Huskies snag another section title

Very rarely do football games come down to one play, but that seemed to be the case when Rochester Mayo had the ball in Owatonna territory with the chance to take the lead in the final minute of the Section 1AAAAA Championship game on Nov. 16. 
Trailing 28-30, the Spartans needed just a field goal to take the lead, but they faced a fourth-and-two and were outside of field goal range. Mayo tried to get the first down by running to the right, but Owatonna linebacker Grant Achterkirch stripped the ball away from their running back and the Huskies recovered it to seal their fifth straight section championship.
The game came down to the wire, but it didn't seem like it would based on how the game started.
Head Coach Jeff Williams said his offense got off to a fast start thanks to its balanced offense.
"We found a nice combination of ball control throwing and a consistent ground attack," he said.
He noted that one reason the Huskies were able to throw and run the ball so well was the play of its offensive line.
"Our line played their best game of the year and provided Brayden with time to throw and Tanner with holes to run through," he said.
With the help of his offensive line, Brayden Truelson connected with Payton Beyer for a 17-yard touchdown. The extra point attempt was good and the Huskies led 7-0 with seven minutes left in the first quarter.
The Spartans would have had a chance to tie the game, but Owatonna attempted and recovered an onside kick.
"We were fortunate to recover a short onside as part of our strategy was to keep the ball out of Holcomb’s hands as he returned one [for a touchdown] on us in October," Williams said.
The Huskies capitalized on that extra offensive possession when Truelson plunged into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown. The extra point was successful and Owatonna led 14-0 with about a minute and a half left in the first quarter.
Mayo's offense finally got on the field and they wasted little putting points on the board.
First, the Spartans cut their deficit in half by scoring a 19-yard passing touchdown. Second, Mayo recovered a Owatona fumble and took it 20 yards to the house. The extra point attempt after each touchdown was successful so the game was tied 14-14 with about five minutes left in the first half.
Wiliams said the Spartans deserve credit for making the comeback so quickly.
"They are explosive and made some big plays to find a way back into the game," he explained.
After another Owatonna turnover, Mayo scored its third touchdown of the first half via a 19-yard passing touchdown to take a 21-14 lead.
With less than two minutes left in the first half, the Huskies' offense got the ball back and they swiftly began moving the ball down the field.
With just 20 seconds left, Truelson threw a pass into the end zone. However, it was tipped by a Spartan defensive and looked like it would fall incomplete, but Husky receiver Connor Budach kept his eye on the ball and caught it off the deflection for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was good so the score was tied again, 21-21, at the end of the first half.
Williams said getting that touchdown right before halftime was critical for the Huskies.
"It was big for us to tie it up right before half on a nice play on a tipped ball by Connor Budach. Mayo would start with the ball after half so it was big for us to come up with points there," he said.
During halftime, he noted the Huskies made a few defensive adjustments to try to contain Mayo's explosive offense.
"Coach Achterkirch does a great job of making adjustments on defense. With a few changes at the half, our pass rush improved, as well as our coverage, and we were able to limit Mayo’s effectiveness throwing the ball," he said.
Despite those defensive improvements, the Spartans were able to score a touchdown on its first drive. The extra point was good so Mayo led 28-21 with 11 and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
Just a few minutes later, the Huskies tied it up once again when Truelson scored his second rushing touchdown of the night.
"Tanner did a great job protecting the ball and moving the chains in the second half and allowed us to hang on to the lead until late," Williams said.
Owatonna got that lead when Mayo snapped the ball too high and couldn't recover it until the ball was in the end zone for a safety.
After that, the Huskies relied on their defense to hold that lead.
Owatonna's defense faced its toughest test late in the fourth quarter. The Spartans crossed into Huskies' territory, but Owatonna forced Mayo into a fourth-and-17. However, a 15-yard pass interference penalty made the yardage that the Spartans' needed to convert much more manageable.
"Our defense was resilient on the last drive after the pass interference call kept Mayo alive. Grant Achterkirch made a whale of a play to strip Simmons on fourth-and-two to put the game away," he said.
Thanks to Achterkirch's big play, the Huskies won their fifth straight section title.
"Winning five straight section titles is pretty special," said Williams. "The players change, but the one constant has been senior leadership."
Owatonna offensive statistics: Passing -- Brayden Truelson completed 18 of 25 passes for 176 yards, 2 TDs and 3 INTs. Rushing -- Tanner Hall ran the ball 43 times for 191 yards and Truelson ran the ball 4 times for 5 yards and 2 TDs. Receiving -- Payton Beyer caught the ball 9 times for 101 yards and 1 TD, Nick Williams caught the ball 5 times for 50 yards, Connor Budach caught 3 times for 24 yards and 1 TD and Tyrel Creger caught the ball 1 time for 1 yard.
Owatonna defensive statistics: Grant Achterkirch recorded 6 total tackles and forced 2 fumbles, Connor Budach recorded 4 total tackles and 2 sacks, Zach Stransky recorded 7 total tackles and Eli Spurgeon recorded 1 total tackle and 1 sack.