EDITOR'S NOTE: The Suppz.com Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Brock Hinderman, QB/DB, Sr., Iowa–Grant football
LIVINGSTON — Iowa–Grant fans have grown accustomed to watching Brock Hinderman put up video games numbers over the past two seasons.
But the two-way standout even outdid himself in Friday’s 38–0 rout of No. 3 seed Pepin/Alma in a WIAA Division 7 Level 2 playoff game at IGHS.
Hinderman, this week's Suppz.com co-SWNews4U co-Athlete of the Week, ran for 104 yards and a career-high four touchdowns on 18 carries, while completing 12 of 25 passes for 124 yards to lead the No. 2 seeded Panthers’ offense.
Defensively, he may have been even better, recording five tackles, with a single-game school record interceptions, one of which he returning 94 yards with 1:04 left in the second quarter for this fifth touchdown of the first half to stake the home team to a 30–0 halftime advantage.
The Iowa–Grant defense forced seven turnovers — two interceptions by senior Landon Friesen, and fumble recoveries by juniors John’Rell Rickard and Aultman in addition to Hinderman’s three picks.
The Panthers also held the Eagles (10–1) to just 161 yards rushing on 38 carries, and just 96 yards passing on 7 of 17 through the air.
The 38–0 win was Iowa–Grant’s third shutout of the season, and fifth game the Panthers defense didn’t allow a touchdown. Potosi/Cassville and Riverdale scored their only touchdowns in regular season losses to IG on special teams plays.
Iowa–Grant fumbled the opening kickoff, but the defense held. Hinderman opened the scoring with a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:47 left in the first quarter.
He scored again on runs of 5, 3 and 7 yards in the first eight minutes of the second quarter to make it 24–0.
Friesen set up the Panthers third scored with a one-handed interception and a nice return deep into Pepin/Alma territory.
The Panthers (9–2) will go on the road for the first time in this year’s playoffs when they travel to No. 1 seed Ithaca/Weston Friday night for a Level 3 D7 playoff game.
The undefeated Bulldogs (10–0) are coming off an 18–16 comeback victory over No. 5 seed Black Hawk/Warren (6–5).
Mackenzie Knuckey, So., Southwestern/Benton girls cross country
WISCONSIN RAPIDS — Southwestern/Benton sophomore Mackenzie Knuckey earned Suppz.com co-SWNews4U co-Athlete of the Week honors after winning the WIAA Division 3 individual state cross country title last Saturday to lead her Wildcats to the D3 team state title.
With a team score of 112, the Southwestern/Benton girls finished eight points ahead of second-place Phillips and 14 points ahead of third-place Lomira.
It is the second girls’ state cross country title for Southwestern, who combined with Cuba City in 1997 to win the division 2 girls’ state title.
Knuckey won the individual D3 title last Saturday at the Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Dells with a time of 18:49.4.
While she is not the first individual state champion in program history, Knuckey became Southwestern’s first-ever female individual state champion.
Kayci Martensen, who was from Benton, and ran for the Southwestern/Benton/Cuba City co-op, claimed the D2 state individual championship in 2021.
Close behind Knuckey in Saturday’s race was junior teammate Maci Reichmann, who finished fourth of 145 competing runners with a time of 18:57.4.
“It was so good watching Mackenzie run that race and fighting for her place, and to have her teammate up there pushing her meant a lot for both of them,” said Southwestern/Benton head coach Paul Reynolds of his leading duo.
“With Mackenzie and Maci leading the way, both of these girls set the pace for the rest of the team to follow and that was what they did,” Reynolds added.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Noah Copsey, Sr., RB/DB, River Ridge football
Copsey rushed for a game-high 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 21–7 WIAA Division 7 Level 2 playoff win over Spring Valley last Friday night. Copsey also had a 12-yard catch, and made three tackles, including a sack.
Calum Crist, Sr., RB/DB, Darlington football
Crist rushed for a game-high 149 yards and a touchdown, and recorded a team-high 12 tackles, including three for loss, in the Redbirds' 35–7 WIAA Division 5 Level 2 playoff victory over Winnebago Lutheran (6–5) last Friday night.
Oliver Harcus, Jr., RB/LB, Belmont football
Harcus rushed for a game-high 132 yards and two touchdowns and made four tackles in the #1 Braves dominating 48–6 WIAA 8-Player Level 3 playoff win over No. 6 seed Oakfield last Friday night. The undefeated Braves (11–0) will Wabeno/Laona (10–1) tonight for a trip to next week's WIAA 8-Player State Championship game.
Anne Manning, Jr., OH, Seneca volleyball
Manning floored a match-high 30 kills with a sizzling .418 hitting percentage, and a match-high 33 digs to lead Seneca (31–2) to a dominating 25–13, 25–17, 23–25, 25–23 win Athens (17–17) in last Saturday's WIAA Division 5 sectional finals last Saturday night. Manning also tallied 22 kills (.579 percentage), 21 digs, three blocks and three aces in last Thursday's sectional semifinal sweep of Highland (23–5), 25–16, 25–21, 25–17.
Ella Myers, Sr., MH, River Valley volleyball
Myers floored 16 kills without a single error for a team-high .372 hitting percentage, and made seven total blocks and 12 digs to lead the Blackhawks (31–6) to victory in last Saturday's 21–25, 25–18, 25–19, 20–25, 15–13 WIAA Division 3 sectional final win over Cambridge (28–5). Myers also had a team-high 26 kills (.385 percentage), five blocks and 10 digs in last Thursday's five-set sectional semifinal win over Viroqua (31–6).
