The Prescott Cardinals hosted Amery last Friday night for Homecoming and Senior Night. The Cardinals fell, 28-12, but have a chance at redemption this Friday night.

The two teams will be back in action at Amery for their WIAA Level One playoff matchup.

Running back Aiden Russell finished with 34 carries for 176 yards. Quarterback Cole Dravis ran for 140 yards on 22 carries.

Russell rushed for a oneyard touchdown with 8:41 on the clock in the third quarter. Russell also threw a 14-yard touchdown to senior Brandon Pederson on a flea flicker with 3:38 left to play in the game, the final points scored on the night.

Senior lineman Austin Fox disrupted the Amery rushing attack all night, but the Cardinals were unable to stop the Warrior offense.

The game was stopped for nearly an hour for a scary injury just after the fourth quarter started. Junior defensive back Dominick Shelstad tackled a Warrior receiver near the sideline and didn’t get up. Emergency Medical Services responded from River Falls before the young man was stabilized and taken off the field. Monday afternoon, Coach Jordan Hansen reported that Shelstad was walking around and able to check out of the hospital after being diagnosed with a severe stinger and a concussion.

The Cardinals gained some momentum after the stoppage. They marched down the field and Russell threw a touchdown before recovering an onside kick. An interception brought around the end of the game, but the Cardinals had started to move the ball with confidence.

“These young men haven’t been in a playoff-type format before, so this will be their first time,” Hansen said. “They want some revenge. It’s kind of a cool opportunity for them (Cardinal Seniors) and they want to go out with a couple of wins. We’re ready to go, hopefully we can take the opportunity to win another game.”

It’s not often that two football teams play each other in consecutive weeks, but Prescott will be looking to start fast in the second outing.

“Anytime two equal teams get to play again, the outcome could be different,” Hansen said. “The losing team will look at the first game and make adjustments. It’s going to be a good game and our kids are ready to go. We just have to go out there and capitalize.”

The Cardinals are looking to take advantage of the opportunity they’ve been granted to put it all together. They are a talented young team in a new system, so the season has had its ups and downs.

“We have been so close all year long. It seems like we play really good through two quarters, we just haven’t been able to put four quarters together,” Hansen said. “They just want to finish the season on a positive note, and we’re excited for the opportunity.”

Photo by Jack McLoone.