PLATTEVILLE - Platteville’s opening drive last Friday night stalled at the Prairie du Chien 11-yard line and the Hillmen were forced to settle for a Firas Jadaan 28-yard field goal.
That marked one of the few times the Blackhawks defense was actually able to slow the red-hot Platteville offense.
Led by yet another brilliant all-around performance from senior standout Logan Emendorfer the Hillmen unleashed a scoring barrage that resulted in seven touchdowns in a 27-minute span as undefeated Platteville aired it out in a dominating 51-14 victory.
Emendorfer, the most statistically efficient quarterback this side of Madison, continued piling up gawdy offensive numbers.
The star senior completed 11-of-14 passes for a season-high 272 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. He rushed for another 77 yards and a sixth TD on nine carries, and on defense he was in on at least 10 tackles, including a pair of bone-crushing hits that brought the home crowd to its feet.
Platteville’s (6-0, 2-0 SWC) impending end-of-season showdown with fellow unbeaten and perennial conference power Lancaster (6-0, 2-0) is still more than two weeks away, but victories like Friday’s pasting of Prairie du Chien will only add fuel to the fire during the lead up to this season’s biggest game.
Lancaster improved to 6-0, 2-0 with a lack-luster 27-12 Homecoming victory over Richland Center last Friday night.
The longtime neighboring rivals will square off on Oct. 14 on the final night of the regular season when the Arrows visit the Hillmen, with the SWC title surely up for grabs.
Prairie du Chien actually led briefly in last week’s game after answering Jadaan’s field goal with a 8-play, 73-yard drive that was capped by a 7-yard Zach Thorton run. Mezera’s PAT was good and the Blackhawks led 7-3 before Platteville turned it on.
Emendorfer capped a 67-yard drive with a two-yard quarterback sneak with 1:20 left in the opening quarter. Sophomore B.J. Cooley set up Platteville’s next score when he recovered the ensuing kickoff when Prairie failed to cover the loose ball. One play later Emendorfer hit senior David Bast with a 24-yard strike to make it 17-7.
Two drives later, after a rare punt, Hillmen senior Jesse Heer outjumped a Blackhawk defender on 2nd-and-22 and turned another spot-on Emendorfer pass into a 35-yard touchdown and a 24-7 lead late in the first half.
Platteville marched right down the field on the first drive of the third quarter and Emendorfer’s 6-yard TD pass to junior Mitch Fure was the beginning of a 27-point quarter for the Hillmen.
Nathan Fielder scored on a 2-yard run five minutes later, then after a quick Prairie du Chien scoring drive Platteville needed just two plays to answer scoring on a 34-yard Emendorfer to Fure pass.
With 34 seconds left in the quarter a 51-yard bomb to Bast put the final nail in Prairie’s coffin and turned on the running clock.
Senior Garrison Jones had a second straight 100-yard game rushing for a team-high 149 yards on 17 carries. Bast finished with four catches for 111 yards.
Platteville will travel to Dodgeville this Friday.
Platteville 51, Prairie du Chien 14
(from Friday, Sept. 23 @ Platteville)
Prairie du Chien 7 0 7 0 - 14
Platteville 17 7 27 0 - 51
First quarter
P - FG Firas Jadaan 28
PdC - Thorton 7 run (Mezera kick)
P - Emendorfer 2 run (Jadaan kick)
P - David Bast 24 pass from Emendorfer (Jadaan kick)
Second quarter
P - Jesse Heer 36 pass from Emendorfer (Jadaan kick)
Third quarter
P - Mitch Fure 6 pass from Emendorfer (Jadaan kick)
P - Nathan Fiedler 3 run (Jadaan kick)
PdC - Garrity 22 pass from Riebe (Mezera kick)
P - Fure 34 pass from Emendorfer (Jadaan kick)
P - Bast 51 pass from Emendorfer (kick failed)
Team statistics
First downs - PdC 12, Pla 17. Rushing - PdC 34-152, Pla 33-276. Passing yards - PdC 120, Pla 272. Passes - PdC 11-16-0, Pla 11-14-0. Fumbles lost - PdC 2-1, Pla 0-0. Penalties-yards - PdC 8-62, Pla 7-81.
Individual leaders
Rushing - PdC: Zach Thorton 22-162; Pla: Garrison Jones 17-149 . Passing - PdC: Jaalen Riebe 11-18-0, 120; Pla: Logan Emendorfer 11-14-0, 272. Receiving - PdC: Tim Yaeger 3-28; P: David Bast 4-111.