Sports

THREE'S COMPANY: CARDINALS GOLF MBC CHAMPS FOR THIRD STRAIGHT TIME

The Prescott Girls Golf team has repeated as Middle Border Conference champions... or should we say, three-peated. The 18 hole finale at Clifton Hollow was once again dominated by the Cards', and Ava Salay took first overall in the event. She shot a 37 on the front nine and a 33 on the back nine for a 70 score, one of only two golfers to shoot in the 70s for the event. Rhi Stutz shot an 85, Jeanne Rohl and Gabbi Matzek an 86, Maddie Reiter a 95, and Maddie Rundquist shot a 105, with Stutz, Matzek and Rohl claiming 3rd, 4th and 5th to give Prescott four of the top five golfers. The Cardinals finish the conference slate with a 10 point advantage over Regis/Altoona 100-90, and salay was 14 points clear of second place for the individual title, with Stutz taking second by 2 points. Rohl finished 4th in the conference, Reiter 8th, Matzek 9th and Rundquist 11th.

Salay took Player of the Year honors for the conference, as the Badger commit dominated the entire regular season. Salay, Stutz, Rohl, and Reiter earned all conference honors, and Matzek earned second team All Conference.

The Cardinals now move on to defend their state title as the postseason begins on Wednesday

RAIDERS GIVE SPIRITED EFFORT IN DEFEAT TO MIGHTY CADETS

Beating Saint Thomas Academy is a major task for any team that plays them, but the Hastings Raiders had to leave Friday's game feeling good despite not winning the game. Hastings put up the most points against the Cadets all season, and fought hard to the very end of the 48-13 loss at Todd Field and McNamara Stadium. The game started with the Raiders unable to score, and Saint Thomas Academy marched down the field to find the end zone for the game's first score, after an 8 play, 70 yard scoring drive. Another stop by STA's defense soon made it 14-0, when running back Love Adebayo scored from 23 yards out to make it the two score game. While the Cadets kept scoring, up until that point though, the Raiders hadn’t allowed any plays longer than that run. Hastings kept the Cadets off the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter until the final minute, when a 12 play, 66 yard drive concluded with a 1 yard TD run, and Hastings trailed 21-0 at the half. The Raiders offense started to find their groove in the second half. After STA went up 48-0, the Raiders had a quick response, when Danny Millner found Johnny Bezdicek down the middle, and the speedster did the rest, outrunning the Cadets defense for a 65 yard score. Like at Simley, the Raiders tried a surprise onsides kick, but the Cadets weren't fooled and they would reap the benefits of that with a 13 yard score to make it 35-7. Payton Burow then got in on the action in the 4th quarter with a 33 yard touchdown run to cap off a 7 play, 70 yard drive, arguably the Raiders best drive of the game. The PAT was missed, but the Raiders trailed 35-13, keeping themselves within shouting distance in the fourth quarter. Two touchdown runs by STA in the fourth inflated the score, and the Cadets got the 48-13 win, but the Raiders left with some optimism for the rest of their season, after having success on offense and getting turnovers. Burow had 21 carries for 92 yards and a score for the Raiders, and Millner had 4 carries for 29 yards. Millner completed 7 passes, but for 128 yards and a score, and Bezdicek had 5 of those catches for 109 yards and a score. While the score looks like a blowout, the Raiders had less penalties, kept it relatively close in total yards, and in first downs, and head into a very winnable final four games against South Saint Paul, Two Rivers, Bloomington Jefferson and Cretin-Derham Hall, before section play begins in mid October.

RABAEY, HASTINGS CROSS COUNTRY EXCELLING IN START OF NEW ERA

Joe Rabaey of Hastings Cross Country joined us to check in on how the team is doing in his first year as the head coach. Click below to listen

1972 HASTINGS FOOTBALL TEAM TO REUNITE AT FRIDAY'S GAME

A Hastings legend will return to Todd Field and McNamara Stadium on Friday night, as Bob Majeski and the 1972 team will reunite ahead of the Raiders game with Saint Thomas Academy. Majeski joined KDWA ahead of the big night to talk about the 1972 team and his memories from his time at Hastings High School.

PRESCOTT BASKETBALL TO PLAY GAME IN MILWAUKEE BUCKS ARENA

Prescott High School announced Monday that the Cardinal Boys Basketball team will get to play on the big stage in early January.

On January 16, Prescott will travel to Milwaukee to play the Racine Saint Catherine's Angels in an event at Fiserv Forum. The game is part of the Milwaukee Bucks Prep Series and will be preceded by a Bucks game against the Indiana Pacers.

Prescott High School says ticketing information will be released at a later date.

We will have more to come on this event later this week on KDWA when we speak to Prescott AD Andrew Caudill.

Both Prescott and Saint Catherine's are expected to be state contenders this season.

RAIDERS SLAIN BY SPARTANS

The Hastings Raiders football team had all the momentum and was driving to make it a one score game when the most bizarre of plays happened...Payton Burow was fighting for extra yardage when all of a sudden, Simley star running back Gavin Nelson emerged out of the pile with the football and took off 75 yards for a score. It wasn't ruled a fumble, but rather what we called a "rip and run". This backbreaking score ended what was on the way to be a thrilling comeback effort from the Raiders.

The game started off with Simley marching down the field for a score, but Hastings would block the extra point and Simley would lead 6-0. Hastings would respond however, on a brilliant playcall from the Raiders, that saw Danny Millner fake the handoff to Payton Burow, and instead fool the entire defense and sprint down the Simley sideline for a 68 yard score. The Raiders led 7-6. Simley would then take over the rest of the first half, and cruise to a 26-7 lead. Hastings then found an answer. When Millner dropped back to pass, he fit the ball in a gap that Johnny Bezdicek was in, and the Raiders leading receiver raced 68 yards to the other end zone to make it 26-13. Jack Sieben then perfected an onsides kick and the Raiders had the ball back with a chance to score and make it a one score game. That's when Nelson stripped the ball and took off for Simley and it was 32-13. The pendulum of momentum, which was entirely in the Raiders favor, had then swung wildly back to the team wearing royal blue. Simley would add another touchdown to make it 39-13, which would be the final score.

Millner led the way in rushing for the Raiders with 5 carries for 70 yards and a score, while Payton Burow had 16 carries for 40 yards. Passing wise, Millner had 169 yards through the air, 120 of which went to Bezdicek on four catches. Rico Cooper had 3 catches for 35 yards, and Jack Cloutier had 2 catches for 16 yards. Cody Ellsworth also got some time at QB, completing 2 of 3 passes for 25 yards. Those catches were from Jack Burdick (6 yards) and Gavin Odman (19 yards).

The Raiders return home to McNamara Stadium/Todd Field after two weeks away, as they host Saint Thomas Academy in a much anticipated game. The Cadets come in outscoring their three opponents 127-7 in wins over South Saint Paul, Two Rivers and Cretin-Derham Hall.

BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER: COACHES SHOW RETURNS TO KDWA

It's back! The KDWA Coaches' Show returns on Saturday, September 17 @ 9 AM Live from Perkins after a two year hiatus. We will be joined this week by Boys Soccer assistant coach Shane Lanning and select players to discuss the 2022 Boys Soccer team and their season. The Coaches' Show will be every Saturday at 9 AM from Perkins. Guests will be announced each week.

BORDER BATTLE RENEWED: PRESCOTT, HASTINGS SQUARE OFF IN VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball took center stage at the Hastings High School gym when the Prescott Cardinals came to town to take on Hastings as the Border Battle renewed. The short distance between the two schools meant it was a packed house inside the gym, with students from both schools there to watch, cheer and celebrate. After Prescott JV swept Hastings JV 25-10, 25-10, it was time for Varsity to take to the floor. The first set was wildly entertaining. Prescott built up a big lead early in the first set, but the Raiders clawed back. Prescott would end up taking the set 25-19. In the second set, it was all Prescott. The Raiders just did not have an answer, as Prescott rolled to a 25-7 victory, anchored by stellar play from the Ptacek sisters. Prescott would again have control in the third set, but not without an exciting rally that went on for nearly a minute, where the two teams would make incredible save after incredible save, until Prescott's Natalie Ptacek got the kill, making it 7-3 at the time. The Cardinals would not relinquish the lead, winning the third set and the match with a 25-13 win. The victory gave Prescott a 10-7 record, while the loss dropped Hastings to 1-6.

It is not the only "Border Battle" scheduled for the school year. Prescott High School Athletics Director Andrew Caudill told KDWA on Tuesday night that the Boys basketball team would again be in Hastings for the Holiday Tournament, which they now participate in annually, although it wasn't clear if they would play Hastings. It was also revealed that the Girls basketball team would also be participating. Caudill also said he was hoping for Prescott and Hastings to face off in Baseball again as well, and was working on that coming to fruition.

As for Volleyball, the two teams will square off again in 2023, when then home and home series is completed with a Raider trip over the bridge to Prescott. The date of that game is not known at this time. It is also not known if the series will continue beyond 2023, but the first meeting was a smashing success, and put a previously unheard of spotlight on local high school volleyball.

The Hastings 9th grade team was also in action against the Cardinals, and they managed a two set sweep of Prescott to get the night started. The B Squad for Hastings was also in action when JV was as well.

RAIDERS GET FIRST WIN, DOWN APPLE VALLEY 28-13

The Hastings Raiders football team earned its first win of the season with a 28-13 win over Apple Valley on a soggy Friday night.

The game could not have started any better for the Raiders, with Apple Valley fumbling the opening kickoff. The ball bounced all the way to the 1 yard line, where the Raiders would recover. Hastings needed just 1 play to score, when Danny Millner punched it in from a yard out to make it 7-0. Apple Valley would then score two consecutive touchdowns to go up 13-7, and Hastings' offense was having trouble moving the football. But momentum swung when AV's Jackson Thornburg's pass was intercepted at the 50 yard line by Blake Vandehoef, who returned it all the way for a touchdown. Jack Sieben’s extra point would ring off the left upright, and the game would remain tied at 13. But from there, it was all Raiders. The defense clamped down and prevented Apple Valley’s offense from doing much of anything after that. Halfway through the second quarter, Hastings would move the ball enough to set up a Jack Sieben field goal, and he buried it to give Hastings a 16-13 lead. Hastings would add a passing touchdown in the third quarter, when Millner found Bezdicek in the corner of the end zone for a score to make it 22-13. They would add another in the 4th quarter on a two yard run from Payton Burow to make it 28-13. Apple Valley then kept the ball for the remainder of the game, trying to come back, but time would run out on the Eagles. Hastings improves to 1-1 with the win. Burow led the way in rushing for both teams, carrying the ball 23 times for 122 yards and a score. Millner was 3 of 11 passing for 67 yards with the lone score, as well as a pick. Johnny Bezdicek had 3 carries on the ground and caught 2 passes for 45 yards and a score, while Jack Cloutier caught the other pass for 22 yards. The Raiders also cut back on penalties in week 2, with only 2 in the game however they were both 15 yard penalties.

The Raiders will return to action Saturday afternoon against Simley with kickoff scheduled for 2 PM on KDWA.

Prescott football saw its winning streak come to an end with a 16-8 home loss to Somerset on Friday night as the weather conditions kept the offenses at bay. The Cardinals were down 8-0 entering the fourth quarter and again found themselves with a little bit of magic to tie the game, but then Somerset responded. Prescott ran out of time for the game tying score, they head to Saint Croix Central on Friday.

NEW HHS GYM SCOREBOARD NEARING COMPLETION

The new main court scoreboard project at Hastings High is nearing completion.

According to a tweet from Hastings High School, the new scoreboard will be four sided, hung at midcourt for easy spectator views, with the additional scoreboards being hung at railing level for the athletes and coaches, as well as any shot clocks that may be necessary.

Pictures, courtesy of HHS Raiders on Twitter, are seen in this article

CAUDILL PROVIDES PRESCOTT UPDATE

Prescott High School Athletics Director joined us for his weekly update segment discussing all things Prescott sports. This week, we talk Golf, Volleyball, Cross Country and Football, the upcoming Prescott-Hastings volleyball game, and also gave us an early look at a fun event happening in Prescott in late January, when the school will host the annual MN-WI Border Battle basketball tournament for the first time.

RAIDERS DRENCHED BY STORM IN SEASON OPENER

The Hastings Raiders football team fell to the Chanhassen Storm to start the 2022 football season, 27-7, in a game that was dictated by three big plays from Storm running back Maxwell Woods.

The game started off fairly even. After the Raiders weren't able to do anything on the opening drive, they were gifted a chance when Chanhassen muffed the game's first punt. That gave the Raiders new life offensively. Hastings would have to punt the football, but Chanhassen would fumble on the next drive, and Hastings would recover, with Austin LeFlay forcing the fumble. After being held in check by the Storm, Coach Strain left the Raider offense on the field on 4th down, and Danny Millner and Rico Cooper were unable to connect in the corner of the end zone for what would have been the game's first score. The first quarter would end without a score, but Chanhassen would then soon set the tone though, when Woods took a handoff 31 yards on 4th down to the house to make it 6-0 just 18 seconds into the second quarter. The Raiders were unable to respond and Woods would then do it again a few minutes later, rumbling 47 yards to go over 100 yards on the ground in the first half, and the Storm led 13-0.

The Raiders were down but not out at the half, but that evaporated quickly, as Woods would take the first play of the second half 84 yards to the house and suddenly it was 20-0. To add insult to injury, Chanhassen then attempted an onsides kick, and after a couple of players touched it for the Raiders, Chanhassen recovered the ball. Chanhassen would then put a dagger in the Raiders, as 4 plays later, Grant Muffinbier connected with Everett Foudray for the final Storm touchdown to make it 27-0. Hastings would get a late opportunity, and would capitialize when Danny Millner found Jack Cloutier in the end zone for a beautiful touchdown. Jack Sieben would add the extra point and the Raiders would get on the board 27-7, which would be the final score.

Woods would finish for Chanhassen with 189 yards on just 7 carries and 3 touchdowns.

For Hastings, Danny Millner finished 11 of 30 passing for 96 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Payton Burow led the way on the ground with 19 carries for 64 yards while Jack Cloutier led the team in receiving with 4 catches for 38 yards and the lone score.

The Raiders are 0-1 on the season and return to action next Friday at Apple Valley. KDWA will exclusively have the game with pregame coverage at 6:30.

GOLF: CARDINALS INCREASE LEAD IN MBC STANDINGS

The Prescott Girls Golf team continued its dominant start to the 2022 season with a win in the Amery Invite. The event was almost in jeopardy before it started, as heavy rains dumped nearly half a foot of rain on the Amery area in the days leading up to the event. It was decided to play the Front 9 Par 37 in order to have a successful event. Despite that, Head Coach Chad Salay said in an email to KDWA that it was still wet, but they managed to make it work. Ava Salay and Rhi Stutz led the way, both shooting 38's. Maddie Reiter shot a 44, Maddie Rundquist and Jeanne Rohl shot a 45, and Kendra Ogilvie a 53. Salay and Stutz's performances were good enough for a tie for first in the event, while Reiter, Rundquist and Rohl gave Prescott 5 of the top 7 golfers in the event. With two first place finishes to start the season, Prescott is in first place in the conferences with 20 points, but Altoona/Regis is not far behind at 18. Ava Salay leads the individual standings with 20 points, with Rhi Stutz not far behind with 18 points in 3rd place. Rohl and Rundquist both have 13 points and are 5th and 6th, while Reiter has 12 points in 8th. Golf returns to action on Thursday, September 8 with JV at home against Ellsworth at Clifton Highland, and Varsity in Ellsworth against multiple schools. Both of those events are scheduled for 4 PM. The next MBC event is scheduled for September 19 at Pheasant Hills Golf Course.

NEW SEGMENT, PRESCOTT WEEKLY UPDATE

Prescott sports are off and running in 2022, and as part of a new weekly segment, Athletics Director Andrew Caudill joins us to talk about the start to the season for fall sports, including the top-ranked golf team absolutely dominating. In addition, we discuss what's to come, as well as the recent facility upgrades thanks to a donation from Ptacek's.

Listen here:

TEAM PREVIEW: PRESCOTT CROSS COUNTRY

Prescott Cross Country has a new coach for 2022, and expectations to finally qualify for team State. Tim Phillips joined us on KDWA to talk about the team this season.

TEAM PREVIEW: PRESCOTT VOLLEYBALL

Prescott has a new volleyball coach and she has high expectations. Tracey Budworth enters her first season as the head coach of a team she's already pretty familiar with, and the team hopes to find their way to Green Bay this season. Here is what Budworth told KDWA in this edition of team previews:

PRESCOTT GOLF OFF TO DOMINANT START

If you are on the course with the Prescott Golf team this year, prepare to be blown away, both literally and figuratively. The two time defending state champions have been completely tearing apart their competition through the first week of the season, led by UW commit Ava Salay, who has been at or near course records multiple times this season. In a recent event in Baldwin, the Cardinals were so dominant, that their JV team finished ahead of all the other varsity schools, with only Prescott Varsity ahead of them. In that event, Salay shot an absolutely mind boggling 6 under 66. The Varsity team score was 327, which was just 9 shots away from the school record. Rhi Stutz and Maddie Reiter tied for 4th in that event with a 14 over 86, putting Salay's chokehold on the field into perspective. Maddie Rundquist shot a 17 over 89 and Gabbi Matzek shot a 20 over 92. Anika Fredericks, Jeanne Rohl, Kendra Ogilvie, Sydney Herr, and Ava Franco also put in solid performances for the Cardinals, but it wasn't their first dominant performance of the year. In the season opening event. The Cardinals also won a recent event in Tomah, where Salay led the way with a 67, and Rohl anchored JV with an 83. JV would've finished in the top 5 varsity teams in the event. In the season opening event in Reedsburg, it was a unique duo format. Salay and Reiter took first place in the event, fighting through adverse weather to take the championship with a 7 under par 65, which is at or near the course record, while Stutz and Rundquist paired up and finished 7th. Some golfers ended up in the low 80s, while all of Prescott's golfers shot under a 90 for the event. Prescott golf is looking to three-peat this season as state champions, something very few teams in WIAA play have done. They would be just the fifth team to do so. They appear to be off to a good start.

Hastings and Prescott fall sports teams have begun practices in 2022 and there are several new coaches in the area. In Prescott, Tracey Budworth takes over the Volleyball team, and Tim Phillips takes over Cross Country. In Hastings, Joe Rabaey has officially taken over Cross Country after serving as an assistant, while Paul Armstrong is now in charge of Girls Soccer, and Elisabeth Curran is now the leader of Hastings Volleyball. Also an exciting note, Hastings and Prescott will play in volleyball on September 13, and KDWA will be there to provide you with coverage. It is the first of a two year agreement between the schools.

TEAM PREVIEW: HASTINGS BOYS SOCCER

Continuing with our team previews, we were joined by Hastings Boys Soccer Coach Jamie Swanson to preview the 2022 season. The soccer season includes a new section, a tough schedule, and some expectations to make some noise in sectional play. Here's what Swanson had to say:

TEAM PREVIEW: HASTINGS GIRLS SOCCER GEARS UP FOR NEW ARMSTRONG ERA

Hastings Girls Soccer has begun its practices for 2022 under first year head coach Paul Armstrong, who joined KDWA to talk to us about the team this year and how he's adapted to his new role here in Hastings

MUDHENS, BEARS LEARN POSTSEASON OPPONENTS

The Miesville Mudhens and Cannon Falls Bears are all set for postseason action after a live streamed bracket reveal show on Sunday night produced the brackets for the upcoming MBA Class B and Class C state tournaments. The Mudhens will kick the whole thing off as one of the co-hosts on Friday night, when they play the Prior Lake Jays at 7:30 at Jack Ruhr Field. KDWA will provide live coverage. The Mudhens, with a win, then move on to the second weekend to face either Cold Spring or Anoka. Miesville's other Section 1B foes see Dundas in position to potentially meet Miesville in the semifinals, while New Market and Rochester are in the bottom half of the bracket. The Mudhens earned the top seed from Section 1B with their sweep of Hampton. Hampton beat Elko in the first redemption round game to advance to Sunday to take on New Market, but the Muskies' bats were flying, and Hampton fell 17-7, handing New Market the final spot from the section. The Mudhens need to beat Prior Lake and then either Anoka or Cold Spring to advance to the double elimination portion of the bracket.

Cannon Falls meanwhile, will head down to Faribault on Saturday night in a strictly single elimination format in the 48-team Class C bracket. The Bears will take on the Buckman Billygoats out of Region 8C. Should the Bears win, they would advance to the following weekend in Faribault again. The opponent would be the Luverne Redbirds. As part of the Class C rules, the Bears are eligible to draft a handful of players from other teams, and while the Hastings Hawks fell short of State, Jordan Jeske will represent the Hawks, as he was drafted by the Bears to join their team for the State tournament. Hastings needed two wins to advance, and despite a hard fought effort, fell to Stewartville 7-4. Wanamingo advanced with the eventual bid from Region 5C.

KDWA will bring you live coverage of all the Mudhens games, with pregame coverage Friday starting at 7:15, and first pitch around 7:30. Adam Elling and Matt Leifeld will provide you with coverage of the entire game and you'll be able to listen everywhere you get KDWA.

The full list of games next weekend in Miesville:

Mudhens vs. Prior Lake, Friday @ 7:30 LIVE on KDWA

Cold Spring vs. Anoka Saturday @ 11 AM

Blaine vs. Sobieski Saturday @ 1:30 PM

Rochester vs. Hamel Saturday @ 4:30 PM

Chanhassen vs. Coon Rapids Saturday @ 7:00

Clinton vs. Willmar Sunday @ 11 AM

Kimball vs. Hutchinson Sunday at 1:30

Hinckley vs. Richmond Sunday at 4:30.

KDWA will not have coverage of the other games, but we will continue to bring you live Mudhens action.

TEAM PREVIEW: HASTINGS FOOTBALL

The Hastings Raiders football team is ready for another strong campaign in 2022, and with practice just days away, Head Coach Dana Strain joined KDWA for a wide ranging interview, to get us ready for the 2022 season.

PRESCOTT LAUNCHES NEW UNDER ARMOUR APPAREL DEAL

The Prescott Cardinals recently signed an apparel deal with Under Armour and have started an apparel store. Part of that deal includes a new agreement with the Women of Will program, or WOW.

Prescott Athletics Director Andrew Caudill discusses the new apparel deal, as well as the WOW program.

HASTINGS NEW ATHLETIC PARENT TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT; REGISTRATION NEARS ITS END

With registration nearly complete, and a town hall meeting set for tonight, Hastings High School AD Trent Hanson joined KDWA to talk about registration and gearing up for the Fall Sports season.

HASTINGS NEW ATHELTIC PARENT TOWN HALL MEETING TONIGHT; REGISTRATION NEARS ITS END

With registration nearly complete, and a town hall meeting set for tonight, Hastings High School AD Trent Hanson joined KDWA to talk about registration and gearing up for the Fall Sports season.

PRESCOTT FOOTBALL GEARING UP FOR FIRST GAME

Prescott Football Coach Jordan Hansen joined KDWA to break down the first week of practice, their upcoming scrimmage at Osceola, and their tough nonconference schedule. Listen here: