At Owatonna High School, friday night lights are full of excitement and spirit for the Huskies, as they took on New Prague for this year’s homecoming game. Owatonna and New Prague, two section rivals, both came into the game with an 0-3 record. Both the teams were aiming to make a change in the win column and standings. Owatonna ended up with a thrilling 17-14 victory over the Trojans on Friday, September 19.
Defense dominated the first quarter, with both teams holding each other scoreless throughout. The following quarter put the Huskies on the scoreboard, as Senior Captain Tristan Graham broke free for a 31 yard rushing touchdown. The Trojans would respond with a touchdown of their own, but Owatonna led 14-7 at half following a jump ball touchdown from OHS Junior Aedan Tackmann to sophomore wide receiver Cooper Routh. Tackmann said, “Yeah, it was huge, it was really nice to be able to score going into half, and then coming out of half having that momentum of having scored, it was a really big moment for us.”
As the first half of the game comes to an end, the OHS cheer team, dance team and marching band put on phenomenal performances to ‘wow’ the crowd. Homecoming Royalty was recognized after the three amazing performances, they put on a dance and waved to the crowd on golf carts driven by Owatonna teachers.
The OHS Cheerleading team has been working very hard for the past few months on their 2025 homecoming halftime routine. Each member of the team has put in individual work to execute a great performance. Senior Casey Salinas said, “I think it was a good experience that would never be forgotten. It’s a bittersweet memory that will stick for a lifetime.”
The OHS fall Dance Team has been working immensely over the past couple months to prepare for their annual football halftime performance. The team was ecstatic after the performance and felt great support from the Owatonna community. Junior Kate Karsten said, “It was super nice to have more people come out and watch us do what we do.”
Marching Band was another huge part of the homecoming halftimes. They had a blast performing their Hawaiian-themed performance for this year’s homecoming game. Senior Kelly Sackett said this about Friday’s performance, “I think seeing all the people cheering for us and trying to beat the rain really made this more impactful.”
The second half consisted of a lot of defensive action, with just one touchdown being scored. With just seconds remaining in the game, the score was 14-14, Huskies’ ball. A strong drive by the offense made way for Senior Kicker Landen Sturges to have a chance to score from 37 yards out to win. All eyes on #11 as the wave of blue in the student section stood in eager silence.
Sturges drills the kick right through the uprights, and an Owatonna victory comes home on homecoming. When asked what it meant to him and the team, Sturges said, “It was amazing, I had a great O-line that was able to block it up, I had a great snap, a great hold, and I was just really happy that we were able to get it done, especially after a rough start to the season and being able to get a win at home, especially on homecoming, as we go into a hard end of the year was really special and really nice to have.”
Half time entertainment exceeded the expectations of the Owatonna fans. The dance team rocked the field while the band performed up to their standard par. Following the cheer team dance routine, top 12 candidates drove their lap around the track. Soon after, they performed a fantastic dance routine in front of the student section that did not disappoint. The students watching were on their feet clapping and cheering along with them.
The Huskies’ next game is in Rochester on Friday, September 26, facing section opponent Rochester John Marshall.
