Nik Gardin

The start of the 2019-20 school year was great for Nik Gardin as he helped lead the Underwood football team to the Section 6A title and state playoffs. He would compete for the Otter Tail Central Bulldogs wrestling team in the winter. With the spring season suspended, Gardin looked back on his senior year and what he would tell those about appreciating your time in the athletic arena.

Q: How do you feel about the suspension and possible cancellation of the start of spring sports?

A: I feel like the suspension of spring sports is extremely disappointing for many athletes and especially seniors. I un derstand the safety precautions.

Q: If the 2020 spring sports season ends without you ever competing will you have closure/something you can live with or do you think you’ll always think about “what if ... ?”

A: I definitely will have thoughts about what our team could have accom plished, but most importantly I will have regrets about not having a final season full of lasting memories.

Q: What would have been your dream spring sports season? What were some of your individual goals this season? What were some of your team goals?

A: Every dream sport season is to make it out of the section. My main indi vidual goal was to make the all conference team. A team goal that was set was to com pete highly within our difficult conference.

Q: Are you keeping in contact with your baseball coaches and teammates through this and if so how?

A: Our baseball coaches send us practice plans through email everyday. As far as teammates, we usually keep in contact all year long.

Q: What is substituting your time instead of sports and are you doing anything to stay ready in case the state order is lifted?

A: The workouts keep me somewhat ready, but my time is usually filled with quality family time and homework due to the stay at home order.

Q: What has been the highlight of your senior year both academically and athletically?

A: Winning the section for football with my friends in our first year as an 11- man team was something we will all never

forget. Getting a 4.0 GPA last semester prob ably highlights it academically.

Q: Having your senior year cut short what will you miss most about your senior class and high school sports?

A: I will miss the bonds I built through high school sports with my class mates. I will also miss being close to all my fellow classmates; this was one perk of going to a small school.

Q: After going through coronavirus, distance learning, a delayed spring season, what would you tell upcoming class es, and what have you taken away from this whole ordeal?

A: Do not take anything for granted! I have learned that you are not guaran teed anything, and you should enjoy the moment when you can.

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UNDERWOOD FOOTBALL AREA TEAM OF THE YEAR

There are a lot of worthy candidates for team of the year. Several teams advanced to state tournaments, while other had strong seasons to be com mended for. While there are several that stand out, our pick for the team of the year goes to the Underwood Rockets football team.

The Rockets, coming off successful years in 9-man football, made the transition to the 11-man game during the 2019 season. While many expected a learning curve, the Rockets proved to be formidable as they would build a 7-1 record and receive the top seed in the Section 6A playoffs.

The season began on Aug. 29 as the Rock ets traveled to take on Lake Park-Audubon. In their first test in 11-man football, the Rockets passed with flying colors as they handed the Raiders a 46-6 loss. Under wood would use its rushing attack to take care of business as they scored five touch downs on the ground, led by quarterback Nik Gardin (3).

The next two weeks were similar as the Rockets blasted past Frazee (44-18) and Roseau (44-8). With a 3-0 start, the Rockets began to turn heads across the area.

In Game 4, the Rockets experienced their only hiccup of the regular season. In a home game against the Ada-Borup Cou gars, the Rockets were limited to 241 yards and a single score with three turnovers. The Cougars would build a 22-0 lead in the first half and never looked back as they fin ished with 427 yards of offense on the way to a 36-6 win.

The Rockets would rebound from the loss in a shootout victory over Pelican Rap ids (46-44) and would go on to win their final three games of the regular season over Wadena-Deer Creek (53-14), New York Mills (22-8) and Cass Lake-Bena (42-6).

A successful regular season gave the Rockets the top seed in the section and saw them receive a first round forfeit. In the section semifinals, the Rockets would do just enough to top New York Mills

(12-6) a second time. Underwood would now travel to the Fargodome to take on the Breckenridge Cowboys in the section championship.

In the matchup, the Rockets had several strong defensive efforts to stymie the Cow boys. Underwood took control of the game early and would go on to gain 405 yards of offense on the way to a 44-18 win and a state playoff berth.

With the Rockets returning to state,

UNDERWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT #550 We Are Proud Of You!

We encourage and support all area athletes whose season has ended.

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they also had an opportunity to avenge their only loss of the season as Ada-Borup claimed the Section 8A title and would meet Underwood in the first round of the state playoffs at Moorhead High School.

In the state quarterfinal, the Rockets came out ready to play as they scored on an 8-yard touchdown run by Tim DeVaney, followed by a Zane Swanson two-point conversion. But the wind would be taken out of the sails of the Rockets on the ensu ing kickoff as Brady Borgen ran back a 70- yard kickoff to put the score at 8-7.

The Rockets would continue to use their lethal rushing attack, but struggled to con vert on several key downs. The Cougars would score another touchdown near the end of the first quarter to take a 13-8 lead and add a 91-yard touchdown run by Verdis Barber with just over five minutes left in the half.

With snow gentling falling through the game, neither team could continue their momentum in the second half.

Although their season came to an end, the Rockets were awarded for their play through the year. Gardin, Wyatt Thorson, Zane Swanson, Winston Heifort, Logan Aune and Tyson Rieken were named to the Section 6A All-Section team. All Northwest District, South subdistrict honors went to DeVaney, Heifort, Thorson, Gardin and Swanson. Honorable mention selections were Rieken, Aune and Slade Moore.

Thorson was named the Defensive Line man of the Year for the subdistrict and Swanson was chosen as Offensive Player of the Year.

Underwood head coach Chuck Ross was also awarded the South Sub-District Coach of the Year.

The season would also be the last for coach Ross as he announced that he would be stepping down and turning over the reins to offensive coordinator Ryan Hen drickson.

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