POLK - For the first, and possibly last time in team history, the Osceola-High Plains Stormdogs are headed to the Class D1 state championship.

"These kids have known each other for a long time and we compete with one another, compete against one another, and there's no other feeling like right now," co-head coach Greg Wood said.

Wood says the Stormdogs are a combination of the best the communities involved, Osceola, Polk, Hordville and Clarks, have to offer. He says neither High Plains nor Osceola schools could have reached this point without each other.

"Both would be very competitive, but they wouldn't be where they are right now," he said. "It's a combination of their kids and our kids. We put them together and they work extremely well together and the results are heading to state." 

The success of the co-op was not just proven with on-field success but also with the support from the communities. This was most evident at Monday’s semifinal game against Cross County.

"It was awesome," senior running back and defensive back Keaton Van Housen said. "We fed off them, the momentum, when we got momentum, we fed off of them. It's awesome to see how much the community supports us. 

After the season, however, this co-op is coming to an end for at least the next two years. Any future of the Stormdogs after the D1 Championship remains uncertain.

"It is tough knowing that it is coming to an end," Wood said. "This group started as seventh graders and they're going to be the group that finishes together. Being able to do that into a state championship game, and to hopefully come away with a championship and knowing that we did it the right way is exciting."

For now, though, the team is focused on Monday’s clash with Burwell in Lincoln

"We're going to take it like we have all year," Wood said. "It's one more game, one more day, one more opportunity to get better."