The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

The Chinook Sugarbeeters football team was in Belt this past Friday to take on the defending State Champion Huskies. The 'Beeters were in for a tough test as they closed out their season. The Huskies scored early and often, taking a 36-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. Chinook would fall 56-0 to end their season.

The 'Beeters finished the season 3-4 and saw a lot of good things happen as the seniors helped lay the groundwork for the future. The 'Beeters took as many opportunities to get as many players quality Varsity experience as possible and leaned heavily on the underclassmen.

Head Coach, Mike Jones looked back on the season, "I am really proud of the group of seniors this year. They really stepped up this year and took on some leadership roles. I was genuinely impressed with them and their decisions and how they led through good times and times of adversity. They also were willing to do whatever was asked of them and truly were selfless." Jones added, "I remember at the beginning of the year a couple of our seniors knew that our offensive line was going to be thin, and they were willing to step up and play those positions if needed. O-line is usually a position that is something that players don't like because it isn't that flashy position, but it is integral to the success of a team no matter what. They accepted all of the younger players and tried to help them get caught up and build them up."

The 'Beeters were definitely a very young team, "Our underclassmen really stepped up and really went through a quick learning curve to get where they were. Even though we didn't get where we wanted to be as a team, these younger athletes were up for the task and really tried each and every day to try to the best of their abilities to help our team succeed. A lot of players got a ton of experience this year and we truly have some amazing student-athletes, and they are great young men. We got multiple compliments this year on how they present themselves and how they act on and off the field," said Jones.

"We as a coaching staff are proud of the effort the boys gave this year and are excited to see what the future holds for these great athletes. We talked to them about throwing themselves into other aspects of our school, whether it is academic, athletic, or some other things in order to better themselves, their school and their community, and strengthen their bond as a group in preparation for the next season and beyond," concluded Jones.