DODGEVILLE — Platteville fans who saw the first Dodgeville–Platteville football game were probably optimistic the Hillmen could win the rematch Friday.
     No one who saw the game probably expected how it turned out.
     Five weeks after Dodgeville beat Platteville 48–45, the Hillmen exacted revenge on the Dodgers and kept their playoff hopes alive, 36–0.
     Five weeks after the Dodgers gained 605 yards on the Hillmen, the Dodgers struggled for 125 yards of offense and got into the red zone once, when the clock had already gone to running time.
     And without, according to Platteville coach Scott Statz, substantial changes on defense.
     “We made exactly zero adjustments scheme-wise vs. Dodgeville this time around,” said Statz. “Our kids played harder, more disciplined … tackled better … and did not allow the big play.”
     As a result, the Hillmen (4–3, 3–3 Southwest Wisconsin Conference) are now tied for third with the Dodgers, and kept their playoff hopes alive. Platteville needs to win one of its two remaining games — Lancaster Friday or River Valley Oct. 18 — to reach the .500 conference mark and the playoff bubble. Winning both would clinch a playoff berth.
     “We are playing very good football right now,” said Statz. “The kicker is we still have room for improvements. Every game is and has been like a playoff game for us from here on out.”
     One substantial difference between Dodgeville games is the return of wide receiver/defensive back Derek Schambow, who had five catches for 93 yards and three touchdowns. Since his return, Schambow has 10 catches for 211 yards and seven touchdowns. Schambow also has made a difference in the defensive backfield, generally playing as a shutdown cornerback against the opponent’s leading receiver.
     Schambow ended the Hillmen’s first drive with a touchdown catch from quarterback Logan Butson on fourth-and-goal from the Dodgeville 4 to end a 10-play 79-yard drive. James Bailie added the first of his four extra points, extending his streak to 28 consecutive extra points.
     One series later, an 11-play 68-yard drive ended with Schambow’s second touchdown catch of the night, from the Dodgeville 28 on third and 11.
     The closest Dodgeville got to scoring before running time was a drive that started at the Platteville 46 and ended seven plays and 12 yards later, after three consecutive incompletions by Dodgeville quarterback Austin Larson. Larson’s 133 passing yards were less than one-third of his 420-yard total five weeks earlier.
     The Dodgers were essentially finished right before and right after halftime. William Cooley’s five-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left in the first half ended a 13-play 65-yard drive that took up half of the second quarter, giving Platteville a 21–0 halftime lead. Then, getting the second-half-opening kickoff, the Hillmen raced 70 yards in three plays, including a Butson-to-Ryan Weber 24-yard pass and a Butson-to-Schambow 41-yard touchdown pass.
     Platteville got the ball back after a punt buried the Dodgers at the 1. Jake Bernhardt’s 23-yard touchdown run and a Butson-to-Schambow two-point conversion pass extended the lead to 36–0 with 6:10 left in the third quarter.
Cooley led Platteville with 26 carries for 151 yards. Butson was 8 of 12 for 142 yards and three touchdowns; he has 10 touchdown passes in the last three games.

Platteville 36, Dodgeville 0
(from Friday, Oct. 4 @ Dodgeville)
Platteville     7   14   15    0     — 36
Dodgeville    0    0     0    0     —   0
First quarter
P: Derek Schambow 3 pass from Logan Butson (James Bailie kick)
Second quarter
P: Schambow 32 pass Butson (Bailie kick)
P: Cooley 2 run (Bailie kick)
Third quarter
P: Schambow 40 pass from Butson (Bailie kick)
P: Jacob Bernhardt 23 run (Schambow pass from Butson)
Team Statistics
First downs — P 14, D 9. Rushing — P 41-200, D 14-(-8). Passing Yards — P 142, D 133. Passing — P 8-13-0, D 10-27-0. Fumbles–lost — P 0-0, D 0-0. Penalties-yards — P 7-67, D 3-30.
Individual Statistics
Rushing — P: William Cooley 26-151; D:  Yeagar 7-21. Passing — P: Logan Butson 8-12-0, 142; D: Larson 10-27-0, 133. Receiving — P: Derek Schambow 5-93; D: Gullickson 3-51.