Going on the road for the first game of a season adds some pressure on a team. Going on a long road trip on a very warm night adds even more pressure. The well-disciplined and well-coached Chaska Hawks team did not let the pressure get to them, defeating Rochester Mayo 7-3 on Sept. 4.
With game-time temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity to match, kickoff was pushed back a half hour. Once the game began, Chaska took the opening kickoff and rattled off several first downs before a fumble gave Mayo the ball. Mayo then faced a Chaska defense that would stifle them all night with strong tackles and tight coverage. Not only did the Chaska defense impact Mayo’s play, but Mayo hurt itself with numerous penalties throughout the game, particularly in the first half. The first quarter saw Chaska move the ball on offense, but the Hawks could not reach the end zone and the score remained 0-0.
With 10:17 remaining in the second quarter, Hawks quarterback, junior Justin Greathouse, ran in for a touchdown. Greathouse has transitioned into the quarterback role after a successful 2025 season at running back. The rest of the second quarter saw Chaska’s offense put up yards while the defense held Mayo in check. With one second remaining in the quarter, Mayo converted a 23-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at halftime.
Second-half play saw Chaska move the ball well, yet the Hawks were stymied by a few key penalties that prevented them from scoring. Chaska had two field-goal attempts from 27 and 22 yards that did not connect. The defense continued to hold Mayo to limited yardage throughout the second half.
As a testament to the play of the Chaska defense, Mayo had 19 rushing attempts for negative two yards. Chaska’s offense was entirely on the ground, gaining 191 yards on 48 attempts. Junior Andrew Olsen led the team in rushing with 54 yards, while junior Sire Ulmer had 48 yards. Junior Luke Raser averaged 6.6 yards on his five carries, followed by junior Dylan Kasper who averaged 5.3 yards on his three rushes.
Senior Jacob Bellmont led the team defensively with four individual tackles and five team tackles. Junior Cooper Vranicar led in team tackles with six. Seniors Leonard Sanders and Carter Powers contributed five team tackles each.
After the game, head coach Bryan Dahl commented, “It’s always good to get the win. We can see some things we can work on. We’re excited to get better and improve our play each week. I’m proud of the guys and the effort they put out tonight. They played hard on a very warm night.”
A substantial road trip such as this was greatly aided by the dedicated and conscientious work of the Chaska Hawks Touchdown Club. This parent group “ensures every player has the tools, opportunities and support to succeed on and off the field.” They provided snacks and water for the bus trip to and from Rochester, which was greatly appreciated by the team and coaches. Their work is a key part of the team’s success and they are always looking for parental and community involvement.
In other Northstar Gold South games on Friday, Waconia defeated Northfield 35-14, Alexandria beat Chanhassen 9-7, Mankato East lost to Owatonna 37-29 and Mankato West outscored Mahtomedi 31-28.
The Hawks will return to Rochester next Friday, Sept. 11, to face Rochester Century (1-0). Chaska’s first home game will be against Hastings (1-0) on Sept. 18.
Keep up with the Hawks online via their active Facebook page.
