Prescott senior wrestler Nolan Thomley finished 3-1 in the Eau Claire North Husky Invitational this past Saturday. Thomley opened the day by pinning Tanner Wargowsky of Auburndale in the first round, but fell to eventual tournament champion Wyatt  Duchateau of Hartland Arrowhead. Thomley followed with a 5-2 victory over Jonathan Krager of Chippewa Falls High School and defeated Corey Lindahl of Medford 7-3 in the fifth place match. Prescott girls’ wrestlers Addison Kellogg and Brooke Macheska also competed for the first time in the girls tournament. Kellogg finished ninth with a record of 3-1 on the day and Macheska ended the day in eighth place. 

Congratulations to Head Boys Basketball Coach Nick Johnson on winning the 250th game of his career this week. The Prescott High School and Ripon College alumnus sports an incredible winning percentage of 82%. Johnson’s charges have cracked the Top 10 in the most recent Wisconsin Division III State Rankings. 

Senior swingman Dallas Wallin is on the verge of scoring point number 1,300 and hauling in rebound number 700 in his Prescott Cardinal career. A four-year starter, Wallin is poised to finish his Prescott career in the top five in scoring and on pace to set the standard for career rebounds. Fellow senior Lila Posthuma is closing in on 900 career points and 600 rebounds during a career that has landed her a scholarship to Bradley University. 

Community members remember, anytime is the right time to nominate someone for the Prescott Hall of  Fame. Nomination applications and other information is available on the Prescott School District website. The next Hall of Fame Induction will be in the fall of 2025.  

From the WIAA: Some conference realignments have been approved recently by the association. Western Wisconsin Schools affected include Osseo-Fairchild who will move from the Cloverbelt Conference to the Dairyland Conference and Elk Mound who will leave  the Dunn-St. Croix Conference and now compete in the West Division of the Cloverbelt Conference.

Here’s a question. Why not give some of the game of basketball back to the players on the floor? We have all seen it before. A free throw cuts Team A’s lead to 62-61 with 30 seconds on the clock. Team B applies full court pressure in the backcourt.  The ball is thrown inbounds and a player from Team A is double teamed immediately. The screaming fans make communication between coach, player, and officials almost impossible. During the press a backcourt violation or steal seems imminent. The coach from Team A is screaming “Time out! Time out! Time out.” An official blows the whistle and calls a 10-second backcourt violation. In shocking disbelief, the head coach screams at the official “I was yelling for a timeout!” The official says, “Sorry coach, we didn’t see or hear you during the play.”  The angry, neck-vein popping coach stomps back to his bench. After the turnover Team B wins the game on a last second shot. That scenario plays itself out each year in gymnasiums around Wisconsin. Years ago, timeouts had to come from players on the floor - they still can - but they seldom do. Today, players seem to only call timeout during rugby-like scrums on the floor during the game. They are commonly wasted as players foolishly call timeout with 16 minutes left in the first half. Let’s change the rule. Why don't timeouts come from players on the floor - where the actual action is taking place? Why not have coaches “coach players” when to call timeout on the floor instead of relying on adults to do everything for them? Doing so would not only give a part of the game back to the players, but also give them an understanding of the strategy related to using time outs during games. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: This Saturday from 1-3 p.m. Willow River State Park will host a holly-jolly scavenger hunt along the Hidden Ponds Nature Trail. Participants can search for items, solve riddles and jingle all the way as the park celebrates one of the most wonderful holidays of the year. Participants are advised to come dressed for the weather and bring drinking water along with you. This event costs $5/person or $10/family (cash or card) to be used in support of Willow River State Park’s nonprofit mission. Events are free to Friends of Willow River and Kinnickinnic State Park. 

Also, if you were planning on applying for Wisconsin Bear License for 2024, too late. Applications were due Dec. 10, 2023. Preliminary estimates show hunters harvested more than 2,900 bears during the 2023 black bear season. Final harvest totals will be available at a later date. In the meantime, DNR staff and the Bear Advisory Committee are determining recommendations and harvest quotas for the 2024 bear season. The drawing for 2024 harvest authorizations will take place in early February.

Headshaker of the week: The NCAA Division I Football Playoff Committee continues to receive criticism from Florida State fandom and others who have heavily criticized the selection of Alabama over undefeated Florida State to play in the prized pigskin final four. The cries of foul have reached the floor of the United States Congress. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida had some harsh words for Committee Chairman Boo Coorigan. However, Alabama United States Sens. Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt defended the committee’s decision and believed the Crimson Tide were worthy of the selection. Finally. It’s about time members of the United States spend their time debating the real issues of this country. Other issues like inflation, border security, aid to Ukraine and Israel, and the cost of prescription drugs pale in comparison to the importance of the NCAA Division I College Football Playoffs. It’s about time lawmakers did the bidding of the American people. Unbelievable. It’s a headshaker.