Sports

Prescott Girls Golf Loses Appeal, Forced Up To Division 1

Prescott High School announced on Thursday that the school has lost its appeal to stay in Division 2 for golf next season and will be forced up to Division 1. The Cardinals filed their appeal due to school size and location, with many of the D1 schools being significantly larger than Prescott, and several hours away. This will complicate scheduling and travel plans for the Cardinals next season and beyond.

The Cardinals are being forced up due to the WIAA's Performance Metric, which realigns teams based on a points system that determines their placement. The Cardinals, having won four straight state titles, earned the maximum of 16 points over a four year period.

Prescott voted NO on passing the performance metric back in April.

In a statement, Prescott AD Andrew Caudill did not hold back, saying "I am disappointed in the WIAA Classification Committee’s blatant disregard for the evidence presented to keep our girls golf program in Division 2. However, I am confident in Coach Salay and the team to prepare and compete at a high level to challenge for the Division 1 state championship".

We will have more on this story on KDWA.

TUESDAY SPORTS ROUNDUP: RAIDERS, CARDINALS MAKE IT 4 FOR 4 NIGHT

Tuesday night was a perfect night for athletics in our area, as four local teams all secured victories

Hockey: The Hastings Boys Hockey team pulled away from Waconia early, withstood a 5 on 3, and added two in the third to win 5-1 in their home opener. The Raiders scored five minutes into the contest when Jon Harris continued his unbelievable start to the season with a goal to make it 1-0. Blake Vandehoef assisted. The score would say 1-0 until the literal final second of the period, when Harris would add another tally from Mason Boeff and Lukas Niederkorn to make it 2-0. They would score again 12 seconds and an intermission later, this time it was Connor Zgoda finding the net from Blake Vandehoef and Jon Harris to make it 3-0. Waconia would get one back towards the end of the 2nd to make it 3-1, but they would get no closer as Luke Wahlstrom would get his first varsity goal from Brody Carlson and Sawyer Zaruba to make it 4-1, and Ben Thome would also get his first varsity tally from Thomas MacGinnis and Will Savage to make it the ultimately final score of 5-1. The Raiders return to action Thursday against Simley

Basketball: The Raiders used a late push to break open a 57-57 tie with Northfield en route to a 75-62 win. Both Owen Bernatz and Kyan Esterby had 20 points to lead the way for the Raiders, while Lukas Foss added 14. The Raiders are 3-0 on the season.

Prescott: Both basketball teams won on Tuesday. The 10th ranked boys outlasted Saint Croix Central 70-63 to go to 2-0 both in the conference and overall. They return to action Saturday against Fall Creek at UW-Stout. The girls got revenge against Saint Croix Falls after losing to them in the playoffs one year ago, The Cardinals have now won three in a row. They return to action against Altoona on Thursday.

RAIDERS OVERWHELM WOLFPACK FOR MEANINGFUL FIRST WIN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

The Hastings Raiders Girls Basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a dominating win over the Park of Cottage Grove Wolfpack, 55-28. A Hastings team that returned all but one player from last year's squad handed new Head Coach Rick Tavernier his first career varsity win with the Raiders.

Hastings raced out to an 18-0 advantage, using smothering defense to overwhelm a Wolfpack team with only one senior on the roster. Park made just 4 field goals in the 1st half en route to a 33-11 Hastings lead at halftime.

The second half again included Hastings dominating Park early on, and the Raiders cruised to the 55-28 win. The dynamic duo of Hailey Strain and Keagan McVicker led the Raiders with 22 for Strain and 10 for McVicker. Emma Bakker also reached double figures with 10, while Kate Ruder added 5 points, Lindsey Wagner had 3, Rachael Notch and Alyssa Leos each added 2, and Kayleigh Giesen got a point at the free throw line.

It was a very meaningful and emotional night as the Raider basketball team honored Bill Ruder, a teacher at Hastings High School, and Kate's father, who is undergoing a cancer battle. Ruder was unable to attend the game, but Activites Director Trent Hanson read a message from him thanking the community for their support. The entire arena waved to the television cameras to say hello to Ruder at home. All of the Hastings students and teachers and even some parents in attendance wore T-shirts that said "No One Fights Alone" on the front and "Raider Strong" on the back. The girls team also wore the shirts on the bench and during pregame shootaround.

Kate Ruder was in the starting lineup for the Raiders, and scored her 5 points consecutively, much to the joy of the crowd.

The game was delayed for around 15-20 minutes at halftime when a small fire broke out in the metal shop at the school, setting off the fire alarms. There was no serious risk to those in attendance and once Hastings Fire gave the all clear, the game resumed. We have a report on this in our KDWA News and on our news page.

The Raiders return to action later this week at Burnsville.

Other scores

- Hastings Girls Hockey fell 5-1 in a section rematch to Apple Valley

- Prescott Girls Basketball dominated Saint Croix Central 52-31 to go to 2-0 in conference play.

HASTINGS, PARK GIRLS HOCKEY TO PLAY OUTDOORS AT UNITED HEROES LEAGUE

KDWA has learned via an alert from the Metro East Conference's scheduling algorithm that the Hastings Girls Hockey game set for December 22 against Park has been pushed back one day to December 23. The game will be played at 1 PM, but even more importantly, the game will be played outdoors, at United Heroes League's new Scheels Rink.

Shane Hudella talked to KDWA about the upcoming event

PRESCOTT GIRLS HOOPS, HASTINGS GIRLS HOCKEY BOTH GET THRILLING COMEBACK WINS

The Prescott Cardinals were looking for an excellent pre-Thanksgiving appetizer with their Middle Border Conference opener against Somerset last week in Prescott.

After a tough shooting start for both teams, the Cardinals found themselves down 6-4, before exploding offensively with three's from Violet Otto, Cadyn Hillebrand and Avery Pattridge helping to ignite the offense. Prescott would find themselves with a 29-19 lead in the first half, and with Otto getting a break on the bench, Somerset would go on a 10-0 run to tie the game 29-29 in the final minute of the first half. Prescott would respond with four straight points to take a 33-29 lead at the interval.

In the 2nd half, it became a back and forth affair. The Spartans would take the lead, and Prescott would steal the lead back. The cycle continued, and Prescott would actually take a multi possession lead at one point, with Lila Posthuma hitting a big three pointer. Somerset would end up taking a 64-63 lead with 38 seconds left, and Coach Owen Hamilton would take a timeout to talk things over. Prescott would move the ball around, and with just under 20 seconds remaining, Otto would bury a corner three from the right wing to take a 66-64 lead. Somerset would miss a shot and foul Prescott with 6.7 seconds remaining. Prescott would not make the free throw, giving Somerset one last crack, but the Cardinals played exceptional defense, and the Spartans never got a shot off, giving Prescott a huge 66-64 win.

Otto led all scorers with 25 points. Hillebrand also had a breakout performance, with 9 points from the floor.

Prescott returns to action Tuesday at Saint Croix Central.

Hastings Girls Hockey Storms Back To Down Fusion: The Hastings Girls Hockey team roared back from a 2 goal third period deficit to take down the Saint Croix Valley Fusion of Wisconsin 4-3.

Madyn Hanson had a hat trick including the game winner, and Victoria Steinke made 26 saves. Jade Schauer had 3 assists while Grace Petrich added two and Emily Thuet one. Autumn Burt also scored. The Raiders are 3-1 and return to action Tuesday in a section rematch with Apple Valley at Hastings Civic Arena.

UHL DEBUTS NEW RINKS IN MASSIVE COMMUNITY EVENT

It was an exciting event at United Heroes League on Saturday, as the new Scheels Rink was debuted as part of their Veterans Jamboree. The event included several youth hockey games, a flyover, NHL player autographs including Zach Parise, Devan Dubnyk, Wes Walz and more, food trucks, concerts, and more. KDWA was on location Saturday and spoke to a UHL employee, Garrett Davies, about the event and the future of the outdoor rink.

3 PRESCOTT ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

In Prescott, a ceremony was held at the high school at 4:30 PM. Three athletes signed their national letter of intent, including 2 headed to Division 1 institutions

Cullen Huppert, who is on his way to being a four year letter winner in baseball, will head to Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, while Reese Ptacek, who owns many volleyball records in Prescott that may never be broken and is arguably the best volleyball player in school history, signed with the Kansas Jayhawks, and will enroll in December.

Finally, Lila Posthuma, who has a chance to become Prescott's all-time rebounding leader this season, as well as become another 1000 point scorer, has committed to Bradley University in Illinois. Posthuma will be one of the centerpieces of the Cardinal girls basketball team this season.

There is another signing period in the spring where more athletes could commit and sign their national letters of intent.

11 HASTINGS ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

The early signing period kicked off on November 8, and 11 athletes in Hastings signed their national letters of intent to play college athletics.

In Hastings, the following athletes signed

- Blake Beissel, wrestling, University of Minnesota

- Owen Bernatz, basketball, Northwestern (St. Paul)

- Autumn Burt, hockey, Saint Catherine's

- Grace Gerlach, lacrosse, Rockhurst University (Kansas City)

- Alex Hendrickson, baseball, University of Saint Thomas

- Lauren Jenkins, softball, University of Minnesota-Duluth

- Cade Kimmes, football and baseball, Gustavus Adolphus

- Gavin Lambert, wrestling, Southwest Minnesota State

- Skylar Little Soldier, wrestling, Grand Valley State

- Brady Nickel, lacrosse, Queen's University (Charlotte, NC)

- Jack Seleski, baseball, Dakota County Technical College

The athletes all gathered in front of friends, family and supporters at Dugarel's for the ceremony.

RAIDER FOOTBALL SEASON ENDS ON DRENCHED TUESDAY NIGHT

The Hastings Raiders football team saw its 2023 season come to an end with a 14-0 loss to Two Rivers on Tuesday night. The Raiders had to endure another wet and rainy affair, and Two Rivers' exceptional defensive play held the Raiders offense at bay.

The first quarter was a struggle for both teams, as the wet weather dictated the game flow. Two Rivers had crossed the Hastings 50 yard line on a pass play when the receiver fumbled the ball, turning the ball over to Hastings.The score would remain 0-0 after the 1st quarter. As the quarter ended, a very visible lightning strike sent everyone to shelter and after a brief 30 minute delay, game play resumed.

After the delay, Two Rivers marched down the field, finding the end zone to go up 7-0. Hastings would punt the ball back to Two Rivers, who would again march down the field and score to make it 14-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Raiders would get the ball and go on an impressive drive taking 7:28 off the third quarter clock. After a fumble recovered by hastings in the red zone pushed the Raiders back, they had to settle for going for the end zone on 4th and goal from the 14 and were unable to convert. Two Rivers then held the Raiders at bay the rest of the night.

The Raiders finish the season 2-7 on the year, with wins over Two Rivers in the regular season 9-7 and the epic homecoming win over Cretin-Derham Hall 27-21 in overtime.

32 seniors strapped on the helmets for the final time for the Raiders and we thank them for their contributions to the Raider program.

CARDINAL VOLLEYBALL WINS REGIONAL; SCHOMMER QUALIFIES FOR STATE

The Prescott Cardinals volleyball team won their first regional title since 1983 in a wild, topsy turvy affair with Bloomer on Saturday night.

The Cardinals appeared on their way to a sweep, taking the first two sets, before Bloomer stormed back to win the next two. The Cardinals then left no doubt, cruising to win the fifth set 15-8. Prescott had seen Bloomer twice before in the regular season, and lost both meetings.

Katressa Syverson, who has over 1500 assists for her career, added 46 more in the win, while adding 1 kill and 20 digs.

The Cardinals will face Rice Lake in the Section Semis Thursday in Rice Lake, while the winner faces the winner of Waupaca and Mosinee on Saturday, tentatively scheduled for Merrill, Wisconsin.

Prescott Golfers Named All-State Honorable Mentions: Four golfers from Prescott's state title team have been named All-State Honorable Mentions. Gabbi Matzek, Jeanne Rohl and first year players Layla Salay and Macy Reiter were named with the honors. Matzek’s 2023 scoring average of 41.4 ranks as the 6th highest in school history, while Salay led the team in scoring during WIAA Tournament play. Rohl and Reiter also put together strong seasons and even stronger postseasons to earn the honor. Prescott won their fourth consecutive state title this year, and, if they stay in Division 2, will likely be the favorites for a fifth straight next season. It is possible, based on the new alignment points format that rewards teams for success, that Prescott could move up to the Division 1 level, but that remains to be determined.

Schommer to State: After a 7th place finish at sections, Prescott's Breckin Schommer will run at the state tournament in Wisconsin Rapids. Despite finishing outside the top 5, Schommer advanced as two runners in front of him were on teams that qualified. As a team, Prescott finished 6th for the boys and 11th for the girls.

KDWA’s winter sports schedule will be posted on KDWA.com later this week. We will have coverage of Hastings hockey and basketball and Prescott hoops.

CARDS ADVANCE TO REGIONAL FINAL; PTACEK COMMITS TO SAN JOSE STATE

The Prescott Cardinals are headed to the Regional Final. One week after an epic 5 set win over Osceola, the Cardinals left no doubt this time, cruising to a 3-0 win with set victories of 25-15, 25-19 and 25-15. The Cardinals will now advance to the Regional Final in Bloomer, against Bloomer High School. The Cardinals have already faced Bloomer this season and this will be the third meeting. Should the Cardinals win that, they would advance to Section Semis to face either Rice Lake or Baldwin-Woodville on October 26. The section final is set for Saturday, October 28 at Merrill High School, located between Rhinelander and Wausau. The State Semis are set for November 3.

Before the game, Prescott added another college commit to the list, as Prescott Volleyball's Natalie Ptacek announced she would be joining her sister Reese as a Division I Volleyball player, committing to play for San Jose State University. The Spartans are a member of the Mountain West Conference (for now), and Ptacek will face schools such as Colorado State, Air Force, Nevada and UNLV on a frequent basis.

Ptacek's older sister Reese is headed to the University of Kansas. Her National Letter of Intent will reportedly be signed in November.

Trey Severson (Volleyball, Quincy University), Rhi Stutz (Golf, Kutztown University), Liz Rohl (Golf, Stout), Taylor Graf (Softball, St. Catherine’s), Ava Salay (Golf, Wisconsin) and Jordan Malmlov (Basketball, Nevada) are among the athletes from Prescott who are now playing in college along with recent commits from Lila Posthuma (Basketball, Bradley) and Cullen Huppert (Baseball, Southwest Minnesota State).

RAIDERS FALL TO COOPER, EARN 5 SEED FOR SECTIONS

The Hastings Raiders struggled offensively on senior night at Todd Field, faltering at home to the Hawks of Robbinsdale Cooper 22-8.

It was a defensive battle for much of the first half, with neither offense able to move the football at all. It wasn’t until late in the 1st half when Cooper would find the end zone to make it 6-0. After a botched extra point, Cooper would somehow convert it for 2 points to take an 8-0 lead with mere seconds left in the first half.

After the Raiders would come up empty at the beginning of the third quarter, Cooper would extend the lead to 15-0, but the Raiders would put together a nice drive and Jack Cloutier would break a tackle and find his way into the end zone to make it 15-6. The two point conversion would be good as well and the Raiders would cut it to 7, 15-8.

However Cooper would again score, on a long 60 yard touchdown pass to make it 22-8, putting the Raiders in a precarious position in the 4th quarter. They would not be able to close the gap and 22-8 would remain the final score.

The Raiders had virtually no run game, as Cooper stymied them for 41 yards on 27 team rushes.

The Raiders soon thereafter found out their section seed, as Hastings ends up the 5 seed in the bracket. That wasn’t unexpected, but the opponent the Raiders will face is.

Somehow, despite winning 7 games, Two Rivers ended up as the 4 seed behind 3-win Apple Valley. This will be yet another chapter of Hastings vs Two River. The Raiders beat the Warriors 9-7 in the regular season, but Two Rivers had several key injuries in that game. They will play in Mendota Heights on Tuesday night at 7, with the winner staying in Mendota Heights regardless, as Saint Thomas Academy awaits the winner Saturday at Noon.

SPORTS ROUNDUP OCTOBER 17, 2023

Keller Trio Punches Tennis State Ticket: A trio of sisters at Hastings High School have punched their ticket to the MSHSL State Tennis Tournament October 24-27. Brooklyn and Reece Keller took the section championship doubles, and Claire Keller is headed to State individually with a 2nd place finish. The brackets have not been published as of this update, but the Raiders will have plenty of representation at State.

Prescott Golf Accolades Continue: The Prescott Girls Golf team will continue to see the awards pile in after its fourth straight state title. Four Cardinals were named Academic All-State with Anika Fredericks, Lydia Feran, Gabbi Matzek and Jeanne Rohl taking the honors.

Prescott also updated its all-time scoring list after the 2023 season and it now reads as follows:

Ava Salay still owns the top 4 single season scoring marks with 35.9 averages in 2022, 37.4 in 2021, 39.1 in 2020 and 39.7 in 2019

Rhi Stutz's 2022 average remains the 5th highest in school history at 41.1, but Gabbi Matzek's 2023 season ranks as the 6th highest ever at 41.4. Layla Salay joins her sister in the Top 10, with her 2023 season the 7th highest ever. Liz Rohl’s 2021, Jessica Heinsch's 2021 and Macy Reiter's 2023 round out the Top 10.

That means the Cardinals have all of their Top 10 season high scoring marks in the last four years, all of which ended in State titles.

Prescott Athlete Announces College Commitment: Prescott athlete Cullen Huppert recently announced his intention to play baseball for Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall. Huppert is one of the aces for Jeff Ryan's Cardinal baseball team. Huppert joins a growing list who have committed to play sports. Reese Ptacek, the 2023 MBC Player of the Year, is expected to officially sign her national letter of intent with Kansas for volleyball in November (Ptacek was also named first team all-Middle Border while teammate Lila Posthuma was named second team and Katressa Severson was named an honorable mention). Trey Severson (Volleyball, Quincy University), Rhi Stutz (Golf, Kutztown University), Liz Rohl (Golf, Stout), Taylor Graf (Softball, St. Catherine’s), Ava Salay (Golf, Wisconsin) and Jordan Malmlov (Basketball, Nevada) are among the athletes from Prescott who are now playing in college

PRESCOTT GIRLS GOLF SOAKS IN FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE

The celebration continues for Prescott Girls Golf after their fourth consecutive State title. The Cardinals once again received a fire truck escort and got to parade the trophy around the high school and town in celebration, in what is becoming an annual tradition.

Head Coach Chad Salay sat down with KDWA Sports Director Trey Lower to talk about this year's team and the four in a row titles, plus the outlook for 5 in a row next year.

Juniors Gabbi Matzek, Jeanne Rohl and Lydia Feran also talked to KDWA about the experience from last year helping for this year's, why this year was more nerve wracking than last, and how a team with no Seniors was able to win the State Title.

PRESCOTT GIRLS GOLF CLAIMS FOURTH STRAIGHT STATE TITLE

The Prescott Cardinals Girls Golf team has captured their fourth consecutive State Title, achieving the almost unheard of feat in another close bout. For the second year in a row, the title came down to the final few holes, where Prescott was able to pull away for the title by 3 shots over Notre Dame Academy. The Cardinals had all 5 of their golfers (Gabbi Matzek, Layla Salay, Macy Reiter, Jeanne Rohl and Lydia Feran) finish in the Top 20 in the State. It was Matzek's par on the final hole that clinched the win.

Prescott held on to it's #1 ranking for the duration of the regular season, and achieved the ultra rare feat of 4 state titles. Only a handful of schools in any sport in Wisconsin are able to claim that honor.

We will have more to come on KDWA.

DEREK STEPAN ANNOUNCES NHL RETIREMENT

Hastings native and Hastings Hockey Association alum Derek Stepan announced on Tuesday that he would be retiring from the NHL after 13 years in the league.

Drafted 51st overall in 2008, Stepan accumulated 890 regular season games and 120 playoff games, scoring 515 points (182 goals and 333 assists) with four teams, the New York Rangers (who drafted him), the Arizona Coyotes, one year with the Ottawa Senators, and two years with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Stepan also has accolades as part of the Team USA Junior Hockey team and at the University of Wisconsin.

One of the most memorable moments of his career came on May 13, 2015, when he scored an overtime winner for the Rangers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs agaisnt the Washington Capitals. NHL announcing legend Mike "Doc" Emrick simply shouted "Score! Stepan! In overtime! The Rangers move on to Tampa!" as he got the puck past Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby to send New York to the Eastern Conference Final and cement himself in Rangers history.

The Hastings Hockey Association posted a short tribute video to Stepan on their social media accounts, congratulating him on his career.

And we congratulate Derek Stepan on a sensational career.

PRESCOTT GOLF WILL DEFEND STATE TITLE, WINS HOME SECTIONAL

The Prescott Girls Golf team is returning to the State tournament, with a win in their first ever home sectional. The Cardinals' lead was never really in doubt, as Prescott won by 23 strokes to head to State for the fifth time. Prescott will now look to be the fourth team to win four consecutive state titles.

RESULTS

Prescott earned the win with a team score of 356, Hayward was the next closest at 379.

Layla Salay was the highest finishing Cardinal, with a score of 88 to take 5th place. Gabbi Matzek also shot an 88, while Lydia Feran and Macy Reiter shot 90s and Jeanne Rohl shot a 91.

As the team qualified, all 5 golfers automatically head to state.

The State Tournament is October 9 and 10 at University Ridge in Madison.

Picture Credit to Prescott Athletics

HASTINGS TAKES MEMORABLE HOMECOMING WIN OVER CRETIN-DERHAM HALL

In a game and night that will be remembered forever in Hastings, the Raiders in blue held off the Raiders in purple in an overtime thriller marred by an over 2 hour lightning delay.

Hastings got the scoring started early on, when Cade Kimmes caught a 30 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0. Hastings then attempted a surprise onsides kick, and nearly recovered, but CDH was able to recover. The CDH Raiders would tie the game 7-7, but Hastings would take the lead back 14-7 going into halftime.

At halftime, media was made aware of looming weather as many games around the area were either suspended or called at halftime. And while the storm missed Hastings, lightning was spotted in the area after one play in the 2nd half. The game was delayed, and fans filed out in an orderly and patient fashion. As lightning continued, Hastings coach Dana Strain, CDH coach Steve Walsh, and the respective AD’s and administrators, looked at the radar and discussed options. A few options were levied, but the ultimate decision was made to resume the game at 10:50 PM. Both teams were bussed to the high school to wait out the delay, and returned at 10:25 to warm up and get ready to resume action. The delay was 2 hours and 20 minutes.

And right away, Hastings would score, as Cole Zeien scored from 76 yards out to make it 21-7. CDH would respond and score to make it 21-13, but the extra point was blocked. After Hastings was stopped, Cretin-Derham Hall would get the ball back and score with 30 seconds left, succeeding on the two point conversion to tie the game.

Overtime: After Hastings was unable to get into field goal range, we went to overtime, and Hastings would get the ball second in overtime. CDH would be held at bay, and would miss a 27 yard field goal, meaning all Hastings needed was a field goal. But the Raiders would get a touchdown instead, as three straight Zeien runs was all that was needed, and Hastings would win 27-21.

Cole Zeien had a career night with 19 carries for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Lukas Foss went 8 for 15 passing for 119 yards and a score.

Hastings (2-3), returns to action with two straight road games against Armstrong and Saint Thomas Academy before ending the regular season MEA week with Cooper at Todd Field and McNamara Stadium.

FOUR! PRESCOTT GIRLS GOLF FOUR-PEATS AS MBC CHAMPS

The Prescott Cardinals are once again on the top step of the Middle Border Conference, winning the MBC Tournament by 34 strokes over Saint Croix Central. Macy Reiter finished 2nd for the Cardinals with an 83, while Gabbi Matzek also shot an 83 and Layla Salay an 84 to make up 3 of the top 4 positions. Prescott earns 100 out of a possible 100 points in Middle Border competition. The Cardinals remained the #1 team in the state in this week's coaches poll, but the gap is closing slightly, that being said Prescott remained with a comfortable advantage over Xavier and Notre Dame.

Picture credit to Prescott Cardinals Athletics

RAIDERS FALL TO ZEPHYRS IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE, 13-7

Hastings football used a rock solid defense to stay in the game against Mahtomedi's ferocious rushing attack, but it was too little too late to find the end zone as Mahtomedi won 13-7. Mahtomedi opened the game with a 7:02 long scoring drive before Hastings even touched the ball. After that, they would be held relatively in check. Hastings would only have 30 yards of offense at halftime, but only trailed 7-0, thanks to a fumble recovery and then a Blake Vandehoef interception. Hastings would get the ball to start the 2nd half and the offense would begin to find a groove. After a massive Ryan Clemens interception got the Raiders the ball on the 20, they could not punch it in from the 8, and Mahtomedi would score to go up 13-0. With just over two minutes remaining, Hastings got the ball back, and thanks to a great return from Antwhane Pate, Hastings got the ball near midfield. The Raiders would find the endzone, with the Foss brothers connecting, Lukas to Matt, for a 22 yard strike. Hastings would attempt an onside kick but Mahtomedi would recover and pick up enough first downs to run out the clock. Hastings slips to 1-2 on the season. Foss threw for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Kyan Esterby and Matt Foss had breakout games to lead the team in receiving, with 41 and 56 yards respectively. Jack Cloutier and Ryan Clemens also had a catch for the Raiders in the loss. Hastings heads to Bloomington on Thursday to take on the Jefferson Jaguars

ROUNDUP: RAIDERS GET FIRST WIN, CARDS SUFFER FIRST LOSS

The Hastings Raiders held off the Two Rivers Warriors in a defensive showcase 9-7 at Todd Field. The Raiders would get the first score of the game when Lukas Foss found Cole Zeien from 4 yards out. Two Rivers would respond with a touchdown to go up 7-6 before Jack Sieben would hit a 42 yard field goal at the end of the first half to get to 9-7.

There would be no score in the second half, but the Raiders would force takeaways. Creed Peterson had a diving interception to thwart a Warriors drive and Thomas Conner also had a pick.

Lukas Foss went 11/19 passing and had a touchdown and Cole Zeien led the team in rushing. Creed Peterson had 2 interceptions and Thomas Conner added another.

Hastings returns to action Thursday against Mahtomedi.

Prescott suffered their first loss of the season against Somerset on the road, 44-36. Prescott raced out to a 21-6 lead before Somerset responded to take a 30-21 advantage. Prescott would go up 36-30 before Somerset finished it off with 14 straight points.

The Cardinals finally get to play at home after their home opener was in River Falls, hosting Saint Croix Central on Friday. Laney Field has been under construction.

KDWA will carry BOTH games live, with Trey Lower and Matt Larson at Todd Field Thursday, and Fred Booth and Matt Leifeld in Prescott on Friday. We also have some exciting news regarding Prescott broadcasts coming soon!

PRESCOTT GOES TO 3-0; RAIDERS DROP OPENER; MUDHENS ELIMINATED

Football Recap: Football season is well underway and the Hastings Raiders started their 2023 season on the road at Owatonna. After Hastings opened the game with a 45 yard pass, the offense would be stymied and forced to give the ball back via a turnover on downs. Owatonna would open up a 14-0 lead before Hastings would find the end zone, thanks in part to a wind driven punt backwards by Owatonna giving the Raiders the ball on the 4 yard line. Lukas Foss would punch it in on a 1 yard scamper to make it 14-7. A late Owatonna touchdown made it 21-7 at the half, and the Huskies pulled away in the 2nd half for a 42-7 win. Hastings opens its home slate Friday against Two Rivers at 7:00. There will be a United Way Pregame celebration, and Little Raiders will scrimmage at halftime. Two Rivers won their opener, and Hastings will look to exact revenge after a section loss to the Warriors last season.

Meanwhile, Prescott traveled up to Osceola looking to get to 3-0. The ninth ranked Cardinals and Chieftains both had early touchdowns, as the game was tied 7-7. But Prescott would add two more to make it 22-7 before Osceola would score and fail on the two point conversion. Barrett Temmers would get a late interception to secure the win, putting the finishing touches on an unreal performance, with more than 100 yards of total offense, plus three interceptions. Prescott is on the road at Somerset this week.

Mudhens Season Ends In Loss: The Miesville Mudhens 2023 season came to an end in a 5-2 quarterfinals loss to Cold Spring. Joey Werner’s 2 run homer would be the lone scoring for Miesville. Cold Spring only scored in the first and fifth innings but it was all they needed to secure the win. Air Freight Unlimited went on to win the Class B championship over Shakopee and Maple Lake defeated Bird Island in Class C.

After the season however, Miesville was awarded the DuraEdge Class B Field of the Year, as the top grounds facility in all of Class B.

KDWA will have Hastings and Prescott football this week. We will also be joined on the Coaches Shows by Cross Country in Hastings and Football in Prescott. Those shows are at 9 AM and Noon, respectively and can be heard on all KDWA platforms.

HASTINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL IN NEED OF FOOTBALL, SOCCER COACHES

Hastings Middle School is in need of a few coaches for its football and soccer programs. Activities Director Pete McGinnis filled us in on how to go about expressing interest for those who may want to pursue the position.

MUDHENS OVERPOWER BUCS, FACE COLD SPRING SATURDAY

The Miesville Mudhens have advanced to Labor Day Weekend after blasting the Anoka Bucs 13-1 Saturday in Dassel.

Miesville got started with a Joey Werner solo home run to make it 1-0, and followed that up with a sac fly to make it 2-0. After Anoka scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1, Miesville settled in and used two innings with major spurts to pull away for the win.

Quinn Kruger got the start on the mound, and he put together another solid outing, allowing just 3 hits and 1 run in 5 innings. JD Dobis pitched 2 innings, and Cooper Smith pitched the 8th, when Miesville was able to wrap it up early.

Ben Vujovich was named the player of the game for Miesville.

The Mudhens return to action Saturday in Delano at 11 AM against Cold Spring. With a win, they advance to Sunday, with the semifinals at 3 and the championship at 7:30.

WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP, AUGUST 21

The first busy weekend of the fall sports season saw the Prescott football team open the 2023 season with a bang, and the Miesville Mudhens never trail in their State Tournament opener.

Prescott Upends Regis

The Defending Division 7 WIAA State Champion Regis ran into a wall known as the Prescott Cardinals on Friday night, as Prescott dominated from start to finish en route to a 26-0 opening night win. About 4 minutes into the game, the stadium suffered a power surge that knocked out power to the press box and the jumbotron. The game would be delayed for 25 minutes while the coaches and UWRF officials decided what to do. A decision was made to keep time on the field and the game resumed, with power returning in the 2nd half.

Teddy Bernick's 94-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Thomley got things started to make it 7-0 and the Cards never looked back. Bernick went 15/16 for 237 yards passing in the win and Thomley had over 100 yards receiving.

Lono Thomason had a masterful game, registering 3 sacks and a rushing touchdown as he was all over the field defensively.

Prescott returns to action friday at 0-1 Durand.

Mudhens Win State Opener

Brock Rinehart's solo home run broke the seal, and Miesville held tough for a 6-2 win over Saint Paul in the first game of the state tournament in Waconia. Joey Werner had an RBI single to help extend the lead.

Jake Dickmeyer got the start and went 5 innings, with 3 hits, 3 walks and 8 strikeouts. Trevor Koenig gave up just 1 hit in 3 innings, and Quinn Kruger finished it off with 1 inning, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Alex Hendrickson, Matt VanderBosch, Nate Hammes and Brock Rinehart each had 2 hits in the win. Miesville plays Anoka Saturday at 1:30 in Dassel.