You just block it up as best you can. Some teams are big, some are fast, but we’ve been tough all year.”

Head Coach Dana Strain

On a drizzly Saturday afternoon at McNamara Stadium, the Hastings Raiders stood toe to toe with a heavyweight and nearly pulled off the win. In a game defined by defense, grit, and a few crucial plays either way, Hastings saw its season come to a close in heartbreaking fashion, falling 15–14 to Two Rivers in the Section 3AAAAA semifinal.

The loss dropped the Raiders to 4–5 on the year, but the result doesn’t tell the full story. Hastings battled through injuries, tough breaks, and a bigger opponent all season long, and Saturday was no different. With rain streaking the lights and a chill in the air, the Raiders showed toughness in every snap and left no doubt about their fight.

Hastings opened with purpose. Midway through the first quarter, junior quarterback Carter Hanson hit senior wideout Matt Foss on a 24-yard strike, giving the Raiders a 7–0 lead after Cody Weber’s extra point. It was a textbook drive, capped by Hanson’s poise and Foss’s precise route-running, and it set the tone early.

Two Rivers answered in the second quarter with a punishing ground drive. Running back John Verdeja powered in from two yards out, and the extra point tied the score at 7–7. That would hold through halftime, but Hastings didn’t flinch.

“We were right where we wanted to be,” Head Coach Dana Strain said after the game. “We had left some plays out on the field, but we were playing well. Offense was moving it, defense was playing tough, and special teams were solid. Tied at halftime in the playoffs? You’ll take that every time.”

The third quarter was a defensive standoff. Neither side gave an inch, with both front sevens making life difficult in the trenches. Two Rivers brought size, especially across the defensive line, but Hastings met the challenge head-on.

“You just play, man,” Strain said. “You just block it up as best you can. Some teams are big, some are fast, but we’ve been tough all year.”

That toughness showed early in the fourth. Running back Zack Shatek, the heart of the Raiders’ offense, found a seam and broke loose for an 11-yard touchdown, putting Hastings ahead 14–7. Shatek carried defenders with him, as he has all season, and Weber again knocked in the extra point.

Two Rivers wasn’t done. With under two minutes to play, quarterback Drew Altavilla connected with his brother Cole on a 34-yard touchdown pass. Then came the two-point conversion, Cole Altavilla to John Laugerman, and just like that, Hastings trailed by one.

They had time. They had heart. But they didn’t have the field position, and the final drive came up short.

“It was a heck of a football game,” Strain said. “We played very well, just missed some chances. One play here or there, it wasn’t just the last one that could’ve flipped it. We didn’t find enough answers today.”

Statistically, Shatek once again led the charge. He finished with 132 yards on 28 carries and added another touchdown to his monster season total. He closes the year with 1,878 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. Factor in his kick and punt return touchdowns, and Shatek ends his senior season with 154 total points and 2,204 all-purpose yards.

Matt Foss, who caught all three of his targets for 48 yards and a touchdown, capped his final season with 22 receptions for 501 yards and four scores. Carter Lundstrom added three catches for 38 yards, while Grant Birken contributed as a runner and defender all game.

Hanson went 7-for-15 passing for 88 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He finishes the year with 960 passing yards and five touchdowns in his first season under center. While turnovers proved costly against Two Rivers, his leadership throughout the season helped steady the offense.

On the ground, the Raiders leaned hard on Shatek, but also saw contributions from Birken, Adricula, and Hagen. Hastings ran for 121 yards on the day and held Two Rivers to 154. The defense, which had been a point of pride all season, made several key stops and held strong through long possessions. Carter Herman-O’Brien added an interception, while Birken and Adricula plugged holes in the middle all game long.

Two Rivers outgained Hastings slightly in total yardage, 263 to 209, but the teams were nearly dead even in every other category, just like the final season scoring tally, which ended 242 to 242. The Raiders outgained opponents on the ground by over 400 yards this season, averaged 6.69 yards per carry, and held opponents to just 5.3.

The team finished with 122 first downs, scored 26 rushing touchdowns, and added six points on defense and 18 on special teams. They were flagged 50 times for 467 yards, just one fewer penalty than their opponents, and gave the ball away just nine times all year.

Special teams was again solid. Cody Weber ended the season 19-for-20 on extra points, while Carter Hanson added three more. Kick returners like Shatek, Foss, Birken, and Herman-O’Brien gave the Raiders good field position all season long, and Shatek’s return touchdowns were game-breakers.

Defensively, Hastings held their own. Opponents completed just 60 percent of passes and averaged fewer than 150 rushing yards per game. The unit gave up only six passing touchdowns across their last five games and forced turnovers in big moments.

Coach Strain’s message after the game was one of pride.

“Our kids battled. We’ve had injuries, had guys playing through pain today just to make it happen. We’ve got a group of kids who don’t quit, and that matters.”

While the loss stings, the foundation is solid. Players like Hanson and Shatek are set to return, and younger players gained valuable experience under fire. The JV squad went 7–1 and the 9th-grade team 5–2, pointing to depth and potential in the pipeline.

As the Raiders close out 2025, they do so knowing they left everything on the field, especially on a cold, wet Saturday when one more stop or one more yard could’ve made all the difference.