The construction tied to major improvements at North Community High School is nearing completion. Just up the street, the incredible transformation of North Commons Park, complete with a new recreation center, is ongoing.

The trucks and the blockades cause the North football players to detour as they walk the 2½ blocks from school to their football field. On Thursday, they made the trip in groups when classes ended at 3 p.m.

Coach Charles Adams and his assistants were shooting for a 3:30 p.m. start of practice. This created shouts for hustle as the players ambled from the gate at one end of the field to the locker room at the other.

There was a brisk, cool wind sweeping the field, although this did not keep away the most unusual of North’s frequent practice observers.

“See that light tower down at the other end?” Adams said. “He’s up there. He doesn’t miss many days.”

The visitor was an eagle that has been watching Polars practices for “six or seven years,” said Adams.

You might not buy the idea the eagle shows up to watch the activity of these young humans, until Adams, a couple of assistants and senior players add this:

When the Polars practiced a few blocks away, at North Commons, and also at Franklin Middle School, the eagle showed up.

“And you’re not going to believe this — when we played a game at Southwest, the eagle was there," Adams said. “I think it followed the bus.”

Jeremiah Jackson, a senior receiver and occasional defender, said: “We’re happy when he shows up. We’ll take a look up there to check when we’re on the field.”

Loyal though the eagle has been through their high school careers, there is a group of senior Polars dedicated to finishing up where the eagle can’t see them — unless he’s adept at looking through huge glass windows that have been alleged to kill many birds as the west-facing front of roof-topped U.S. Bank Stadium.

It was 15 years ago that North High was under 300 students in the top four grades and Minneapolis school administrators had a plan to close the high school. Families in the area put the “Community” in the school’s title, rose up to save their school, and North soon will be looking better than ever with this major overhaul.

Adams became the head football coach in 2010, as the school’s fate was being decided. He was also the school’s resource police officer. He still carries the label “OA” — Officer Adams — with players and students, even though the resource officers were phased out and he’s now the security director for the Twins.

North was a Class 1A school and finished as runner-up to Minneota in 2015, then won a state title over Rushford-Peterson in 2016. The Polars moved up to Class 2A in 2017. They reached the title game in 2019, losing to Caledonia.

The Polars were moved up again, to Class 3A, in 2023. They haven’t been back to the indoors since 2019 — a pandemic, then losses to Chatfield, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, Dassel-Cokato and Holy Family that came before the Polars could be given that 3.5-mile drive to U.S. Bank Stadium for the semifinals.

“This is the best group of athletes I’ve ever been with,” Jackson said. “We have been waiting for our chance to get back to the dome. This is it.”

The Polars were home for a section final game with St. Croix Lutheran last weekend, and with a half-minute left, it appeared the North seniors were going to be graduating dome-free.

“St. Croix was a physical team with some very good athletes,” said Cordae Williams, a free safety and receiver. “We got the ball back at midfield and we’re down 44-42. Logan didn’t panic; we didn’t panic. But we did need kind of a miracle play.”

That would be Logan Lachermeier, quarterback, undersized but accurate, son of offensive coordinator Tom — and disher of touchdown pass No. 38 that caused Polars madness with 16 seconds left in the game.

“Logan threw right to Anthony [Deline] on first down and it was incomplete,” Williams said. “We had a good play for me throwing to the other side on second down. I really only needed to beat one tackler.

“When I got past him, I knew it was a touchdown.”

A 55-yard touchdown — followed by an interception on the last play for another touchdown and a deceptive 56-44 final. And now getting back inside might get even tougher:

“Pine Island is very good; a lot of blowout wins,” Adams said. “And it has a tremendous running back.”

That would be Nick Thein, 1,844 yards, 28 touchdowns, teamed in football with nine other members of Pine Island’s champion baseball team in June.

“It was a crazy finish with St. Croix; some of our fans were leaving, and then they were running on the field to celebrate,” said J’Marion Sanders, brother of former North star receiver Rio Sanders. “This means a lot — win and there’s a chance to play in the dome, like my brother did."

Saturday’s game kicks off at noon at Totino-Grace. The anticipation of a big game; the joy of a thrilling win to put the Polars at 10-0.

And yet what can’t be forgotten for this generation of North athletes is the murder of Deshaun Hill, the young, ultra-gifted athlete shot walking to a bus stop after school on Feb. 9, 2022. The man originally charged is currently released as prosecutors work toward a retrial for him.

“My brother played with D-Hill,” Sanders said. “Great person. We put our hands together and shout, ‘Nine,’ his number, before we leave the locker room for every game.”