SHOTS

Posted 8/2/22

from the Hip BY CRIPE OLSON Prescott Head Girls Golf Coach Chad Salay and his charges ocially begin their WIAA Division 2 Title defense next week as they begin practice for another highly antic …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

SHOTS

Posted

from the Hip

BY CRIPE OLSON Prescott Head Girls Golf Coach Chad Salay and his charges ocially begin their WIAA Division 2 Title defense next week as they begin practice for another highly antic – ipated prep season on the links. This year's team, led by the likes of Ava Salay, Rhian – na Stutz, Maddie Reiter, and Mabel Rohl, will open the competitive 2022 season on Aug. 12 at the the Reedsburg Country Club Invitational. The Cardinals will be compet –

ing against teams from Reedsburg, Bara – boo, Beaver Dam, DeForest, Fort Atkinson, Lancaster, Mount Horeb, Onalaska, Portage, Prairie du Chien, Stevens Point, Tomah, Wis – consin Dells, and Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln. When it comes to enrollment, Prescott will remain the smallest school in the Middle Border Conference this year. Prescott's high school enrollment will be listed at 457, an increase of 28 students from last year. Oth – er conference enrollments include Somerset 463, Baldwin-Woodville 476, Amery 485, Osceola and Altoona 529, Ellsworth and St. Croix Central 531, and Rice Lake (football only) 711. St. Croix Central experienced the greatest jump in enrollment with an increase of over 9% over last year. Look for new team championship ban – ners decorating the high school gymnasium this season. Also, another standing ovation to Prescott Activities Director Andrew Caudill on his impressive work on the Prescott Car – dinal Athletics website. The National Federation of High Schools estimates the number of athletes who partic –

ipate in more than one sport is approximate – ly 43%, down from an estimated 65% 25 years ago. The same study shows that 70% of youngsters stop playing competitive sports once they reach high school. New non-conference opponents for the Prescott boys basketball season include host – ing Concordia Academy in the Minnesota/ Wisconsin Border Battle series, playing On – alaska Luther at the La Crosse Center, and squaring ou with Racine St. Catherine's at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The game against St. Catherine's will be played before a Milwaukee Bucks home game after the first of the year. Concordia Academy in Roseville finished the 2021-22 season with a record of 16-13. Coulee Conference member Onalaska Luther finished 24-3 last season and has four of their top five scorers returning. Racine St. Catherine's ended up with a solid record of 18-10 a year ago and also return four of their top five scorers. The St. Croix Falls Saints were named the recipient of the WIAA Spring Baseball Sportsmanship Award. The Saints finished as the Division 3 Runner up and will return the bulk of their team next season. Members of the Heart of the North Conference, the Saints will be favored to return to the WIAA State Tournament in Appleton next season. Saints pitcher Brayden Olson has accepted a baseball scholarship to Purdue Universi – ty. Prescott will play St. Croix Falls in a fourteam invitational tournament next spring and will be joined by prep powerhouses Elk Mound and Ashland who are both expected to be ranked in the Top 10 next season. Somerset Head Football Coach Bruce Lar – son will be posthumously inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame this spring. Larson won three state titles and received countless state and national coach – ing awards during an impressive 22-year coaching career. From the Wisconsin Department of Nat – ural Resources: The DNR reminds eligible disabled hunters hoping to participate in the 2022 gun deer hunt for hunters with disabili –

ties to contact and confirm their hunting loca – tion with a hunt sponsor before Sept. 1, 2022. Sponsors have enrolled nearly 70,000 acres of land across 40 counties for this year's hunt taking place Oct. 1-9, 2022. To participate in the 2022 hunt, hunters should contact spon –

sors directly. Some properties can accommo – date more hunters than others, so hunters are advised to contact potential sponsors as early as possible to determine availability.

"Since 1992, Wisconsin's dedicated gun deer hunt for hunters with disabilities pro –

vides opportunities to pursue whitetails re – gardless of any special challenges a hunter may face," said Ally Magnin, DNR Assistant Deer and Elk Specialist. "This unique hunt pairs interested hunters with landowner spon – sors who generously open their properties for the October hunt." Eligible hunters may sign up for one spon – sored property per year and must possess a gun deer license.

Although the Prescott Senior and Junior American Legions seasons have conclud – ed, Firehall Field will get no respite. The Prescott Pirates will be hosting the 2022 St. Croix Valley Baseball League Tournament this Saturday and Sunday. Additionally, Fire – hall Field will also host a number of games involving the Minnesota Blizzard and other club baseball teams in the area throughout the month of August. Firehall Field will be put to bed at the end of September. Headshaker of the week: Yes, the Major League All Star game was over two weeks ago. But baseball purists still have to be shak –

ing their heads at the uniforms for the sum – mer classic. One of the great things about the annual All Star game was seeing all the play –

ers dressed in their own team uniforms. Ad – mittedly, the game has lost its luster since the beginning of Interleague play, but at least have the players don the uniforms of their hometown teams. The uniforms worn by the players this year? It's a headshaker.