The Prairie du Chien Blackhawks football team (5-1) entered their week seven game at Cuba City (4-2) looking to earn the SWC’s first crossover win over the SWAL of the 2026 season as well as earn some much needed points in the WIAA’s D6 Playoff Matrix with a win over former head coach Guy Kopp’s Cubans. However the hosts had other plans.
Things started off fine for Prairie du Chien as the Hawks received the ball to start the game and managed to work their way down to the field and find the endzone first (despite some early miscues) when quarterback Cayden Sutter connected with wide receiver Drake Chesebro on a six-yard touchdown reception. The PAT kick was no good, leaving the Hawks with a 6-0 lead early in the first quarter.
The two teams traded possessions over the course of the first quarter before disaster struck for the Blackhawks. After forcing the Cubans to punt late in the first quarter, the Hawks fumbled the ensuing punt return and Cuba City’s special teams capitalized on the mistake by recovering the fumble and returning it all the way for a touchdown. The PAT kick was good and the Cubans suddenly held a 7-6 lead heading into the second quarter.
The host Cubans took advantage of the sudden momentum shift by forcing the Hawks to punt before adding another touchdown and successful PAT kick to take a 14-6 lead with only a handful of minutes remaining until halftime.
Prairie du Chien’s defense began the second half by not allowing the Cuba City offense to get anything going on their opening drive, allowing the Hawks offense to make it a two-point game thanks to a 10-yard touchdown run by Darian Jackson. The two-point conversion attempt was no good and the score remained 14-12 halfway through the third quarter. The Cubans would respond shortly thereafter, getting a 15-yard touchdown pass and PAT kick late in the third quarter to make the score 21-12 in favor of Cuba City entering the fourth quarter.
The Cuba City defense sealed the lead for good for the home team during the fourth quarter thanks to a 54-yard interception return touchdown and their third successful PAT of the evening to extend their lead to 28-12. Prairie du Chien would get a late one-yard touchdown run by Sutter but the two-point conversion attempt was no good and the Hawks were unable to get any closer as Cuba City held on for the 28-18 win, snapping the Hawks five-game win streak and earning their first varsity football win over Prairie du Chien since 1999 and their first home win over PdC since 1998.
Stats wise, Sutter was 12 of 21 passing for 157 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Chesebro caught eight of those passes for 110 yards and one touchdown while Brock Radloff had four receptions for 47 yards. Rushing wise, Jackson led the Hawks with 25 carries for 172 yards and one touchdown. Also getting in the rushing column for the Hawks was Jake Kramer (three carries for 12 yards), Sutter (three carries for minus 20 yards and one touchdown), Chesebro (two carries for five yards), Payton Beinborn (one carry for five yards) and Radloff (one carry for zero yards).
The Hawks (5-2 overall) enter this week’s regular season home finale (as well as senior/youth night) against Platteville (6-1 overall) with some big stakes on the line. PdC needs a win to remain in the conference championship hunt (Platteville is 5-0 and PdC is 4-0 in the SWC) but also needs to defeat both Platteville and a suddenly hot Lancaster team in their final two games (as well as getting some upsets of the teams above them in the D6 playoff matrix) to have a slim chance at hosting a home playoff game because of their low playoff matrix score due in large part because of a down year by the Southwest Wisconsin Conference.
