FARIBAULT — The Austin football team had an early let-down, but it was able to refocus and beat Faribault 42-8 in Bruce Smith Field Friday.

The Falcons (0-4 overall) scored their first touchdown of the season when Joe Palmer scored on a three-yard plunge to pull Faribault within 16-8 with 2:46 left in the first half, but Austin had a quick answer when Tate Hebrink hit Andrew Schumacher for a 30-yard TD score to make it 22-8 with 1:07 left in the first half.

“The game about football is about momentum. Once a bad play happens, you’ve got to throw it away and move on to the next one,” said Austin junior Hunter Guyette, who had two interceptions, including one for his first varsity TD late in the game. “We really wanted this one. Against Owatonna [last week] we kind of got our backs thrown to the ground and we were kind of embarrassed. We wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.”

Austin senior Aiden Wilson was able to get his first significant time at running back this season and he made it count. Wilson racked up 101 rushing yards and a TD on just 13 carries.

“I was so pumped and I was eager to get in,” Wilson said. “When they threw me in there early, I wanted to show them that I could play. I just gave it everything I had. We have a lot of people that can carry the ball and that gives us a versatile offense.”

Austin head coach Brett Vesel said he likes what Wilson gave him and he likes the depth that his team has at the running back position.

“I love all my running backs,” Vesel said. “Sam Hagan’s a great kid; he just hasn’t been getting the yards right now. Andy Chesak and Joe [Seeman] are good, but Aiden stepped up tonight. He stepped up in practice too and we moved him to running back. He’s running like a tank right now.”

The Packers (3-1 overall) pushed their lead to 29-8 when Hebrink came up with a 16-yard TD run late in the third quarter and junior Jonathan Olson put the game away when he stripped a Faribault runner of the ball and took it back 18 yards for his first career varsity TD to put Austin up 36-8.

Austin will host Northfield in its homecoming game Friday at 7 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

Austin 7  16  7  13  —  42

Faribault 0   8   0    0  —  8

First quarter

(A) Joe Seeman 1 run (Andrew Schumacher kick) (8 plays, 65 yards) 2:31

Second quarter

(A) Andrew Schumacher 25 field goal (9 plays, 52 yards) 9:47

(A) Aiden Wilson 1 run (kick blocked) (5 plays, 53 yards) 8:45

(F) Joe Palmer 3 run (Palmer run) (10 plays, 70 yards) 2:46

(A) Schumacher 30 pass from Tate Hebrink (pass field) (3 plays, 53 yards) 1:07

Third quarter

(A) Hebrink 16 run (Schumacher kick) (7 plays, 50 yards) :20

Fourth quarter

(A) Jonathan Olson 18 fumble recovery return (Schumacher kick) (1 play, 20 yards) 10:20

(A) Hunter Guyette 38 interception return (kick failed) (1 play, 38 yards) 8:44

AUSTIN STATS

Rushing: Aiden Wilson, 13-for-101, TD; Joe Seeman, 9-for-47, TD; Tate Hebrink, 11-for-30, TD; Andrew Schumacher, 1-for-22; Nate Murphy, 1-for-2

Passing: Hebrink, 10-for-23, 136, TD, INT

Receiving: Schumacher, 4-for-71, TD; Gavin Owens, 2-for-27; Connor Byram, 2-for-21; Seeman, 1-for-9; Nate Murphy, 1-for-8

Defense: Hunter Guyette, 2 interceptions; Logan Braaten, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery; Andrew Chesak, 1 fumble recovery; Thomas Kroymann, 1 sack; Eli Marks, 1 fumble recovery;

Penalties: 9-for-67

FARIBAULT STATS

Rushing: 143

Passing: 140

Penalties: 10-for-70