SHOTS from the Hip

The Prescott football team will enter this Friday’s game riding a three-game conference win streak. The last time a Cardinal team won three consecutive conference games was back in 2013, the same year Prescott advanced to round two of the WIAA playoffs. In 2012,_ Head Coach Matt Smith’s team advanced to the third round of the postseason. A victory on Friday over Baldwin-Woodville would guarantee Head Coach Jordan Hansen and the Cardinals a spot in the WIAA playoffs.

After hosting Baldwin-Woodville this Friday, the Cardinals will go on the road to face #2 ranked Ellsworth, host the #6 ranked team in Division 5 in La Crosse Aquinas, and wrap up the season at #9 ranked Osceola. You will be hard pressed to find another team with a tougher final three games than the Cardinals._ The Prescott varsity volleyball team will be hosting its first volleyball match this Thursday at 7 p.m. when it squares off against the Ellsworth Panthers.

The Prescott girls golf team turned in their best performance of the season last Friday, winning the Ellsworth Invitational by 22 strokes._Ava Salay finished atop the leaderboard with a round of 37._Liz Rohl turned in a score of 39, Jessica Heinsch and Rhianna Stutz tied for third with a solid score of 42, and Finley Magee finished the day in sixth place with a score of 44. With their impressive performance on Friday, the Cardinals are in first place in the overall conference standings and have five golfers among the top 10 in conference play this season._ Head Girls Golf Coach Chad Salay says the Cardinals’ home course of Clifton Highlands statistically is typically the toughest course._ “However, since it is our home course we generally play well there,” said Salay. “The green compositions at the Highlands are extremely tough and HS girls’ biggest kryptonite is putting. That coupled with how tight it gets in some areas makes it very difficult.”

When it comes to the toughest course, Somerset’s Bristol Ridge gets the nod from Salay.

“We typically do not play this course great, but this season especially, it was tough. Again, very tight course and the greens are not the easiest to read and have some substantial slope to them,” said Salay. _ The Eden Prairie High School alumnus adds, “We have some of the longest hitters in the state and Bristol_takes the driver out of our hands on several holes as it would put us in trouble. This doesn’t necessarily hurt our game at face value, but it certainly evens the playing field a bit with other competitors.”

The shot of the year for the Cardinal this season?_Ava Salay’s eagle at the Par 4 #3 hole in the Tomah Invitational.

While recently speaking with a longtime Middle Border Conference football coach, he mentioned how one of the things he does is make mental notes of how the opposing team shakes hands after the game._ “It is all over the board. Some kids have that dead fish handshake and other players almost rip your arm off._For me a good solid, firm hand shake is what I am looking for._Perhaps that is an old school way of thinking, but I think it is a good way to end a football game.”_ When asked what Middle Border Conference team consistently has the best handshakes?_ “That’s easy. Osceola.”___ Tickets are still available for the Oct. 9 Hall of Fame Induction Banquet at Prescott High School. The event social begins at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m., and induction begins at approximately 7 p.m._Members of the Prescott band will provide music and the high school student council will serve the meal that will be catered by Ptacek’s._Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at Prescott High School, Ptacek’s IGA, Croix Insurance, City Hall, and bought online at the Prescott School District website._ There are several Prescott High School alumni who will be playing competitively at the college level this academic year. Peter Brookshaw enters his junior year with the North Dakota State baseball team. Hunter Daymond will play his first season of baseball at Bemidji State next spring._Parker Nielsen will soon enter his sophomore season for the West Texas A& M basketball team._Isabella Lenz will soon begin her first season as a member of the Michigan Tech basketball team._MacKenzie Carey will embark her junior year playing softball at St. Mary’s of Winona. And Haylee Yeager is poised to start her third season as a member of the UW-Stout basketball team._ The Prescott CAB Company is looking for volunteers to complete several projects at Firehall Field this Saturday. For anyone interested in lending a helping hand, work begins at 8 a.m. at the varsity baseball field._ From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The ruffed grouse season is open in Zone A Sept. 18 through Jan. 9, 2022. This earlier closure than previous years follows the DNR's 10-year ruffed grouse management plan. In Zone B, the season is open Oct. 16 to Dec. 8. Statewide drumming survey results indicated a decrease of 6 percent in breeding grouse compared to 2019. Surveys were not completed in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID19 public health emergency. In Wisconsin, the 10-year ruffed grouse population cycle typically peaks in years that end in 0, 9 or 1. This likely indicates we are entering the typical 'down-phase' of the 10-year cycle. To help track West Nile virus impacts in ruffed grouse, hunters are encouraged to participate in the final year of the DNR's West Nile virus sampling project this fall. As a reminder to hunters who requested a kit, they are now available for pickup at the service station you indicated on the survey.

And speaking of the outdoors, Captain Obvious reminds all of you to be sure to get out and enjoy the colors of autumn._From Prescott to Potosi, the Upper Mississippi River Valley is home to some of the most spectacular fall foliage viewing in the country.

Headshaker of the week:_ As the Milwaukee Brewers ready themselves for the playoffs, chances are snow will also be in the forecast. _ For baseball purists, October is postseason baseball weather. However, with more teams qualifying for the playoffs, the likelihood of games being played in November in less than optimum conditions increases._ Like the NFL, the season is too long._It is time to do one of two things, bring back the 154-game schedule or bring back scheduled doubleheaders. _ Playing Major League Baseball in the snow?_It’s a headshaker._