Spring Valley, Prescott and Ellsworth were the three Pierce County teams to make the WIAA football playoffs, and they are all still alive after each posting a win Friday.

Spring Valley

The Cardinals have all the expectations on their shoulders as they entered the playoffs at 9-0 with a No. 1 seed in Division 7. They cashed in on the expectations, dominating Whitehall 42-7.

Spring Valley hosts Glenwood City in the level two playoffs, a team they beat 21-3 two weeks ago.

The game did not start as planned for Spring Valley, going down 7-0 early, but after that it was 42 unanswered points from the Cardinals.

“We made some early mistakes on that first drive and we really tried to make sure that we looked at those mistakes and communicated with the players what was happening versus what needed to happen,” Head Coach Ryan Kapping said. “The kids were able to make those corrections and be more successful and consistent throughout the rest of the game.” 

Cade Stasiek went 6-for-8 passing for 54 yards and a trio of touchdowns and tacked on 64 rushing yards and a score. Trevor Forster and Asher Turner were a force to be reckoned with in the run game with Forster rushing for 103 yards and Turner rushing for 83 yards. Both of them found the end zone on the ground and Forster also took his lone reception for a touchdown.

Spring Valley was dominant on the ground, tallying 266 rushing yards.

“Our offensive coaches, Sean Hoolihan and Jeff Thompson, had a really good plan going into the week and the kids were very consistent in executing that plan in the run game,” Kapping said. “Up front the O-line did a nice job and we have a lot of guys that can make plays behind them.”

Caleb Bartko caught two touchdowns on three catches for 30 yards to highlight the receiving game.

“We have to figure out how to come out of the gates a little better than we did the other night,” Kapping said. “We started a little bit slow and I think as we progress in the playoffs that will be more difficult to overcome.”

Kapping said Spring Valley needs to minimize mistakes moving forward because as the opponents get better the mistakes are magnified.

Prescott

The Prescott Cardinals took on a tough Seymour team that finished second in the Bay Conference at 7-3 overall and won 46-30.

“We knew, playoff game, it was going to be a four-quarter fight and that’s what it was,” Head Coach Jordan Hansen said. “We did some things well all three phases that kind of helped us seal the deal.”

Seymour quarterback Cayden Staffeldt made things difficult with his mobility for the defense.

“He’s a great player that played his butt off, and you tip your cap to him,” Hansen said. “Freedom’s got a guy that’s very similar, so we’re going to have to clean some things up.”

On the other hand, the Prescott offense met little friction, scoring 30 first half points.

Prescott senior quarterback Teddy Bernick had a game to remember, going 11-for-17, dishing out 298 yards and two touchdowns.

“He just understands what we’re trying to do offensively,” Hansen said. “They were playing man to man, so he knew when to take his shots and what play to take his shots on.”

Senior Will Packard led the Cardinals in receiving with six catches for 104 yards and both  touchdowns. Barrett Temmers also had a big game, rushing for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns, adding 56 receiving yards and snatching an interception on the other side.

The Prescott defense tallied three interceptions which ultimately kept the game out of reach for Seymour.

Things do not get easier for Prescott, as their next matchup comes against 10-0 Freedom on the road Friday in Division 4.

Ellsworth

No. 6 seed in Division 4 Ellsworth had a game to remember against No. 3 Mosinee, winning 28-21 in a game that was back-and-forth the whole way.

“It’s pretty special when you start winning in the playoffs. A lot of kids play high school football and they never get to win a playoff game,” Head Coach Rob Heller said. “With that being said it was an ugly game, but we were definitely in survive and advance mode.”

Heller said they struggled defensively out of the gates and had trouble against the pass, but the offense kept them in it.

The Jack Stoltenburg to Omar Coulson connection was going strong, as they were in sync for a 42-yard score early and a 33-yard score to take the lead in the fourth. Braydon Anderson battled through some adversity to find the endzone on the ground a pair of times. Heller said he was “dinged up” for much of the game and continued to give everything he had.

The first half was not as clean as Ellsworth had hoped, and Heller said being tied at that point was all they could ask for.

“Getting into halftime tied 14-14 was a win for us I thought,” Heller said.

What changed the course of the game for the Panthers was a fourth and 12 play with seven minutes to go. Coulson was on to punt in a game tied at 21 and bobbled the snap. With defenders swiftly closing in, Coulson ran outside to avoid a block and found a window to slip through for a first down. Not long after he caught a floating deep pass and juked two defenders to score the winning touchdown.

“This group has done a really good job dealing with adversity all year,” Heller said. “We’re a really talented group that doesn’t play to our potential all the time.”

Heller said it was the first time all season that Ellsworth played well on special teams.

Ellsworth now heads to No. 2 seeded Baldwin-Woodville to face a team that got the best of the Panthers this year 32-15.

Heading into the year, Heller felt this Ellsworth team was one that could reestablish the culture, which is exactly what he has seen as the year goes on.

“We definitely have that toughness to us, we just gotta be able to play with it on a little more consistent basis,” Heller said. “When we play good, solid, tough, Ellsworth football, I don’t think many teams want to play us.”