The Owatonna radio broadcasters reported to their listeners that Thursday’s crowd at Ove Berven Gym stood alone – and on its feet – as the largest in the gym’s most recent three decades.

Friday, January 07, 2000

The Owatonna radio broadcasters reported to their listeners that Thursday’s crowd at Ove Berven Gym stood alone – and on its feet – as the largest in the gym’s most recent three decades.

The rafter-packed fans came hungry, bringing with them an appetite for bedlam and high-drama.

They came to witness Owatonna (14-0), the No. 2 ranked team in the state, take on upstart Austin, No. 12 and climbing.

The wrestlers came ready to please, whipping the place into a fight club.

Understand there is no love lost between the two schools which harbor a brutal across-the-board sports rivalry.

"We didn’t expect it to be as close as this," said Owatonna’s Joe Butler in a thumb-the-nose manner.

It was Butler’s late rally in a 9-8 dragout win over Todd Krupicka at 171 pounds that clinched Owatonna’s 33-19 victory.

The match promised to feature prep wrestling at it highest level and Austin, 8-0 coming in, proved up to the billing. After the match, Austin coach Bill Kinney plugged his team as one of the elite.

"We learned some things tonight," he said. "If that’s the number two team in the state, we better be considered up there."

As fate is so wont to do when sport approaches its pinnacle, fate played on the match, offering forth twists and turns that only come when they matter most.

Witness a crucial match at 135 pounds, which did a complete 180 late in the second period. With the crowd frothing, referee Mark Voyce inadvertently blew his whistle with seconds still remaining in the 3-3 match.

Owatonna’s Jeremy Wilson, with a third-place state feather in his cap, took advantage as Joe Cunningham responded to the whistle by apparently letting his guard down. Wilson escaped Cunningham’s clutch and earned near-fall points for taking down Cunninham before the buzzer.

A controversy played out at the scorer’s table. Voyce determined to give Wilson a 7-3 edge.

After the match, Kinney responded by saying he understood the situation and didn’t fault Voyce – the one-time coach of Hayfield’s most recent state champion team and an impeccable official.

"I’m not sure about the near fall," Kinney said, "but Mark knows the sport. It wasn’t the deciding factor. We still had a period left in that match to get points."

Wilson’s win gave Owatonna the lead for good at 11-10.

Earlier in the match, T.J. Parlin, Spencer Wolner and Matt Adwell gave Austin hope.

The trio’s victories put Austin up 10-8. Adwell’s stirring win came late in the third frame and followed a second period during which the junior looked as if he were out of gas.

But he clearly was not out of inspiration.

Adwell, trailing 5-7, took down Noah Blum to tie it with 39 seconds left in the match.

A pair of Blum escapes made it 7-9. Then, as the seconds fell closer to single digits, Adwell played the role of juice-maker, electrifying the crowd with a takedown-turned-near fall that produced a five-point swing and a 12-9 win.

"I really wanted to beat Owatonna," Adwell said. "My opportunity was there."

Austin got another win from Mike Cunningham, who dominated a careful war with Cory Urban.

"They’ve got more respect for us now," said Cunningham of the Huskies, who won’t meet the Packers again unless the teams hook up in a section playoff.

Adwell, for one, is hoping for such a matchup.

"I haven’t been fulfilled," he said. "It was a good night and all, but I’d like to see ’em again."

A good night, indeed. One that did more than recall memories of Ove Berven’s yesteryear, it crafted new ones.

It also confirmed what has long been understood: Those Austin boys put up a damn good fight.

Owatonna 33, Austin 19

103 – T.J. Parlin (Austin) major decision Scot Radel, 13-5. Meet score: 4-0

112 – Spencer Wolner (A) decision Drew Johnson, 7-4. Meet: 7-0.

119 – Derek Johnson (Owatonna) technical fall Scott Miller, 6:42. Meet: 7-5.

125 – Mark Butler (O) decision David Carroll, 5-2. Meet: 7-8.

130 – Matt Adwell (A) decision Noah Blum, 12-9. Meet: 10-8.

135 – Jeremy Wilson (O) decision Joe Cunningham, 7-5. Meet: 10-11.

140 – Wade Prestegard (O) decision Drew Oesterle, 5-0. Meet 10-14.

145 – Casey Kaplan (O) major decision Derek Hyland, 18-10. Meet 10-18.

152 – Mike Cunningham (A) decision Cory Urban, 8-3. Meet: 13-18.

160 – Ben Wilson (O) wins by forfeit. Meet: 13-24.

171 – Joe Butler (O) decision Todd Krupicka, 9-8. Meet: 27-13.

189 – Chad Mentel (A) wins by forfeit. Meet: 19-24.

Heavyweight – Eli Ross (O) wins by injury default. Meet: 33-19.