The Prescott boys and girls cross country teams finished third in the Middle Border Conference meet held in Altoona last week. Kyra Dix continued her impressive junior season with an all-conference third-place finish. Teammates senior Amber Van Loon and junior Addyson Allsop earned Middle Border Conference honors as they both finished in the top 14. Allsop grabbed the final all conference spot when she passed multiple state track and field qualifier Elletta Uddin of Osceola down the stretch to medal for the Cardinals. For the boys, up and coming freshman harrier Dawson Langer grabbed a spot on the all-conference team with a seventh-place finish. Senior Nolan Leask crossed the line in 12th place, also earning a spot on the Middle Border all-conference team. Head Coach Tim Philips and his runners will travel to Rice Lake for the WIAA Sectional Meet this Friday held at UW-Eau Claire-Barron County Campus. The boys race will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the girls to follow at 5:15 p.m.  The top two teams and top five individuals will qualify for the WIAA State Meet held at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. 

Head Coach Jordan Hansen and the Cardinal football team will travel approximately 170 miles to take on the #1 ranked Northwestern Tigers. There will be a pair of 1,000-yard rushers on the field on Friday in a rematch of the 2025 season opener. The Tigers feature junior running back Tysen Teal who has rushed for over 1,300 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. The Cardinals showcase multi-talented Kobe Russell who has also eclipsed 1,000 yards and averages around eight yards per carry. The talk around Division 5 is Prescott is a team no one wants to face in the first round. For my money the same conversations are being held over coffee in the tiny unincorporated towns of Poplar, Iron River, and Brule this week. 

Speaking of Middle Border Conference football, six schools from the always tough league qualified for the WIAA State Playoffs.  

Prescott 2025 grads Joaquin Magee and Cole Platson wrapped up their fall baseball schedule last week. Platson pitched and played outfield for the Dakota County Blue Knights and Magee played outfield for the Raiders of Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minn. 

The WIAA Volleyball tournament began this week. The defending Division 3 State Champion will have to get past two other #1 seeds in the Stanley-Boyd Orioles and the perennial power Grantsburg Pirates as they look to advance to the state tournament at Resch Center in Green Bay for the second consecutive year. 

Reese Ptacek and the No. 15 ranked Kansas Jayhawks won their fourth-consecutive Big 12 match with a 3-0 victory over Houston last Thursday in Houston. The Jayhawks improved to 14-7 overall and 5-2 in conference play. Ptacek recorded a team-high six blocks in the dominant victory over the Cougars. Kansas will host Texas Christian University and Kansas State this week. 

UW-River Falls linebackers Jack Olson and Brady Block helped the Falcons shut down the UW-Stevens Point offense en route to a convincing 52-7 road victory over the Pointers. Ranked #12 in the latest NCAA Division 3 National Poll, the Falcons improved to 2-1 in conference play and 5-1 overall. Olson is a 2022 Cardinal alumnus and Block graduated from Prescott in 2023. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The DNR reminds all spearers interested in harvesting a lake sturgeon from Lake Winnebago during the 2026 sturgeon spearing season to purchase their license before Oct. 31, 2025. There are an unlimited number of licenses available for Lake Winnebago, and both residents and nonresidents can purchase a license through the Go Wild system or at any license sales location. All license holders must be a minimum of 12 years old. 

Headshaker of the Week. Last week I and another local hunter toddled around the woods in northern Wisconsin for a few hours hoping to harvest some game fair. We did get some shooting, but like the Milwaukee Brewers last week we were shut out. Whilst having a burger and fries at a northern Wisconsin eatery, one of the patrons was showing off his latest sports tattoo - a Wisconsin Badger “W” inked upon his forearm. After he proudly displayed his Bucky Badger homage to a handful of patrons, the less than svelte customer proceeded to remove his shirt to show his skull and crossbones Green Bay Packer body art to everyone in the restaurant. The rabid Green Bay rooter proudly displayed a likeness of Vince Lombardi etched onto the nape of his neck and a replica of the Lombardi trophy between his shoulder blades. As he twirled around, a tattoo with the words “Titletown - Green Bay, Wisconsin” was emblazoned across his belly. Cool? Eh. I get it. You’re a Packer fan. But sir, keep your shirt on. The 6-year-old eating French fries and sipping on a juice box doesn’t need an up close and personal runway exhibition. It was a headshaker.