For the first time in more than a decade, the Owatonna High School football team will open the season with an unfamiliar opponent.

The same goes for Week 2.

And Week 8.

The MSHSL shook things up this offseason and restructured its statewide district map and placement procedures. Instead of the the Big Southeast Red Division, the Huskies will now compete in the Class 5A South Maroon Sub-District starting this fall.

Outside of the OHS, the Maroon will feature Northfield, Rochester Century, Rochester John Marshall and New Prague. These are the same teams that also comprise Section 1-5A, which determined postseason positioning.

It is unclear the last time Owatonna saw its Week 1 opponent, Hastings, but the other two non-league teams have landed on the the Huskies’ schedule in recent memory.

This season’s Week 2 opponent, Chanhassen, was swept by the Huskies in a pair of home-and-home matchups to open the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The final score in those games was 36-21 and 21-14, respectively.

Owatonna met Apple Valley in 2013 and 2016 state quarterfinals and won both matchups, the latter being decided in one of the greatest singular moments in OHS postseason history that ended with Alex Raichle hauling in a last-second Hail Mary TD from classmate Abe Havelka in the back of the end zone in a 28-24 thriller at Lakeville North High School.

The 2013 game was far less dramatic with the eventual Class 5A state champion Huskies winning 32-0.

For more information, download the PDF on this page or refer to the image at the top of the page.

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