NOTE: This is the second of two articles previewing the 2021 Owatonna football team as part of exclusive season-long coverage at OwatonnaFootball.com. The following installment focuses on the defense and special teams. The first piece gave an introduction and previewed the offense. That article, and much more, is online now and free to access.

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A look at the defense: Pieces are in place to build formidable unit

The logical place to start when breaking down Owatonna’s defense would be right in the middle of the unit where the Huskies retain experience, talent and depth. There is all-district returner Grant Achterkirch (51 tackles, 34 solo, 2 FF, 1.5 sacks), of course, but he’s going to need some help if Owatonna plans on maximizing its potential.

In the end, though, things are going to run through No. 12.

“Grant is the leader of this defense,” Owatonna coach Jeff Williams said. “He is comfortable with his elevated responsibilities and getting guys lined up in the right spot. He knows exactly what’s going on. For a defensive coordinator, having an experienced ‘MIKE’ linebacker is like having an experienced quarterback for an offensive coordinator.”

Nick Williams gained valuable experience at outside linebacker last fall and might find himself seeing extensive action on both sides of the ball, or as coach Williams calls it, developing into a “one-and-a-half-way player.” Some of the more notable individuals in recent memory to be given such a role include Jason Williamson (RB/FS), Isaac Gefre (FB/LB), Carson DeKam (TE/LB), Ethan Rohman (OT/DE), Carter DeBus (OT/DE) and Matt Seykora (FB/LB), just to name a few.

At 5-foor-11 and more than 200 pounds, Conner Grems is a stout athlete with great athleticism. He runs the 40-yard dash in roughly 4.7 seconds and possesses the speed to cover receivers on the edge as well as the strength to stand-up running backs in the hole. Talented junior Drew Kretlow along with seniors Isaac Peterson and Cale Dowling will also be given the chance to see the field on a regular basis and offer stability at the position.

In the secondary, Lane Wagner (10 tackles, 2 PD) — who coach Williams referred to as one of the “main guys” within the Class of 2022 — emerged as a full-time contributor last year and will be in the mix once again. Caleb Vereide also comes back and could slide into the main rotation, though that largely depends on how he’s utilized on offense.

One of last season’s regular starters at cornerback, Tanner Stendel, decided not to play football this season, opening the door for guys like newcomers Collin Vick and Owen Beyer to make an immediate impact. Even projected starting tailback Dylan Maas could find himself in the mix in the secondary.

“One of the nice things about playing man-to-man defense is there’s not a lot of thinking,” Williams said. “There’s not a lot of learning. You basically line up and follow your guy, check the motion and help set the edge. It’s about refining technique, because it’s not a real complex scheme.”

Much like the offensive side, the defensive line was hit hard by graduation and the coaching staff will have their hands full constructing a reliable rotation of big bodies. Ryley Glassmaker — who stands 6-1 and weighs close to 190 pounds — saw limited action last season and will be one of the top candidates to secure a starting spot on the edge. The senior has been an integral part of Owatonna’s 4x200 and 4x100 relay squads since his freshman year, and though it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how much his speed will aid him at defensive end, it will certainly help when chasing down ball-carriers from the weak side.

So far, Williams likes what he’s seen from Glassmaker.

“He is one of the quickest guys off the ball we have seen in a long time,” Williams said of Glassmaker. “He comes off blocks well and I see him disrupting a lot of offensive backfields this season.”

Eli Spurgeon (5-11, 240) is a grinder and embraces the possibility of playing on both sides of the ball. As a junior, he earned all-district honorable mention status at defensive tackle after collecting 12 tackles and one sack. His snap-count might be limited in the early portion of the season as he transitions to a full-time starter on offense, but it will be tough to keep the senior captain off the field.   

“We flat-out need Eli Spurgeon on the field,” Williams said. “He quickly proved to be a disruptive force last season,”

At 6-3 and 285 pounds, sophomore Grant Lower possesses the physical frame to emerge as a disruptive interior lineman, but his only high school experience has been a small handful of games on the freshman team during the abridged 2020 season. Alex Jarvis (5-11, 225), Aiden Stowe (6-0, 220), Trever Schirmer (6-2, 230), among others, will also compete for playing time within the regular rotation.

“We have always prided ourselves in having a deep pool of guys we can use on the defensive line,” Williams said. “Some of those guys spent last year as understudies and are ready to show what they can do on Friday nights. It’s now or never for some of them.”

A look at special teams: Stability at kicker, a hallmark of OHS program

A major component of Owatonna’s success over the last decade has been the program’s partnership with the soccer team and its ability to foster a fruitful pipeline of skilled placekickers, a few of which have continued their football careers at the next level.

In 2021, the Huskies’ rich kicking culture is as strong as ever and will continue through the leg of newcomer Drew Henson. The junior has both the pedigree and dedication to perhaps follow in the footsteps of his brother, Sam, who is currently the No. 1 kicker at NCAA Division II Concordia-St. Paul. His dad, Garrett, also has a kicking background having earned all-conference accolades in college at Division I New Mexico State University in the early 1990s.

Drew Henson spent the offseason training at the Special Teams Football Academy in Minneapolis and was touted as “one of the top (Minnesota) kickers in his class” according to STFA’s lead instructor, Chris Husby. He apparently displayed great distance and accuracy in both kickoffs and field goals while kicking alongside a number of college-bound athletes. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior — who, like all OHS kickers, will also play soccer for the Huskies — could have a much greater impact on the outcome of games compared to kickers of recent memory since the Huskies likely won’t be involved in as many lop-sided affairs.

As for the punting responsibilities, that job remained wide open as the team commenced preseason workouts on Aug. 16. Last season’s top punter, Payton Beyer, averaged 38.1 yards-per-kick last year and could have potentially signed at the Division I level at the position had he not been such a great receiver, so whomever inherits the job will have big shoes to fill. As is often the case, the staff will host a number of open tryouts and let the situation play itself out in the weeks leading up the season-opener on Sept. 3 at Rochester Mayo.

The kick-return duties will likely fall upon Maas and Wagner after the duo combined for the majority of Owatonna’s total yardage last season and collectively averaged a more than 16 yards per return.

Beyer fielded 90% of the Huskies punts in 2020 and, unsurprisingly, finished near the top of the district in total yards. Maas is the only player on the current roster with any varsity experience returning punts.