Austin has something big to celebrate today.

The Austin High School Packers football team defeated the Mankato East High School Cougars 39-7 Wednesday night in a dominant victory, one that put the Packers at a .500 season overall.

We are pleased to see the progress our hometown high school football team has made over the years, and pleased at the performance our Packers put on last night. This game was exactly what the Packers and head coach Brett Vesel needed to finish one of the most inspiring seasons Austin has seen in a long time.

What’s more, the Packers broke a long and disappointing streak last night: The last time the Packers had a .500 season or better was in 2004.

While we wholeheartedly believe performance in the classroom far outweighs performance on a field, we cannot help but smile at the photos of joyous celebration we have seen on our website, www.austindailyherald.com, and on social media. We are excited for the Packers as they face the Faribault Falcons at 7 p.m. next Tuesday. Though Faribault beat the Packers 35-21 on Aug. 30, we believe the Faribault game is a winnable affair, and a playoff victory would do much to bolster an already energized program.

Once again, we salute the boys who gave their best effort last night, and we are thankful they have reinvigorated our local football program and the city at large.