Recent Stillwater Varsity News
Spring Meeting Slated
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!
Minnesota Football Coaches Association honors Groskreutz, LaBore
Ponies Coach and Coverage Recognized
The St. Croix Valley was well represented during the 60th Annual Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday, April 6 at the DoubleTree Park Place Hotel in St. Louis Park.
Stillwater Gazette sports editor Stuart Groskreutz was inducted into the MFCA Hall of Fame in the Citation Division, which “honors support to the promotion of high school football over a long period of time.” Coaches Carl Fruechte of Caledonia, Dan Essler of New London-Spicer, Mike Kleinschmidt of Albany, Jeff Williams of Owatonna and Wayce “Ribsy” Petermeier of Browerville were inducted in the High School Division.
In addition, Stillwater Ponies football coach Beau LaBore was presented the Jerry Kill Power of Influence Award, which honors a Minnesota head coach for “effect on his players, school and community.” LaBore also becomes eligible for the national Power of Influence Award that is presented by the American Football Coaches Association and the American Football Coaches Foundation.
Groskreutz joins Jim McLaughlin, whose “Jim’s Jabs” column was a fixture in the Gazette and was inducted in 1977. Legendary football coach George Thole, who guided the Ponies to four state championships, was enshrined in the MFCA Hall of Fame in 2000 and his long-time assistant coach Jerry Foley was added in 2013.
The induction comes just two weeks after Groskreutz, a Litchfield native, was honored by the Minnesota State High School League as the 2024 recipient of its Outstanding Media Service Award in the print division. That award was presented during the finals of the boys state basketball tournament on March 23.
LaBore also received awards from the MFCA as the Metro East Sub-District Coach of the Year and the Section 4AAAAAA Coach of the Year. His team was also presented an Academic Gold Award in the fall.
The coach guided the Ponies to their second straight state tournament appearance and the program’s fifth sub-district championship in his 13 seasons. Including six years as head coach at Woodbury, LaBore’s teams have provided more than 20,000 hours of community service to youth football, nursing homes, adaptive athletes and the local food shelf — living up to the contention that “giving is receiving.”
LaBore has also served on the Tackle Cancer Board and the Ponies have been among the biggest supporters of the cancer research foundation, raising $26,784 last fall and a total of $162,021.99 since the initiative began in 2012.
The coach was previously recognized with the “Friendship Award” from the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund in 2015 and also serves on the MFCA Executive Director’s Committee after a term as MFCA President in 2019-20. LaBore, who is also the committee chair for the Community Service Award, garnered the “Don Swanson Award” for exemplary service to the MFCA in 2021.
For more: MFCA Hall of Fame - Citation Division
For more: MFCA Power of Influece
Reminder - Sign up for Pony Strength!
Reminder to sign up for 2024 Pony Strength - Summer
June 3 - July 31: Monday - Thursday
Football 11 & 12: 7:00-8:20 AM
Football 9 & 10: 7:40-9:00 AM
Basketball 11 & 12: 8:20-9:40 AM (if you are doing summer basketball camps)
Basketball 9 & 10: 9:00-10:20 AM (if you are doing summer basketball camps)
Cost: $160
Register based on the grade you are entering in the Fall of 2024.
Participants must have a Sports Qualifying Physical Exam on file in the SAHS Activities Office to be eligible to register on EduTrack
There are no sessions scheduled July 1-5 or after August 1. The football season begins on Monday, August 12 at 8:30 AM.
2024 Pony Camps
There are no changes to the format of Pony Camps for this summer. We have added some grade 7-10 opportunities. For camp registration and more information, click: Pony Camps
We use these camps to develop football technique and install our base offense, defense, and special teams.
10-12 Camp
Evening Sessions:
June 5, 12, 17*, 26 - 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (*No activities on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth)
July 10, 17 - 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
End of July Sessions:
July 22 - 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
July 23 - 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
July 24 - 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
July 25 - 7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
9th Grade Camp
July 22-24 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
6-8 Grade Camp
July 29 - July 31 from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Pony Sling It Camp (players entering grades 7-10)
Wednesday Sessions from 9:00-10:00 AM
June 5, 12, 17*, 26 (*No activities on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth)
July 10, 17, 31
Pony Line of Scrimmage Camp (players entering grades 7-10)
Wednesday Sessions from 9:00-10:00 AM
June 5, 12, 17*, 26 (*No activities on June 19 in observance of Juneteenth)
July 10, 17, 31
George Thole Day in Stillwater
- By Admin 02/21/2024, 11:15am CST
MFCA Combine Information
- By Admin 02/19/2024, 12:45pm CST
2024 Ponies Football Schedule
- By Admin 02/13/2024, 1:00pm CST
Spring AND Summer Pony Strength
- By Admin 01/31/2024, 9:00am CST
2024 Important Dates
- By Admin 01/31/2024, 8:45am CST