Hulne: Packer football team is gaining steam
Published 8:40 pm Monday, September 11, 2017
Sometimes a team that is struggling just has to learn how to win and that process sometimes much harder than it appears. It looks like the Austin Packer football team has made that jump and it is starting to figure things out.
Since the program ended a 15-game losing streak against Albert Lea last season, the Packers have quietly won seven of their last eight games. All seven of those wins have been by more than 16 points and the Packers have cruised in their first two wins over Rochester Mayo and Red Wing to start this season.
In a 43-8 win at Red Wing this past Friday, the Packers showed they’re starting to develop a toughness and a winning mentality. With much of the team battling the flu, there wasn’t a lot of whining on the sideline and very few players were asking to come out of the game for rest. Games like that will build the mental fortitude the Packers will need when they’re up against adversity this year.
The biggest reason for the Packers success this season has been the play of the team in the trenches. The Packers owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball against the Wingers and against Rochester Mayo in a 40-21 season opening win. That solid line play has made everything easier for the skill position players on offense and the linebackers and defensive backs on defense.
The Packers have made some strides of improvement from where they were at the end of last year and they’re going to find out just how far they’ve come when they face Owatonna in Art Hass Stadium 7 p.m. on Friday.
The Huskies, who played in the Minnesota Class AAAAA semifinals last season and are ranked No. 2 this season are the only team to beat Austin in the past eight games. That loss came in a 58-0 Owatonna win that ended the Packers’ season last fall.
In that game, the Huskies threw the first punch and the Packers didn’t have a response.
This time, the Packers hope to be better equipped to deal with the powerhouse Huskies. If they can put up a good effort against Owatonna, it could be a springboard towards a successful season.
