Brainerd Welcomes a New Semi-Pro Football Team

A void has been filled in the Brainerd area, and a new semi-pro football team has arrived. The Central Lakes Serpents are in their first year as a program, and have already realized how rewarding being on a football team can be.

Whether it’s the big hits…

“It’s fun to hit somebody again,” Dezmond Berndt, Serpents Running Back and Captain, said.

The brotherhood…

“We’re a big family,” Rayshawn “Malik” Frelix, Serpents Left Guard, said.

Or just getting back on the field…

“It’s another chance for me to keep playing the game that I love,” Dawson Kintop, Serpents Wide Receiver, said.

The Central Lakes Serpents are giving players a second chance on the gridiron. The Serpents are a member of the Midwest Premier Football League, which features teams from all over Minnesota, and even has a couple squads located in North Dakota.

“A lot of my players have never played tackle football before,” Head Coach of the Serpents, Michael Grosskreutz, said. “Some have a little bit of football experience in high school, and I have one or two that played in college, but that’s about the extent of our players.”

Unlike some teams that get players from all over the state, The Central Lakes Serpents have a lot of homegrown talent, making them Brainerd’s football team.

“It’s really rewarding to know that we haven’t gone out and gotten guys from other states or played big college ball,” Kintop said. “These guys are homegrown, and we came together as a community and said, “Hey, let’s do something big for the people we live with and were around every single day.” Instead of going out to get these big flashy players, playing the game just to win. We’re playing to show the community that this is a big deal and we are here for the community to support us.”

This team is about something more than just a second chance on the football field.

“Some of these guys have had a really hard life, so this team gives them a second chance at being something special,” Grosskreutz said. “I had one guy say, “This is the first time his name was ever mentioned in the paper positively,” and that means all the world to me.”

The team may not have the best record, but they are confident over time they can become a dominant force in the league.

“We may not be the biggest, we may not be the fastest, but no one is going to out class us in the heart. Nobody has more heart than we do, we come out and we play with heart every game,” Kintop said.

“I believe if we keep improving, and keep get some players that actually want to play and be here, I can see us going to the championship one day,” Frelix said.

The Central Lakes Serpents are still accepting players until July 1^st. If you would like more information on how to join, visit their website at https://www.serpentsfootball.com/.