With great character comes great success. This fall, Andrew Stelter made his commitment to The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. He is a key part of one of the best football programs in the state and will now be competing, with his team, for the State Class AAAAA Championship on Saturday at the Dome. And to top it all off, Stelter has received a nomination for Mr. Football. In regard to the nomination, senior defensive end Andrew Stelter said,” I think it’s great seeing all the great players who have been nominated in the past and just to be considered on their level is just a great honor.”

How the award is decided is two players from each section are nominated and are then narrowed down to the top ten players in the state. From there the award is given to the player that the MFCA consider to be the finest football player in the state on and off the field.  Coach Jeff Williams said, “It’s really a great honor for Andrew. There will be some division one players there at the banquet, too, so it should be a great experience for him.” The Mr. Football award is a relatively new award. It has only been around for a little over 10 years, but Owatonna has been represented in the past. Williams said, “Casey Dehn was also nominated within the last few years, which really says a lot for our school and program to be represented twice given the award’s limited history.”

With his team’s success, along with his individual success, it is fair to say this year has been a special year for Stelter. Consequentially it has also been a memorable one for his father, Kevin Stelter, who is a part of the OHS football coaching staff. Coach Kevin Stelter said,” It was a pleasant surprise to hear about the award. It’s relatively new, so there’s not much history behind it, but I’m very happy for Andrew and his team as they have had a wonderful season.” Although the award is a great honor, it take a backburner to the team playing in the State Championship this Saturday. Stelter said, “It’s really an awesome thing to be nominated, but I don’t see the award as something anyone, including me, is focusing on right now. We’re really just focused on getting that win on Saturday.”