The Academy of Holy Angels Boys Football team completed their season with the chance to advance to the Class 4A State Tournament. The leading stats on the team involved: junior Quarterback Aaron Boarman in passing yards, junior Charles Gilbert in receiving yards, and senior Captain Emmett Johnson in rushing yards. Johnson has also been named the 3rd-ranked running back in Minnesota history with 2,484 rushing yards in the 2021 season alone. The Stars successfully won the Suburban Red Conference and closed out their regular season with a record of 6–2.

A major factor that played into the Stars Football team’s great success this year was their team chemistry. As Johnson states, “We had a great bond outside of football . . . I feel like that played a role in our success on the field.” These teammates spent many hours together, even during the off-season, to grow closer as a team. Senior Matt Cullen explains he saw improvements in their chemistry through “coming in early mornings over the winter to get a workout in together as a team and spending a lot of time with each other over the summer.” An example of their bond is that the majority of the boys on the team bleached their hair. Vincent Thull states, “It was a tradition that has been going on for years; every time a Holy Angels Football team goes to state, they bleach their hair as a team.” This tradition made
the football boys uniquely stand out as athletes and leaders of the school.

As the Stars celebrate their achievements of this year, the returning players are also looking towards the future of the program. Junior AJ Boarman reflects on the upcoming season, “We lost [are losing] a lot of seniors, which is going to be tough . . . We are just going to have to get guys ready for next year.” With less than ten starters returning, there are going to be some big changes to the team dynamic. Junior Willy Snyder emphasizes the importance of shifting their offense from relying on rushing yards to improving their receiving yards. Overall, the Holy Angels community is filled with pride over the accomplishments of the football team’s season this year and is optimistic for the future of this program.