fall sports preview 2011

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FALL SPORTS PREVIEW 2011

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Fall Sports Preview 2011Fall Sports Preview 2011

Matt Simon (26) and the Huskies celebrated after a regular-season win over Rochester Mayo last year, but it was the Spartans celebrating a few weeks later after beating OHS in the playoffs.

Simon will be key piece in Huskies’ new-look offense

By IAN [email protected]

OWATONNA — The Simon household is mostly quiet these days.

It wasn’t always that way. With eight children spread out over 16 years, there was never a shortage of activity going on as the kids came and went to school, practices, games, jobs or whatever else.

But now there are only two left at the house southeast of Owatonna, 17-year-old Mat-thew — his parents never call him Matt — and 25-year-old Brian.

Growing up, Matthew shad-owed his older brother Brian wherever he went. When Mat-thew couldn’t go with, he would wait for Brian to get home.

“When I was a little kid, Brian was still in high school, and all the rest were out of high school,” Matthew said. “He’d come home from base-ball practice, and I’d say, ‘Hey Brian, let’s play baseball.’ He was sore, but he stuck it out and he helped me out a lot with sports.”

There used to be a patch of dirt in the yard right next to the garage that served as home

plate. Janet, the mother of those eight kids, thought she’d never get grass to grow there again.

Now the roles have changed a little. Instead of following in Brian’s shadow, Matthew casts a shadow over his older brother — and the rest of his family. At 6-foot-2 and 224 pounds, Matthew is by far the biggest member of the Simon family. Matthew’s large frame and seemingly endless strength have been a great help on the farm when his father Gene can get him to quit texting on his cell phone.

The Owatonna football coaches have also found it Simon’s size and strength quite useful.

Owatonna High School head football coach Jeff Williams said he’s never had a player with the combination of size — 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds — and speed as Simon.

“He’s probably the second or third fastest kid on the football team,” Williams said. “We’re going to make some moves with him, move him around a little bit offensively, and see if we can’t get him the ball a little more frequently.”

Simon started at fullback last season and carried 66 times for

339 yards (5.14 yards per carry) and fi ve touchdowns and caught nine passes for 83 yards.

The problem with Simon at fullback is that he doesn’t get any room to build up steam. Lin-ing up just a yard two behind the quarterback and running into the middle of the line limits oppor-tunities and touches for a player with his size and speed.

The Huskies have fi xed that problem by moving Simon to right halfback this season, the same position Jesse Ebel-ing played last year. Williams said it’s the fi rst time he’s ever moved a kid from fullback to halfback.

“The move will get me some more touches, and it will get me going with some accelera-tion so I can hit guys a little harder,” Simon said.

Moving around and hitting guys hard are not new concepts to Simon. He fi rst appeared in a varsity game as an outside linebacker his sophomore year, though he didn’t fi nd out he was starting that game until about 6 hours before kickoff when defensive coordinator Marc Achterkirch told he was starting that night.

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Cover Stories Page2:SimonSays OwatonnaseniorMattSimonlookstoleadtheHuskiesthisseason. Page10-11:TentoAttend We’vepickedthe10bestfootballgamesforyoutoseethisseason. Page13:StriveforFive TheOHSboyscrosscountryteamlookstowinitsfifthstraightBigNinetitle.Owatonna Huskies Page4:Football Page5:GirlsTennis Page5:GirlsSwimming&Diving Page7:BoysSoccer Page8:GirlsSoccer Page12:Boys&GirlsCrossCountry Page20:VolleyballOwatonna Christian School Sabres Page7:VolleyballMedford Tigers Page14:Football Page17:Volleyball&CrossCountryBlooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms Page9:Football Page18:Volleyball&CrossCountryNRHEG Panthers Page16:Football,Volleyball&CrossCountryTriton Cobras Page19:Football&VolleyballSchedules Page6&15:EventsCalendar

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What happened last year?Owatonna’s season ended earlier than

it had in three years with a 14-7 first-round playoff loss to Rochester Mayo. The Huskies posted a winning record (5-4) for the fourth consecutive season, but failed to win a playoff game for the first time since 2006. After a 1-3 start to the season, Owatonna went on a run with four straight victories to finish the season. The Huskies beat Winona (49-14), Mayo (14-9), Faribault (35-6) and Rochester JM (42-10) down the stretch. Colton Schock took over as quarterback late in the sea-son and will enter this year as the starting quarterback, Owatonna’s first junior signal caller since Derek Eddie.

What you will see in 2011The Huskies are adding a wrinkle to

their patented double-wing offense this

season by incorporating no-huddle and big sideline playcards like those that the University of Oregon team does. Schock is back as the starting quarterback. The other returning starters on offense are linemen Riley Collins and Alex Rockensock, tight end Logan Busho and running back Matt Simon. Simon also started at defensive end last year and will be joined in the lineup by returners Tyler Crawford, Mark

Naber, Jordan Zeman, Ricky Pratt and Drew Osmundson.

Head CoachJeff Williams, 16th year, 92-58

2011 RosterSeniors

Bryce Bennett, Tyler Burke, Logan Busho, Riley Collins, Tyler Crawford, Jeff DuFrene,

Max Fraser, Brandon Hager, Nate Hager, Lu-cas Hughes, Ryan Jensen, Bryton Jorgensen, David Kraus, Mark Naber, Ricky Pratt, Zach Olson, Drew Osmundson, JB Rogers, Alex Rockensock, Matt Simon, Jordan Zeman

JuniorsCaleb Buck, Luke Ebeling, Gunnar Els-tad, Justin Flores, Ryan Melcher, Jonah Noeldner, Matt Ratzloff, Caleb Satterlund, Colton Schock, Bowen Schultz

2011 ScheduleSept. 1 at Chanhassen, 7 p.m.Sept. at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.Sept. 16 vs. Rochester JM, 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Century, 7 p.m.Sept. 30 vs. Faribault, 7 p.m.Oct. 7 at Winona, 7 p.m.Oct. 14 vs. Austin, 7 p.m.Oct. 19 at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.

“We’ve got some athletes that we believe can do some things, both passing and

catching the ball.”— JEFF WILLIAMS, Owatonna football coach

2011 Owatonna Football

Owatonna seniors Tyler Crawford (73) and Matt Simon (26)

Veteran ‘D’ leads OHS football team

“I had never played outside linebacker in my life,” Simon said. “So I finished that year playing outside linebacker, and then I moved to defensive end last year.”

Simon had 4.5 sacks in just five games his sophomore year, and then followed that up by being named all-Big Nine Conference last season with 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

“He kind of caught all of us by surprise when he first came up, not just our opponents,” Williams said. “Our coaches were pleasantly surprised by his speed and play-making abilities out there. To have a 225-pound kid running around like he’s 155 pounds, it’s pretty impressive.”

Simon won’t catch anybody

by surprise this season. Other teams will know where he is on every play, and he will likely see double and triple teams on most snaps. Williams is hope-ful that Simon’s speed will al-low him to beat those situations and continue to make plays.

“He is a kid that can’t be off the field defensively,” Williams said. “Hopefully we can spell him on offense, but still make sure he gets a lot of quality touches. We’re going to find some other kids that can give him a break so he can play defense.”

Owatonna’s opponents may be the ones who need breaks on defense. The Huskies are adding a few wrinkles to their offense this season with a no-huddle attack and a new play-

calling system.In the past, the OHS quarter-

back would have to run from the middle of the field over to Wil-liams after every play, get the play call, run back to the huddle, call the play, and then go to the line and run the play. All of that had to happen before the 25-sec-ond play clock ran out.

“You think about that, your quarterback has to run 25 yards to the boundary and 25 yards back, 70 plays a night,” Williams said. “That’s a lot of sprinting, a lot of extra miles on those legs.”

To alleviate that problem, Williams has borrowed the system made famous by the Oregon Ducks last year. The Huskies will have large plac-

ards on the sideline with four pictures on each card. The pic-tures — which include a stick of butter, actor Will Smith’s face, and a ‘No Diving’ sign — each pertain to plays or passing routes. Williams will signal in to quarterback Colton Schock which play to run, saving all the running and shortening the time between plays.

“A lot of this stuff is just me putting some things on paper,” Williams said. “I showed it to the gal at Insty-Prints, and she laughed, so I knew I had kind of hit the mark. There is some pretty good humor in there, and the kids look at it and know ex-actly what it is.”

If everything goes accord-ing to plan, the Huskies will

create a moving target difficult for defenses to get a handle on. Williams has also hinted that Owatonna might throw the ball a little more this season after attempting just 70 passes in nine games last season.

“We’ve got some athletes that we believe can do some things, both passing and catching the ball,” Williams said. “We’ll kind of see what our ability is to do this stuff without having to yell a million things across the field. This is our attempt to mix in ... a more diverse passing attack with a better communica-tion system with our kids.”

Owatonna opens the season Sept. 1 at Chanhassen. The Storm are only in their third season of varsity football and

finished 2-7 in each of their first two years. The Huskies also have road games at Rochester Century and Rochester Mayo.

“I see a couple games on the schedule where I really want to get after them,” Simon said. “We want to get after Chanhas-sen, get some points for sec-tions, and hopefully get a high section seed, win that section and make it to state.”

If the Huskies can do that, it will be Simon’s third trip to a state tournament after he helped the Owatonna baseball and boys basketball teams make it.

“Football is the only sport I haven’t made it to state in yet,” Simon said. “That’s the goal. If we work together as a team, we can do it.”

SIMON: Caught coaches, opponents by surprise two years agoContinued from page 2

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What happened last year?Owatonna finished fifth at the Big Nine

Conference championships thanks to a third-place finish from freshman Brianna Hartmann. Senior Sarah McCann and sophomore Gabby Tellijohn both finished fourth. The Huskies went on to win their section opener before falling to Lakeville North. McCann won at individual sub-sections and advanced to sections before losing in the quarterfinals. Seven of Owa-tonna’s players from the section lineup will be back this season.

What you will see in 2011A lot of talent is back from last year’s

squad, including senior No. 1 singles player Sarah McCann. Freshman Briana Hartmann is back after a third place at No. 4 singles at the Big Nine championships last year. Sophomore Gabby Tellijohn en-ters her third year on the varsity quad and will likely stay at No. 3 singles, where she played last fall. A main issue for the Hus-kies and coach Curt Matejcek is how the doubles lineup will shake out after both the players from last year’s No. 1 team graduated.

Head CoachCurt Matejcek

2011 RosterSeniors

Molly Frandle, Alyssa Holcomb, Sarah McCann, Jessica Van Houdt, Larissa Voss

JuniorsAshley Anderson, Amber Grunwald, Ina Szigat, Emily Weltzin

SophomoresKatie Eckard, Emily Mensing, Anna Rah-rick, Gabby Tellijohn, Giszel Villarreal

FreshmenMagdalena Biegert, Brianna Hartmann, Taylor Limberg, Hannah Olson, Brianna Ong, Brittney Stockwell, Maiah Tellijohn, Michala White

Junior HighTessa Rahrick, Macey Tellijohn

2011 ScheduleAug. 22 at Lakeville North InviteAug. 23 vs. Northfield, 10 a.m.Aug. 25 vs. Waseca, 10 a.m.Aug. 26 at Chanhassen, 10 a.m.Aug. 30 at Faribault, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 1 vs. Albert Lea, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 6 at Century, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Mayo, 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 at Winona, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 15 vs. Mankato East, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 20 at John Marshall, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 22 vs. Mankato West, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 24 at Litchfield Tournament, a.m.Sept. 27 at Austin, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 1 at Big Nine (Rochester), a.m.Oct. 4-11 Section 1AA TeamOct. 13-18 Section 1AA Individual

“Our singles players are pretty well set, but doubles is a question mark. We’re go-ing to have to work really hard. It’s going

to be a work in progress”— CURT MATEJCEK, Owatonna girls tennis coach

2011 Owatonna Girls Tennis

McCann, Tellijohn back to lead Huskies tennis team

2011 Owatonna Girls Swimming & Diving

Swimmers hope to keep state streak alive this year

What happened last year?The Huskies kept a streak alive by

sending two relay teams to the Class 2A State Meet in Minneapolis. It was the fourth straight year Owatonna had a swim-mer or relay team at state. Seniors Caitlin Schneider and Steph Johnson finished their high school careers at the state meet. Seniors Elise O’Neill and Lindsey Price and junior Madelyn Thein also swam at state and will return to lead the Huskies this year.

What you will see in 2011The Huskies have three swimmers from

state back this year, including seniors Elise O’Neill and Lindsey Price. Junior Madelyn Thein has swam at state each of the last two years. Experienced divers Kiana Leer, Kalley Schwab and Ashley Kniefel also return to help the Huskies. Owatonna won most of its dual meets during the season last year, and the Huskies expect to do the same this year. Versatility has always been a goal for coach Martha Bloomenrader, and she should have plenty of swimmers to choose from this year when its time to fill out the lineup. The Huskies have a lot of varsity experience in their junior class and even a few sophomores and freshmen have had their chances before.

Head CoachMartha Bloomenrader, 16th year

2011 RosterSeniors

Tara Lammers, Kiana Leer, Elise O’Neill, Emily Pearson, Lindsey Price, Kelsey Selvik

JuniorsLara Butler, Ceilidh Dicke, DeeDee Dusek, Leah Hawkins, Ashley Kniefel, Elisabeth Otto, Madelyn Thein, Kalley Warren

SophomoresMadison Eggermont, Madison Lykken, Megan Price, Kalley Schwab

FreshmenKarin Anderson, Jessica Beckman, Rachel Belina, Sarah Floy, Anna Moe, Maria Ver-steeg, Macy VonRuden

Junior HighKatie Belina, Laura Bloomenrader, Kristen Johnson, Jessica Johnson, Saige Marti-nez, Maya Rhodes, Matalin Shaver

2011 ScheduleAug. 25 vs. Northfield, 6 p.m.Sept. 1 vs. Faribault, 6 p.m.Sept. 8 at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.Sept. 15 vs. Century, 6 p.m.Sept. 20 at Mayo, 6 p.m.Sept. 27 vs. Winona, 6 p.m.Oct. vs. Mankato East, 6 p.m.Oct. 6 vs. John Marshall, 6 p.m.Oct. 13 at Mankato West, 6 p.m.Oct. 18 vs. Austin, 6 p.m.Oct. 28 at Big Nine (Mankato), p.m.Oct. 29 at Big Nine (Mankato), 1 p.m.Nov. 10-12 Section 1AA (Rochester)

“We are well-rounded in the medley events and sprint freestyle events. We will be looking for more depth in the middle

and distance events.”— MARTHA BLOOMENRADER,

Owatonna girls swimming & diving coach

Owatonna sophomore Gabby Tellijohn

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EVENTS CALENDARAug. 27

Girls SoccerOwatonna at Eagan, 5 p.m.

Aug. 29Cross Country

Medford at Wabasha-Kellogg Invite, 4 p.m.

Aug. 30Cross Country

Owatonna (b/g) at Austin Invite, 4 p.m.Boys Soccer

Owatonna at Lakeville South, 7 p.m.Girls Soccer

Owatonna at Lakeville South, 5 p.m.Girls Tennis

Owatonna at Faribault, 4:30 p.m.Volleyball

Blooming Prairie at Medford, 7:15 p.m. (NC)NRHEG at Albert Lea, 7:30 p.m.Triton at W-E-M, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 1Cross Country

Medford, Blooming Prairie, NRHEG at Stew-artville Invite, 4 p.m.

FootballOwatonna at Chanhassen, 7 p.m.Montgomery-Lonsdale at Medford, 7 p.m.Byron at Triton, 7 p.m.

Boys SoccerFaribault at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls SoccerOwatonna at Faribault, 5 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingFaribault at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisAlbert Lea at Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Faribault, 7:15 p.m.Blooming Prairie at W-E-M, 7:15 p.m. (NC)


Owatonna (b/g) at St. Olaf Invite, 10 a.m.Football

Blooming Prairie at NRHEG, 7 p.m.Boys Soccer

Lakeville North at Owatonna, 3 p.m.Girls Soccer

Lakeville North at Owatonna, 5 p.m.

Sept. 6Boys Soccer

Owatonna at Northfield, 7 p.m.Girls Soccer

Owatonna at Northfield, 5 p.m.Girls Tennis

Owatonna at Century, 4:30 p.m.Volleyball

Owatonna at Lakeville North, 7 p.m.Medford at Le Center, 7:15 p.m.NRHEG at W-E-M, 7:30 p.m. (NC)Triton at Stewartville, 7:15 p.m.


Medford, NRHEG at Mont.-Lonsdale Invite, 4:30 p.m.Blooming Prairie at Hayfield Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerOwatonna at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.

Girls SoccerAlbert Lea at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingOwatonna at Albert Lea, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisMayo at Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballNRHEG at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Albert Lea at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.Loyola at Medford, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Cotter, 7 p.m.


Owatonna (b/g) at Faribault Invite, 4 p.m.Football

Owatonna at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.Randolph at Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.LeCenter at Medford, 7 p.m.Triton at K-W, 7 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Marshall Tournament

Sept. 10Football

NRHEG at Minn. Valley Lutheran, 7 p.m.Boys Soccer

Owatonna at Eagan, 1 p.m.

Girls SoccerLa Crescent at Owatonna, 3 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Marshall TournamentBlooming Prairie at Hayfield Tournament, 8:30 a.m.Medford, Triton at Montgomery-Lonsdale Tournament, 8 a.m.NRHEG at Mankato West Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 12Volleyball

Austin at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 13Boys Soccer

John Marshall at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Girls Soccer

Owatonna at John Marshall, 7 p.m.Girls Tennis

Owatonna at Winona, 4:30 p.m.Volleyball

Southland at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.NRHEG at LeSueur-Henderson, 7:30 p.m.La Crescent at Triton, 7 p.m.


Owatonna boys at Mayo Invite, 4 p.m.Medford, NRHEG at Maple River Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerCentury at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls SoccerOwatonna at Century, 7 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingCentury at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisMankato East at Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Century, 7:15 p.m.USC at Medford, 7:15 p.m.NRHEG at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Cannon Falls, 7:15 p.m.


Owatonna at Lakeville North Invite, 3:30 p.m.Football

Rochester John Marshall at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Lester Prairie at Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.St. Clair at Medford, 7 p.m.GFW at NRHEG, 7 p.m.Lake City at Triton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 17Boys Soccer

Burnsville at Owatonna, 1 p.m.Girls Soccer

Burnsville at Owatonna, 3 p.m.Volleyball

Owatonna at Farmington Tournament, 9 a.m.Blooming Prairie, Medford at Southland Tournament, 9 a.m.

Sept. 19Volleyball

Alden-Conger at Medford, 7:15 p.m.

The Events Calendar is continued on page 15 for your convenience.

Owatonna senior Ricky Pratt (44)

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2011 Owatonna Boys Soccer

OHS hopes to turn things around

What happened last year?The Huskies had one of their worst

seasons in a decade with a 4-10-3 overall record. Owatonna managed to finish fifth in the Big Nine with a 4-3-2 record in con-ference games, but went 0-7-1 outside the conference. The Huskies’ season ended with a 2-1 loss to Rochester Mayo in the section quarterfinals. Owatonna finished the season on a six-game winless streak, including four losses.

What you will see in 2011As usual, the Huskies have a beefed

up schedule filled with tough metro teams like Apple Valley, Eagan, Burnsville and both Lakeville schools. Owatonna was near the top of the Big Nine Conference as recently as two years ago, but the Huskies have some work to do to get back up there. OHS graduated eight seniors — most of them starters — from last year’s team. The new senior class has some experience, but winning games could be a challenge early in the season. Junior Trevor Carlson started in goal last year and is back for an-other season in frame. Coach Bob Waypa has been in charge for 13 seasons, so he knows what it takes to win.

Head CoachBob Waypa, 14th year, 79-109-18

2011 RosterSeniors

Alec Anderson, Austin Bauer, Robert

Deetz, Jacob Forster, Patrick Grubish, Ja-cob Kearin, Will Kreutter, Mohamed Omar, Mahad Osman, Jacob Paulson, Devin Sawyer, Eric Teaman

JuniorsPayton Baker, Trevor Carlson, Cole Marti-nez, Will Zimmerman

SophomoresBrenden Buryska, Jordan Johnson, Carter McCauley, Joe Nelson

FreshmenDexter Leer

2011 ScheduleAug. 25 at Apple Valley, 7 p.m.Aug. 30 at Lakeville South, 7 p.m.Sept. 1 vs. Faribault, 7 p.m.

Sept. vs. Lakeville North, p.m.Sept. 6 at Northfield, 7 p.m.Sept. 8 at Albert Lea, 7 p.m.Sept. at Eagan, 1 p.m.Sept. 13 vs. John Marshall, 7 p.m.Sept. 15 vs. Century, 7 p.m.Sept. 17 vs. Burnsville, 1 p.m.

Sept. 20 at Mayo, 7 p.m.Sept. 22 vs. Winona, 7 p.m.Sept. 24 vs. Farmington, 1 p.m.Sept. 27 at Mankato East, p.m.Oct. at Mankato West, p.m.Oct. 6 vs. Austin, 7 p.m.

“It’s a blessing to have. We have 21 on the roster. Usually I never carry more than 18, but because we have so much talent and

so much depth, again, that’s a good thing.”— BOB WAYPA, Owatonna boys soccer coach

2011 OCS Volleyball

OCS volleyball team

New coach takes over Sabres after successful 2010

What happened last year?The Sabres shocked even themselves

with a 3-2 win over Woodcrest Baptist in the season opener and then went to have a 11-6 overall record. The last win was a 2-0 upset of third-seeded St. Francis at the MACS State Tournament. OCS’s bid for an underdog story at the state tournament ended with a loss in the next round, but the Sabres still had a solid season. Only one senior from last year’s team gradu-ated, but the Sabres will have a new head coach this season.

What you will see in 2011With all but one player back from last

year’s team, the Sabres figure to be one of the toughest outs in the state this year. A new coach, Sue Bergseiker, is at the helm this season after Allyson Burggraff led OCS for three seasons.

Head CoachSue Bergseiker, 1st year

2011 RosterJuniors

Bethany Corwine, Alexis Duruji, Cherilyn Jorgensen, Alyssa Larson, Kari Weil

SophomoresJessica Holt, Janae Jorgensen, Jenessa Jorgensen, Rachael Trunnell

Junior HighNatalie Greiner, Bethany Roberts, Susie Schultz, Alicia Smith, Kari Tverberg

2011 ScheduleAug. 26 at Rosemount JamboreeSept. 2 at Rosemount, 3:30 p.m.Sept. 6 at Victory Christian, 3:30 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Rochester Home School, 5:30 p.m.Sept. 9-10 at St. Francis TournamentSept. 20 at St. Francis, 5 p.m.Sept. 26 at Prior Lake, 4 p.m.Sept. 27 vs. Fourth Baptist, 5 p.m.Oct. 4 vs. St. Francis, 5 p.m.Oct. 7 vs. Mankato, 5 p.m.Oct. 7 vs. Victory Christian Acad., 6:30 p.m.Oct. 10 vs. Rosemount, 5 p.m.Oct. 11 at Woodcrest, 4 p.m.Oct. 14-15 at Heritage Spikefest (Plym-outh), 5 p.m.Oct. 18 vs. Prior Lake, 4 p.m.Oct. 21 vs. Mankato, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 21 vs. Chisago, 6:30 p.m.Oct. 27-28 at MACS Tourney (Brainerd)

Owatonna senior Eric Teaman

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2011 Owatonna Girls Soccer • Big Nine Conference Champions

What happened last year?The Huskies had a perfect 9-0 record

in the Big Nine on the way to their first conference title in more than five years. Owatonna, which was 14-5 overall, al-lowed just three goals all season against Big Nine teams. On the other end, the Huskies scored 53 goals in nine confer-ence games. Owatonna’s season ended with a 1-0 loss to Lakeville South in the section semifinals. It was the second year in a row the Huskies lost in the semifinals at home.

What you will see in 2011The Huskies have a solid group of mid-

fielders and defenders coming back, but there are big question marks at forward and goalkeeper. Without Cailyn McCau-ley, the second-highest scoring player in school history, coach Matt Roddy needs to figure out where the scoring will come from. In the back, Paige Lysne graduated after five years as the starting keeper. In the midfield, senior Liz Emanuel and sophomores Katlin Ptacek and Kyndal Cox. Senior center back Liz Berg will lead the defense, along with sophomore and third-year starter Toni Nelson. The pos-sible options at forward include seniors

Taylor Picha and Nicole Williams and junior Monica Hanson.

Head CoachMatt Roddy, 4th season, 29-20-4

2011 RosterSeniors

Liz Berg, Liz Emanuel, Taylor Picha, Heather Smith

JuniorsMonica Hanson, Hannah Kriska, Aubri-anna Schlottman

SophomoresKyndal Cox, Kelly Fait, Tess Heyer, Toni Nelson, Payton Noble, Haley Paulson, Halea Picha, Katlin Ptacek, Nicole Sedivy

FreshmenSydney Kasper, Morgan Malo, Brekken Fukushima

2011 ScheduleAug. 25 at Apple Valley, p.m.Aug. 27 at Eagan, p.m.Aug. 30 at Lakeville South, p.m.Sept. 1 at Faribault, p.m.Sept. vs. Lakeville North, p.m.Sept. 6 at Northfield, p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Albert Lea, 7 p.m.Sept. vs. La Crescent, p.m.Sept. 13 at John Marshall, 7 p.m.Sept. 15 at Century, 7 p.m.Sept. 17 vs. Burnsville, p.m.Sept. 20 vs. Mayo, 7 p.m.Sept. 22 at Winona, 7 p.m.Sept. 27 vs. Mankato East, 7 p.m.Oct. vs. Mankato West, 7 p.m.Oct. 6 at Austin, 7 p.m.

Owatonna sophomore Toni Nelson (2)

With McCauley gone, OHS needs to find goal scorers

“We’ve got two goalkeepers who are very capable. They may not be on Paige’s level at the moment, but they’re both good and

they’re going to push each other.”— MATT RODDY, Owatonna girls soccer coach

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2011 Owatonna Girls Soccer • Big Nine Conference Champions

Blossoms bring back almost everyone

Blossoms senior Luke Hueman (34)

What happened last year?The Awesome Blossoms lost two of

their first three games against NRHEG and Waseca by two points each. The Waseca loss was a 55-53 overtime game that end-ed when a botched extra point turned into a two-point conversion. After the Waseca game, the Blossoms rattled off seven straight victories to reach the section championship. Goodhue ended Bloom-ing Prairie’s run with a 28-13 defeat in the section final, quashing the Blossoms’ hopes to return to the state tournament. Luc Zellmer broke the Blossoms school record for touchdown passes in a career during the season.

What you will see in 2011The Awesome Blossoms will look a lot

like they did last year with starters back on both sides of the ball. Among the return-ing starters in senior quarterback and third-year starter Luc Zellmer, who is just 23 touchdown passes away from breaking the state record for most in a career. Other returning players include a few of Zellmer’s top targets, seniors Gabe Kartes, Luke Hue-man and Isaiah Toquam. Senior running back Jonny Kraling is also back. All five of the Blossoms’ starting offensive linemen

are back this season, including senior Pat Jones. Hueman is also a leader on defense as the starting middle linebacker. The Blos-soms nonconference schedule includes NRHEG for the fourth year in a row.

Head CoachChad Gimbel, 15th year, 90-49

2011 RosterSeniors

Luke Hueman, Gabe Kartes, Jonny Kral-ing, Pat Jones, Dennis Schaefer, Frank Suazo, Aaron Thompson, Isaiah Toquam, Luc Zellmer

JuniorsBlake Arett, Jarrod Grunklee, Jimmy Mans, Michael Thomas

SophomoresRyan Doerhoefer, Weston Fiebiger, Zach

Reynolds, Hunter Rudlong, Anthony Suazo, Brett Wacek, Sam Wehner, Colin Yankoviak

FreshmenJake Decker, Devin Gwilt, Tristen Habber-man, Weston Myer, James Neidermeier, Zach Nirk, Juan Rodriguez, Scott Ro-meo, John Rumpza, Jason Schewe, Trent Strunk, Cole Sunde, Sam Swenson, Collin Wobschall

2011 ScheduleSept. at NRHEG, 7 p.m.Sept. vs. Randolph, 7 p.m.Sept. 16 vs. Lester Prairie, 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Le Center, 7 p.m.Sept. 30 at Medford, 7 p.m.Oct. 7 vs. Loyola, 7 p.m.Oct. 14 at St. Clair, 7 p.m.Oct. 19 vs. Bethlehem Academy, 7 p.m.

“Our goal is to improve each and every day, get better technically, work hard, learn our assignments, and everything else will take

care of itself in the end.”— CHAD GIMBEL, Blooming Prairie football coach

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at

Owatonna

ChanhassenWeek 1

Thursday, September 1, Chanhassen

Why you should go: The Huskies open the season on the road, coming off a 5-4 record in 2010. The Storm, in only its third year of existence, play on one of the nicest fi elds in the state.

Other games today: Montgomery-Lonsdale at Med-ford; Triton at Byron

OwatonnaSept. 1 at Chanhassen

Sept. 8 at Albert LeaSept. 16 vs. Rochester JMSept. 23 at Roch. Century

Sept. 30 vs. FaribaultOct. 7 at Winona

Oct. 14 vs. AustinOct. 19 at Roch. Mayo

All games at 7 p.m.

at

Blooming Prairie

NRHEG

Why you should go: The Awesome Blossoms fell a win short of the state tournament last season. In week one, however, it was the Panthers that looked like the better team in a 20-18, nail-biting win.

at

Le Center

Medford

Why you should go: The second of three straight home games to open the season should help the Tigers against the Wildcats.

Other games today: Owatonna at Albert Lea; Triton at Kenyon-Wanamingo, NRHEG at Minnesota Valley Lutheran (Saturday)

at

Roch. JM

Why you should go: It’s the Huskies’ home-opener, and the fi rst of only three home games for Owatonna in 2011.

Other games today: Lester Prairie at Blooming Prai-rie, GFW at NRHEG, Lake City at Triton

at

Roch. Century

Why you should go: The Panthers were a perfect 8-0 through the 2010 regular season including a 34-7 romp over the Huskies.

Other games today: Medford at Mankato-Loyola, Blooming Prairie at Le Center, NRHEG at MCW, Tri-ton at Goodhue

Week 2Friday, September 9, Medford

Week 1Friday, September 2, New Richland

OwatonnaWeek 3

Friday, September 16, Owatonna

Owatonna

Week 4Friday, September 23, Rochester

MedfordSept. 1 vs. Mont.-Lonsdale

Sept. 9 vs. Le CenterSept. 16 vs. St. ClairSept. 23 at Loyola

Sept. 30 vs. Blooming Pr.Oct. 8 at Faribault B.A., 6 p.m.

Oct. 14 at Lester PrairieOct. 19 at Randolph

All games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Blooming PrairieSept. 2 at NRHEG

Sept. 9 vs. RandolphSept. 16 vs. Lester Prairie

Sept. 23 at Le CenterSept. 30 at MedfordOct. 7 vs. LoyolaOct. 14 at St. Clair

Oct. 19 vs. Faribault B.A.All games at 7 p.m.

10 to AttendFrom the opening week to the closing Wednesday,

the high school football season is full of great games.Where should you be on any given Friday (or Thursday or Saturday)? Take a look. There are three separate weeks that

have games on two nights, starting with week one and including weeks two and six. It all kicks off on Thursday,

Sept. 1 with Owatonna traveling to Chanhassen.

10

Fall Sports Preview 2011 Fall Sports Preview 2011

at

Faribault

Why you should go: Faribault. Owatonna. Falcons. Huskies. Green. Blue. Just grab a seat and watch two rivals battle it out.

Other games today: Medford at Blooming Prairie, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial at NRHEG, Winona Cotter at Triton

at

W-E-M

Why you should go: Don’t let a 46-6 game in 2010 scare you away. The Panthers have played the Bucs close lately, including a win in 2007. Plus these are the two biggest rivals in the Gopher AA.

Other games today: Owatonna at Winona, Blooming Prairie at Mankato Loyola, Triton at La Crescent

at

Faribault B.A.

Why you should go: If you like defense, this is your night as the last three games have been highly contested affairs. In 2008, the Tigers won 9-3. A year later, Med-ford won again, this time by a touchdown in a 14-7 fi nal. The Cardinals fl ipped that score in 2010 to claim victory and win the Battle for the Paddle trophy.

at

USC

Why you should go: The Panthers are 6-3 since 2004 against the Rebels, but all three losses came at home.

Other games today: Austin at Owatonna, Medford at Lester Prairie, Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Triton

at

Roch. Mayo

Why you should go: Owatonna beat the Spartans in the regular season in 2010, but Mayo won the playoff game ending the Huskies season.

Other games today: Medford at Randolph, Faribault B.A. at Blooming Prairie, NRHEG at Maple River, Tri-ton at Hayfi eld

Week 4Friday, September 23, Rochester

OwatonnaWeek 5

Friday, September 30, Owatonna

NRHEG

Week 6Friday, October 7, Waterville

Medford

Week 6Saturday, October 8, Faribault

NRHEGWeek 7

Friday, October 14, New Richland

Owatonna

Week 8Wednesday, October 19, Rochester

NRHEGSept. 2 vs. Blooming Prairie

Sept. 10 at MVLSept. 16 vs. GFW

Sept. 23 at Martin Co. WestSept. 30 vs. LCWM

Oct. 7 at W-E-MOct. 14 vs. USC

Oct. 19 at Maple RiverAll games at 7 p.m.

TritonSept. 1 vs. Byron

Sept. 9 at K-WSept. 16 vs. Lake CitySept. 23 at Goodhue

Sept. 30 vs. Cotter, 6 p.m.

Oct. 7 at La CrescentOct. 14 vs. Z-M

Oct. 19 at Hayfi eldAll games at 7 p.m. unless noted

State TournamentFirst Round

Nov. 10-12, various sitesSemifi nals

Nov. 18-19, MetrodomePrep Bowl

Nov. 25-26, Metrodome

Check www.mshsl.org forcomplete tournament schedules

10 to AttendFrom the opening week to the closing Wednesday,

the high school football season is full of great games.Where should you be on any given Friday (or Thursday or Saturday)? Take a look. There are three separate weeks that

have games on two nights, starting with week one and including weeks two and six. It all kicks off on Thursday,

Sept. 1 with Owatonna traveling to Chanhassen.

11


What happened last year?The Huskies won their fourth

straight Big Nine Conference title, claimed the Section 1AA championship and reached the Class 2A State Cross Country Meet for the fourth consecu-tive year. Owatonna finished eighth at the state meet in Northfield, led by senior Justin Velzke in 26th place. Se-nior Cam Peterson was close behind in 31st. Four of Owatonna’s runners at state were underclassmen, so the cup-board is not bare for the Huskies.

What you will see in 2011A lot of the same. OHS brings back

four runners from its state lineup — Peterson, Ryan Emanuelson Spencer Versteeg, and Mark Holzerland. As usual, Owatonna’s roster is more than 50 runners strong and depth is not an issue for the Huskies. Last year, Owa-tonna’s JV won most or all of its meets and swept the top seven spots in the Section 1AA JV Meet. That’s right, Owatonna’s seven runners finished 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 at the JV section meet, so depth won’t be a problem.

Head CoachDave Chatelaine, 21st year

2011 RosterSeniors

Ben Anderson, Connor Cordell, Ryan Emanuelson, Jordan Galvin, Jack Leon, Mike Parsons

JuniorsCollin Buck, Kyle Dickerman, Daniel Heslep, Mark Holzerland, Isudin Ibra-him, Jacob Jensen, Connor Medvec, Jarrod Neuharth, Cameron Peterson, Trever Schwichtenberg, Tucker Thiede, Spencer Versteeg, Jacob Warehime

SophomoresArthur Bartholomew, D.J. Chatelaine, Zach Dantzman, Noah DeKam, Alec Hannover, Ben Konold, Brandon Krogman, Andy Lundberg, Nick Rethemeier, Eric Schlicker, Preston Smith, Colin Titus, Nili Waypa

FreshmenMicah BigEagle, Brady Heaney, Jacob Hellevik, Braden Holmes, Josh Fuller, Seth Huseby, Qahir Lahka, Patrick Lammers, Evan Moe, Jacob Otto, Eric Runner, Brodie Thiede

Junior HighKen Hauer, Nick Raichle, Chase Smith

2011 ScheduleAug. 30 at Austin Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 2 at St. Olaf Invite, 10 a.m.Sept. 9 at Faribault Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 15 at Mayo Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 24 at Apple Valley Invite, 10 a.m.Sept. 29 at Burnsville Invite, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 6 Ev Berg Invite, 5 p.m.Oct. 11 at Mankato East Invite, 3:45 p.m.Oct. 18 Big Nine Meet, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 27 Section 1AA Meet

“Our team slogan this year is ‘Strive for 5.’ We plan on working hard again this season and I will be using some new workouts to help improve our speed and endurance.”

— DAVE CHATELAINE, Owatonna boys cross country coach

2011 Owatonna Boys Cross Country • Big Nine & Section 1AA Champions

4 runners return for OHS2011 Owatonna Girls Cross Country

Owatonna hopes senior leadership leads to success

What happened last year?The Huskies finished sixth at the

Section 1AA Meet, ending their sea-son and the careers of two seniors — Caroline Stiles and Kenzie Schroeder. Five of Owatonna’s runners from the section meet are back this season, in-cluding sophomore Amy Filzen, who finished 22nd at sections. The Hus-kies finished fourth in the Big Nine, led by Filzen in 16th place.

What you will see in 2011The Owatonna lineup will look a

lot like it did last season with five runners back, but those last two spots will be big ones. The two se-niors who graduated were longtime varsity veterans and leave big holes in the lineup. Owatonna has 13 se-niors and four juniors on the roster, so there is no shortage of leadership for coach Dan Leer. The Huskies JV team, led by current sophomore Bria Wunderlich, took third at the section JV meet. It should be interesting to see if one of those upperclassmen will step up and take a spot, or if a younger runner will take control and make something happen. No matter what, the Huskies will be hoping to improve from last year.

Head CoachDan Leer, 5th year

2011 RosterSeniors

Anna Bastyr, Brianne Bernard, Simone Breyer, Anna Christenson, Bethany Degner, Carly Guenther, Savannah Ho-sler, Bailey Possehl, Shannon Randall, Rachel Wiebke, Eden Wilcox, Amanda Wilker, Savannah Wunderlich

JuniorsSarah Carlson, Abby Holmes, Kylin Lindholm, Erin Spatenka

SophomoresEmily Emanuelson, Amy Filzen, Paige

Radue, Makenzie Robertson, Sarah Ulman, Bria Wunderlich

FreshmenMaline Bungum, Sophie Hill, Amber Holte, Payton Knutson, Brittany Mead, Megan Nowariak, Jasmine Piepho, Natalie Thomas, Elizabeth Wiebke

2011 ScheduleAug. 30 at Austin Invite, 4 p.m.

Sept. 2 at St. Olaf Invite, 10 a.m.Sept. 9 at Faribault Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 16 at Lake. North Invite, 3:30 p.m.Sept. 23 at Milaca Mega Meet, 10 a.m.Sept. 24 at Apple Valley Invite, 10 a.m.Sept. 29 at Burnsville Invite, 4 p.m.Oct. 6 Ev Berg Invite, 5 p.m.Oct. 11 at Mankato East Invite, 3:45 p.m.Oct. 18 Big Nine Meet, 3:30 p.m.Oct. 27 Section 1AA Meet

“We have some strong senior leadership. It is unknown who will fill out the varsity

squad, but hopefully that will leave open the opportunity for some new girls to step up.”

— DAN LEER, Owatonna girls cross country coach

Owatonna seniors Savannah Wunderlich (151) and Anna Bastyr

12

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Huskies ‘Strive for Five’ straight Big Nine titlesBy KYLE STEVENS

[email protected]

OWATONNA — They don’t hand out rings for con-ference cross country titles. If they did, the Owatonna High School boys team would have each finger on one hand occu-pied. But not the thumb, and what is a hand full of rings with a naked thumb?

Of course, occupying that most opposable of digits is not going to be easy. The Huskies lost three runners to gradua-tion, athletes with a combined nine Big Nine team titles to their names. Tommy Kraus was a member of the 2009 and 2010 teams. Leif Peterson was on three winners from 2008-10, and Justin Velzke was on the team when the Huskies won all four championships.

The guys that are left to take a run at five in a row have trophy shelves far from bare. The Huskies return Mark Hol-zerland from last year’s team,

two-time team champions Spencer Versteeg and Cameron Peterson, and four-time champ Ryan Emanuelson.

For Emanuelson, a senior, an-other team title would be more than just icing on the cake.

“This one would mean a lit-tle more because it’s my senior year and I’m one of the lead-ers,” he said.

The returning runners talk-ed with ease about a possible fifth-straight conference title. There was little hesitation, and none had any problem with any perceived pressure.

“You’re going to have pres-sure either way,” junior Spencer Versteeg said. “Last year we had pressure to go back to state, and do well at state. This year we have pressure to go back to state again, and continue all the hard work we’ve done.”

Versteeg’s classmate agreed. “I know that my team has my back, and that we work hard, so not really,” Cam Peterson said of feeling any pressure to win.

Part of the reason they feel no pressure is their coach, Dave Chatelaine. All said Chatelaine makes the sport fit them, and they all respect him.

“We know from his experi-ence, that if we do what he tells us, and do the whole workout,

with the success that he’s had, we just want to do that,” Eman-uelson said. “He tells us what to do, and we trust him.”

“He knows his runners and his workouts. He’s just a good coach,” Cam Peterson added.

Chatelaine, who enters his

21st year at Owatonna, returns the kind words when told about the remarks his team made.

“I really enjoy working with these kids,” said Chatelaine, who usually logs miles right along with his runners during practice. “This is my 30th year of coaching and I’ve enjoyed them all. The only down side is they seem to go so fast.”

The three juniors have all run together since junior high, and that has helped them along.

“We push each other a little bit because we’ve been togeth-er since seventh grade. There’s that friendly competition,” Ver-steeg said.

“Last year they really helped us out,” Emanuelson said. “It’s nice to know we have them there, because we need five runners to score for us.”

Emanuelson, a captain, learned his leadership cues from the three seniors that departed.

“They worked hard every day, and always did their sum-mer miles,” Emanuelson said.

“In cross country, the coach isn’t always around, so you can take short cuts, but they did the work and it paid off.”

Whether it’s the unprec-edented depth of talent, or simply a run of good luck, one thing is for sure. Chatelaine has a good thing going.

The coach knows that his ex-perience, knowledge and suc-cess has paved the road for his team’s accomplishments.

“I’ve been fortunate to run myself for 40 years and com-peted at the high school and college levels and have some success,” Chatelaine said. “I just keep going to clinics and studying the sport and listening to other coaches and just trying to keep learning all the time.

“I look at the kids as individ-uals, and try to develop a rela-tionship with them. As best we can, we try to make the sport fit their needs. It’s not always pos-sible, but we just try to do what we can here. And that seems to be working so far.”

OHS runners, from left, Spencer Versteeg, Mark Holzerland and Ryan Emanuelson hope to help the Huskies win a fifth straight Big Nine Conference title this season.

13

135 W. Pearl, Owatonna • 507-451-2840

Check the Owatonna

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coverage and statistics.

owatonna.com

Owatonna • Medford • Blooming PrairieTriton • NRHEG • OCS

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2200 26th St. NW. Owatonna, MN 55060

Fall Sports Preview 2011

What happened last year?The Tigers won three straight games

in the middle of the season before los-ing four in a row end the year with a 3-6 record. Medford lost 48-26 to Rushford-Peterson in the first round of the playoffs, the fourth straight year the Tigers made an early exit. Med-ford’s wins in the middle of the sea-son came against St. Clair, Mankato Loyola and Randolph. The Tigers’ closest loss of the season came 14-7 to rival Bethlehem Academy in the an-nual Battle for the Paddle game at the end of the regular season.

What you will see in 2011The Tigers graduated quite a bit of

size along the offensive and defen-sive lines, so they will rely on quick-ness and team chemistry for success this season. Captains Curt Maas and Andrew Keller have worked tirelessly all summer to get their teammates in the weight room, and coach Jerome Johannes said it has paid off so far.Medford has 13 seniors, 13 juniors, and 10 sophomors on the roster, giv-ing the Tigers plenty of depth going into the season. What remains to be seen is if the Tigers can turn those numbers into points on the score-

board. Medford hasn’t won a playoff game since 2006, a trend the Tigers are hoping to stop this year. That will be even tougher than it has been as the Tigers new section is stocked with talent. Including Gopher Confer-ence rival Blooming Prairie, Medford shares Section 1A with state powers Goodhue and Rushford-Peterson and recent 2A teams Kingsland and Southland.

Head CoachJerome Johannes, 3rd year, 7-11

2011 RosterSeniors

Braxton Beede, Zach Eisen, Matt Gen-gler, Matias Guerrero, Andrew Keller, Dan Larson, Kiel Larson, Curt Maas, Lee Obernolte, Chris Rygalski, Alek Schauer, Derek Shaw, Nate Valen

JuniorsHunter Beckstrom, Derek Butterfield, Brandon Church, Hunter Clayton, Kade Cronin, Brandon De La Rosa, Jared DeNeui, Geoffrey Fitzgerald, Joe Haak, Brady Rogotzke, Dan Tobar, Jacob Vaupel, Jon Wagaman

SophomoresChase Hanson, Tyler Keller, Angel Lopez, Corbin Lund, Hunter Neuhaus, Wes Ohnstad, Gerardo Rodriguez, Aaron Snyder, Luke VanZuilen, Dalton Wiersma

2011 ScheduleSept. 1 vs. Mont.-Lonsdale, 7 p.m.Sept. 9 vs. Le Center, 7 p.m.Sept. 16 vs. St. Clair, 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Loyola, 7 p.m.Sept. 30 vs. Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.Oct. 8 at Bethlehem Academy, 6 p.m.Oct. 14 at Lester Prairie, 7 p.m.Oct. 19 at Randolph, 7 p.m.

“We are playing really well as a team right now and have a lot of guys working

together.”— JEROME JOHANNES, Medford football coach

2011 Medford Football

Tigers want first playoff victory in five seasons

Medford senior QB Curt Maas

14

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Medford, Blooming Prairie at NRHEG Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerOwatonna at Mayo, 7 p.m.

Girls SoccerMayo at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingOwatonna at Mayo, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisOwatonna at John Marshall, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Blaine, 7 p.m.Blooming Prairie at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.J-W-P at Medford, 7:15 p.m.NRHEG at Loyola, 7:15 p.m.Lake City at Triton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 22Boys Soccer

Winona at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Girls Soccer

Owatonna at Winona, 7 p.m.Girls Tennis

Mankato West at Owatonna, 4:30 p.m.Volleyball

Mayo at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.W-E-M at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Medford at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Kasson-Mant., 7:15 p.m.


Owatonna at Milaca Mega Meet, 10 a.m.Football

Owatonna at Rochester Century, 7 p.m.Blooming Prairie at LeCenter, 7 p.m.Medford at Loyola, 7 p.m.NRHEG at Martin County West, 7 p.m.Triton at Goodhue, 7 p.m.


Owatonna (b/g) at Apple Valley Invite, 4 p.m.Blooming Prairie at Milaca Mega Meet, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerFarmington at Owatonna, 1 p.m.

Girls TennisOwatonna at Litchfield Tournament, 9 a.m.


Medford, NRHEG at Blooming Prairie Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerOwatonna at Mankato East, 5 p.m.

Girls SoccerMankato East at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Girls Swimming & DivingWinona at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisOwatonna at Austin, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Winona, 7:15 p.m.Alden-Conger at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.


Owatonna (b/g) at Burnsville Invite, 4 p.m.Medford at Zumbrota-Mazeppa Invite, 4:15 p.m.NRHEG at W-E-M Invite, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballBlooming Prairie at Loyola, 7:15 p.m.W-E-M at Medford, 7:15 p.m.NRHEG at USC, 7:15 p.m.Pine Island at Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 30Football

Faribault at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Blooming Prairie at Medford, 7 p.m.LCWM at NRHEG, 7 p.m.Winona Cotter at Triton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 1Girls Tennis

Owatonna at Big Nine Meet (Rochester), 9 a.m.

VolleyballBlooming Prairie at Rochester Century Tour-nament, 8 a.m.Medford, NRHEG at Blue Earth Tournament, 9 a.m.

Oct. 4Cross Country

Medford at Trinity Invite, 4:30 p.m.Boys Soccer

Owatonna at Mankato West, 5 p.m.Girls Soccer

Mankato West at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Girls Swimming & Diving

Mankato East at Owatonna, 6 p.m.Girls Tennis

Owatonna vs. TBD (section 1AA)Volleyball

Northfield at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.Medford at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Bethlehem Academy at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.Byron at Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 6Cross Country

Ev Berg Invite, 5 p.m.NRHEG at Waseca Invite, 4:30 p.m.

Boys SoccerAustin at Owatonna, 7 p.m.

Girls SoccerOwatonna at Austin, 7 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingJohn Marshall at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

VolleyballMankato East at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.Blooming Prairie at USC, 7:15 p.m.Cleveland at Medford, 7:30 p.m.J-W-P at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.Triton at Kenyon-Wana., 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 7Football

Owatonna at Winona, 7 p.m.Loyola at Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.NRHEG at WEMTriton at La Crescent, 7 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at Lakeville North Tourn., 4 p.m.

Oct. 8Football

Medford at Bethlehem Academy, 6 p.m.Volleyball

Triton at Byron Invite, 8:30 a.m.

Oct. 10Volleyball

Medford at St. Clair, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 11Cross Country

Owatonna (b/g) at Mankato East Invite, 3:45 p.m.Blooming Prairie, NRHEG at USC Invite, 4:30 p.m.

VolleyballOwatonna at John Marshall, 7:15 p.m.Blooming Prairie at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Hayfield at Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 13Girls Swimming & Diving

Owatonna at Mankato West, 6 p.m.Girls Tennis

Owatonna at Section 1AA Individual (Roch-ester)

VolleyballMankato West at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.Bethlehem Academy at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Medford at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.Goodhue at Triton, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 14Football

Austin at Owatonna, 7 p.m.Blooming Prairie at St. Clair, 7 p.m.Medford at Lester Prairie, , 7 p.m.USC at NRHEG, 7 p.m.Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Triton, 7 p.m.

Oct. 15Volleyball

NRHEG, Triton at Faribault Tournament, 9 a.m.

Oct. 17Volleyball

Owatonna at Austin, 7:15 p.m.Medford at Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.


Big Nine Meet (Owatonna), 3:30 p.m.Gopher Conference Meet (Madelia), 4 p.m.

Girls Swimming & DivingAustin at Owatonna, 6 p.m.

Girls TennisOwatonna at Section 1AA Individual (Roch-ester)

VolleyballBethlehem Academy at Owatonna, 7:15 p.m.Blooming Prairie at J-W-P, 7:15 p.m.W-E-M at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.

Oct. 19Football

Owatonna at Rochester Mayo, 7 p.m.Bethlehem Academy at Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.Medford at Randolph, 7 p.m.NRHEG at Maple River, 7 p.m.Triton at Hayfield, 7 p.m.


Owatonna at Section 1AA Meet (Owatonna)Blooming Prairie at Section 1A Meet (Roch-ester)Medford, NRHEG at Section 2A Meet (Mont-gomery)


Owatonna at Big Nine Meet (Mankato), 5 p.m.


Owatonna at Big Nine Meet (Mankato), 1 p.m.

Nov. 10Girls Swimming & Diving

Owatonna at Section 1AA prelims (Roches-ter)

Nov. 12Girls Swimming & Diving

Owatonna at Section 1AA finals (Rochester)


Owatonna senior Kiana Leer

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What happened last year?The Panthers were the cardiac kids

last year getting all six of their victo-ries by six points or less. NRHEG lost three games in a row in the middle of the season, but bounced back and beat one of those teams — Maple River — 14-6 in the first round of the playoffs. The season ended with a 46-16 loss to rival W-E-M in the section semis.

What you will see in 2011The Panthers have a lot of experi-

ence back at the skill positions, led by seniors Sam Lundberg at quarterback and Geoff Ramaker at running back. Lundberg threw for more than 1,400 yards last year, and Ramaker was one of the top rushers in the area. Seniors David Lassahn and Dustin Esplan are also key returners, especially on defense where Esplan was named the team MVP last year. On the line, the Panthers have seniors Seth Pe-tranek and Carter Tollefson back from last year, but have holes to fill at the other spots. The Panthers’ schedule is predictably tough with W-E-M and Blooming Prairie providing especially difficult challenges. None of the other teams in NRHEG’s conference won more than five games last year.

Head CoachDan Stork, 9th year, 51-29

2011 RosterSeniors

Mitch Akemann, Matt Carlson, Dustin Esplan, Sam Grothem, Spencer Han-na, David Lassahn, Brandon Leblanc, Sam Lundberg, Lucas Meyer, Parker Peterson, Seth Petranek, Geoff Ra-maker, Jake Staloch, Carter Tollefson

JuniorsBrendon Arnold, Brad Claycomb, Brandon Herrmann, Sam Jewett, Nic Mangskau, Kevin Minter, Cody Ripka, Casey Rosacker, Colton Ryg, Matt Webster, Johnny White

SophomoresRoss Chester, Kellen Ferber, Carson Field, Nic Goette, Noah Krell, Nathan

Krohn, Tyler Logan, Dillon Parpart, Preston Peterson

FreshmenNick Bartness, Todd Erickson, Colton Hagen, Kyle Holz, Matt Jensen, Jake Langlie, Kevin Kalis, Keith Maxon, Hudson Mrotz, Andrew O’Brien, Kyle Sletten, Zach Stenzel, Derek Stevens, Kelson Titus, Spencer Tollefson, Trev-or Tracy, Jet Wayne

2011 ScheduleSept. 2 vs. Blooming Prairie, 7 p.m.Sept. 10 at Minn. Valley Luth., 7 p.m.Sept. 16 vs. G-F-W, 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Martin Cty. West, 7 p.m.Sept. 30 vs. LCWM, 7 p.m.Oct. 7 at WEM, 7 p.m.Oct. 14 vs. USC, 7 p.m.Oct. 19 at Maple River, 7 p.m.

“We expect to compete at a high level each and every week. We have a lot of key

players returning and look to improve on last year’s record of 6-4.”

— DAN STORK, NRHEG football coach

Lundberg, Ramaker back to lead Panthers

NRHEG senior quarterback Sam Lundberg (11)

2011 NRHEG Football 2011 NRHEG Volleyball

Schlaak ready for senior yearWhat happened last year?Under first-year coach Joe Kue-

chenmeiser, the Panthers had an up-and-down season with one long winning streaks and a couple of three-match losing streaks. NRHEG ended up fourth in the conference and had its season end with a 3-0 loss to Mankato East in the second round of the section tournament.

The Panthers finished the sea-son with a 17-11-1 including wins over Big Nine teams Albert Lea and Mankato East.

What you will see in 2011Senior Anna Schlaak is back for

her sixth season on the varsity team, and she should be ready for another big year. She was named the People’s Press volleyball player of the year as a sophomore, and played well enough to make the all-area team again last year. She will be joined on the front line by sophomore teammates Jade Schultz and Carlie Wagner. Five other seniors are also on the roster, includ-

ing veterans Harlee Vokoun, Rachel Ledding and Tori Raimann.

Head CoachJoe Kuechenmeister, 2nd year, 17-11-1

2011 RosterSeniors

Rachel Ledding, Stormy Mulder, Tori Raimann, Anna Schlaak, Amy Thomp-son, Harlee Vokoun

JuniorNoelle Bartness

SophomoresJade Schultz, Carlie Wagner

2011 ScheduleAug. 30 at Albert Lea, 7:30 p.m.Sept. 6 at W-E-M, 7:30 p.m.Sept. 8 at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 10 at Mankato West Tour., 9 a.m.Sept. 13 at LeSueur-Hend., 7:30 p.m.Sept. 15 at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 20 at Loyola, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 22 vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 29 at USC, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 1 at Blue Earth Tourney, 9 a.m.Oct. 4 vs. Bethlehem Acad., 7:15 p.m.Oct. 6 vs. J-W-P, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 11 vs. Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Oct. 15 at Faribault Tourn., 9 a.m.Oct. 18 vs. W-E-M, 7:15 p.m.

“We had four girls who saw some real sig-nificant playing time who we will be missing. We’ve had some younger girls step in and

they are really performing well.”— JOE KUECHENMEISTER,

NRHEG volleyball coach

2011 NRHEG Cross Country

Crabtree, Schiltz lead CatsWhat happened last year?The Panthers girls finished seventh

in the Gopher Conference and 13th at sections, while the boys were 10th in the conference and 19th in the section. Junior Abby Crabtree was all-confer-ence for the fourth time for the NRHEG girls, while sophomore TJ Schiltz was all-conference for the Panthers boys.

What you will see in 2011Both the NRHEG teams will be

young this season, though the girls will be very experienced. Crabtree is a four-time all-conference runner, and the girls also have five other returning letterwinners in Destinee Meyer, Shan-taya Olson, Crystal Olson, Melissa Malakowsky, and Katherine Lewer.

Head CoachMike Weber

2011 RosterSeniors

Tyler Holz, Jade WaltzJuniors

Dustin BurshemSophomores

Raece Johnson, TJ SchiltzJunior High

Gunther Olsen, Wyatt Sickels

Girls Cross CountryJuniors

Abby Crabtree, Destinee Meyer, Crys-tal Olson

FreshmenMegan Conley, Melissa Malakowsky, Shantaya Olson

Junior HighSamantha Herman, Maurya Johnson, Katharine Lewer, Grace Lewison, Ma-cala Sundve

2011 ScheduleSept. 1 at Stewartville Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 8 at Montgomery-Lonsdale, 4:15 p.m.Sept. 15 at Maple River Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 20 NRHEG Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 27 at Blooming Prairie Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 29 at W-E-M Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 6 at Waseca Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 11 at USC Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 18 at Gopher Conf. (Madelia), 4 p.m.Oct. 27 at Section 2A (Montgomery)

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2011 Medford Volleyball

Medford junior Nicole Morgan

Tigers look for more improvementWhat happened last year?

The Tigers improved their win total for the second year in a row with an 8-18-1 record. The year before, they won four matches, and they only won one in 2009. Medford also won a playoff match for the first time in al-most a decade with a 3-2 victory over Randolph. That set up a date with state powerhouse Bethlehem Academy, which ended the Tigers season with a 3-0 win. Medford graduated two key players in Chelsea Morgan and Tess VanZuilen.

What you will see in 2011The Tigers will have to figure out

how to fill in for Chelsea Morgan on the front line. There are four se-niors on the roster that try to help the Tigers increase the win total for the third straight season. Senior

Shelby Wiersma and juniors Nicole Morgan and Tori Chell are the var-sity captains. Six other juniors, one sophomore and three eighth-graders fill out the roster.

Head CoachJill Strodtman, 3rd year, 12-40-1

2011 RosterSeniors

Krista Krogh, Courtney Olson, Shelby

Wiersma, Caitlin WilsonJuniors

Abby Chappuis, Tori Chell, Andrea Gerlach, Nicole Morgan, Kori Noble, Abby Peterson, Kaylie Shaw, Sara Thofson

SophomoreEllyn Luebbe

Junior HighMarnie Madsen, Hannah Robb, Madi-son Strodtman

2011 ScheduleAug. 26 vs. Chatfield, 7:15 p.m.Aug. 30 vs. Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Sept. 6 at Le Center, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Loyola, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 10 at Montgomery-Lonsdale Tournament, 8 a.m.Sept. 15 vs. USC, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 17 at Southland Tournament, 8 a.m.Sept. 19 vs. Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 20 vs. J-W-P, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 22 at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 29 vs. W-E-M, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 1 at Blue Earth Tourn., 9 a.m.Oct. 4 at Blooming Prairie, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 6 vs. Cleveland, 7:30 p.m.Oct. 10 at St. Clair, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 13 at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 at Bethlehem Academy, 7:15 p.m.

“Our overall game has improved and we are striving to get better each day.

The girls have entered the season with an excellent attitude and lots of energy

to go to the next level.”

— JILL STRODTMAN, Medford volleyball coach

2011 Medford Cross Country

What happened last year?The Tigers struggled with numbers

last year and the girls had an incom-plete team at the conference and sec-tion meets. The boys had a complete team, but finished in the bottom of half at both meets. Lauren Larson was the Tigers girls top runner at sections in 70th place, while Torry Hunt led the boys in 57th place.

What you will see in 2011Fortunately for the Tigers, all of the

key runners from last year are coming back this season, and some additions should help Medford climb the stand-ings. Seniors Megan Klapperich and Lauren Larson will lead the girls.

Head CoachJill Strodtman, 3rd year, 12-40-1

2011 RosterSeniors

Eli Chapple, Austin ParrishJuniors

Dylan Beyer, Brandon Hanson, Aden Holmgren

SophomoreAdam Manderfelt

Junior HighJake Luebbe

Girls Cross CountrySeniors

Megan Klapperich, Lauren Larson, Keely Wardyn

SophomoresDallas Anderson, Allie Keilen

Junior HighCassie Larson, Holly Larson, Gianni Sao

2011 ScheduleAug. 26 at Fairmont Invite, 9:30 a.m.Aug. 29 at Wabasha-Kell. Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 1 at Stewartville Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 8 at Mont.-Lonsdale Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 15 at Maple River Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 20 at NRHEG Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 27 at Blooming Prairie Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 29 at Zum.-Maz. Invite, 4:15 p.m.Oct. 4 at Trinity Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 18 at Gopher Conference (Mad-elia), 4 p.m.Oct. 27 at Section 2A (Montgomery)

Medford senior Megan Klapperich

Medford brings everyone back

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2011 Blooming Prairie Volleyball

Blossoms have spots up for grabsWhat happened last year?

The Blossoms went 11-18 last season and lost 3-0 to Hayfield in the second round of the playoffs. They finished fifth in the Gopher Confer-ence. Along the way, the Blossoms took fourth in the Southland Tourna-ment. The highlight victory of the season was a 3-2 marathon win over Southland in the regular season.

What you will see in 2011Coach Gina McLaughlin said she

has the largest roster she has had in her eight seasons, so there will be a lot of competition for playing time. Juniors Janelle Morem and Jenna Krell were both starters last year and will lead the front line. Blooming Prairie did graduate two key play-ers in the middle in Yasmine Smith and Kristin Hagen, so there are spots to fill. The Blossoms also gradu-ated their top setter, Marissa Noble, so senior Kiersten Wencl will have some big shoes to fill. Libero Rachel Klemmensen also graduated. Se-niors Kelsey Wolf and Lyndsay Pryor will compete to fill her spot.

Head CoachGina McLaughlin, 8th year

2011 RosterSeniors

Lyndsay Pryor, Maggie Sorensen, Kiersten Wencl, Kayla Wobschall, Kelsey Wolf

JuniorsMarissa Jensen, Jenna Krell, Janelle Morem, Shelbi Swenson

FreshmenTaylor Hagen, Nicole Inwards, Madi-son Worke

2011 ScheduleAug. 30 at Medford, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Sept. 1 at W-E-M, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Sept. 8 vs. NRHEG, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 10 at Hayfield Tourney, 8:30 a.m.Sept. 12 vs. Austin, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 13 vs. Southland, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 17 at Southland Tourn., 9 a.m.Sept. 20 at Randolph, 7:15 p.m.

Sept. 22 vs. W-E-M, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 27 vs. Alden-Conger, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 29 at Loyola, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 1 at Century Tourney, 8 a.m.Oct. 4 vs. Medford, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 6 at USC, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 11 at NRHEG, 7:15 p.m. (NC)Oct. 13 vs. Bethlehem Acad., 7:15 p.m.Oct. 18 at J-W-P, 7:15 p.m.

“We will rely on some young players with a lot of athleticism. Our young

players are soaking everything up like a sponge right now.”— GINA McLAUGHLIN,

Blooming Prairie volleyball coach

2011 Blooming Prairie Cross Country

What happened last year?The Blooming Prairie boys took

seventh place at the Section 1AA Meet, led by Daniel Hansen in 21st place. Current senior Adam Driessen was close behind in 23rd place. The Blossoms boys graduated four mem-bers of their section team. The Blos-soms girls were 11th at sections, led by freshman Kendra Boecker in 44th.

What you will see in 2011All seven of the girls from Bloom-

ing Prairie’s section team are still in school this season, while the boys will have a lot of holes to fill after graduat-ing several all-conference runners.

Head CoachJohn Bruns, 13th year

2011 RosterSeniors

Adam Driessen, David HuffJuniors

Tyler Cozine, Cody WagamanSophomores

David Hansen, Cole Kubicek, Tom Wanous

FreshmenGarrett Kubik, Leighton Kubik, Trace Stanley, Angel Villareal

Junior HighElijah Baker, Isaac Baker, Evan Doer-hoefer

Girls Cross CountrySeniors

Savannah Allard, Tricia DeBoer, Cort-ney Easton, Melanie Grant, Hunter Henderson, Kelsey Kubista, Julia Manges, DaVyll Smith

JuniorsArlyne Soto, Hannah Vogt, Holly Vogt

SophomoreKendra Boecker

FreshmenAlanna Grant, Tessa Ivers

Junior HighGina Schaefer

2011 ScheduleSept. 1 at Stewartville Invite, 4 p.m.Sept. 8 at Hayfield Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 20 at NRHEG Invite, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 24 at Milaca Mega Meet, 4:30 p.m.Sept. 27 BP Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 11 at USC Invite, 4:30 p.m.Oct. 18 at Gopher Conference (Mad-elia), 4 p.m.Oct. 27 at Section 1A (Rochester)

Blossoms girls cross country team

Blossoms look for improvement

Blossoms junior Janelle Morem (4) and senior Kiersten Wencl (9)

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2011 Triton Football • HVL Gold & Section 2AA Champions

What happened last year?The Cobras had a spectacular

season last year but came up one victory short at the end. Triton lost 28-7 to Caledonia in the Class 2A State Championship game at the Me-trodome. Along the way, Triton beat defending state champion W-E-M in the section final and upended 2009 3A state semifinalist Kasson-Man-torville. The Cobras also beat 2011 1A state semifinalist Goodhue. Triton played all three of its state tournament games at the Metrodome and beat Maple Lake (28-21) and Eden Val-ley-Watkins (12-6) in a pair of closely contested games.

What you will see in 2011The Cobras lost a lot to gradu-

ation, but a large senior group will lead Triton on the field. Adam Bun-gum, Damian Johnson and Jack Blaisdell are all varsity vets. Juniors Justin Erdmann, Ayrton Henderson and Cody Schaefer also have a lot of varsity experience under their belts.

Head CoachDon Henderson, 25th year, 201-63

2011 RosterSeniors

Jack Blaisdell, Adam Bungum, Doug Burk, Damian Johnson, Lucas Knutson, Tanner Kruckeberg, Dal-las Laqua, Keith Lyke, Adam Meyer, Alex Noben, Jorge Reyes, Justin Roe, James Rowley

JuniorsCaleb Bartel, Tanner Busch, Justin Erdmann, Jacob Gray, Alex Head, Ayrton Henderson, Zach Knudson, Daulton Pena, Joseph Rislov, Cody Schaefer

SophomoresLucas Etchason, Seth Johnson, Evan McNeilus, Bradley Myers, Patrick Ramirez, Spencer Senn, Jared Wil-lette

FreshmenKylo Corteau, Leyenrique Ortiz

2011 ScheduleSept. 1 vs. Byron, 7 p.m.Sept. 9 at K-W, 7 p.m.Sept. 16 vs. Lake City, 7 p.m.Sept. 23 at Goodhue, 7 p.m.Sept. 30 vs. Winona Cotter, 6 p.m.Oct. 7 at La Crescent, 7 p.m.Oct. 14 vs. Zumbrota-Mazeppa, 7 p.m.Oct. 19 at Hayfield, 7 p.m.

Cobras seek return trip to Dome

“Our past playoff experience is a strength, but our lack of numbers and depth are

concerns for us.”— DON HENDERSON, Triton football coach

Triton junior Justin Erdmann (3)

2011 Triton Volleyball

Moran wants moreWhat happened last year?The Cobras had one of their best

seasons in school history with a 22-8 record and played at the Mayo Civic Center in the section tournament for the first time in seven years. Triton beat Red Wing in the first round of the playoffs before falling to eighth-ranked Stewartville 3-1 in the next round. The Cobras put a scare into the Tigers by winning the first game 25-23, but Stewartville rallied and took the next three 12, 17 and 15. Five seniors from last year’s team gradu-ated, leaving coach Peggy Moran with some work to do if she hopes to get back to the Civic Center.

What you will see in 2011After getting the first playoff win

in her coaching career, Peggy Moran will be looking to add to that total this season. Seniors Tayler MacVey, Kari VanZuilen and Abby Buehler are varsity veterans that will lead the Cobras, while an athletic group of juniors and sophomores will help fill the depth chart. MacVey has been a mainstay as the Cobras setter for three years and should take a step forward in her senior season.

Head CoachPeggy Moran, 7th year, 77-97

2011 RosterSeniors

Abby Buehler, Marissa Cummins, Skyler Hortop, Elizabeth Kramer, Tayler MacVey, Jenna Tumlin, Kari VanZuilen

JuniorsAlex Buckingham, Gabby Head, Mari-ah Maas, Abby Nerenhausen, Kendall Osborn, Ashley Thaden, Emily Weber

SophomoresEmily Hodgeman, Haley Staffon

2011 ScheduleAug. 30 at W-E-M, 7:30 p.m.Sept. 6 at Stewartville, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 8 at Cotter, 7 p.m.Sept. 10 at Mont.-Lonsdale Tourney, 8 a.m.Sept. 12 at Zumbrota-Maz., 7:15 p.m.Sept. 13 vs. La Crescent, 7 p.m.Sept. 15 at Cannon Falls, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 20 vs. Lake City, 7 p.m.Sept. 22 at Kasson-Mant., 7:15 p.m.Sept. 27 at Lourdes, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 29 vs. Pine Island, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 4 vs. Byron, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 6 at Kenyon-Wana., 7:15 p.m.Oct. 8 at Byron Invite, 8:30 a.m.Oct. 11 vs. Hayfield, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 13 vs. Goodhue, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 15 at Faribault Invite, 9 a.m.

Triton senior Kari VanZuilen, left, and graduate Brie Clark (12)

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2011 Owatonna Volleyball • Big Nine Conference Champions

Huskies look for back to back Big Nine titles

What happened last year?Owatonna returned to the top of the

Big Nine after a year away in 2009. The Huskies went 9-0 against confer-ence teams, winning six of their nine matches in three games, and finished 21-9 overall. The other three matches against Mankato East, Century and Mayo required 3-2 victories. The Huskies’ season ended with a 3-1 loss to Rochester Mayo in the section final. It was the second time in three years the Spartans ended Owatonna’s season in the final.

What you will see in 2011A senior class six players strong

will lead the Huskies as they try to win a second straight Big Nine title and reach the state tournament for the first time since 2007. Front line seniors Lauren Schlobohm and Michelle Mattke are Big Nine veterans who know what it takes to win. Freshman Kaylea Ahrens will start as the team’s defensive specialist, while juniors Mi-kayla Bock will take care of the setting duties after a strong summer.

Head CoachJason Kaytor, 3rd year, 36-22

2011 RosterSeniors

Nicole Ingvaldson, Tara Luedtke, Mi-chelle Mattke, Laura Meyer, Jasmine Moore, Lauren Schlobohm

JuniorsMikayla Bock, Rachel Malo, Cassan-dra Schue, Emily Spatenka, McKenzie Spatenka

SophomoreKirsten Elstad

FreshmanKaylea Ahrens

2011 ScheduleAug. 25 at Prior Lake, 7 p.m.Sept. 1 at Faribault, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 6 at Lakeville North, 7 p.m.Sept. 8 vs. Albert Lea, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 9-10 at Marshall TournamentSept. 15 at Century, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 17 at Farmington Tourney, 9 a.m.Sept. 20 at Blaine, 7 p.m.Sept. 22 vs. Mayo, 7:15 p.m.Sept. 27 at Winona, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 4 vs. Northfield, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 6 vs. Mankato East, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 7 at Lakeville North Tourney, 4 p.m.Oct. 11 at John Marshall, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 13 vs. Mankato West, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 17 at Austin, 7:15 p.m.Oct. 18 vs. Bethlehem Acad., 7:15 p.m.

“I would definitely say our defense will be our strength along with great team play.”— JASON KAYTOR, Owatonna volleyball coach

Owatonna senior Michelle Mattke (16) and the Huskies

20

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