Shakopee football’s state title dream fueled by D-1 talent, toughness, and motivation

Shakopee football’s state title dream fueled by D-1 talent, toughness, and motivation Shakopee Football interviews, Oct. 2026 The record says 5-1, but inside the Shakopee football program, nobody is celebrating yet.Coach Ray Betton has seen enough football to know that October success doesn’t guarantee anything in November. Still, as the Sabers continue their climb through Minnesota’s loaded Class 6A landscape, there are plenty of signs that this team has the ingredients of a championship contender.“Our health,” Betton said when asked what has stood out most through the first half of the season. “We’re healthy. Our energy’s high. The defense is playing well. Offense is starting to get their stride as well.”KSTP Sports stopped by Shakopee high school recently and spoke with Betton, along with players LB Blake Betton, LB/RB Blake Loughlin, DL Nehemiah Ombati, and TE Jaylen Fitzgerald.***Click the video box above to watch those interviews***Note: The interviews took place before Shakopee’s loss last Friday to Prior LakeMore important than the talent, Betton believes, is the mindset.“They all feel like they’re never out of a game,” he said. “There’s never any panic. No matter what the score is or what happened, they’re always saying, ‘Next play.’ That’s a championship attitude.”That mentality has been forged by a senior class loaded with Division I talent.Linebacker Blake Betton, the son of head coach Ray Betton, is headed to Penn State. Linebacker/running back Blake Loughlin is committed to Northwestern. Defensive tackle Nehemiah Ombati will play at Nebraska. Tight end Jaylen Fitzgerald is bound for UNLV. Several other Sabers also have college football futures awaiting them.But none of them believe recruiting stars alone are responsible for Shakopee’s success.“All offseason we’ve been preaching state championship mindset,” Blake Betton said. “No one was going into the season thinking we’re going to lose a game. We all have the mindset that we’re going to win.”That confidence has been tested.The Sabers rallied from fourth-quarter deficits against both Rosemount and Eagan, proving they can respond when things go wrong.“This team has fight,” Betton said. “We’re gritty.”Class 6A offers little room for error. Powerhouses such as Moorhead, Eden Prairie, Champlin Park and others sit squarely in the championship conversation, and Shakopee’s players understand that every week presents a challenge.“We respect every team,” Betton said. “You can get beat any week.”Even with the strong start, the players insist they haven’t come close to their ceiling.Loughlin, who has contributed on both sides of the ball this season, believes the Sabers are still learning how to consistently translate practice habits to game nights.“We can do much better,” Loughlin said. “There’s room for improvement, and hopefully we do peak later on in the season because we get better week after week.”Fitzgerald agrees.“I don’t think there’s a ceiling at all,” said Fitzgerald, who moved to Minnesota from Arizona before his senior season. “I don’t think we’ve even grazed the peak yet on both sides of the ball.”Fitzgerald’s story has become one of the team’s most unique. The nephew of Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr., he moved across the country this summer and immediately found a home at Shakopee.“I could just tell that this was going to be home,” Fitzgerald said. “Everyone greeted me with welcoming arms.”His transition was made easier by long-standing relationships with Betton and the coaching staff, connections that stretch back years despite growing up in Arizona.The senior tight end also brings a story of perseverance. Fitzgerald missed his junior season after tearing his meniscus during fall camp. Returning healthy this year has given him a new appreciation for the game.“Going through rehab and that whole process, it helped me look at life different and be grateful for where I’m at,” Fitzgerald said.The possibility of a state championship game appearance at U.S. Bank Stadium remains in the distance, but nobody inside the program is interested in looking that far ahead.“When you’re a part of this culture, you have to think week to week,” Ombati said.Still, there’s no denying the potential.A veteran coach sees a team that never panics. Players see a roster loaded with leaders and Division I talent. And after years of development, sacrifice and offseason work, Shakopee finds itself exactly where it hoped to be.Undefeated dreams may be gone after the first loss, but the bigger goal remains alive.And as the playoffs approach, the Sabers believe their best football is still ahead.Shakopee finishes the regular season with games vs. Farmington and Lakeville North.