Eight Huskies elected to All-District team

The list of student-athletes who made the 2020 Big Southeast Football All-District Team was recently released and the Owatonna Huskies tied with Mankato West and Kasson-Mantorville for the most honorees with eight.
The eight Huskies are Payton Beyer, Zach Stransky, Brayden Truelson, Tanner Hall, Nate Smith, Gavin Rein, Connor Budach and Grant Achterkirch.
Wide receiver and captain Payton Beyer earned a spot on the All-District team thanks to his contributions on offense, defense and special teams. He recorded 49 receptions for 694 yards (14.2 yards/rec.) and six touchdowns on offense, he tallied three interceptions and three pass break-ups on defense, he returned 14 punts for 218 yards (15.6 yards/return) and he averaged 38.1 yards on his punts.
His punt average of 38.1 yards moved him into second place in OHS history. Meanwhile, his career total of 78 receptions for 1,283 yards and 12 touchdowns moves him into third place on the OHS all-time receiving list.
“Payton is one of the most naturally gifted players to ever put on a blue jersey. He possesses great hands, a phenomenal nose for the ball, and the ability to go up and get it, whether he is on offense or defense," said Owatonna Head Coach Jeff Williams. "He drew a lot of double coverage this year, and he still found a way to average 100 yards per game in receiving.”
Defensive back and captain Zach Stransky made his mark on defense and led the Huskies in defensive points. He recorded 45 total tackles (29 solo, 16 assisted), 1 fumble recovery, 1 fumble forced, 1 safety, 1 interception and 2.5 sacks.
“Zach is a multifaceted defensive back for us. He is strong in coverage, but also has the ability to come up and make a bruising tackle,” he said. “As a third-year starter, Zach provided a ton of leadership on the back end of our defense and he really set the tone for us.”
Quarterback and captain Brayden Truelson led an offense that scored nearly 30 points per game. He completed 103 of his 171 attempts for 1,186 yards and 11 touchdowns. Throughout his high school career, he completed 260 of his 421 attempts (62% completion percentage) for a total of 3,753 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. His career passing yards and career completion percentage earn him the number two spot on both all-time lists.
“Brayden has been everything you would ever want in a quarterback. He is smart and understands everything we are trying to do. He is hard-working and spends a tremendous amount of time studying video. He is accurate and rarely misses his receiver. Finally, he is tough. He battled back from an ACL injury and hung in the pocket when the bullets were flying. He made some great throws under duress this year. Brayden is a tremendous leader and will leave us with big shoes to fill,” Williams said.
Running back Tanner Hall ran the ball 157 times for 715 yards and six touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. He finished as #12 on the all-time rushing list at OHS.
“Tanner really came into his own this year as our go-to back. Last year, he kind of came out of nowhere. This year, he knew the expectations were going to be high and he exceeded them. He improved in his pass protection, was a threat on screens and catching balls out of the backfield, and he was a workhorse carrying the ball. His 43 carries against Mayo in the Section Championship set the tone in the ground game and kept the chains moving,” he said.
Lineman Nate Smith made his presence felt despite playing on offense and defense. He recorded 20 total tackles (17 solo, three assisted), one pass deflection, one fumble recovery and a half sack.
“Nate was a full-time two-way starter and that is very difficult to do in the line. It is very physically taxing and Nate was more than up to that challenge. He was a big-time playmaker on defense and finished fourth on the team in points. That’s tough to do as an interior lineman,” Williams said.
Fellow lineman Gavin Rein also was an impact player on both the offensive and defensive line. He recorded 10 total tackles (eight solo, two assisted).
“Gavin was the anchor of both our offensive and defensive lines. As a second-year starter at nose tackle, he ate up blocks and made plays. Teams did not move the ball well between the tackles,” he said. “As the center, Gavin was the quarterback of the line. He did a great job recognizing fronts and setting run schemes and pass protections. He was a very heady player, but also tremendously tough.”
Connor Budach was another two-way player for the Huskies, starting at outside linebacker and tight end. He finished second in defensive points thanks to his 30 total tackles (26 solo, four assisted), two fumble recoveries, three pass deflections, one interception and three and a half sacks. On offense, he caught 11 passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns.
“Connor was a game-changer from the outside linebacker position. He was disruptive on every snap and made some huge plays for us on the edge. It was difficult for teams to run in his direction and he put a lot of pressure on the quarterback as well,” said Williams. “Connor also did a great job at tight end and had an uncanny ability to get open in scramble situations and bail us out. His catch off the tipped ball in the section championship game will be one we remember for a long time.”
Middle linebacker Grant Achterkirch was the Huskies only non-senior to earn a spot on the All-District team. He led Owatonna’s defense with 50 total tackles (33 solo, 17 assisted), one sack and two fumbles forced.
“We have a tradition of great mike linebackers and Grant has elevated himself into that position as well. A very sure and tough tackler, he also takes great angles and puts himself in a position to make big plays. That was never more apparent than his huge forced fumble on fourth-and-2 in the waning moments of the section championship game. It was a big-time play by a big-time player,” he said.
Two additional Huskies, Matt Seykora and Eli Spurgeon, earned All-District Honorable Mention.
Seykora, an outside linebacker and captain, tallied 15 total tackles (eight solo, seven assisted), one fumble recovery, one fumble forced, one pass deflection and three sacks. Meanwhile, Spurgeon, an offensive and defensive lineman, recorded 14 total tackles (10 solo, 4 assisted) and one sack in the end zone for a two-point safety.
In addition to great individual success, Williams was also pleased with how the seniors were strong leaders and role models for their teammates.
"Our senior group did a great job this year of leading the team. It always starts with the captains and Truelson, Beyer, Seykora and Stransky were the hardest working kids on the squad. They set the tone for the others to follow," he said. "We pride ourselves on the fact that 'Tradition Never Graduates' at Owatonna High School and our seniors honored this by demonstrating how we work and approach each game, practice and drill. It is now on the underclassmen to carry on this legacy."
A few seniors will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Payton Beyer has received scholarship offers from Division II Winona State, UMD and Bemidji State. Zach Stransky has received offers of a roster position at Division III St. John's University, UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire. Gavin Rein is still exploring his options. Matt Seykora is going to play baseball at Division II Southwest Minnesota State. Brayden Truelson is exploring his baseball options.