There was quite a buzz in the parking lot after Prescott’s impressive 26-0 victory over Eau Claire Regis at David W. Smith Stadium on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. After a crowd-electrifying 85-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Bernick to Nolan Thomley midway through the first quarter, it was all Cardinals in the 2023 football opener. Bernick finished a near perfect 15-16 for 237 yards as Prescott rolled over a Regis team that had not lost a regular season game since 2017. Junior wideout Will Packard was Bernick’s favorite target, catching nine passes for 89 yards. 

Defensively, the Cardinals were equally impressive. The dynamic defensive duo of seniors Lono Thomason and Nolan Thomley gave the Rambler offense fits and had quarterback Owen Weisenberger under duress all night. A highlight reel interception by junior Barrett Temmers and the impressive tackling of junior linebacker Owen Bayer added to the Ramblers evening woes. 

This Friday the Cardinals travel to Durand-Arkansaw to take on the Panthers, who fell to Spring Valley in their opener by a score of 20-14.  Last season the Cardinals defeated the Panthers by a score of 33-22. 

Get your tickets now! Hall of Fame tickets can now be purchased via the Prescott School District website. Jaci Kosin, Steve Block, and Ryan Berg will become the fifth class inducted into the Prescott Hall of Fame. Doors open at 6 p.m., meal served at 6:45 p.m., with induction program beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Cost of the banquet is $25 with a limited number of tickets being sold at the door. Hall of Fame Committee Members remind and encourage everyone to nominate those deserving of Hall of Fame consideration for induction in 2025. Nomination forms are available via the school district website. 

The Prescott girls golf team continued their winning ways with a 21-shot victory over St. Croix Central in the team’s opening match against Middle Border Conference opponents. Junior Gabby Matzek finished with a 38 in leading the Cardinals to victory. Earlier in the week Head Coach Chad Salay and his charges cruised to a 55-stroke victory in the Trempealeau Mountain Invitational in southeast Wisconsin. This Friday the Cardinal travel to Green Bay to compete in a 15-team invitational at Thornberry Creek. 

Head Cross Country Coach Tim Phillips and the Cardinal cross country team will open the 2023 season at home this Saturday in a nine-team invitational tournament. Start time is scheduled for 10 a.m. 

Prescott Middle Schools student Zach Murphy and his Minnesota Blizzard baseball teammates traveled to Cooperstown, NY to participate in a 98-team youth tournament involving teams from all over the country. The team played nine games and finished with a record of 6-3. There are 26 youth fields in Cooperstown which of course is home to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Hats off to new University of Wisconsin-River Falls Head Baseball Coach Steve Bartlein. A former assistant coach at NCAA Division III national power UW-Whitewater, Bartlein was at Firehall Field this past weekend watching games and visiting with fans. The South Milwaukee native is excited to lead the return of NCAA baseball to the campus after a 20 year absence. 

Other scores from last week. St. Croix Central clobbered Spencer/Columbus Catholic by a score of 70-0. Osceola blanked Merrill by a score of 40-0. Somerset rolled to a 56-14 victory over Bloomer. Ellsworth squeaked by Edgar 8-6. Baldwin-Woodville topped Kewaskum by a score of 54-21. In Somerset’s win over Bloomer, the Spartans ran for over 300 yards and in the Baldwin-Woodville victory, junior quarterback Cal Smith threw for 258 yards and ran for 102. 

Rice Lake and Amery dropped their openers to Menomonie and Grantsburg respectively. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The DNR encourages new and experienced hunters to enroll in a hunter education course before the upcoming fall season. Courses are available across the state and in a variety of formats.

Headshaker of the week. Lots of them this week. Adult slobby baseball fans spitting sunflower seeds shells all over the cement at Firehall Field. Adult baseball fans bringing purchased food to Firehall Field and eating it in the bleachers with full concessions available. Dog walkers leaving their pet waste in public places. A local fan winning a local team’s fundraising lottery prize money and keeping all the cash. Two-hour radio and television programs focused solely on fantasy football. ESPN televising regional and national pickleball tournaments. People deriding and ridiculing volunteers who make events happen in every community. Western Wisconsin Packer fans ordering cheese trays for pre-season games. They are all headshakers.