Level two of the 2025 WIAA D5 Football postseason featured an intriguing rematch of the 2024 state semifinal game between the Prairie du Chien Blackhawks (7-3) and three-time defending state champion Stratford Tigers (8-2). Both teams started the 2025 season 0-2 after suffering significant graduation losses and new head coaches.
Prairie du Chien received the ball to start the game and it could not have started any worse for the Hawks. Following a quick three-and-out on their first possession of the game, the Hawks were forced to punt from deep in their own territory. The Stratford defense quickly showed why they have only allowed 20 or more points in a game twice this season by blocking the Hawks punt and recovering the ball in PdC territory.
The Tigers took advantage of the great field position by scoring on the very next play to take a 7-0 lead. The turnover bug struck the Hawks again on the ensuing Stratford kickoff as the Hawks fumbled the ball on the return back to the Tigers. Like the drive prior, Stratford took advantage of the PdC mistake by scoring a touchdown on the very first play of the ensuing drive to take a quick 14-0 lead only four minutes into the contest.
Prairie du Chien’s offense woke up on their second possession of the game by marching down the field in just under four minutes to get on the scoreboard thanks to quarterback sneak by sophomore Cayden Sutter. The point-after-touchdown attempt by Garrett DeHart was good and the score stood 14-7 in favor of Stratford.
The score remained the same as the game neared halftime. The Hawks managed to march down to the Tigers eight-yard line with 1:18 left in the first half before Sutter found Brock Radloff in the endzone to bring PdC within one at 14-13. DeHart again converted the PAT kick to tie the game at 14-14. Stratford converted a first down at midfield with three seconds remaining in the first half, but Sutter intercepted the Tigers’ hail mary attempt as the clock hit zero and the two teams went into the break still tied 14-14.
A defensive battle covered most of the third quarter until the Tigers retook the lead thanks to a touchdown run on a third-and-goal from the one-yard line with 1:42 remaining in the quarter. The game would remain 21-14 in favor of Stratford until the Tigers would add a touchdown pass with 5:26 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 28-14.
The Hawks very nearly got that touchdown back immediately when Drake Chesebro appeared to have taken the Stratford kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown, only to be ruled out-of-bounds at Stratford’s 37-yard line with 5:13 left in the game. The PdC offense wouldn’t linger on that call for too long however as Sutter connected with Mason Hird along the sideline for a touchdown two plays later as the Hawks got within seven at 28-21 with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter.
Prairie du Chien’s defense forced the Stratford offense to punt on 4th-and-5 with 3:33 remaining in the game as the Hawks took over on their own 46-yard line with 3:24 left in the fourth quarter. The Hawks would get the ball down to the Stratford 37-yard line with 1:54 left in the game but facing a 4th-and-8. Defensive pressure from the Tigers forced a fumble from Sutter as he tried to escape the pocket collapsing around him. The Tigers would recover the fumble and kneel the ball as they held on to eliminate Prairie du Chien for a second straight season by a score of 28-21. The Tigers improved to 9-2 with the win while PdC finished the season at 7-4.
According to the box score from MarshfieldAreaSports.com, Sutter was 7-of-12 passing for 121 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He also ran four times for -11 yards and one touchdown.
Leading the Hawks rushing attack was Jackson with 15 carries for 56 yards. He was followed by Deacon Chesebro (six carries for 27 yards), Hird (four carries for 23 yards) and Ashton Landt (one carry for six yards).
Hird was the top receiver for Prairie, catchig four passes for 78 yards and one touchdown. He was followed by Landt (one catch for 27 yards), Drake Chesebro (one catch for eight yards) and Radloff (one catch for eight yards).
Each team turned the ball over twice during the game. PdC lost two fumbles and Stratford lost a fumble and threw an interception.
The Hawks will graduate a group of eight seniors that helped the program earn at least a share of the conference title in back-to-back seasons for the first time in 40 years. Those eight seniors are Garrett DeHart, Mason Hird, Ashton Landt, Deacon Chesebro, Zach Ross, Jack Simmons, Steven Duha and Westin Marx.
