12 Huskies Named All-District in Football
Eight Owatonna football players were named to the Big Southeast All-District team, including the Offensive Player of the Year. Four others earned a spot on the honorable mention team. Junior Jason Williamson landed the top offensive honor for the Red Division after racing for nearly 2,000 yards.
Williamson is joined on the offensive All-District team by senior teammates Abe Havelka, Noah Budach and Terrell Connor. Defensively, seniors Kade Serbus, Zach Mensink, Mitch Wiese and Alex Raichle made the first team. Honorable mention picks for the Huskies include seniors Dylan Meier, Kadyn Mulert, Dalton Kubista and Parker Westphal.
OHS coach Jeff Williams offered comments on each of the honored players.
- Jason Williamson, junior running back
Williams: "Jason has had another incredible season and is approaching some records I thought were unassailable, and he's only a junior." Williamson is now Owatonna's all-time leader rusher. He has 1,972 yards this season and set the single-game record with 343 yards in a regular-season win over Rochester Century.
- Abe Havelka, senior quarterback
"Abe has consistently been among the state leaders in passing yards and touchdowns. He has done an incredible job on leading one of the prolific offenses in school history," says Williams. Havelka holds the school record in virtually every passing category for season and career numbers. This season he has thrown for about 2,500 yards and 33 touchdowns.
- Noah Budach, senior wide receiver
Williams: "Noah has really come into his own this season. He is a very reliable pass catcher, but possesses the ability to break tackles with his toughness and make people miss in space." Budach has 58 catches for 932 yards and 15 touchdowns.
- Terrell Connor, senior offensive lineman
"It was great to get Terrell back after his shoulder injury threatened to end his season. He has been tremendous in both the run game and in pass protection," said Williams. Owatonna has rushed for 2,741 yards as a team through the Mahtomedi state quarterfinal game, an average of about 250 yards per game and over six yards per attempt.
- Zach Mensink, senior linebacker
Williams: "Zach has been a rock-solid leader of our defense this year. He is a great run stuffer and possesses the speed to control the edges as well." Mensink leads the team in tackles.
- Mitch Wiese, senior linebacker
Williams: "Wieser is our Mr. Consistency. He is so solid in his technique and rarely makes a mistake. He sets the edge versus run in a way that belies his lack of size and gets a great push in his pass rush due to his quickness." Wiese has 6-and-a-half sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two pass breakups. He has scored a touchdown on offense and defense.
- Alex Raichle, senior defensive back
"Alex has been hampered by a sprained ankle much of the season. He has still demonstrated explosiveness in his route running and punt returning, and is still one of the best cover corners we have ever had."
- Kade Serbus, senior defensive lineman
Williams: "Kade has missed the second half of the season due to a quadriceps tear. Prior to his injury, he was our biggest play-maker in the defensive line."
- Dylan Meier, senior offensive lineman
"Dylan has been the anchor of our offensive line all season. He is a tough run blocker, an outstanding pass protector, and identifies fronts quickly so we can set the blocking scheme," says Williams.
- Kadyn Mulert, senior offensive lineman
"Kadyn missed the first few games with a hamstring pull, but has been outstanding in the lines on both sides of the ball since his return. He is easily the strongest player on our team and it shows in his physical style of play," says Williams.
- Dalton Kubista, senior wide receiver
Williams: "Dalton has been an explosive play-maker for us for three years. He has the ability to take the cap off a defense and catch the long ball. He has also developed into a good perimeter blocker to help spring his teammates on the edge."
- Parker Westphal, senior defensive back
Williams: "Parker is among our leaders in defensive points and has made a lot of tackles on special teams as well." Westphal has broken up seven passes this season. He has a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, an interception and a blocked kick.
Owatonna plays Brainerd Saturday, November 18 at 7PM in the state semifinals at U.S. Bank Stadium.