STEELE SPORTS

News of the potential co-op between Blooming Prairie and Hayfield football spread like wildfire on social media last week when the merger was announced by Hayfield Schools Superintendent Gregg Slaathaug.

There’s no denying that any program would like to be self-sufficient without having to rely upon another town to combine for a larger player pool.

Especially not Blooming Prairie, a very passionate community that has seen the pinnacle of high school sports with a Class A state title to its name from 2019.

However, seven years later, we find the Awesome Blossoms attempting to team up with their neighbor, and longtime rival, Hayfield to make a new program that has the potential to be immediately competitive.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of the new co-op and what the communities could expect to see if the MSHSL approves of the union.

Instant boost

The most obvious result of the merger would be the player pool that both teams would have at their disposal.

The Awesome Blossoms have been producing consistent collegiate-level players in recent years, but the team showed a glaring weakness in the offensive and defensive lines last season.

On the other hand, the Vikings featured plenty of sizable linemen – some much larger than Blooming Prairie’s.

The co-op would be a perfect union between two programs that are missing what the other has to offer.

Plus, with likely north of 60 athletes on the roster, the program would be less reliant on two-way players, allowing for athletes to play on one side of the ball without gassing out in the second half.

Shift in identity

Mixing two teams with very different identities can be a tough transition for any coach to handle.

With the approval of the co-op still up in the air, it has not yet been made official who will coach the Blooming Prairie-Hayfield team next season.

Blooming Prairie’s Chad Gimbel would likely be the front runner with a stellar 214-83 career record and a state title to his name.

He has helped build a winning culture in his community, something that should excite Hayfield fans who have watched their team finish 12-46 in the past seven seasons.

However, expect some bumps along the road as former Vikings’ players and Awesome Blossoms alike come together to create a new culture and identity.

A team without a clear, established culture can suffer from a lack of chemistry that may make winning difficult no matter the talent the team can put on the field.

Coming together

The most exciting opportunity that the co-op would provide is for two communities just 12 miles apart to come together to win together.

Westfield wrestling has given some athletes the ability to create friendships in the winter season, but now the ability to do so in the fall will only strengthen the ties between the two towns.

Not to mention that stacking two towns worth of fans at gamedays split between both high schools’ stadiums means there will be more opportunity for money to come in at concessions and ticket sales.

Outside of the athletes, the biggest winners will undoubtedly be the schools who should benefit from doubled attendance.