Each year, Ponies Football kicks off the season with a spring meeting. This year, we will offer one meeting to our ninth grade families and another to the 10-12 grade families in the Stillwater Area High School Auditorium.

2024-2025 9th Grade Spring Meeting: Sunday, April 28 from 5:00-6:30 PM

2024-2025 10-12th Grade Spring Meeting: Sunday, April 28 from 7-8:00 PM

We look forward to seeing all current 8-11 graders in attendance with at least one parent or guardian. Reminder to all 2024 11-12 grade players, jersey selection will take place afterward.

In 2023, Stillwater repeated as sub-district champions. The Ponies went 5-0 in those games for the third year in-a-row, with each of the first four games requiring a fourth quarter comeback. For just the second time in school history, the Ponies have won four consecutive conference / sub-district championships. In 2024, the team seeks to tie the school record of five straight, strung together from 1992-1996. The Red and Black, which finished 8-3, also repeated as Class 6A Section Champions beating Rochester Mayo 49-31. The season ended in the State Quarterfinals, falling to State Runner-Up Edina, who lost to Centennial 28-27. We say goodbye to the senior class whose two-year varsity record was 17-5 while displaying Pony Pride in the classroom with a team GPA of 3.26 and almost 1,000 hours of community service. Stillwater returns experience at most positions and will be led by captains Joe Fredkove, John Karkula, Conor McGlynn, Cal Nitti, and Siwon Youn.

The Junior Varsity finished 6-1 with contributions from players in all four grades.

The sophomore team showed depth with eight players earning a varsity letter. The team still finished 5-3 overall, going 4-2 in one score games.

The Ponies freshman team won the sub-district (5-0) and finished 8-0 overall. These young men jumped all over their competition, leading by 50 points or more in five games and outsourcing the competition 50.8 to 6.6.

The vast majority of our 9-11 grade athletes participated in a winter sport or workouts with ETS via Pony Strength. The participation and accountability in the weight room was strong and contributions on the mat, floor, and ice took place all winter.

The spring brings huge sports participation by football players, primarily in track and field, baseball, and some lacrosse. An additional 15 football players are in Pony Strength under ETS Trainer and Ponies Football Assistant Coach Lucas Garbe. After the spring season, we look forward to players coming together for summer Pony Strength and Pony Camp.

Summer Pony Strength sign ups are available like other school sponsored activities via EduTrak, while Pony Camp registration takes place through Community Education. Additional information and links for registration can be found on poniesfootball.com.

The Ponies Touchdown Club is the program’s booster club. Created in 2012, it seeks to raise funds, organize events, and assist the needs of the Stillwater Ponies Football Program. The PTC, which is in its 14th year of operation, has helped transform the program in many ways.

To better understand the PTC’s impact on the program, it is important to know what the school district provides our football program.

• most of the coaching staff
• home game officials
• away game busing
• helmet reconditioning
• some equipment replacement.

Most of the rest must be procured in other ways. The PTC works to increase the safety of our players, give them the best opportunity to grow and develop away from the field, properly coach them on the gridiron, and ensure a quality experience overall.

The primary fundraiser for our program is the Pony Card sale which is conducted by the coaching staff and the players. However, additional funds are needed and have been accomplished by the PTC. The Ponies Game Day Program, All American Sponsors, memberships and some other small initiatives have accomplished far more than we can list here.

In 2023, we replaced dozens of helmets and continued cycling in new shoulder pads. Although not as many are required for replacement in 2024, this incremental process continues.

The football program has our players in excellent equipment. Participation in our limited fundraising initiatives and membership at any level by all families can ensure this tradition continues. Please support our players!

Our players and coaching staff are excited to inch closer to the 2023 season. See you at the spring meeting!