Walk-off win
Owatonna kicker Landon Sturges (11) boots the game-winning field goal against New Prague. Sturges was good from 37 yards out to earn Owatonna the 17-14 win as time expired in the team’s homecoming game. Staff photo by Rick Bussler
Owatonna earned its first win of the season in dramatic fashion last Friday by beating New Prague 17-14 on a last-second field goal by kicker Landen Sturges.
The senior dual-sport athlete had the game at his feet from 37 yards out and cleared the uprights comfortably to get the Huskies back into the win column.
Owatonna’s low-scoring win started off slowly as neither side was able to find the endzone in the first quarter.
Despite offensive frustrations on both sides, the Huskies managed to breakthrough first and scored the opening touchdown on a rush by running back Tristan Graham.
The senior captain showed off why he is a focal point in the team’s offense by recording chunk gains of 11 and 16 yards early in the drive before head coach Jeff Williams called his number for a massive fourth-and-one play in Trojans territory.
Graham burst through the hole and found the endzone from 31 yards out to give the Huskies a 6-0 lead following a missed extra point.
Owatonna’s lead was short-lived as the Trojans took the kickoff and began marching down the field, ultimately scoring on a one-yard plunge for six points.
New Prague added the extra point to lead 7-6 with just 3:54 left in the half.
Owatonna’s offense hit the field to operate the two-minute drill, but came up empty and was forced to punt the ball back to the Trojans.
The quick turnaround proved to be a blessing in disguise for Owatonna when the Trojans bobbled the punt return and coughed the ball back up to the Huskies at the 50-yarrd line.
After some early struggles, quarterback Aedan Tackmann began to find his groove at the right time.
The junior took the opportunity from midfield to lead a scoring drive that was punctuated by a seven-yard passing touchdown to Cooper Routh.
Tackmann’s efficiency was some of his best yet, as he ended the drive four-of-seven in his passing and gave the Huskies a 14-7 lead after a successful two-point try.
New Prague was unable to answer with just 29 seconds left in the half following Owatonna’s touchdown.
The second half got off to a fast start, and not in the way Owatonna had hoped.
New Prague began the opening drive from its own 20-yard line and immediately began working on an 80-yard scoring drive that chewed up nearly five minutes.
The Trojans scored on a four-yard rush that tied the game at 14-14 with plenty of time remaining.
A defensive chess match between the two sides ensued for the remainder of the game, but it was Owatonna that found itself in a position to win just before the end of regulation.
A 37-yard field goal opportunity with little time left on the clock proved to be the best chance for the team to win the game and avoid overtime.
Williams called Sturges’s number for the kick, despite having already watched a missed extra point earlier in the game.
When it mattered most, Owatonna’s kicker proved to be the right guy for the job and sent Huskies fans into a frenzy.
The win was Owatonna’s first of the season and came on homecoming night.
Up next for Owatonna is a road matchup against a middle-of-the-road Rochester John Marshall side that also sits 1-3 overall.
Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
|
Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
|
New Prague |
0 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
14 |
|
Owatonna |
0 |
14 |
0 |
3 |
17 |
Player Stats
Passing
#7 Aedan Tackmann – 9/25 101 yards 1 TD 1 Int.
Rushing
#20 Tristan Graham – 18 att. 106 yards 1 TD; #26 Zachary Roesner – 3 att. 9 yards; #7 Tackmann – 4 att. 9 yards
Receiving
#85 William Halverson – 1 rec. 24 yards; #8 Isaiah Farwell – 1 rec. 20 yards; #20 Graham – 1 rec. 18 yards; #6 Mason Klecker – 2 rec. 16 yards; #15 Cooper Routh – 2 rec. 13 yards 1 TD; #2 Nolan Rolloff – 1 rec. 9 yards; #9 Nolan Johnson – 1 rec. 1 yard