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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St. Paul City Council Member Cheniqua Johnson, who chairs the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority, plans to step back from her role for 12 weeks while she’s on family medical leave welcoming her first child.

Johnson on Friday said unless her newborn son comes early, she plans to attend the council’s Dec. 3 meeting remotely to vote on the city’s 2026 budget, two days before her due date. She also plans to attend the city council’s Truth in Taxation hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday, which she may also participate in remotely.

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“My plans are to be in attendance for both, unless I’m in active labor,” she said on Friday. “I’m really excited for my son, and I’m joining the multiple moms that we have on the council.”

While she’s on medical leave, HRA Vice Chair Saura Jost will lead HRA meetings, and Council President Rebecca Noecker will fill in for Johnson on the St. Paul Authority, which recently welcomed back Nelsie Yang from her second maternity leave since joining the council.

Johnson’s legislative aide, Melanie Johnson, will be her proxy on the Heading Home Ramsey committee, an interagency collaborative that focuses on homelessness and mental health issues, where the council member serves as vice chair. Jost will fill in for her on the Full Stack St. Paul committee, which seeks to draw and retain the technology sector in St. Paul.

Robert Vaihola — the new starting center on the Gophers men’s basketball team — aggravated a knee injury on Tuesday and is unlikely to play against San Francisco at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The 6-foot-8 transfer from San Jose State was incidentally kicked in his right leg in the second half of the 66-54 home win over Chicago State this week. He received medical attention on the Williams Arenacourt, limped off and didn’t return to the game.

“He’s really doubtful for (Saturday),” head coach Niko Medved told the Pioneer Press on Friday.

Starting all five games, Vaihola is the U’s second-leading rebounder (7.6 per game), while also contributing 5.0 points and 21.4 minutes per game.

The Gophers (4-1) lack frontcourt size, even with Vaihola, and his expected absence will lead to Minnesota playing smaller lineups, with 6-8 power forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson moving more inside to center and 6-7 small forward Cade Tyson stepping into a role at power forward.

Medved likes to use that small-ball lineup at times, but he said it will be a challenge to manage minutes and fouls.

Medved hasn’t been able employ 6-8 California transfer BJ Omot in any of the five games this season. The Mankato native has been dealing with a leg injury.

Without Vaihola, Medved also can turn to 6-10 true sophomore big man Nehemiah Turner, a transfer from Central Arkansas. Turner has played only 18 total minutes across two games this season.

“Nehemiah is going to get an opportunity to play here,” Medved said. “He’s going to have to play. It’s a great opportunity for him to step up and do it. Sometimes the best way to learn is to get out on the court and play.”

San Francisco (4-1) has a big and deep lineup that will challenge the Gophers. They have a 7-foot center Guillermo Diaz Graham, two 6-9 forwards David Fuchs and Junjie Wang and a trio of 6-foot-6 wings, including Tyrone Riley.

The Dons’ one loss this season came to Memphis, 76-70, on Nov. 11. They have beat California-Santa Cruz, Portland State, Bradley and Northwestern (La). State.

Medved. who coached seven seasons at Colorado State, knows what these games mean to programs like San Fran.

“The thing I told our guys is, I’ve been in those leagues, a team from the Mountain West or West Coast Conference, an  opportunity to play a Power Four school on a neutral court, that is a game they have circled,” he said. “We know we are going to get their ‘A’ game.”

San Francisco’s starting point guard, Ryan Beasley, missed the Northwestern State win Tuesday with an illness, but Medved expects him to play Saturday.

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As the Vikings geared up for kickoff against the Bears last weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium, veteran running back Aaron Jones Sr. stood at midfield for the coin toss for the first time since being named a team captain.

He had no choice other than to switch up his pregame routine. It was a direct order from the man in charge: His 5-year-old son, Aaron Jones Jr.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) dances with his son Aaron Jr. before the start an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

They were recently walking around inside TCO Performance Center when the kid known affectionately as Junior spotted his dad’s picture on the Jim Marshall Vikings Captains Legacy Wall near the player entrance. He’s been around long enough to know some of the responsibilities that come with such an honor.

“We were standing there,” Jones said with a hearty laugh while he set the scene. “He goes, ‘Why haven’t you been out there for the coin toss?’ I’m like, ‘I’m on the sideline trying to get guys going.’ He goes, ‘Well I think you earned it, so you should go out there.’ I’m like, ‘OK Dad.’ He sounds exactly like my dad.”

That’s not something Jones takes for granted. The unique opportunity of Jones getting to share his NFL dream with his son has also helped him navigate the greatest loss he’s ever experienced.

To fully know Jones is to know his dad, Alvin, and his mom, Vurgess. They both served in the U.S. Army and retired as sergeant majors. They built a life together along the way, making sure all of their kids, including Aaron and his twin brother Alvin, had a clear distinguishing between right and wrong.

It was a strict household that was simultaneously filled with an undeniable love, regardless of where the family was living on assignment.

“If I could be half the man my dad was for me, then I know I’ll have done an amazing job,” Jones said. “I’m relying on the foundation he gave me while I’m trying to raise my son to be a good person.”

There’s a reason Jones is using past tense. He lost his dad due to complications with COVID-19 in the heart of the pandemic. As he reflected on that unspeakable tragedy, which he’ll never completely shake, he tried to put it in perspective as best he could.

His son was born on April 17, 2020. His dad died on April 6, 2021.

“It’s almost like God gave a life to me and took a life from me,” Jones said. “Maybe that’s the way it is for some of us.”

The grief hit Jones like a tidal wave. He struggled to move on. He was playing for the Packers, and while he was entering his prime, there were prolonged stretches where he’d rather have been anywhere else. He was numb to the outside world.

The only part that kept Jones going some days while he mourned was having his son by his side. He poured all of his attention into Junior. He remembers his dad being strong for him. He vowed to be strong for his son.

“He definitely got me through it,” Jones said. “I think that’s why our bond is the way it is.”

He eventually started to bring Junior to work with him. It started when he was with the Packers. It’s continued with the Vikings.

“It goes back to me sharing the military life with my dad,” Jones said. “I was 5 years old running with the soldiers. I liked the exercise and my dad always had me right there with him. I’m kind of like that with my son where I have him everywhere with me.”

It’s helped Jones stay committed to the grind. At least a few times per week, he will return home from TCO Performance Center, eat dinner with the family, then head back to work because, well, Junior wants to go.

“He loves it,” Jones said. “He’ll be like, ‘Can we go to the practice facility? Can we go to the practice facility? Can we go to the practice facility?’”

Most of the shared trips to TCO Performance Center after hours usually feature Jones spending some time in the sauna followed by bouncing back and forth between the hot tub and the cold tub. There’s a life vest for Junior in his locker. He doesn’t need it anymore, because he recently learned how to swim.

“He holds me accountable,” Jones said. “Let’s say we’re up there and I don’t want to get in the cold tub or something like that. He’ll go in the cold tub and do a lap and be like, ‘Alright it’s your turn.’ It kind of gives me no excuse.”

The relationship Jones has with his son hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“He acts just like his dad,” receiver Justin Jefferson said. “He’s always carrying the football around. You can definitely tell Aaron got him into that running back mindset. I’m looking forward to him being a running back coming soon.”

“He’s a good kid,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “He’s a lot of fun to be around. He’s definitely got a little bit of juice to him. He sees us messing around in here and he wants to be a part of it.”

“I envy their relationship,” defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez said. “I can’t wait to have my kids and have them in the building and have them around all my brothers. To be able to be a part of his life is really cool. I’m always trying to let him know he’s seen.”

It’s rewarding for Jones that his son is finally at the age where he’s starting to make his own memories. He won’t have to tell Junior what life used to be like when he was in the NFL, because he will be able to remember it for himself.

“He’s out here calling these guys his uncles,” Jones said. “I’m trying to get through his head how special that is, because I want him to have gratitude. I’m also trying to get him to understand that we’re blessed because of hard work. I’m hoping it it makes him be like, ‘I’ve got to work hard in whatever I do if I want to be successful.’”

As much as he loves taking his son to TCO Performance Center, Jones also relishes the time they get to spend together at U.S. Bank Stadium. He always carves out time for Junior as a part of his pregame and postgame routines.

“I come home and I’m like, ‘How did I play?’” Jones said. “He tells me what he thinks.”

It’s the same conversation he had with his dad countless times throughout his life. And while he’d give anything to have it with him once more, Jones is grateful he now gets to share that moment with his son.

“He’ll be like, ‘I’m proud of you Daddy,’” Jones said. “He lets me know that every time I come through the door. It’s special to be able to share this part of my life with him. It’s made us that much closer.”

Yes, when the Vikings gear up for kickoff against the Packers this weekend at Lambeau Field, Jones will stand at midfield for the coin toss. He will do so with his dad watching from above, and his son watching from the stands.

“I’m blessed that he’s been here with me,” Jones said. “I think God knew I needed him.”

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