The report says Cincinnatus have won 103 matches and lost only six since 2021, including a 44-game unbeaten run across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Those figures point to more than a strong single campaign: the Lions have built a programme capable of sustaining pressure across several graduating classes.
Head coach Lisa Sustad and assistant TJ Sustad have reportedly led the team since 2018. Cincinnatus reached the state semi-finals in their first season and have returned to the final weekend in each of the past four years, giving the programme a level of consistency few school teams can match.
Much of the current squad is said to have played together since childhood. Senior forward Payton Landers and midfielder Jelsie Stafford are among nine seniors, while junior midfielder Kendall Sustad adds another link to the coaching staff.
The report also describes a team that trains beyond formal sessions, with players organising summer workouts and occasionally scrimmaging against the school’s boys’ team. That shared routine can be decisive in knockout football, where defensive understanding and composure often separate finalists from champions.
The immediate target is another state title, but the next chapter may be more difficult. The report says nine seniors are due to leave after the season, with Kendall Sustad the only junior in the group. Cincinnatus have also reportedly struggled to field a modified team, raising questions about the depth behind the established varsity side.
The next state tournament round will test whether this experienced Lions team can complete another championship run. Beyond that, the larger storyline is clear: Cincinnatus must turn a dominant senior class into the foundation for its next generation.