Saxony Lutheran High School to add football for 2024-25 school year

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) – “There’s nothing like Friday night lights.” 

Coming up this Fall football season, Saxony Lutheran High School will get a chance to experience those Friday night lights for the first time.

Principal Mark Ruark said it’s a massive boost for the school.

“It’s an important part of high school life, and we feel like we have a comprehensive high school, and we want to continue to expand and add the opportunities for our students,” he said.

Saxony will play a road JV schedule in Fall 2024 before adding a varsity team in 2025. 

Ruark said the school already has interest from a half dozen schools about playing JV games. 

“It will be a very special day when we have that first JV football game next Fall, but even further down the line when we have our first varsity football game on our campus, it’ll just be a lot of dreams coming true on that day,” he said.

Saxony students said the addition of football will be a draw for other students wanting to continue a Lutheran education while also playing football.

“I went to St. Paul Lutheran in Jackson, and a lot of people went to Jackson High School because of the football program, but if they come here now, they can continue their Lutheran education and still play football at the same time,” junior Wesley Kiehne said.

“Back in 8th grade, I remember a lot of my friends saying they would come to Saxony if they had football, so I think now that Saxony is going to have football, a lot more students are going to start coming here,” sophomore Jack Ozark said.

And for junior Grace Petzoldt, it will be a chance to watch her younger brothers play for Saxony. 

“They’re both at Lutheran grade schools right now, so I know this is going to build their experience here for them for sure, and I’m excited to come back and maybe watch them play when I’m older,” she said.