Our number eight story in the top 10 countdown for Mid-Prairie athletics last year takes us to Dwight G. Sattler Field to talk Mid-Prairie football.

Mid-Prairie finished the season 6-4 overall. The Golden Hawks got through the non-district schedule at 2-1 with wins over West Burlington and Sigourney-Keota before dropping a decision at Iowa City Regina. Mid-Prairie started district action with back-to-back shut out wins over Eddyville-Blakesburg and Central Lee while piling up a combined 107 points. The Hawks faced adversity in the middle of the district slate, dropping two straight to Williamsburg and Centerville. Mid-Prairie righted the ship with a home win over Davis County on Senior Night 42-6 to finish third in district and clinch a playoff spot for the third straight year.

In the postseason, the Hawks traveled to Northeast Goose Lake and captured a hard fought 7-6 win over the Rebels on a Braden Hartley rushing touchdown in the games final six minutes. Mid-Prairie would end their season in the second round at Williamsburg the following week.

As a team on defense, the Hawks were fifth in Class 2A with 15 interceptions, their 20 total takeaways also placed  them in the top 10. Mid-Prairie ran the sixth most rushing plays in the state with 391 and finished seventh in 2A averaging 16.3 yards per pass completion. Individually, nine Golden Hawks were named to the Class 2A All-District 6 team, including four to the first team.

Senior Braden Hartley was first team all-district as a running back. He was third in Class 2A with 235 carries, fifth with 1,398 rushing yards, eighth at 5.9 yards per touch, for those with at least 150 carries, and ninth with 14 rushing scores. Hartley was fourth in school history with a five touchdown performance against Eddyville-Blakesburg this year. His rushing yard total in 2022 was seventh in school history for a single year. Hartley’s 25 career touchdowns are ninth most for a Mid-Prairie player, his 150 career points 10th most and his 1,989 career rushing yards are 10th in Mid-Prairie history. Defensively, he registered 44 and a half tackles, five for loss and a sack. Hartley was also a second team all-stater.

Senior Kaden Meader was a first team pick on the offensive line. He was part of a group that helped the Hawks post 2,890 yards of total offense and average 24 points per game. Defensively, he had 15 tackles, three for loss and a pair of sacks.

Senior Cain Brown was a first team selection at defensive back. Brown led Mid-Prairie and finished third in the state with four interceptions.. Brown was the Golden Hawks leading tackler with 50 and a half stops. On offense, he was Mid-Prairie’s leading receiver with 27 catches for 474 yards in 2022. His six touchdown catches were sixth in 2A and his 17.6 yard per grab average was 10th. He ends his career third in Mid-Prairie history with nine touchdown catches, seventh on the school career receiving yards list with 810 and ninth with 50 career catches. Brown was also a second team all-stater.

Sophomore Cobi Hershberger was a first team all-district choice at linebacker. Hershberger finished with 43 tackles, a sack and a pair of interceptions. On offense he caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Three Hawks were named to the second team including Jackson Zahradnek on the offensive line. The senior anchored a unit that helped the Hawks average 289 yards per game, including more than 2,000 yards rushing and 34 touchdowns. Zahradnek added to that touchdown total himself, carrying the ball twice for a touchdown against Central Lee.

Junior Jarron Thomas was also a second team choice on the offensive line. Splitting time in the trenches and as the team’s second fullback in the power set, Thomas helped the Hawks carve out nearly 3,000 yards of total offense and 242 total points on the season. He carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards and a touchdown. On defense he put up 12 and a half tackles, two for loss.

Senior Terry Bordenave was a second team selection on the defensive line. He was part of a defensive unit that held opponents to 23 points per game and pitched two shut outs in district play. He finished with 32 tackles, three for loss, a sack, a blocked punt and a safety.

A pair of Golden Hawk linebackers were named honorable mention all-district, senior Grady Gingerich and junior Lukin Rediger. Gingerich finished with 29 total tackles, two and a half for loss and a fumble recovery. On offense, he had seven catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Rediger had 18 and a half tackles, one for loss, to go with a pair of interceptions. As the Golden Hawk fullback he carried the ball 18 times for 61 yards and a touchdown.

This also marked the final season for Golden Hawk head coach Pete Cavanagh, who stepped away this spring after 20 years at the helm. Cavanagh joined the staff at Mid-Prairie as an assistant in 1998, under then head coach Mark Dalton. He became Golden Hawk head coach in 2003. He steps down as Mid-Prairie’s longest tenured and winningest coach with a 123-77 overall record through 200 games and a 61% winning percentage.

Before Cavanagh’s time on the sidelines as head coach in Wellman, the school had just two playoff appearances and no postseason wins. Cavanagh took the Hawks to the playoffs 13 times, including three district tiles and scored 12 postseason victories, reaching the quarterfinal round of the playoffs four times. He coached 24 all-state players.

We continue our top 10 countdown of the biggest stories in the last year for Golden Hawk sports Thursday when we spotlight the Mid-Prairie baseball team.