Owatonna - the defending state 5A champs - opened the playoffs with a 21-16 win over Austin on Tuesday. Blooming Prairie & Triton both won too. NRHEG & Medford lost.

The Huskies took advantage of a short field on their first two drives to build a quick 14-0 lead and beat the Packer 21-16 to advance to Saturday's section 1-5A semifinals at Rochester Mayo at 7:00pm.

Tuesday's quarterfinal started with the Huskies Blake Westphal returning the opening kickoff about 70 yards to the Austin 29. Sam Hylle ended that drive with a 3-yard TD run. On the Packers first possession, Owatonna's Jesse Starks forced a fumble and the Huskies took over at Austin's 38. That possession ended with a 15-yard scoring pass from Alex Emanuelson to Alec Holcomb.

The Packers had a mammoth 23-play 80-yard drive end with a 27 yard field goal to make the score 14-3 at halftime.

Hylle scored his second touchdown of the night early in the 4th quarter for a 21-3 advantage. Austin got a pair of big-play touchdowns after that: a 35-yard run and a 37-yard pass. The Packers attempted on-side kicks after each touchdown, but the Huskies recovered each one.

SECTION 1-5A
Owatonna 21, Austin 16
Rochester JM 42, Century 21

Semifinals on Saturday:
Owatonna at Rochester Mayo
Rochester JM at Faribault

SECTION 1A
Blooming Prairie 60, Fillmore Central 13
Goodhue 35, Wabasha Kellog 20
Faribault BA 47, Southland 17
Rushford Peterson 52, Kingsland 0

Semifinals on Saturday:
Goodhue at Blooming Prairie
Faribault BA at Rushford Peterson

SECTION 1AA
Triton 64, St. Charles 6
Lewiston Altura 69, Winona Cotter 30
Chatfield 45, Dover Eyota 42
Caledonia 49, Hayfield 8

Semifinals on Saturday
Lewiston Altura at Triton
Chatfield at Caledonia

SECTION 2AA
Norwood Young America 38, Medford 13
Zumbrota Mazepa 41, GFW 20
Waterville Elysian Morristown 35, Kenyon Wanimingo 21
Pine Island 17, Lesueur Henderson 15

SECTION 3AA
Maple River 21, NRHEG 20
Pipestone Area 35, Martin County West 12
Jackson County Central 32, LCWM 31

SECTION 2-5A
Chanhassen 42, New Prague 0
Chaska 23, Waconia 7

Semifinals on Saturday
Chanhassen at Mankato West
Chaska at Northfield

SECTION 1-4A
Red Wing 62, Winona 40
Byron 28, Albert Lea 14

Semifinals on Saturday
Red Wing at Stewartville
Byron at Kasson Mantorville

SECTION 2-4A
Mankato East 22, Dassel-Cokato 12
Waseca 50, New Ulm 20

Semifinals on Saturday
Mankato East at Hutchinson
Waseca at Marshall

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