The Prescott girls’ golf team opened the 2024 season with an impressive showing at an invitational Scramble Tournament at the Reedsburg Country Club in Reedsburg. Seniors Gabi Matzek and Jeanne Rohl tied for first in the 14-team tournament. It capped off an impressive week for Jeanne Rohl who also drained a hole in one on the par 3 #7 hole at the Clifton Highlands Golf Course. This week Prescott will participate in a nine-team invitational in New Richmond. 

Head Coach Geoff Snyder and the Prescott girls’ volleyball team started practice this week. Coming off a record setting 33-10 season, the Cardinals enter 2024 as the defending conference and regional tournament champions. Snyder begins his second stint as Prescott head volleyball coach and has previously coached in Spring Valley and Plum City. The Cardinals will open the 2024 season on Aug. 27 in an Osceola Invitational Tournament featuring teams from Grantsburg, River Falls, St. Croix Central, Turtle Lake, and host school Osceola. 

Third year Head Coach Tim Phillips and the Prescott boys’ and girls’ cross country teams began practice this week. Assisted by daughter Emily Calabrese, Phillips expects 35-40 total runners out this season. The Cardinal harriers will open their 2024 slate at home on Aug. 27 when they host the Prescott Invitational. Competing teams include Amery, Baldwin-Woodville, Ellsworth, Legacy Christian Academy (Andover, Minn.), St. Croix Central, Somerset, Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.) and Prescott. 

Prescott Head Football Coach Jordan Hansen was quite pleased with Friday’s scrimmage performance in Osceola. “Other than your typical bumps and bruises we finished the day healthy,” said Hansen. “The kids played fast and aggressive on defense, something we expected from a lot of returning players.” Prescott opens the season on the road this Friday against perennial Heart of the North Conference power Northwestern. Over the last eight years under Head Coach Jovin Kroll the Tigers have won six conference titles and have an overall record of 66-12. 

It has been reported that junior wide receiver/defensive back Kobe Russell will have game day visits to the University of North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota this fall. Kobe’s brother Aiden Russell will play football this fall at Valley City University, an NAIA school in North Dakota after spending one season at Northern State. 

Prescott Cardinal defensive back Barrett Temmers is among the approximately 60 players identified on the Jim Leonhard Award Preseason watch list. An All Conference and All District selection as a junior, Temmers joins fellow senior Gavin Sell of Baldwin-Woodville as the lone defensive nominations from the Middle Border Conference. The Jim Leonhard Award is presented to the top senior defensive back as part of the Wisconsin Sports Network Senior Football Awards. The award is named after former Flambeau High School and University of Wisconsin athlete Jim Leonhard, who has gone on to great success in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, and Cleveland Browns. In 2016 he returned as an assistant coach at Wisconsin and currently is coaching defensive backs for the Denver Broncos. The pre-season list will be trimmed down to 25 semi-finalists halfway through the year, with five finalists chosen at the start of the playoffs. Winners are announced the week of the state finals.

Speaking of Leonhard, the 2000 Flambeau High School alumnus was a three-sport star for the Falcons. An All State football player, Leonhard also excelled on the basketball court where he averaged just under 30 points a game during his senior year. On the baseball diamond, Leonhard hit over .500 in both his junior and senior seasons. A left-handed pitcher and hitter, Leonhard also played centerfield and shortstop, yes - shortstop, and was named All State his senior year. Prescott Head Coach Jeff Ryan called Leonhard “one of the three best high school baseball players I ever saw play in person.” Fans around the state not only lauded his athletic talents, but those who watched him play were always impressed with his humility. Sadly, a quality today more and more young people seem to be lacking. And one more thing…Leonhard was a high honors student. Awards are named for people like Jim Leonhard and rightfully so. 

Last weekend Firehall Field featured club teams from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa. Participating teams were required to use wood bats during the two-day event. Despite adverse weather conditions, volunteers did an impressive job making the field playable for the event. 

Headshaker of the week. While volunteers were repairing Firehall Field for the last game of the day last Friday, the home plate umpire was patiently waiting by the concession stand. While doing so he was vaping in plain view. You have got to be kidding me. Vaping in front of scores of fans before a youth baseball game? Now that’s a headshaker.