If a Fergus Falls Hillcrest football player ever mumbles something about "knowing where each other are" call him on it.
The truth is, typically one-third of the players arrive at the boarding school in August, just days before the start of the season. Before developing a sense of place on the field, the Comets need to establish points of origin on a globe -- ranging from Kansas to Norway.
Yet here they are again, in the Minnesota
9-man state semifinals for the fourth time in six years, set to face Spring Grove (12-0) at
8 a.m. Friday in the Metrodome.
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This season the Comets (8-4) have been ravaged by injuries, forcing more unfamiliarity (freshmen) into prominent postseason roles.
What gives?
"What's different about Hillcrest is that the kids at all grade levels just blend together," said 26th-year coach Richard Risbrudt. "We're all one kind of family here. Nobody is concerned about what grade you're in and that carries over onto the football field."
That's part of it. So is a strong, shared faith. But Risbrudt brings it all together.
"It's hard to be away from your family and your parents," junior quarterback/safety Jake Stroud said. "He makes it easier."
Stroud knows first hand. He came to Hillcrest this fall, while the rest of his family moved to Basehor, Kan., where his father, Shawn, is a military intelligence officer.
Recent weeks have been especially trying. Stroud was knocked unconscious and suffered a Grade 3 concussion in the section semifinals. He has since failed in two attempts to gain medical clearance to resume playing.
Enter Risbrudt.
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"He offered to let me stay at his house so I could rest," said Stroud, who is still uncertain about his availability for Friday. "We can come to him for anything."
Risbrudt would prefer they come to Him with anything.
"They want to participate in a good program with a spiritual emphasis rather than just performance in athletics," Risbrudt said. "Our theme is if we can accomplish anything spiritual and help our guys grow ..."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Terry Vandrovec at (701) 241-5548
