The Bismarck High School football team has just finished their season with an 0-9 record. While their record may be underwhelming, the season gave underclassmen a good year of experience as the team moves into next year. They will take the lead for the next few years of Demon football. 

The last time BHS had a similar type of record was in 1974 when BHS started the season 0-4, so it is not a common occurrence. This year BHS has had a difficult season, and while it may not show on their record, they have been putting in great effort as they have been in some close games.

“I give these kids a lot of credit that they’ve still hung in there,” BHS Football Head Coach Mark Gibson said.

Gibson has a lot of accolades and experience, so this season is not normal in comparison to previous years. Winning in football brings a team momentum, which in turn, creates a more efficient team. 

“When things are going good it’s really easy to be a part of something,” Gibson said. “When things are difficult like they are now, it is difficult all over.”

Sometimes it is difficult to maintain teamwork. Everyone has to do their assigned job for the whole system to work. It is important to keep people in order. 

“The main goal as a captain is just get everything out of everybody out of every grade level on the team,” Senior Captain Jayden Sherwin said.

It is important to try and maintain a positive attitude when dealing with a loss during the football season, and everyone deals with it differently. Whether as a student or a coach, it is still important to keep playing and practicing more. 

“Always think about the next and never think about the last.” Sherwin said.

The BHS freshman team went 6-1-1. Within the next few years they will be moving to the JV and Varsity teams after their successful record. 

“Hopefully they can learn from our mistakes this year and keep passing the information down and keep passing the culture down to make sure this never happens again,” Sherwin said.

As BHS moves forward into the future seasons of Demon football, Gibson hopes to regain the cultural strength of the team through toughness and togetherness.

“They have to take their game to a different level,” Gibson said. “And that’s something we’ll have to stress in the off-season.”