Taking over a struggling North St. Paul football program in 2022, new coach Justin McDonald opted for a youth movement.

That meant a lot of young starters, including sophomores and a number of freshman, and a lot of losing.

The Polars went 0-9 that season.

“We really did get thrown into the fire our freshman year,” said Elijah Adzimahe, who started at quarterback as a ninth-grader.

Polars junior quarterback Elijah Adzimahe throws a pass at practice at North St. Paul High School on Wednesday, Sept 18, 2024. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

But McDonald had faith the players could handle it. He noted young players like Adzimahe, receiver John Jeanetta and others in that class were “advanced,” and wanted to get them as much experience as possible.

“They were hungry,” McDonald said. “It was definitely a chess move that could’ve went both ways but, luckily, it paid off for us and it’s continuing to pay off.”

Two years later, North St. Paul is in a much better spot as a program. The Polars are 2-1 heading into their matchup with the Packers at 7 p.m. Friday in South St. Paul.

Adzimahe, Jeanetta and Duke King lead a lethal passing game. The Polars are fun to watch and, more importantly, have fun competing.

That’s what McDonald enjoys most about this group — his team’s “want to win.”

In Year 3, players have a firm understanding of who the coaches are and what they expect, and have started to emulate the higher-ups. In McDonald’s words, players are starting to value “the little, small details.”

They’re what the program aims to be built upon. It’s about paying attention in class, being on time for commitments and keeping a clean locker room.

“If the locker room is dirty, we get to hear it! You do think like, ‘that’s dumb, that’s stupid,’ but if you can’t even be organized in a calm, closed environment, how are you going to be organized in this?” Jeanetta said as he stood on the practice field Wednesday. “If you can’t pay attention to a teacher lecturing for a little bit, how are you going to pay attention for the three hours of a football game?”

Jeanetta described playing for McDonald as a “10 out of 10” experience, because the coach values the student-athletes as players and people. That’s demonstrated in the numerous activities he sets up away from the field, such as team-bonding nights at the coach’s home.

“I feel like he’s really changing this program around. Like, if he wasn’t here, we wouldn’t be where we’re at today,” Adzimahe said. “He’s kept us all here and as a family. He’s really done super good. He makes sure everyone is alright and he’s really looking out for us and doing his best.”

Beyond football, Adzimahe said McDonald is “teaching us to be men.” That includes learning to endure through struggles. Even in those first couple years — in which losses were frequent — McDonald made a point to approach every week with the effort and enthusiasm required to win, while remaining realistic with his players.

And even after defeats, positives were consistently highlighted in film studies in an effort to build confidence and keep kids from getting discouraged.

“It’s different looking at it from an outside perspective, and when you’re in it. When you’re in it, the hardships and challenges are more than overwhelming,” Jeanetta said. “As a young man and a student-athlete, you have a bunch of stuff to look after. There’s a bunch of ups and downs, but when you take a second to step back and realize you’re doing something good, it just gives you that motivation to keep going forward and pressing.”

The result of it all is a built-up buy-in. Players believe in what they’re being taught on and off the field.

Polars coach Justin McDonald directs his players during special teams work at practice at North St. Paul High School on Wednesday, Sept 18, 2024. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)

Players are taking the wheel and navigating film sessions and bringing pertinent questions to coaches. When they run, McDonald watches as his players run not only to the line, but five yards through it — the little things.

“They’re taking this time into their own hands and really trying to get that success they’ve been looking for and, honestly, this school needs,” McDonald said. “This school hasn’t had a winning program in a long time, and I really feel like they’re tired of it and want to see something different.”

It appears to be well on its way. Another step in that direction could come Friday. The Polars fell 33-0 to the Packers a year ago.

“If we think this program is turning around, and if that’s what our goal is — to be a winning program with success coming after us — I think weeks like this … you’ve got to come in with a mindset that you’ve got a chip on your shoulder and you need to work for something,” Jeanetta said. “I love these types of matchups where it’s going to be a tough opponent and you wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s how you get better, and that’s what football is for.”

McDonald noted all of those past losses were lessons, ones the Polars hope they can reflect back on to change results in the present. Those past experiences, Adzimahe noted, weren’t always fun.

“But it’s always part of the growing pains,” he said. “We can’t just expect to be great right away without growing. It takes a lot of work to get where we are today, and it’s going to take more to get where we want to go.”

“I love it,” Jeanetta said of the process. “I love making things better than what they are. I like helping people, so I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

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