Kamala Harris' VP pick Tim Walz was "one of the big things" that helped turn the high school football program, claims former Mankato West coach

Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz was a football coach at Mankato West High School before joining politics and was one of the main reasons for the program's turnaround, according to former Mankato West coach Rick Sutton. Walz was the high school's defensive coordinator as well at that time.

Mankato had lost 27 straight games when Walz joined the team's coaching staff back in 1996. Three years later, the Mankato West Scarlets won their first state championship title under the leadership of the Democratic politician. Sutton spoke about Walz's impact on the program during their transition period.

"The program was really struggling. We went through some very, very lean years," Sutton said in a video on Walz's Facebook account. "One of the big things that really helped us get better along the way through the transitional period was Tim's ability to build relationships with students."

During Mankato's championship-winning season, Walz's Scarlets started the season 2-4 before reeling off eight consecutive wins, including a couple of shutout wins to begin the playoffs. Mankato won the championship with a win against Cambridge-Isanti High School. The game ended with a scoreline of 35-28.

Tim Walz was in attendance to watch Mankato West's game on Friday

Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, attended Mankato West's recent game against Mankato East on Friday. The game was played at the Blakeslee Stadium, the home of Mankato West.

Walz was Mankato West's coach and defensive coordinator in the late 1990s. He led the Scarlets to their first-ever state championship in 1999 and was one of the main reasons for the program's turnaround.

The Scarlets have dominated their matchups against the Mankato East Cougars, winning the last 18 games. The particular fixture is known as the "Jug Game," as the team that wins the game gets a Kato Jug.

Mankato West came into the game with a record of 3-4, whereas the Cougars held a record of 5-1 prior to their showdown against the Scarlets. Despite their records this season, the Scarlets dominated the Cougars during the game, winning by a scoreline of 28-7.

The Cougars will play their next game against the 0-7 Austin Packers from Austin, Minnesota, on Oct. 16. Mankato West, on the other hand, will take on the 3-3 Rogers Royals from Rogers, Minnesota, on Oct. 16.