Hawks beat Hornets for homecoming victory
Tyler Hannah plows forward for good yardage near the goal line Friday night. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)
Ben Riter leaves a would be tackler in his wake as he scores a touchdown before the half.
Colten Wall upends the Richland Center ballcarrier in the second quarter Friday night.
Mason Kramer catches a pass and heads up the right sideline for a touchdown.
Mason Kramer and Traeton Saint zero in on the Richland Center runner.
Several Blackhawks team up to bring down the Hornet ballcarrier.
By Zach Mara
With Homecoming Week winding down, the Prairie du Chien Blackhawks hosted the Richland Center Hornets on Friday night. The Hawks (5-1, 3-1) were able to move the ball consistently throughout the game, and their strong defense held the Hornets (0-6, 0-4) to a single score. When the fog lifted and the clock hit zero, the Blackhawks were able to celebrate a 28-6 homecoming win over Richland Center.
After forcing a quick 3-and-out, the Hawks took over on their own 13-yard line. Tyler Hannah took the first play from scrimmage out to midfield and, 12 plays later, QB Dylan Coleman found Mason Kramer in the end zone on 4th down to grab the lead. Derek Grondin made the extra point, and the Blackhawks led 7-0 with 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
A pair of punts gave the Hornets the ball at the PdC 40-yard line, but Kramer ended the drive quickly, securing his seventh interception of the season on its second play.
Four plays later, Coleman hit Kramer in stride, and Mason outran the defense handily for his second TD of the game. The PAT was again good from Grondin, extending the lead to 14-0.
Richland Center was able to get on the board on their next possession, driving 64 yards on 7 plays. The 2-point attempt was stuffed by the Hawks, and the score remained 14-6.
On the ensuing possession, Coleman found Ben Riter open twice for 57 yards, including a 15-yard TD pass. Grondin nailed the extra-point to increase the lead to 21-6 with the first half running down.
After two punts to open the third quarter, Prairie du Chien took over on their own 37-yard line. The Hawks managed to drive all the way down to the Hornet 15-yard line before 3 penalties pushed the ball back into PdC territory. Facing a peculiar 3rd-and-46 from midfield, Coleman’s pass was intercepted at the Richland Center 26. The Hornets appeared to be heading in for another score, pushing the ball down to the PdC 17-yard line before Riter went up and brought down a one-handed interception at the 3-yard line.
The Hawks were unable to move the ball on the possession, resulting in a 3-and-out to send the game to the fourth quarter.
The Hawks would force the Hornets to settle for a long field goal, and Richland Center downed the miss at the PdC 5-yard line. After a fumble gave the ball back to the Hornets in PdC territory, the Blackhawks’ defense stepped up to regain the ball on downs.
Coleman and Kramer were able to connect for one more touchdown in the game, this one from 25 yards out, to give the game its final score of 28-6.
Traeton Saint led PdC rushers with 14 rushes for 79 yards. Tyler Hannah added 66 yards on 11 carries. Dyland Coleman completed 13 of 20 passes on the night for 289 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 Int. Leading the receivers was Ben Riter, who hauled in 6 passes for 117 yards and 1 TD. Mason Kramer caught 4 passes for 101 yards and had 3 receiving touchdowns in the game. The defense was led by Ben Riter with 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 interception. Tyler Hannah, Max Amundson, and Traeton Saint each added 7 tackles. With Mason Kramer recording yet another interception this week, he is set up 1 shy of tying the PdC records for interceptions in both a season and in a career with 2 weeks to go.
The Blackhawks look to punch their ticket into the playoffs as they travel to Viroqua on Friday night to take on the Black Hawks (1-5, 1-3). Game time is 7 p.m.
