EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Boscobel Dial
Blake Thiry, Sr., RB/TE/LB, Prairie du Chien football
PLATTEVILLE — Senior standout Blake Thiry ran for 211 yards and four touchdowns, providing most of Prairie du Chien’s 376 rushing yards to lead the Blackhawks to a 41–13 Southwest Wisconsin Conference victory at Platteville last Friday night. The Division 1 Indiana recruit also caught three passes for 44 yards.
Thiry scored on a 1-yard run with 2:00 left in the first quarter to give Prairie du Chien a 10–0 lead after Xander DeHart converted a 20-yard field goal on the opening drive of the game.
Lucas Ludlum’s one-hand catch and run score cut the PdC lead to 21–6 with 7:42 left in the first half. That momentum after trimming the deficit lasted exactly one play before Thiry’s 65-yard run down the home sideline.
“Thiry is one of the best players that I have seen or planned against in my three years of coaching and it is very exciting to have a player like that,” said Platteville head coach Bryce Arneson. “I am excited that we have a kid like that in our area that is able to go and show what small town football is like on a national stage.”
Thiry scored on a 3-yard run early in the third quarter, then gave the Blackhawks' a 41–6 lead with a 21-yard touchdown run a minute into the fourth quarter.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Adalee Berget, Jr., Darlington girls cross country
Berget finish first out of 113 runners in the girls small school division with a time of 19:03.3 to lead the Darlington girls to a first-place finish in the 16-team small schools division at last Saturday's River Valley Invitational.
Lillie Cooley, Jr., MH, Potosi volleyball
Cooley recorded 18 kills, six aces and a whopping 40 totals blocks in five matches to led the Chieftains to tie for third place at last Saturday's eight-team Lancaster Invitational.
Natalie Horsfall, So., Fennimore girls cross country
Horsfall finished second overall with a time of 20:56.4 to lead the Fennimore girls' to the team title at last Tuesday's Boscobel Ryan Zimpel Memorial Invitational. Horsfall then placed eighth in the small schools division four days later at the River Valley Invitational to lead the Lady Golden Eagles to a fourth place team finish in the small schools division.
Owen Seffrood, Sr., RB/DB, Black Hawk/Warren football
Seffrood rushed for 211 yards, 5 TDs, four 2-point conversions in Black Hawk/Warren's 54–6 blowout win over Boscobel last Friday night.
Gavin Vaassen, Sr., WR/DB, Cuba City football
Vaassen caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, and returned an interception 39 yards for another touchdown in a 42–0 blowout win over Mineral Point last Friday night.
Matthew Winch, Sr., LB/OL, Fennimore football
Winch recorded a team-high 14 tackles and returned a fumble for a 52-yard scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter for what proved to be the game-winning points, in Fennimore's 40–38 Southwest Wisconsin Activities League victory over Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg last Friday night.
Reghan Zinkle, Sr., MH, River Ridge volleyball
After a third-place finish in pool play, the River Ridge volleyball team caught fire and rattled off three-straight wins in single elimination bracket play to win last Saturday's eight-team Lancaster Invitational. Zinkle recorded a team-high 35 kills, 39 digs and eight blocks in six matches to lead the Timberwolves to their championship finish.
