A game-changing punt followed by a game-winning field goal transformed Landen Sturges from a talented first-year kicker into a Husky hero.

A little more than three minutes after booming punt to pin New Prague deep in its own territory during a critical junction late in a tie game, Sturges squinted through the drizzle, approached the snap and swung his leg through the ball, blasting a kick that split the uprights down the middle and landed more than 50 yards from where it started as time expired on the fourth quarter clock. The 37-yard field goal lifted Owatonna to a heart-pounding 17-14 victory over New Prague on Friday night in Northstar District South-Maroon action at Federated Field.

“Oh my gosh, I don’t even know what to say right now,” Sturges said moments after the game. “I have to thank my line. And my holder Nolan Rolloff — he lined it up for a perfect hold. Shout out to my offense for getting me into range. And oh my gosh, my heart it pounding right now.”

Sturges’ game-winning field goal, which would have easily been good from at least 45 yards, was immediately preceded by an efficient 29-yard drive by the Huskies that started at the Trojans’ 49 yard line and ended at the 20 when New Prague was whistled for an obvious 15-yard pass interference infraction. New Prague called a pair of timeouts to try and frazzle Owatonna’s senior kicker, but Sturges remained focused the entire way, proving he has nerves of steel and the leg of a champion.

“I am so used to watching NFL where you can only call one timeout in a situation like that,” Sturges said. “I did not realize they could call multiple ones like that…I was just trying to clear my mind as much as possible. I did some warmup reps just to try to stay focused. And then I went out there and made it.”

Sturges’ last-second heroics wouldn’t have been possible without his field-flipping — and, ultimately, game-altering — punt with 3 minutes, 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter. The boot, that was snapped at the Owatonna 25 yard line and came to rest at the New Prague 11 after sailing high into the air and angling to the left, helped erase any momentum New Prague had gathered after thwarting an Owatonna drive with a third down sack. The Trojans gained just two yards on the ensuing offensive possession and ultimately punted the ball away to the Huskies with just over 90 seconds on the clock.

“What will be overlooked, probably, because he made the game-winning field goal is that punt that flipped the field,” Owatonna coach Jeff Williams said. “I mean, we are pinned in our own end and then all the sudden (after the punt) they have the ball at around the 10 yard line and we get a stop and get the ball at midfield with a chance to win the game.”

The victory is the first of the season for the Huskies (1-3 overall, 1-1 District) and snaps a four-game losing streak dating back to last season’s Class AAAAA state semifinals.

Running behind a reshuffled offensive line, which included the addition of 2024 starter-turned-linebacker, Logan Risser, at guard and 300-pound Kaden Keller at center, Tristan Graham rang up triple digits on the ground for the second consecutive game, finishing with a game-high 106 yards and a season-high 5.9 yards-per-carry. His 31-yard scamper with 8:07 left in the second quarter gave Owatonna a 6-0 lead and came on fourth and inches. Graham also caught one pass for 18 yards, converting a critical third down reception on a screen pass in the first half.

Sophomore Cooper Routh hauled in two of his team-high seven targets, scoring his first career touchdown from 7 yards out on a jump ball with just 29 seconds remaining before halftime.

Routh was one of seven OHS players to catch at least one pass. None had more than 24 yards and five had no fewer than 13.

Risser led the defense with nine tackles while fellow linebacker, Carter Flatland, added seven stops.

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