Chaska (3-4) took on New Prague (3-4) on Oct. 21, looking to improve its record and establish solid positioning heading into sectional play. The game was not only the final home game of the regular season but also Senior Night, a time for the team and Hawks faithful to recognize the contributions of the graduating class of 2027.
Chaska took the opening kickoff and made an impressive start. Beginning at its own 26-yard line, the Hawks moved downfield in five plays and less than two minutes, with junior Andrew Olsen breaking free for a 29-yard touchdown run.
After a subsequent exchange of possessions, Chaska got the ball back near midfield. Combining runs and passes, the Hawks moved into the red zone in the waning minutes of the first quarter. Junior Luke Raser extended Chaska’s lead to 14-0 with a 16-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds remaining in the quarter.
New Prague struggled to gain traction against Chaska’s defense. The visitors did not earn a first down until early in the second quarter and could not advance past midfield. Chaska controlled the clock during the early part of the quarter with a mix of runs and passes.
With 6:05 remaining, Junior Dylan Kasper connected with senior Sully Schrandt on a 10-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, New Prague advanced to the Chaska 34-yard line but was stopped on a fourth-down-and-four attempt.
On the next play, Olsen broke several tackles and raced 64 yards for another Chaska touchdown, extending the lead to 28-0.
After forcing another New Prague four-and-out, Chaska regained possession at its own 37-yard line with 3:24 remaining in the half. Over the course of 10 plays, including four first downs, Olsen scored his third touchdown of the night on an eight-yard run with 34 seconds remaining. The Hawks headed into halftime with a commanding 35-0 lead.
New Prague received the second-half kickoff. After earning a first down at its own 32-yard line, the visitors saw a pass intercepted by senior Kyle Downie, who returned the ball to the Chaska 44-yard line.
Keeping the ball on the ground, Chaska moved deep into New Prague territory. Senior Keegan Kelly scored on a 4-yard run with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter, putting the Hawks ahead 42-0.
Following the score, the coaching staff gave several players an opportunity to get into the game. With fresh legs and enthusiasm, the Hawks continued to move the ball effectively, using nearly eight minutes of game time before turning possession over to New Prague in the fourth quarter. Chaska celebrated the 42-0 victory with its seniors in the team’s final regular-season home game of 2026.
Offensively, the Hawks turned in one of their best performances of the season, totaling 415 yards. Kasper completed six of nine passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Schrandt led the team in receiving with four receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The Chaska ground game was the highlight of the night. Six rushers combined for 310 yards on 43 carries and five touchdowns. Olsen led the way with 150 yards on 11 carries and three touchdowns. Kelly totaled 52 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, while Raser added 38 yards on five carries and a touchdown.
Downie led the defense with three solo tackles and recorded a key interception in the third quarter. Seniors Lenny Sanders and Jacob Bellmont led the team with six tackles each. Overall, the defense recorded 45 team tackles, highlighting the collective effort behind the shutout victory.
The Hawks were pleased with the outcome, with comments reflecting the sentiment of a “great game” and “what an effort.”
The seniors were upbeat about ending their final regular-season home game with a victory, with one unidentified player admitting, “Can’t believe it went by so fast.”
Coach Dahl shared his satisfaction with the performance.
“It was a great way to send the seniors off, exciting to finish the season off and to get a win at home,” he said. “We played well in all three phases of the game. We got to get a lot of the guys some playing time and give them some experience.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming section game against Waconia, Coach Dahl noted the challenge of facing the same opponent twice.
“Any time you play a team twice it’s a challenge,” he said. “Last game with them we had a short week to prepare. We’ll have a full week of practice this time, with a few wrinkles to iron out but we look forward to seeing them again.”
Other conference games on Wednesday included Mankato East defeating Hastings 27-14, Mankato West topping Rochester John Marshall 38-0, Waconia beating Sauk Rapids-Rice 29-12 and Chanhassen winning over Rocher Mayo 17-13 at the Vikings TCO Complex in Eagan. Conference standings in the regular season are as follows:
| Wins | Losses | Points For | Points Against | |
| Mankato West | 7 | 0 | 335 | 97 |
| Waconia | 7 | 1 | 211 | 114 |
| Chanhassen | 4 | 4 | 154 | 167 |
| Chaska | 4 | 4 | 172 | 139 |
| Mankato East | 4 | 4 | 178 | 179 |
A conference call with team coaches occurred on Oct. 22 to set sectional seeding. Mankato West was ranked No. 1, Waconia two, Chaska three, Chanhassen four and Mankato East five.
Chaska will travel to Waconia and face the Wildcats on Oct. 31 at 1 p.m.
Mankato East traveled to Chanhassen on Oct. 27, where the Storm won 27-14. Chanhassen will face Mankato West on Oct. 31.
