SPORTS WRAP
Youth 1st serve up some pork at its annual Pigskin and Pork fundraiser in Owatonna. Some of those involved in the fundraiser include, from left: Dan Gorman, youth scholarship committee; Keith Ramm of Cash Wise, Dylan McCloskey, Bence Gaspar, Eddie Gustin, and Troy Hinrichs of Cash Wise. Submitted photo
I am yet to know a high school coach who doesn’t want to face the toughest competition available. Win or lose there is value in the effort. The Owatonna High School girls’ basketball team will have such an opportunity this coming season.
The girls will play defending state 4A champion Hopkins in a holiday tournament at Park Center. Coach Lindsey Mesich is excited. “We just thought it was a great opportunity. Why not? They get 26 games in their season and for us to get one of those games is a great opportunity for our girls to get to play against one of the top teams in the state.”
Coach Hugs said she was looking for a couple more nonconference games over the holiday break and this came up with a catch. They had to play Hopkins. “They’re just a solid program with very good tradition. I remember playing them when I was in high school. And whatever happens, it’s a great learning tool. It’ll be fast paced. We know they play really intense defense, are a very physical team.”
The Huskies play Chaska on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at 4:15 p.m. and Hopkins on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 1:30 p.m., both at Park Center.
“And then the next day we get to play Lakeville North [at North High School]. So, it’s three days in a row of really good basketball. And just fun for the girls to be able to concentrate on basketball, not have school, and get to do some fun bonding activities as a team as well,” the coach said.
Owatonna graduated 10 seniors off their 2021-22 team that went 11-16 but reeled off six straight wins at one point. They lost to Lakeville North in the section quarterfinals. “We have a very young team this year,” said Coach Hugs. “But we do have some great senior leadership coming back. We have some juniors that have been playing in the summer.”
The Huskies open the season Nov. 29 at Section 1AAAA opponent Farmington.
Basketball shot clock
Hopkins plays in the Lake Conference, which recently voted to implement the 35-second shot clock during the upcoming regular season for conference games. Mesich has not been given any indication that the shot clock will be used during the holiday event. “I’m guessing both games are going very fast paced regardless and shots will get put up pretty quickly.”
A shot clock will become the norm for the 2023-24 season based on a ruling by the Minnesota State High School League.
The Blooming Prairie girls have played a couple of games in recent years with the shot clock. Coach John Bruns likes how it changes end-of-game situations, citing a specific game. “We were down and it forced the other team’s hand to try to be a little bit more aggressive than what they were wanting to be with the lead. We were able to come back and actually ended up winning that game on a last second shot.”
He said his team had to “launch up some threes at the buzzer” to avoid a shot clock violation early in the game, but he is in favor of the move, “I think it’s going to clean up the end of the games too. There’s not going to be a march to the free throw line.”
Football milestones
Owatonna football coach Jeff Williams and Blooming Prairie coach Chad Gimbel are each closing in on a career milestone as the playoffs begin. Williams, now in his 27th season, has an overall mark of 198-82. In his 26th season, Gimbel stands at 198-69.
Huskies’ grad Jason Williamson (’19) sits as the second-leading rusher in Minnesota prep history. But St. Charles senior Sam Backer could catch him. Backer has 6,400 career yards after gaining 255 in week eight. He could play five more games if the Saints go all the way to the Prep Bowl.
Williamson has 7,009 career yards. Tops on the list is Tyler Evans of McLeod West. His 7,503 career yards seem safe to remain as the gold standard.
Big Nine at state
Four Big Nine Conference teams play at state. The Rochester Mayo boys return for a second straight year, and ninth time overall, after coming from behind to top the Huskies 2-1 in overtime in the section final. The Austin boys are making their fifth appearance. The Mankato East and Winona girls qualified for the first time. No Big Nine team has ever won a state soccer title.
Robb to wrestle at college
OHS senior Cael Robb announced through social media that he will wrestle for Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney. Robb is a three-state place winner, finishing fourth as a freshman at 106 pounds, sixth in his sophomore season at 120, and third last season at 132 pounds. The Lopers won the NCAA national championship last winter.
Cael’s brother Peyton is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and three-time NCAA qualifier wrestling two hours down the road at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln entering his junior season.
Running for wrestling
NRHEG junior Annabelle Petsinger was asked to join the cross-country squad due to her success running long distance events during the track season. She’s also using the season to get into shape for wrestling, where she earned third place honors during the first-ever girls’ division of the Minnesota State High School League wrestling tournament last season, making for a special event, “I got to go up there with my brother [Nikolas] for his senior year,” she told the Owatonna Live Coaches Show.
She learned many of her moves from him, “I’ve been wrestling him since I was in diapers and I’ve learned a lot from him. And every time I get my butt handed to me and then I come back and try and use it on other people.” She is yet to beat him, but holds on to hope, “One day I want to beat my brother.”
The atmosphere at state was overwhelming, “I’ve wrestled at arenas before, but it was way different being up at Xcel on the floor for state. You can’t really prepare for that.” After losing her semifinal match, Petsinger won third place, “At least I won one.”
Petsinger finished 18th individually at the recent Gopher-Valley Conference Cross Country Meet with a time of 24:19.3, which was a season best. She’s battled through an ankle injury, suffered during a wrestling event.
Ribs fundraiser huge hit
The ribs were delicious and the cause great as Youth 1st worked with Cash Wise Foods for the annual Pigskin and Pork fundraiser. “They are a great community partner, and we are grateful for all the support that Keith, Troy and the staff give us each year through the BBQ rib fundraisers,” said Mark Arjes, director, and founder of Youth 1st. “Our lunch delivery to local businesses continues to grow. We send out a special thanks to Tom Peterson and Climate by Design (CDI) for providing lunch to all their employees and for their support and donation.”
Members of Owatonna High School DECA and the Steele County Blades Junior Hockey team assisted with serving meals. “We are so fortunate to have support from great community organizations. We can’t run the fundraiser without them.”
Volunteer drivers included: Tony Schwichtenberg, Steve Arnold, Brad Meier, Rich Will, Kelly Kalan, Paul Herzog, Scott Pierce, John Dickerman, Tim Truelson, and Cathi Arjes.
Youth 1st has partnered with Owatonna Parks and Recreation since 2010 and contributed over $2,000 to the Youth Scholarship Fund in 2021. Dan Gorman chairs the committee, “We are so grateful to Youth 1st for including us in their fundraisers and supporting scholarships for kids.”
Mark Arjes said Youth 1st is “working in the youth sports’ environment. We’re focusing on a lot of conduct and character training. Doing a lot of sportsmanship recognition right now.” Youth 1st and the Minnesota Twins hosted 2,000 athletes from around the state at Target Field in August.
Search is on
Earlier this fall Arjes told me of efforts to help with game officials’ shortages. “[We’re] doing a lot of training and mentoring, getting young people into officiating. That’s the next big initiative. It’s a big deal. The reason our conduct environment is so important is to get the adults on the same page that it’s about the kids, and secondly respect officials and opponents. Because right now only 13% of the officials’ pool nationally is under 34 years old. Fifty percent is 55 and older.
“What we’re trying to do is encourage these middle school and high school kids to get involved in officiating.” Arjes said the “Behind the Mask” mentoring program had about 40 kids in it last year and about 60 this year. “So we’re excited about that.”
A ribs and pies fundraiser is set for Nov. 16 and 17 at Cash Wise to coincide with Give to the Max Day.
Upcoming schedule
Volleyball sections on Thursday, Oct. 27
Football sections on Saturday, Oct. 29