PdC Football responds to Lancaster loss by overpowering Richland Center 43-7
Ashton Landt (8) gets his first varsity experience at quarterback during the closing minutes of the game and takes off behind blockers Brady Lenzendorf (7) and Keagan Dull (28). (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Deacon Chesebro very nearly scored his first varsity touchdown before it was called back due to penalty in the waning moments of Prairie du Chien’s win over Richland Center. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Jeremiah Avery celebrates as he crosses the goal line for his first career touchdown. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
Fresh off a stunning fourth quarter loss to the Lancaster Flying Arrows a week prior, the Prairie du Chien Blackhawks football team entered their week four matchup at Richland Center looking to bounce back with a win and keep their name in the race for the conference championship in the SWC.
Things didn’t start out so hopeful for the Hawks as the Hornets came out of the gates looking to play the role of spoiler and get themselves back into the conference race after a loss to Brodhead/Juda in week three.
Despite a first quarter that featured four combined punts by both teams, the Hornets managed to get on the scoreboard first with a touchdown with 4:33 left in the quarter thanks to a 21-yard touchdown pass from Wes Bosworth to Kole Breininger. Zach Hillers made the extra point attempt to give Richland Center a 7-0 lead.
Things turned around in a hurry in the second quarter as the Hawks only needed the first eleven seconds of the quarter to get on the scoreboard. Quarterback Abe Amundson found Blake Thiry for a 52-yard touchdown reception that was followed up by the first of five successful extra pick kicks by Xander DeHart that tied the game up at 7-7.
The Hawks were off and running after that touchdown as less than three minutes later Prairie du Chien took their first lead of the game thanks to a seven yard touchdown run by Drew Hird. Two and a half minutes later, it was the Amundson to Thiry show again as Thiry scored from 19 yards out on a throw from Amundson for his second receiving touchdown of the game. Three minutes later, Hunter Straka got into the act by scoring his first career touchdown thanks to a thirty yard reception. Thiry added his third and final touchdown of the quarter (and the game) with a 13-yard touchdown reception from Amundson with 49 seconds left in the first half to give Prairie du Chien a 35-7 lead at halftime.
PdC running back Jeremiah Avery added the only points of the second half by either team by scoring his first career touchdown on a 26-yard touchdown run with 8:38 left in the third quarter. Thiry added the two-point conversion to make the score 43-7 in favor of the Blackhawks, which ended up being the final score.
Amundson was 12-of-16 passing for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns with Thiry catching 6 of those passes for 125 yards and 3 touchdowns. Also catching passes for the Hawks were Straka (2 catches for 37 yards and 1 touchdown), Drake Ingham (2 catches for 27 yards), Xander DeHart (1 catch for 19 yards), and Nick McCullick (1 catch for 12 yards).
Deacon Cheseboro paced the Hawks running attack with 5 carries for 73 yards (and nearly a touchdown as time expired that was waved off due to a penalty on Prairie). Hird ran 10 times for 53 yards and 1 touchdown, Bryce Lenzendorf had 5 attempts for 50 yards, Avery had 1 attempt for 26 yards and 1 touchdown, Ashton Landt added 7 yards on 1 attempt, Keagan Dull 0 yards on 1 attempt, and Amundson -5 yards on 2 attempts rounded out the Hawks running game.
Prairie du Chien held Richland Center to just 88 yards of offense during the game (59 yards passing and 29 yards running).
The Hornets, 0-4 overall, 0-2 in the SWC, will travel to Lancaster in week 5, while the Hawks (3-1, 1-1) host Platteville at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15 due to the officiating crew working another game later that evening thanks to the on-going official shortage in Wisconsin.
