BY CRIPE OLSON

All State golfer Ava Salay has committed to play golf at the University of Wisconsin. The soon-to-be senior enters her senior season among the top golfers in the state and will attempt to lead Prescott to its third consecutive state tournament. Salay and senior teammates Maddie Reiter and Rhianna Stutz make up a powerful trio that will make the Cardinals the odds-on favorite in the Middle Border Conference this fall. Incidentally, Stutz has committed to play golf at Kutztown University located between Reading and Allentown.

The Prescott Pirates split their two games over the weekend. Conner Cress tossed a complete game 8-0 shutout over Elmwood at Firehall Field on Sunday, but Highway 10 rival Ellsworth bested the local town team heroes by a score of 6-5. The Pirates are now 7-2 on the season and are vying for the league’s top spot with the River Falls Flying Fish.

Middle Border Conference football looks to be even stronger this fall with the addition of Rice Lake. The former Big Rivers Conference and Heart of the North Conference member has a history of success on the gridiron making seven trips to the WIAA State finals. Rice Lake won state titles in 1979 and 2014, and finished runners up in 1979, 2004, 2014, 2017, and 2021. Last season the Warriors tied for first place in the Big Rivers Conference and lost in the state championship to Pewaukee by a score of 15-6.

About 15-20 Prescott High School football players will be participating in a 7 on 7 passing league this summer in Cottage Grove, Minn. Coaches from UW-River Falls and Mayville State will be working with Prescott athletes during the summer league play. Along with the always divcult Middle Border Conference schedule, the Cardinals will play Durand and Eau Claire Regis in their two non-conference tilts this fall.

The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association hosted its 39th Annual All Star Classic at Oshkosh North High School over the week- end. Eau Claire Memorial infielder Dylan O’Connell was named the Co-MVP of the weekend along with Will Johannesburg of Mukwonago. Amery pitcher Kale Hopke was the lone representative of the Middle Border Conference and pitched well. The North Dakota State baseball recruit threw four innings, gave up one unearned run, and struck out seven in his Amery High School baseball swan song. There have been two Prescott WBCA All Stars that have homered in the annual All Star Classic. Nick Johnson accomplished the feat in 1999 and Bill Brookshaw did the same in 2012.

Last week at Firehall Field fans watched the soon to be Prescott ninth graders defeat River Falls by a score of 5-1. Those in attendance caught a glimpse of possible future Cardinal high school hurlers in righthander Jackson Matzek and left hander Max Monteith as the club won their sixth game in a row. Head Coach Mike Matzek’s charges are tied for first with Ellsworth in league play and are now 7-2 with one tie on the season.

From the WIAA: The association board did not vote on a recommendation that a shot clock be used in non-conference games if mutually agreed to by both head coaches. In 2021, the membership passed a regulation stating all proposed recommendations must be approved by majority vote of the Advisory Council before advancing to the Board of Control. If the recommendation is not supported by the Advisory Council, the Board of Control does not have the opportunity to review and vote on the proposal. The Advisory Council opposed the recommendation by a 13-1 vote on Tuesday. For this fan, let’s hope the shot clock remains outside the realm of high school hoops. The clock remains one of the few remaining equalizers in high school basketball.

Headshaker of the week. While watching a local youth baseball game I overheard a conversation between one of the visiting coaches and an adult spectator. They were discussing the issue of high school sports participation and specialization. One of the comments made by the head coach went something like this. “For most of these kids, this will be the last time they play organized baseball. Most of them will specialize because that is what is quietly encouraged by parents, other adults, and coaches.” It seems things will never change…sort of like my opinion on this issue. It’s a headshaker.