After winning a football state championship last year, the pressure is on for the Xavier Saints’ football team to take it all home again this year.

“I think the season has been going alright so far. There are obviously a lot of things we need to work on and get better at, but we just need to continue to come together and work as a team,” senior and team captain Kyle Krezek said.

Krezek knows that once he steps onto the field every Friday night, his teammates have his back and he has theirs. He trusts that they will push each other to get better individually and as a whole.

“There are no other people I would rather go to war with,” Krezek said.

The Saints know every team wants to beat them and that only pushes them to do better.

“We are not trying to think about last year’s championship. Our focus is on this year’s team and trying to get better one day and one practice at a time,” senior Kyle Moeder said.

A big part of the team getting better and being able to improve is their scout team. The scout team mimics the defense of their next opponent by watching film to see their strategies and how they play.

“Without them, we would not have a team. They sacrifice themselves for this team and are always pushing and challenging us to do better,” Krezek said.

The team is 6-0 against four non-district and two district teams. They are back in action at home against Western Dubuque on Friday, October 5 for homecoming, kickoff is 7 p.m.