Coach Jim Gunderson and Coach Dan Woods are very excited about the 2024 football season; they both agree that the season is going extremely well so far and have high hopes of making it to state. The Stars are currently 4-3, after beating Minneapolis North, Richfield, SMB, and BSM, and falling to #1 ranked Becker, #2 ranked Totino-Grace, and Rocori High School. 

Gunderson has been coaching at AHA for 14 years now and has noticed that although the overall process is the same, the focus and partnership is different this year from past years. Leadership is everything this year, and he has noticed that the players have a great chemistry and culture amongst one another. Whenever the team is down on themselves, Gunderson focuses on the team’s mentality and encourages a positive attitude. 

Woods has been coaching at AHA for about 38 years. He states that the team’s ability to work together is their biggest strength at the moment. “It’s not about being an individual,” Woods says. “It’s about being a team.” When asked about how he keeps the team positive when they are down, Woods states that he encourages the team to move forward and onto the next play. Gunderson and Woods are constantly pushing the team with their high expectations of making it to state.