide from their errors, the Panthers meet them head on.
“That’s part of what’s made this special,” Stewart said.
The mentality rears its head in the best possible way in games. In the past, a shortcoming here or there may have derailed Spring Lake Park. This team has built a strong base of execution and self correction they can fall back on the moment times get tough.
Roach said the Panthers have utilized a saying throughout the year” “You can’t be nervous and prepared at the same time.”
“I know we prepare great,” he said, “and that’s why we’ve been so successful.”
Stewart said this group has “reset the expectations” for this proud program.
“If you want to put yourself in positions to achieve great things as a team, here’s the recipe to follow,” Stewart said. “Success has a price. Sometimes, that’s the hard work you do, that’s the bonding. These guys have definitely shown our underclassmen what it takes.”
And, in the process, he hopes they have ignited a renewed fire and passion for football in the community.
“If we got a whole bunch of people to join football and try to accomplish what we’ve accomplished right now,” Truckenbrod said, “that would mean everything to us.”
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