CHAMPIONS!
A LOOK BACK AT THE HUTCHINSON TIGERS FOOTBALL TEAM’S TRIUMPHANT SEASON Sunday, December 2, 2012
Leader HUTCHINSON
2 Tigers Championship Season
Hutchinson Leader
Sunday, December 2, 2012
The road to perfection Hutchinson’s 13-0 season spanned three months, beginning in Little Falls and ending with the Prep Bowl in the Metrodome By Stephen Wiblemo
2012 Wright County Standings
sports@hutchinsonleader.com
WCC East Standings Conf. 5-0 3-2 3-2 3-2 1-4 0-5
Hutchinson Delano Orono Holy Family Waconia Mound-Westonka
Overall 8-0 5-3 5-3 4-4 1-7 0-8
WCC West Standings
STAFF PHOTO BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
The Tigers lined up for the National Anthem before they’re home opener against GSL. second straight year the Tigers walked away with the Battle of the Cats travelling trophy. As it turned out, though, the two rivals would meet again, but for an even bigger trophy. Riding high and with the wind at their back, the Tigers continued their domination of Wright County Conference rivals and blasted Orono, Waconia and Holy Family Catholic for a combined score of 162-28 in the three blowout wins. Nobody would have guessed at the time that Hutchinson and Holy Family Catholic would see each other again in the final game of the season. The sixth week in Delano was by far the most uncomfortable game of the year with chilly winds blowing across the field, but Hutch stayed hot with a convincing 36-12 win over their Tiger rivals of a different stripe.
In the final two weeks of the regular season the Tigers won their second shutout of the year in a 42-0 win over Dassel-Cokato, and cruised toa 41-21 victory over MoundWestonka to win the WCC East title for the second straight year. It was the 28th conference championship in Hutch’s history.
Rematch with the Panthers With a perfect 8-0 record the Tigers earned the top seed in the Section 2AAAA playoffs and a bye through the first round. After watching Dassel-Cokato dismantle New Ulm 53-8 in the quarterfinals, the Tigers then faced the Chargers for the second time in two weeks. The results were similar to the first meeting as Hutch laid down a 42-6 beating to reach the final.
Glencoe-Silver Lake Annandale New London-Spicer Litchfield Dassel-Cokato Week 1 - Aug. 31 Hutchinson Little Falls Week 2 - Sept. 7 Hutchinson Glencoe-Silver Lake Week 3 - Sept. 14 Hutchinson Orono Week 4 - Sept. 21 Hutchinson Waconia Week 5 - Sept. 28 Hutchinson Holy Family Week 6 - Oct. 5 Hutchinson Delano Week 7 - Oct. 12 Hutchinson Dassel-Cokato Week 8 - Oct. 17 Hutchinson Mound-Westonka
Conf. 4-0 3-1 1-3 1-3 1-3
Overall 7-1 7-1 5-3 3-5 2-6
49 0 35 13 41 14 61 7 60 7 36 12 42 0 41 21
Continued on page 4
State Champs! Congratulations
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The 2012 Huthchinson football team began its season like every other team in the state; with a clean slate and a 0-0 record. After a long off season with plenty of time to think about their dissapointing loss to Mankato West in the section finals the year before, the Tigers set out to end their sixyear drought of state tournament appearances and make a run at the program’s fourth state championship. With a strong cast of returning players — led by 14 seniors including captains McKinley Anderson, Shaun Schindler and Mitch Petersen — the Tigers showed early and often why they were considered one of the top-rated 4A teams in the state all season. They were ranked as high as No. 2 in statewide polls, behind only a DeLaSalle team which ended up losing in the first round of the state playoffs. The Tigers’ season opener was played in Little Falls where they faced the Flyers for their only non-conference bout of the regular season. It was there that Hutch fans got their first glimpse of what would soon be recognized as the standard style of play in all of the Tigers’ games this season — a hard-nosed offense led by multiple running backs, and a stifling defense that minimized rushing yards and capitalized on turnovers. After dispatching the Flyers in a 49-point shutout, however, it was time to return for the first true test of the season in the Tigers’ home opener against Glencoe-Silver Lake. It was the 14th installment of the rivalry between the Highway 22 rivals, and for the
Sunday, December 2, 2012
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F F O S HAT ALL! B T O O F R TO TIGE f your success.
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4 Tigers Championship Season
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Continued from page 2
More adversity and tough passing in game against Becker
On the other side of the bracket Marshall had whipped Mankato East 52-6 in the first round, but then fallen victim to GSL in a narrow 21-14 loss, setting up the section chamionship many had predicted at the start of the year. It was just the fourth time since 1960 Hutch and Glencoe had met in a section playoff game, and only the second time it was in the championship. The last time was in 1996, two years after Glencoe and Silver Lake merged. The Panthers defeated the Tigers 18-7 for the section title. The Panthers’ only loss up to that point had been to the Tigers, and they were ranked No. 4 in the state, so Hutch knew it could not take them for granted. It was the the Tigers’ turn this year, though, as they ran away with a 28-7 victory for their first section title since 2005, and the 20th in the program’s history. The win also gave Hutch an 8-7 edge in the rivalry against GSL, and made the lifetime record between Hutch and Glencoe 6043-3 in the Tigers’ favor.
KoMets give Tigers a run for their money in state semifinal Hutchinson had ended its state playoff drought, but the Tigers were interested in more than just a section championship, and the first team standing beteween them and their ultimate goal was a underrated team from Kasson-Mantorville. The KoMets entered the 4A state playoffs ranked No. 8 in state, but boasted the biggest offensive line the Tigers would face all year. Despite going up against a line with several players who tipped the scales at 290 pounds and up, the Tigers’ persisitent running game did not waiver as they handed the ball off a season-high 59 times and racked up 350 yards on the ground. That doesn’t mean victory came easy. After dominating the first half to build a 23-8 lead, the Tigers were held out of the end zone the rest of the game and had to hold on for their lives as the KoMets attempted to
STAFF PHOTO BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
Hutchinson defense end Shaun Schindler tried to deflect a pass by Becker’s Tommy Benson during their state semifinal game. He, Josiah Rolf and Ryan Lenz tallied four sacks between them as the Tigers tried to put as much pressure on the senior passer as they could.
derail Hutchinson’s championship aspirations. In the end the Tigers were able to survive by the skin of their teeth and move on to the semifinals with a 23-22 win. The one-point difference was the result of some savvy play calling by the coaches. Watching tape before the game, Tiger coaches noticed the KoMets rushed all in on
An unexpected rematch While all of this was happening on one side of the state bracket, the other half was witnessing shocking upsets that surprised many around the state. In one quarterfinal game the Princeton Tigers, who had a 7-4 record going into the state playoffs, pulled off a 34-31 upset in quadruple overtime over No. 3-ranked Detroit Lakes. The other quarterfinal game saw another Continued on page 6
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PAT kicks, leaving very little in the way of protection on the edges. In a pair of gutsy and game-changing first-half calls the Tigers converted a pair of two-point conversions. The KoMets were able to get one back, but on their final touchdown in the fourth quarter the two-point pass was knocked down and Hutch held its one-point margin of victory.
After surviving the close call with KassonMantorville the Tigers were expecting to see DeLaSalle, the No. 1-ranked team all year, in their first game at the Metrodome. In a shocking twist, though, the Becker Bulldogs won a stunning 21-14 upset over the Islanders to take their place in the semifinal. Hutchinson and Becker shared one common opponent this year, the GSL team Hutch had already defeated twice in the season. The Panthers upended Becker 21-9 in the sixth week of the regular season for its only loss up to that point. As always, though, the Tigers knew they had to take the Bulldogs seriously, especially since their quarterback, Tommy Benson, was one of the top passers in the state and came in with 2,043 yards and 28 touchdowns on the year. The Tigers had prided themselves on being able to stop the run all season, but the top-rated passer was a new test they had not yet experienced. The goal was to put as much pressure on Benson as they could, and while he still threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns, the Tigers managed to get a season-high four sacks and one interception while allowing only 16 yards on the ground. That, combined with the fact that Becker was unable to stop the Tigers from running all over them for 446 yards, led to a 28-14 victory.
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6 Tigers Championship Season Continued from page 4 ranked team go down as No. 10 Hill-Murray lost a 27-23 game to none other than Holy Family Catholic. Like Princeton, the Fire had a less-than pristine 8-3 record going into the state playoffs, but they managed to get hot at the right time. Holy Family’s hot streak continued in the semifinal as it pummeled Princeton for a 4928 victory, setting up a duel between WCC rivals for the Class 4A state championship. Although the Tigers had already dished out a 60-7 whipping against the Fire early in the year, there was no telling how much the Fire had improved over the eight weeks since Hutch last saw them. And Hutchinson head coach Andy Rostberg knew any team that makes it to the state finals is doing something right and deserved the Tigers’ respect. While people all across the state were picking Hutchinson to win in another land-
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Sunday, December 2, 2012
slide, the boys in black and yellow stayed humble and went about their business the week of Thanksgiving preparing for the biggest game of their high school careers. After practicing for the last time together on the evening of Thanksgiving, it was time to take the field at the Metrodome for the last time. The Tigers left it all out on the field, and what followed was the most lopsided victory in Prep Bowl history as Hutch demolished the Fire in a 67-7 drubbing. It was complete domination on all sides of the ball as Hutchinson rushed for a seasonhigh 530 yards and nine touchdowns, never attempting to throw the ball once. Defensively the Tigers forced five turnovers with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions, including one by Jordan Yira that was returned 77 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers left no doubt who was the best 4A football team in 2012, a fact that their hundreds of fans had known all season.
STAFF PHOTOS BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
Safety Jordan Yira intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown while teammates Robbie Grimsley and Jake Wendland made sure the intended receiver wouldn’t catch up to him from behind in the state championship game at the Metrodome.
The 2012 Hutchinson Tiger football team was all smiles as they gathered around the Class 4A state championship trophy for a team picture in the Metrodome.
Congratulations on a great season!
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8 Tigers Championship Season
Hutchinson Leader
Sunday, December 2, 2012
STAFF PHOTOS BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
Hutchinson running back Tory Adams served up a vicious stiff arm to Holy Family Catholic’s Rob LaRosa as he broke a tackle Friday in the Metrodome. Adams finished the game with a season-high 197 yards rushing, and he ended the season as the Tigers’ leading rusher with 1,447 yards and 18 touchdowns on 178 carries.
Running up the score The Tigers’ offense was defined by its dynamic running game that rushed for more than 4,000 yards and 61 touchdowns Fullback Evan Metag was the Tigers’ bruiser this year, piling up 664 yards and eight touchdowns on 124 carries.
Mitch Petersen didn’t always have big games, but when he did they were huge as he averaged 12.6 yards per carry.
Tiger quarterback McKinley Anderson wasn’t the yard hog he was last year, but he did his best work down by the goal line as he plunged the ball in 19 times to lead the team.
By Stephen Wiblemo sports@hutchinsonleader.com
A
s the Hutchinson football team wrapped up a record-breaking performance in Prep Bowl XXXI, trouncing Holy Family Catholic 67-7 in the most lopsided victory in Prep Bowl history, one of the most interesting statistics in the final box score was the Tigers’ passing numbers. All zeroes. While that may have been surprising to outsiders unfamiliar with Hutchinson’s style of play, those who watched the Tigers this season know it was a fitting finale to a perfect 13-0 season. Hutch finished the year with 553 points, placing it among the top offenses in the state in all classes. The majority of the damage was done courtesy of the Tigers’ ground game. It’s not as if Hutchinson couldn’t pass.
Quarterback McKinley Anderson completed 52 percent of his passes (48 of 92) for 1,095 yards and 12 touchdowns, and his top target, Mitch Petersen, hauled in 25 catches for 659 yards. But compared to the 4,470 yards and 61 touchdowns the Tigers ground out, there’s no question Hutchinson was a running team through and through. “What demoralizes a team defensively is when you can turn around and hand it off, and they can’t stop it,” Hutchinson head coach Andy Rostberg said. “If you throw a touchdown pass or something like that everybody goes, ‘Well, we have to cover them a little better,’ but it doesn’t demoralize them. It is a helpless feeling on defense when a team is just handing off, and you keep stacking more people up there, but they keep gaining yards, first downs and touchdowns.” The running game was Hutch’s bread and butter on offense, but how was it so
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Hutchinson Leader
Tigers Championship Season 9 maneuverability or cutting as much as he did just laying the hammer to people when he goes through,” Rostberg said. “If you were going to tackle him, you were going to have to get into a collision.”
The sleeping giant
STAFF PHOTOS BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
Tigers backup runners Robbie Grimsley, Ahmad Brewton and Jayden Fleck didn’t get as many carries as the starting backs on the team, but they made the most of the ones they got and kept defenses on their toes even when the big runners weren’t on the field. unstoppable? “It was a combination of things,” Rostberg said. “First and foremost it was that we had great running backs. We had running backs that broke lots of tackles. We always told them that they have to run expecting there to be no holes. If there were holes, then we were really going to be gaining yards.” Not only did the Tigers have good running backs, they had a lot of them. So many that it made it almost impossible for defenses to stop them all. “When you run an offense like our’s, with a fullback like Evan, a quarterback like McKinley and tailbacks like we had, it’s hard to stop all three of those phases,” Rostberg said. Seven Hutch rushers had more than 200 yards and scored at least one touchdown this season, and each one had an important part to play in this dynamic offense.
The workhorses While the Tigers were handing the ball off to multiple rushers each game, like most
teams they had their workhorses who got a majority of the carries, and they were Tory Adams and Evan Metag. After playing defense last year as a sophomore, Adams was told in the off season that he would be making the switch to offense. “We didn’t have a tailback coming back and we knew Tory was very athletic. He was going to be big and is fast,” Rostberg said. “We were confident he could fill that role for us.” The coaches couldn’t have been more right. Adams finished the season with 1,447 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground to lead the Tigers. In preparing for the switch from defense to offense, one of the biggest things Adams did over the off season was work on his leg strength with the help of Chad Harlander and the Hutch strength and conditioning program. “I expected I would be playing tailback this year, so that was what I mainly focused on over the off season,” he said. “I went to
CONGRATULATIONS, JORDAN! We are so proud of you and the rest of the Hutchinson Tigers football team. Well done, boys!
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The offensive line paved the way to success for the Tiger running backs, like in this picture when Hayden Kruse and Benjamin Lies double team a Kasson-Mantorville lineman. Chad Harlander’s lifting camp and worked legs mostly, and worked on my speed. I also worked on form running. It was a big transfer from defense to offense.” Metag, on the other hand, was used to playing offense. He was the Tigers’ full-time fullback last season until a leg injury ended his junior year prematurely. Despite missing the last four games of the season he still finished as Hutch’s leading rusher. Returning to that position was no surprise to him this year, but what was a surprise was finding that the backfield was now much more crowded. “It was a little different than last year because I was used to getting most of the carries, and this year there were games when I only got six or seven carries and had to block,” Metag said. “As long as we could score and do our jobs, though, I was happy to share the yards and do my job.” Metag may have shared the load with a few more backs this year, but his 124 carries was second on the team, and the 664 yards he piled up ranked him third. “Evan is a banger. He didn’t rely on
While Adams and Metag got a majority of the carries through regular season, one guy who was a big part of last year’s offense, but was having a quieter year in 2012, was Anderson. Through the first nine games of the season he averaged just 31 yards and a little more than six carries per game. It wasn’t that Anderson had lost his mojo, but it seemed the scouting report was out and Wright County Conference teams weren’t going to let him get around the ends. That’s when the Tigers started running the option. “A lot of times when I would come off the end on options, defenses would have two guys sitting there waiting,” Anderson said. “So when I pitched to Tory there was nobody to stop him. I figured that out pretty quick after trying to keep a couple early in the year.” The option worked perfectly, and while Adams was racking up huge yards Anderson was still getting important carries on third-and-short situations and down by the goal line. He led the team with 19 rushing touchdowns. “Whenever we needed to get first downs we always leaned on McKinley to do that for us, and he did it well,” Rostberg said. “He also had the ability to run the option, and he made good reads and pitched it when he needed to. He was also really deadly down by the goal line.” That big-time rusher from 2011 was not completely gone, though. He was merely hibernating, waiting for defenses to take their eyes off of him. And when they finally did, that’s when he struck. It started in the section championship. After posting a game-high of just 83 yards up until then, Anderson gashed GlencoeContinued on page 10
10 Tigers Championship Season Continued from page 9 Silver Lake’s defense for 142 yards yards to lead the Tigers. He did it again with 143 yards against Kasson-Mantorville, and once more against Becker for 109 yards. “Earlier in the year I was pitching it a lot more, but then defenses were going for Tory because he had spectacular games,” Anderson said. “It opened up to keep it and good things happened.” After being patient and playing unselfishly all season long, Anderson made defenses pay the price when they took their attention off him. He finished the year second on the team with 701 rushing yards.
The wild card As if three big rushers weren’t enough of a challenge for opposing defenses, Hutchinson’s coaches had one more ace up their sleeves, and his name was Mitch Petersen. Petersen was a Renaissance man, playing a little of everything on offense, defense and special teams. “He could hurt teams more ways than most players we’ve had here,” Rostberg said. “You could pitch it to him, hand it to him, throw it to him and he could return punts and kickoffs.” Not only did he finish as the Tigers’ leading receiver, but whenever he lined up in
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Sunday, December 2, 2012
the backfield Tigers fans held their breath in anticipation of a big play. “Mitchell was lightning in a bottle. He was a game-breaker for us,” Rostberg said. “We could have gotten him the ball more than we did, but he was the kid that we could get it to him on the perimeter and he was fast and was a great cutter.” Although he only averaged about three carries per game and never had more than eight in a single night, nobody did more with their touches as he reeled off 556 total yards at a clip of 12.6 yards per carry. “I think it was just good play calling,” Petersen said. “We set them up right and hit them with something they weren’t expecting.”
Plenty of ponies in the stable The running didn’t stop with those four. To help keep their starting backs fresh the Tigers often rotated backup rushers into the game. Seven other Hutchinson backs put up yards this season, and the leaders among them were senior Ahmad Brewton and sophomores Robbie Grimsley and Jayden Fleck. Most teams don’t have the luxury of three solid backup running backs, on top of four other leading rushers, but Hutch’s backfield was overflowing with talent this season and they made sure there were no breaks for opposing defenses.
“We could put those guys back there, and let’s face it, they could have been starting running backs for most of the teams we played this year,” Rostberg said. “We were fortunate enough to have a lot of talented backups that we could put in there.” Out of the three, Brewton was the leader with 384 yards and three touchdowns. “I just felt I was too fast and couldn’t be stopped,” Brewton stated. Grimsley and Fleck’s stats were equally as impressive. Grimsley averaged more than 11 yards per carry and finished with 375 yards and four touchdowns, and Fleck piled up 212 yards and two touchdowns. “I just wanted to do what I know I can do, and do what I can for my team,” Grimsley said. “I wanted to show coaches they could rely on me when they needed, and can put me in,” Fleck echoed.
The last word on the line All season long the Tigers handed the ball off. They eclipsed 300 rushing yards nine times, and in their final two games ran for season highs of 446 and 530 yards. Much of the credit for Hutch’s impressive running game belongs to the arsenal of running backs who took turns carrying the ball, but as they spoke about their success on offense this year there was one other group they were all quick to give credit to.
The guys on the line. “I thought our offensive line, as the season progressed, got better, and better and better,” Rostberg said. “In the state championship game they played the best game of the year. They were mowing them out of there, and that is what happens. You can’t rush for 530 yards without a good offensive line. You just can’t.” Offensive linemen Shaun Schindler and Jayden Juergensen were on the ends. Starting at tackle were Jacob VanderHeiden and Chandler Newcomb. There were guards Sawyer Witt and Ben Lies, and of course, the snapper, Hayden Kruse. It’s tough work on the line, though, so whenever those guys needed a break others such as Jacob Filk, Gregor Fraser and Jonathon Rutkowski seamlessly filled in where needed. ”They all played important roles filling in and giving us good games when they were needed,” Rostberg said. “From week one to the last week they just continued to get better every day. They started working together and developed good continuity.” It all starts in the trenches, and without these movers and shakers at the front the Tigers might not have had the opportunity to hang their fourth state championship banner in the high school gym this year.
THE TIGERS
On A Fantastic Season!
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12 Tigers Championship Season
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Passion for team is family tradition Family ties to the Tigers extend across generations, from players and coaches to their devoted fans By Stephen Wiblemo sports@hutchinsonleader.com
For decades Hutchinson boys have been putting on pads and donning the black and yellow jerseys as members of the Tiger football team. And over the years it has become a rite of passage in the fall for young men to run out on S.R. Knutson Field on crisp Friday nights. It’s an experience and tradition that ties hundreds who have been part of the Tigers program’s long history, including every person who has played, coached or cheered for the team. As the program has continued its success over the years, though, one of the most enriching parts for many former Tigers has been watching the next generation, many of whom are related through family and friends. “It is a unique situation we have here in that we have families with multiple generations of boys that have played here,” Hutchinson head coach Andy Rostberg said. “Whether it be uncles, fathers, grandfathers, siblings and cousins. We’ve had a lot of them come through here, and we always tell the kids the list of people they are playing for is long.” Coach Rostberg knows better than anybody what it means to have the Tiger legacy passed on down from previous generations. His father, Grady Rostberg, is a legend in Hutchinson after coaching the football team from 1970 to 1998, winning three
state championships along the way. Andy was the quarterback under his father during the first two titles in 1983 and 1984, and then returned as the offensive coordinator for Hutch when it won the 1998 state title. As a father Grady was proud to watch his son lead the Tigers to their first two state titles on the field, but this year was even more special, he said, as Andy continued the family business of coaching the Tigers to a state championship. “I told Andy I was more proud of this one that he won than I ever was of the ones we won,” Grady said. “It’s different when it’s your kids. It’s just that father-son relationship. You always want the best for your kids.” Grady wasn’t the only proud papa this year who had his hands in previous Tiger championships. Chandler Newcomb, a junior offensive lineman, said he heard a lot about how to win championships from his father, Joel, at home. That’s because Joel played tailback for the 1983 team. “He’s a pretty cocky guy, but he would just tell me to keep working if I wanted to keep winning,” Chandler said. Joel knows what it takes to be a champion, and he knows it doesn’t happen often. That’s why he’s proud to be able to share that feeling with his son. “It was a great memory for me, and it was also a lot of fun watching my son win one,” Joel said. “I know it will be something he
Congrats
STAFF PHOTO BY STEPHEN WIBLEMO
Playing Tigers football is a long tradition shared by many fathers and sons, but only a few can say they were champions. In the front row from left: Grady Rostberg and his son, Andy Rostberg; middle row: Payton Lenz, Mason Kucera and Chandler Newcomb; and their fathers in back row: Paul Lenz, Dave Kucera and Joel Newcomb. will never forget, because it doesn’t come along for everybody.” Paul Lenz, a member of the 1983 team, and Dave Kucera, a Tiger in 1983 and 1984 and assistant coach this year, also share the feeling of being a champion with their sons Payton Lenz and Mason Kucera. “I had two older brothers that played for Grady,” Lenz said. “This is a dynasty, and when you mention Hutchinson people think of football. “There really are no words I can put on it. It’s a great feeling and something they will
have the rest of their lives. For my son to play on this team was a privilege, and we had a lot of fun following the team.” While Payton and Mason, two sophomores, played a smaller role on this year’s team they are champions nonetheless, and both will have two more years to continue the proud tradition of Tiger football. “It was great having someone at home who knows so much about the sport and was able to help whenever I had questions,” Payton said. “We’ve got a lot to live up to.”
Congratulations Tigers!
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HUTCHINSON TIGERS:
Tigers Championship Season 13
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14 Tigers Championship Season
Hutchinson Leader
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Tiger Nation is proud Hutchinson football fans have cheered the Tigers on all season long, and some had a few more congratulations to give out on the Leader’s Facebook page
Jakey #31 Wendland! Congratulations on being a part of a state championship team! We are all proud that your dreams came true. You truly show an example of a leader on the team and we know you had fun with your buddies. The defense had an exceptional season! So much to look forward to next year. Keep on setting big goals! Tougher, stronger, smarter. You make me proud. Love, your big sis. — Jessica Wendland
Hutchinson. Congratulations on a job well done. — Michelle Flachmeyer
Great job boys! You made our town very proud! Congratulations! — Kim Block Erickson
Amazing season! This will be a great memory to look back on later in life! Tiger Nation! — Serena Roehl
I was thrilled to see you play at the Dome this year, and was cheering for you all season from my home in the north metro. Once a Tiger always a Tiger. Congratulations on an amazing season! — Erin Stinson
Tigers, so proud of our team! Watching you play was an awesome experience! You guys rock! — Emily Whittington Proud to be a Tiger! Great job CHAMPS! — Heart of Hutch
This season proves what great talent, leadership, discipline, depth and coaching can accomplish. Thanks for being great role models and for a season that will be etched in Tiger fans’ memories forever! — Deron Johnson
Logan Goosen #36 — We are so proud of you! You have proven that hard work pays off! Congratulations on a great season! We’ll miss watching you next year. — Nate, Mandy and Jackson
Congratulations! Proud of my hometown Tigers! — Debi Kay-Lanie Burmeister
Congrats all the way from South Dakota! — Jessica Toben Rehder
Congrats to the 2012 HHS Football team. It has been a BLAST following you guys all season! Go Tigers! — Hutch Tiger Football Radio 1260
Way to go, Tigers. You did good for our town and we’re all happy in the town of
A perfect ending to a perfect season. You
were such fun to watch all season. — Geri Johnson Congrats to the 2012 football team for winning the Class 4A state title! Also to the loyal fans who help bring a community together by supporting the team. — Captains of the 1998 State Champions (Nick Bakkum, Paul Rosenow and Jake Schlueter)
Thanks for a great season Tigers! You made Hutchinson proud! — Brian Hettver Good job boys, coaches and all others that made this season a huge success! The winning tradition continues on. Go Tigers! — Corey Petersen Congrats on a perfect season! What an inspiration your team was for all. You deserved to win the state title and made Hutchinson proud! — Jennifer Quast Kuseske In our community it is a rite of autumn to gather on Friday nights at S.R. Knutson Field and cheer our Tiger football team. Rich in tradition and anchored by a familiar name at head coach, this Tiger team takes it place amongst those teams from the past, many of whom still sit in the bleachers and
nod approvingly at each well executed play. Congratulations boys on a great season! — Pat Betker Very proud of you boys! Great accomplishment! Sets the tone for the whole senior class! — Michele Braun (1985 alumni) Congrats to the boys in black and yellow. You represented Hutchinson with honor and tip-top sportsmanship. Thank you for strengthing Tiger Pride! — Lori Hornick-Lindell (1988 alumni) Classy coaches, players and fans! You represented Hutch alumni and the community very well! Great job Tigers! It was fun following you online this year! Congratulations! — Jim Duehn In Hutch you play Tiger football only a few years, but you’re a fan for as long as you live. Congrats on the state title! It gives all those little kids in town something to aspire to when they finally have the opportunity to don the black helmet. It gives all the alumni a sense of pride in what they helped build. It gives you the memories of a lifetime. — Josh Schlueter (1996 alumni)
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Great job on bringing the state title back to good ole HHS and H-Town. You have inspired another generation of youngsters. The tradition of Hutch Tiger football lives on and you will never forget those relationships you have developed with your teammates. — Julius Schlueter (1999 alumni and 1998 state champ) What a great way to end a great season! The entire team worked hard and you earned a state championship title. I am extremely proud to say I am a parent of a player and a member of the Hutchinson community! — Melissa Petersen Mayer Congratulations champions! — Mike Schwinghammer (1997 alumni) Congratulations Tigers! Great job adding to an already great tradition! — Nate Brinkman Congratulations boys, I’m so proud of you all. You had strong leaders, and worked well as a team. I enjoyed sitting and watching the progress made at practice and how strongly it showed in the games. I tried to be at every game I only missed 2 in which I sat screaming at the radio at home! Once a Tiger always a Tiger. Great job boys. — Josephine Paige Hausladen Congratulations Tigers! You are great role models on and off the field! — Katie Schumacher We have enjoyed this year, especially with
Congrats Hutch Tigers! — Jayda Gilberts-Garrison Congrats Hutch Tigers. It was a great game, way to go! — Tonia Jensen Johnson A big congratulations to my son, Logan Goosen, and all the players of our Hutch football team. Thank you boys for a wonderful season. It was so fun being part of it all. Love, your #1 fan, Mom. — Shelly Fabel
Logan and the team have made grandpa and grandma so proud to be able to follow these amazing young men and what they have accomplished! — Shelly Fabel Hey Hutch Tigers, we are so very proud of you. It's been a fun year and you've been awesome to watch and cheer on. Congratulations to our state champions! — Kathy and Gene Fabel
Tigers Championship Season 15
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Great season Tigers! — Courtney Thode The football team this year was nothing but a class act! To go undefeated and stay as grounded as you did speaks volumes. We are all proud to say we’re Hutch Tiger fans. Congratulations! — Sara Villa Girard
Thanks for representing Hutchinson
with class!
Logan, you and the team provided a great season of entertainment! It was wonderful to see all the teamwork and camaraderie game after game. The Hutchinson fans are like no other and the team really gave them something to cheer about. I’m so proud of you! — Grandma Karen Page
Hutch Tigers on a Great Year!
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Congratulations to an excellent season players and coaches! — Pat Geiken
the team doing so well and working so hard. The team has worked together on offense and defense to create a perfect season. — Joyce and Willie Johnson
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Congratulations to our HHS football team on a wonderful season this year! I am so proud to be a Tiger! Great job coaches, teaching our boys how to play Hutch football! — Ashley DeGolier
Hutchinson Leader
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16 Tigers Championship Season
Hutchinson Leader
Sunday, December 2, 2012
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Tina Olson, Jane Shepersky, David Larson, Andy Rostberg, Paula Straub. Not pictured: Matt Melberg