Soo Line: Senior Football Players Reflect on Memories and the Unique Bond the Sport Has Given Them

By Soo Greiman

If you’re on the ball, you realize that team sports offered to elementary-age students are a natural bonding ground.

It’s where young students learn to connect through collaboration and communication. Coaches inspire them to work together toward a common goal, and ultimately, the shared challenges young players face can create strong bonds. That can certainly be said of the seniors who make up this year’s Pirate football team. Under the bright stadium lights each Friday night this fall, Hudson High’s 12 senior football players suit up with a sense of unity only time can impart — developed through years of playing together, first in flag football and later dressed in pads and helmets.

A bond forms from knowing, trusting and encouraging one another. Today, these 12 seniors appreciate their history of playing football together as much as they love the sport itself. Because it’s Homecoming week, the Hudson Herald salutes the entire football team for its efforts during the 2026 season, with special recognition of the 12 seniors who, through good seasons and less-than-stellar ones, have remained committed to playing.

After so many years together, they have plenty of memories. Recently, each senior was asked to share a favorite football memory he carries with him. Here are their recollections: Alston Loeb, 18, son of Mandy Rokusek and Luke Loeb: “My favorite memories are of the countless practices and summer workouts spent together over the years. A specific thing that comes to mind is when our fifth-grade flag football team went to the National Tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2019.”

Gavin Gunnarson, 18, son of Tera and Marc Gunnarson: “Yes, one special memory is that in fourth grade, we played a flag football game under the lights. I remember I was running into the end zone and Grady ran up to me and laid me out. I fell so hard onto the ground. But the refs ended up giving me the touchdown!”

Grady Moseley, 17, son of Jon and Stephanie Moseley: “Here’s a memory I have of flag football. One year we actually were able to choose our team name. Normally, we were just assigned a name, like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Buffalo Bills. Someone on our team chose the name Green Bay Packers. This was the first time I was really exposed to NFL football, so I didn’t really have a favorite team. Because of this decision, though, I became a Green Bay Packers football fan. To this day, my favorite team has never switched from the Packers. “I was always the center when we played. Because of that, I didn’t get much excitement when it came to scoring with the ball. However, there was one play where the center was able to go out on a route to catch the ball.

I always loved this play and remember getting a big gain on one drive because of it.” McCoy Yoder, 17, son of Kevin and Stacey Yoder: “My favorite memory is when we played under the lights on the Hudson game field for flag football. It was a fun game, and it was special that everyone got to play.”

Jack Holbach, 17, son of Jon and Jen Holbach: “My favorite memory from football was playing 8-man tackle football for the first time in sixth grade with a majority of our current senior football players. That year we went undefeated, and we made some of our best memories on those Sundays playing football with the guys that would become our varsity football team years later.”

Jackson Nesteby, 17, son of Heather and Jason Nesteby: “I would have to say my best memory looking back in football has to be when we went to Minnesota and played at the Vikings field in a flag football tournament. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it’s something I look back to all the time and just think how cool it was. Getting to tour locker rooms, play on the field and see the Hudson families in the stands was super awesome.”

Rylan Dunbar, 17, son of Scott and Tina Dunbar and Jody Waterbury: “I’d have to say my favorite memory from football is when we beat the Union Knights last year, 27-18. There were so many memories to be made in that game, such as the goal-line stand and when the student section stormed the field.” P

ayton Bishop, 18, son of Justin Bishop and Erin Earnest: “I have only played on the team for three years, but the guys and I have had great times since my sophomore year. One of my favorite moments was beating Union on Homecoming night. They were ranked No. 6. We had a great week of practice and were prepared to bring the fight to them!”

Owen Bell, 17, son of Miekka and Jeff Bell: “I would say my favorite memory would be recently, of us winning our first game of the season and celebrating in the locker room like we have done now for four years.”

Austin Kliegl, 17, son of Amy and Brian Kliegl: “My favorite memory from flag football and elementary school would be when my ‘Eagles’ flag football team with Gavin and McCoy went undefeated. I still remember how much fun we had on that team playing under the lights in Cedar Falls. Also, playing two-hand touch football at recess all throughout elementary school was fun.”

Carter Ites, 18, son of Josh and Ann Ites. Jaxson Willand, 17, son of Matt and Jen Willand: “When I think back to a special moment, I think of when we came back against South Hardin in eighth grade, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.”