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Platteville pulverizes Prairie du Chien
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Steve Prestegard
Updated: Oct 2, 2013, 4:20 PM
Published: Oct 2, 2013, 4:23 PM

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN — After two-thirds of a season in which inconsistency has been its downfall, the Platteville football team has suddenly become quite consistent the past two weeks.

On Sept. 20, Platteville beat Richland Center by 43 points. On Friday, Platteville beat Prairie du Chien by 43 points, 50–7.

The wins keep the Hillmen (3–3, 2–3 Southwest Wisconsin Conference) on the playoff bubble in time for their final three games against teams that beat the Hillmen earlier this season — at Dodgeville Friday and then home games against Lancaster and River Valley the final two weeks.

Platteville needs to win two of those three games to finish with a .500 conference record. Teams with winning conference records are guaranteed playoff spots, but most teams with .500 conference records historically also get into the playoffs.

Platteville crushed Prairie du Chien on the ground, outrushing the Blackhawks 407–3.

That domination literally started with the game’s first play. The Blackhawks’ choice after winning the coin toss to defer receiving the kickoff until the second half backfired when running back William Cooley took the game’s first handoff at the Platteville 37 and wound his way through the entire Blackhawk defense for a 63-yard touchdown run.

The first of James Bailie’s six extra points gave Platteville a 7–0 lead 20 seconds into the game. Bailie hit all six of his extra points Friday, extending his extra-point streak to 24, dating back to the last extra-point attempt of the season-opening Darlington game.

Platteville followed a 63-yard touchdown run with a four-play 65-yard scoring drive, in which Cooley followed a 16-yard run by Jake Bernhardt, a 15-yard pass from quarterback Logan Butson to fullback Ryan Weber, and an 11-yard Weber run with a nine-yard touchdown run. The first five Platteville plays of the game resulted in first downs, including the two touchdowns.

A stuffed fourth-and-1 run led to Platteville’s next scoring drive. Cooley had a touchdown run wiped out by a Hillmen holding penalty, but that merely delayed, not denied, a touchdown. Logan Butson found Mitch Knockel for his second touchdown in as many games, on a fourth-and-five from the Prairie du Chien 10, to extend Platteville’s lead to 21–0 not even halfway into the first quarter.

The Hillmen then recovered the fumbled following kickoff, and Butson connected again with Knockel, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Weber, to extend Platteville’s lead to 29–0 with 4:55 left in the first quarter.

Cooley’s third touchdown of the half extended Platteville’s lead to 36–0 with 8:34 left in the first half. Butson then threw his third touchdown pass of the half, this time to Derek Schambow, to extend the Hillmen lead to 43–0 with 5:48 left in the half.

Prairie du Chien’s only score of the game came on a no-huddle hurry-up drive that crammed 14 plays into 2:36. Quarterback Brogan Potter threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Vince Weber with 3:06 left in the first half.

Platteville answered by going 58 yards in four plays, most of the yardage coming on Bernhardt’s 39-yard run, the score coming on Cooley’s fourth touchdown of the half.

Cooley had 205 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries. Bernhardt added 115 yards on nine carries. Butson was 5 of 9 for 72 yards and three touchdowns; he has seven touchdown passes in the past two games.

Platteville 50, Prairie du Chien 7
(from Friday, Sept. 27 @ Prairie du Chien)
Platteville    29    21    0     0     —  50
Prairie du Chien    0    7    0    0     —   7
First quarter
P: William Cooley 63 run (James Bailie kick)
P: Cooley 9 run (Bailie kick)
P: Mitch Knockel 10 pass from Logan Butson (Bailie kick)
P: Knockel 15 pass from Butson (Ryan Weber pass from Butson
Second quarter
P: Cooley 5 run (Bailie kick)
P: Derek Schambow 15 pass from Butson (Bailie kick)
PdC: Hebel 13 pass from Potter (Stram kick)
P: Cooley 10 run (Bailie kick)
Team Statistics
First downs — P 15, PdC 8. Rushing — P 38–407, PdC 12–3. Passing Yards — P 72, PdC 132. Passing — P 5-9-0, PdC 13-40-0. Fumbles–lost — P 2–2, PdC 1–1. Penalties–yards — P 6–45, PdC 13–113.
Individual Statistics
Rushing — P: William Cooley 15-205; PdC:  Passing — P: Logan Butson 5-9-0, 72; PdC: Potter 13-40-0, 132. Receiving — P:Ryan Weber 2-32, Mitch Knockel 2-25; PdC: Rickleff 5-40.
Platteville’s Cole Herbst ties for 12th in D2 at State Golf Championships
Sophomore shoots a two-day 158 at University Ridge to finish near the top of the leaderboard
Cole Herbst
Platteville sophomore Cole Herbst shot 14-over par to finished tied for 12th place at last week’s WIAA Boys Golf State Championships at University Ridge in Verona. (photo by Erin Reddy Wolff)
Jason Nihles
Updated: Jun 12, 2025, 8:00 PM
Published: Jun 12, 2025, 5:26 PM

VERONA — Platteville sophomore Cole Herbst made the most out of his first trip to last week’s WIAA Boys Golf State Championships.

The reigning two-time Southwest Wisconsin Conference Player of the Year shot a two-day total of 158 — posting back-to-back 79s — to finish tied for 12th place in Division 2 last Monday and Tuesday at University Ridge Golf Course. Herbst also finished in a five-way tie for most birdies in the 45-player Division 2 field with seven.

“It was a great experience for Cole at the state golf tournament,” said Platteville head coach Brandon Temperly. “He had a good showing as a sophomore on his first trip to an event like this. He will take away a lot of information and experience that can help him in future years. He made the team and coaches very proud and he had a very good following at the golf tournament.  I was very pleased with his demeanor and attitude.  He was steady when things were going well and steady when things weren’t going his way.  We look forward to a bright future for Cole.”

Herbst began last Monday’s opening round on the back nine, and posted a sensational 3-over-par 39, which included three birdies in his first five holes. 

He added another birdie on hole number 2 to go to +2, but took an 8 on the par 4 4th. Herbst kept his composure and birdied the 379-yard par 4 7th hole and ended his day with a 7-over-par 79 (40–39), which was tied for ninth after the opening round.

Herbst opened Tuesday’s second round with three pars, a triple bogey and back-to-back bogeys on No. 5 and No. 6 to start +5 for the day.

But again, he calmed his nerves and finished strong with birdies on 7 and 11, to go along with seven pars while playing the final 13 holes at 3-over par to finish with another 79 (40–39). 

Seymour junior Vince Sigl (147, +3) beat Cambridge senior Kian Bystol Flores (147, +3) on a one-hole playoff 4–5 to capture individual state medalist honors after the two tied two-day totals of 147.

Cambridge freshman Fritz Knudtson finished third at +6 (147=74-76).

Seymour shot a combined 638 (+62) to beat Cambridge (653, +77) to win the D2 state title. Big Foot finished third at +81, 657.

Last week’s State Championships marks the end of another success season for the Platteville Hillmen, which included a third-straight SWC title, a trip to sectionals, a SWC Player of the Year award and four all-conference selections.

“Our Hillmen golf team had another good season,” added Temperly. “ We achieved our goals of being SWC champions and earning a trip to sectionals. We were very pleased with the improvement we saw in each of the golfers this year. It was a focused and fun group. We will bring back a lot of talent next season and add some new players to our program which is exciting.”

All five varsity golfers will return next year with Herbst, juniors Jauron Blevins and Glenn Mast, and freshman Ty Simmons and Cody Nodolf.

Big things await Cole Herbst and the Hillmen in 2026. 


WIAA Division 2 State Golf Championships
(from Monday–Tuesday, June 9–10 @ University Ridge Golf Course, Verona, par 72)
Team scores — 1.Semour 638 (+62), 2.Big Foot 653 (+77), 3.Big Foot 657 (+81), 4.Lakeland 665 (+89), 5.Burlington Catholic Central 667 (+91), 6.University School of Milwaukee 671 (+95), 7.Prescott 675 (+99), 8.Appleton Xavier 681 (+105).
Top individuals — 1(tie).Kian Bystol Flores (Cambridge) 147 (74-73), 1(tie).Vince Sigl (Seymour) 147 (75-72). 3.Fritz Knudtson (Cambridge) 150 (74-76), 4.Tyler Short (Big Foot) 151 (76-75), 5.Tyler Reiter (Prescott) 152 (75-77).
Platteville — 12(tie).Cole Herbst 158 (79-79) +14.