Crowded gym forced AHS officials to turn away fans just moments before tipoff

No vacancy — a sign Austin High School could have used.

AHS staff were forced to turn away fans hoping to watch the Austin Packers and Owatonna Huskies showdown Friday night in Packer Gym.

The anticipated regular season finale was a rematch of the team’s first meeting when Owatonna edged Austin in Owatonna. This time it was the Packers coming out on top, 61-52 not only evening the series, but leaving the Packers alone on top of the Big Nine with a conference title.

“We haven’t seen this here,” head coach Kris Fadness said of the night. “I thought, ‘we better win if there’s this many people here to watch us.’”

Officials made the decision to start turning fans away just before the game’s start. At the time, people were already having to settle with standing on the ends, just off the baskets.

“It was packed and we had people standing under the baskets,” Player Tom Aase said. “It was the best feeling ever.”

Activities Director Lisa Quednow-Bickler said at halftime that staff were expecting a large crowd, just not as big as it was.

“We expected this to be a very large crowd,” she said. “Owatonna has a good following and we’ve been filling the gym too.

Even though the game drew more people then staff were expecting, nobody could deny the atmosphere or the ending that saw AHS students mobbing the Packers at center court after the win.

“I went to school here and I don’t think I’ve ever seen this gym this full,” Quednow-Bickler said. “If people wanted to come see this game, they probably should have come a little earlier.

“It’s fun though,” she added. “This is great school spirit.”

 

—Rocky Hulne contributed to this story.