Huskies blast the Rockets

After accounting for 242 passing yards and three touchdowns in the season opener, Owatonna quarterback Brayden Truelson needed to throw the ball just 11 times as the Huskies’ rushing attack and linemen, both offensive and defensive, dominated throughout their 40-0 rout of Rochester John Marshall on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Following a 35-28 shootout against Rochester Mayo, establishing the run was a priority for Huskies’ Head Coach Jeff Williams. 
“The weather is not going to get any nicer from here on out. We have always prided ourselves on finding ways to win games in late October and early November. A lot of that has to do with the ability to establish a strong running attack. We want to make sure that arrow remains in our quiver,” he said. 
Owatonna’s commitment to the run paid off late in the first quarter when Truelson plunged into the end zone from one yard out. He scored another rushing touchdown in the second quarter, this time from five yards out, to give the Huskies a 14-0 lead. 
Meanwhile, Owatonna’s defense stuffed John Marshall’s rushing offense, holding the Rockets to just nine yards on 14 attempts. That meant they had to pass in order to find any sort of success against the Huskies, which gave Owatonna’s defensive backs an opportunity to intercept the ball. The Huskies first interception came in the second quarter when junior cornerback Tanner Stendel made a one-handed catch across the middle, then on the Rockets’ next offensive possession Owatonna defensive back Zach Stransky made an over-the-shoulder pick to keep John Marshall scoreless. 
Unfortunately, due to some penalties, the Huskies couldn’t score any points off that turnover.
“We made some mistakes down the stretch in the first half and that stifled our momentum somewhat,” Williams said.
However, he liked the way Owatonna responded in the second half. 
“I was pleased with how we came out in the opening drive of the third quarter and finished a strong drive with a touchdown,” he said. 
That touchdown came when Truelson found Payton Beyer in the corner of the end zone for an eight-yard score. The extra-point attempt failed so the Huskies led 20-0 midway through the third quarter.
That score didn’t last long as Dylan Maas scored on a 16-yard run. The two-point conversion failed so Owatonna led 26-0 at the end of the third quarter. 
In the fourth quarter, the Huskies put the game away with the two more touchdowns; the first a 20-yard run by Maas and the second a two-yard run by Connor Grems. 
Even though Owatonna scored four touchdowns in the second half, Coach Williams said his defense deserves just as much credit for the Huskies dominant performance. 
“We simply made fewer mistakes offensively and the defense did a tremendous job of turning the ball back over to the offense. JM did not muster a first down in the second half so it was three-and-out or a turnover consistently. That made it difficult for JM to mount a comeback,” he said. 
With the win the Huskies moved to 2-0 on the season, but they can’t rest on their laurels as they host Rochester Century and star running back Isaiah Huber, who has already committed to play collegiate football at future Division I program Augustana University, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23. 
Williams said Huber will present a tough challenge for his defense. 
“Isaiah Huber is the fastest player in the Big SE. He is capable of turning a two-yard gain into a 70-yard touchdown every time the ball is in his hands. Obviously, we have to pursue the ball and have a lot of people around it at all times. If he pops one, we need people in pursuit,” he said. 
If Owatonna can contain Huber and force Century to throw, the Huskies will have a great chance to move to 3-0 on Friday. 
 
 
GAME SUMMARY
 
Huskies 40, Rockets 0
Owatonna      7          7          19       7— 40           
Rochester JM 0          0          0          0— 0
 
PASSING                    Comm-Att     Yds.    TD       Int.
Brayden Truelson     7                      89       1          0         
 
RUSHING       No.                  Yds.    Avg.    TD
Truelson         3                      4          1.3       2
Matt Seykora 4                      36       9.0       0
Nick Williams 8                      42       5.3       0
Conner Grems 7                    63       9.0       1
Tanner Hall    18                   118     6.6       0
Dylan Maas    8                      53       6.6       2
 
 
RECEIVING                No.                  Yds.    Avg.    TD
Payton Beyer             3                      53       17.7    1
Connor Budach         2                      18       9.0
 
TACKLES       Solo    Assist Total
G.Achterkirch 3          3          6
Matt Seykora 2          4          6
Zach Stransky            4          0          4
Payton Beyer 3          0          3
Cole Earles     1          2          3