It was there for all to see in the defense most of all.

Thursday, October 21, 1999

It was there for all to see in the defense most of all.

The Austin Packers, they began to fly around before every snap.

Movements that heretofore this season produced mayhem, suddenly came together hissing right before the very eyes of a boisterous-but-bare crowd.

Nearing the end of a lucky-to-be-in-it first half, the Austin defense hunched its back and showed its teeth to the Rochester John Marshall football team.

That’s when this doozy of a game really began to take hold of everyone in the staduim.

That’s when John Marshall knew it would have to fight for one.

One win.

One point.

"They’re a tough team," Rockets junior quarterback Ryan Steele said. "We came out and thought we could run all over them. But they showed up. That’s the toughest game we played this season. Right along with Owatonna and Mayo."

The now 7-1 Rockets entered Wednesday’s Big Nine finale at Wescott Field ranked 10th in the Class 5A state rankings by The Associated Press.

Just ahead of them in ninth are the Spartans of Rochester Mayo. Mayo hung the first loss on JM seven days ago.

People worried that JM would come to Austin ready to vent frustrations. But it was either that or face a JM team looking to go undefeated.

Either way, the corner awaited Austin. But what everyone wanted to know was, would Austin back in, or come out fighting.

Rob Walker gave a good indication when he down(un)loaded on Steele late in the second quarter.

The 7-yard sack by Walker came on the play after the Rockets moved into Austin territory.

On the next play, Chad Mentel and Joe Sand stuffed the Rockets for another 5-yard loss. And on the play after that, Mentel broke up a screen pass on third-and-22 that insured the Rockets would take no more than a 14-7 lead into halftime.

The defensive stand electrified the Packers, the smaller team. The Rockets boast 16 200-pound-plus players and nine 190 pounders on their roster compared to Austin’s 13 total.

But, said the 170-pound Sand, "they didn’t seem big at all."

"I was doing a lot of firing," Sand said, "as much as I could. I’d see a hole and go for it."

Sand and Co. continued to press the Rockets well into the second half.

"Our defensive rush is what’s turning things around for us," Coach Steve Knox said.

In the third, a Sand lick on Steele with JM driving at the Packer 35 forced a wobbly pass that Austin’s Asham Bell picked off.

Four plays later Austin punted only to get the ball back in a single play when Mentel recovered a dropped pitch by Adam Davis.

Austin was in business at its own 40, down 14-7, and all of a sudden Tanner Schieck started to look like Jeff George.

Schieck hit on five-of-six passes while leading the Packers to the game-tying score – a screen pass to Matt Smith that went for 20 yards.

The teams headed into the fourth quarter tied at 14. The anticipated Rocket launch never took place.

Instead, John Marshall opened the fourth looking into the eyes of a rabid Austin defense.

Composed and well aware of the fight, the Rockets rose up and performed a 10-play surgery drive on the Packers.

After shedding Austin corner back Nick Rohne, Josh Wacholz was all alone when the operator Steele connected him with 18-yard TD strike.

The kick failed and JM clung to a 20-14 lead with 8 minutes, 58 seconds remaining.

Wacholz played a huge role in keeping JM from cliff diving. He caught a 78-yard slant-and-run from Steele to open the scoring. It was one of a handful of defining first-half plays – the first of which was a reminder of the Austin’s season-full of sour notes.

Fullback Brian Heimer, a lynchpin to Austin’s attack-dog defense, fumbled on the Packers’ first possession of the game; to make matters worse, he fumbled on the JM 5 on first-and-goal with nothing but a hole to the endzone ahead of him.

Tim Eggert recovered and later ended the first quarter with a 64-yard TD gallop out of nowhere.

Austin got its first big break on Schieck’s 45-yard deep ball to Mike Cunningham early in the second quarter.

The pass play kept the Packers in the game. It gave Austin a first-and-goal from the JM 10. From there, Heimer slam-danced his way in for the score, making it 14-7.

In a game that teetered on an upset throughout, it was never a matter of JM playing down to the Packers’ level. Rather, the Packers picked it up and played to the level of the conference’s elite.

It was no different on the game-tying drive. Austin traveled 70 yards in nine plays.

Smith caught two passes for 29 yards and drew a key pass interference call good for 11 yards on third-and-3 from the JM 21.

Preston Horton scored on the next play, sweeping left and using his afterburners to coast into the endzone.

In the closing minutes of regulation, JM succeeded in keeping a drive alive by using a fake punt.

But again, Austin rose to the occassion one play later.

Kevin Maus, a 6-foot, 5-inch pin-the-ears-back pass rusher, hurried and hit Steele, who let go of a floater that was picked off by Rohne.

"They don’t run a lot of outside plays," Maus said, "so we stuffed the middle and clogged things up."

Maus’ play cemented the reality of overtime.

JM got the ball first and scored in two quick runs by Davis. Nick Casper nailed the extra point to make it 27-20.

Austin floundered on its first three OT plays, with Schieck recovering Heimer’s fumble on first-and-goal from the 10. On fourth down from the 14, Schieck zipped a pass to Smith, who was crossing 2 yards deep in the endzone.

For Smith, it was his eighth catch and second TD in a career game.

Austin lined up for an extra point, but Schieck, the holder, caught the ball, rose and rolled. His pass was incomplete and the Rockets spread off the field in victory.

Minutes later, Knox was in his office, happy as a man could be.

"We just found out we’ve got a home game," Knox said, referring to Tuesday’s Section 1AAAA playoff opener.

Austin (2-5) is the No. 4 seed and will host one-win Rosemount, the No. 5.

But the real reason behind Knox’s happiness was simpler:

His team didn’t just lose a heartbreaker, it had found its heart.

Playoff note

In other Section 1AAAA action, No. 3 Farmington will host No. 6 Albert Lea.

No. 2 Red Wing and No. 1 Northfield have byes. The winner of Tuesday’s Austin/Rosemount game plays Northfield and the winner of Farmington/Albert Lea faces Red Wing.

Second round games are Oct. 30.