state tournament

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton advances to the state boys' basketball championship game for the fifth time after a sluggish 49-38 win over Mayer Lutheran at Target Center Friday afternoon in the Class A semifinals. Each team was ice cold shooting to open the game. M-L did not get their first point until more than six minutes into the game.

The success for the Big Nine Conference at the state basketball tournaments continued Wednesday as Austin won their Class AAA quarterfinal over Sauk Rapids-Rice at Williams Arena. The Packers pulled away at times in the second half and won 64-55 to advance to Thursday's semifinals at Target Center.

Minneapolis DeLaSalle has already won a state record six straight boys' basketball championships. They opened pursuit of their seventh in a row with a solid 90-63 win over Hermantown Wednesday at Williams Arena at the University of Minnesota.

For the third straight year a Big Nine Conference team has reached the state Class 3A finals in the girls' basketball tournament. Northfield beat Grand Rapids Thursday 64-54 to reach the championship game against top-seed Robbinsdale Cooper Saturday, March 17 at 6PM on Target Center on KDHL AM 920.

Four wrestlers from the Westfield Razorbacks won medals at the state tournament at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday. Sophomore Colton Krell finished as state runner-up at 160 pounds, improving on his fourth place finish in the same classification in 2017. He lost to Zach Schneider of Caledonia-Houston 9-2 in the finals. Krell won his first two matches by major decision to reach the semifinals, where he upset top-ranked Kelby O'Reilly of Goodhue 5-2 to reach the championship bout.

Peyton Robb became Owatonna High School's first three-time state wrestling champion Saturday with an 8-2 decision over Austin Brenner of St. Cloud Tech at 160 pounds. Robb finished his senior season at 48-0 and his career at 185-27, the second-most wins in school history. OHS junior Cade King also finished an unbeaten season (44-0) with a 6-4 decision over Calvin Sund of Prior Lake at 182 pounds. King was a runner-up in 2017.

Players from the 2017 Owatonna state championship football team gathered together once again at the OHS cafeteria Monday night with their coaches and families to receive their rings. Coach Jeff Williams said the ring ceremony from the 2013 title team remains one of his favorite memories from that season.

The local winter sports season or 2016-17 was wildly successful. Owatonna sent three times to state last winter and both NRHEG basketball teams appeared at state.

The Owatonna High School football team had many aspects of their state championship season to recognize during Sunday's banquet. Many individual and team records were set, many awards were earned, but most of all coach Jeff Williams said it was difficult to say goodbye to a special group of players.

The Owatonna High School auditorium felt like a dance party as the pep band played and Huskies' fans swayed to the music while awaiting the arrival of the newly crowned state champion football team. The players sprinted up the aisles to the strains of the school song while the packed auditorium gave them a wild, standing ovation.