Chaska football’s home opener was held Sept. 18 against Hastings (2-0). All the elements were in place for a rousing game: a full and enthusiastic student section, the cheer team, the Touchdown Club ready to feed the fans, and the marching band.

Mother Nature, however, did not contribute to the atmosphere. At game time, temperatures were a brisk 55 degrees and a steady drizzle indicated that ball handling would be a challenge throughout the game. The conditions were quite the opposite of the “sauna” game of two weeks prior at Mayo.

Hastings scored first on a 61-yard pass at 9:54 of the first quarter. While conditions were wet and cool, both teams moved the ball early with a mix of runs and passes, showing little concern for the weather. Chaska moved the ball well in the first quarter but struggled to convert key first downs or penetrate deep into Hastings territory.

The second quarter tilted in Hastings’ favor. With 11:12 remaining in the quarter, Hastings scored on a 64-yard run. As the quarter ended, Hastings added a 39-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining to take a 17-0 lead into halftime.

The halftime talk by the Chaska coaching staff appeared to settle the team, as the Hawks came out in the third quarter and executed effectively, making significant progress on offense. 

Junior Luke Raser pulled in an 8-yard pass from junior Dylan Kasper to get Chaska on the scoreboard with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter. Kasper and Raser continued to work together on a drive that produced significant yardage and was capped by Kasper connecting with senior Sully Schrandt for a 14-yard touchdown pass. The score stood at 17-14 Hastings at the end of the third quarter.

Both teams remained focused on finishing strong in the fourth quarter. Hastings added another touchdown at 11:01 to extend its lead to 24-14. Raser answered with a 14-yard touchdown run at 4:40, bringing Chaska within four points at 24-20.

Any player or coach will attest that an opportunity to win is always welcomed. Chaska stopped a Hastings drive and took possession with 01.1 seconds remaining, giving the Hawks one final opportunity to pull out the victory. The exciting moment did not pan out, but the effort demonstrated the capabilities of a focused Hawks team that battled hard and finished the game strong.

While the final score did not fall in Chaska’s favor, the game statistics reflected a concerted effort by the Hawks.

Kasper passed for 125 yards, completing 7 of 11 attempts. Five Chaska rushers combined for 275 yards on 40 attempts. Junior Justin Greathouse led the Chaska rushing attack with 100 yards on 19 attempts, while Kasper added an impressive 91 yards rushing. Five receivers combined for 125 yards on 7 receptions.

Sophomore Sire Ulmer led the team defensively with six individual tackles and an impressive 10 total tackles. Semoprs Carter Powers and Jace Sandvold contributed five individual tackles each, along with eight and six total tackles, respectively.

After the game, Coach Dahl expressed appreciation for the team’s effort.

“I’m really proud of how the team didn’t give up and hung in there against a good and physical team,” he said. “We’ll look at things, focus and make our adjustments. Great second half with a solid foundation to work off of.”

Team captains Seniors Leonard Sanders and Carter Powers also shared their thoughts after the game.

“Hate to lose. They were a tough team. We learned and can zero in and do better,” Powers said.

Sanders commented on the team’s cohesiveness and connection, saying, “We get along, we’re connected, we’re friends and we have each other’s backs.”

Both players identified the upcoming Chanhassen game as the matchup they and the team are most looking forward to this season.

Chanhassen lost 14-23 to Waconia in another Northstar Gold South contest on Friday, and Mankato West beat Mankato East 42-8. Standings for conference teams after week three:

Points Points

W L For Against

Mankato West 3 0 111 50

Waconia 3 0 86 35

Chaska 2 1 41 34

Chanhassen 1 2 49 46

Mankato East 1 2 64 93

The Hawks will be on the road next Friday Sept. 25, and face Mankato East in their first conference matchup of the season.