![First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt High School in St. Paul, his alma mater. He led a basketball practice for young kids in the high school gym. ] JEFF WHEELER � jeff.wheeler@startribune.com First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt. He is among the coaches hired from the community in an effort to stem the decline in participation. He was photographed](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ZPRTVGGQ5CUTTZNJDZ2YY4JZKE.jpg?&w=1080)
![First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt High School in St. Paul, his alma mater. He led a basketball practice for young kids in the high school gym. ] JEFF WHEELER ' jeff.wheeler@startribune.com First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt. He is among the coaches hired from the community in an effort to stem the decline in participation. He was photographed before coaching some young kids in basketball fundamentals in the Humboldt High School gym Wednesday afternoon, April 6, 2016 in St. Paul.First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt, his alma mater. ] JEFF WHEELER ' jeff.wheeler@startribune.com First-year football coach Arnulfo Flores is a key figure in the effort to revitalize varsity sports at Humboldt. He is among the coaches hired from the community in an effort to stem the decline in participation. He was photographed before coaching some young kids in basketball fundamentals in the Humboldt High School gym Wednesday afternoon, April 6, 2016 in St. Paul.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4PTJVSUFRITZYRPARZMP5XOAJ4.jpg?&w=1080)
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Now in his third season, St. Paul Humboldt football coach Arnulfo Flores is starting to see some positive returns on the hard work he and his staff have put in.
Last Thursday (Sept. 6,) the Hawks defeated St. Paul Como Park 34-19, their first victory over another St. Paul City Conference team since 2010.
"It feels good," said Flores. "To get a win like that early in the year, against a team like Como Park that dominated us last year, that's big. Morale's way up."
Flores does not teach in the school, but he said there was a buzz around the team after the victory.
"Walking around the hallways, talking to administrators, you could feel the vibe," he said. "A lot of people mentioned how happy they were that we won."
In Flores' first season, 2016, Humboldt didn't field a varsity football team due to low participation numbers. They had one win in 2017, a late-season victory over Minneapolis Roosevelt, but Flores considers the victory over Como Park much more significant.
"Como Park is no slouch. They lost a lot to graduation, but they're still a good team," he said. "It's a big confidence booster."
