MONROE - Monroe boys basketball coach Pat Murphy continued a tradition Friday on the evening before his team's sectional final showdown with Madison Edgewood, one he hopes continues for another week.
"We got together as a team for some pizza here in Monroe," Murphy said. "I told the guys tonight that we don't want it to be our last supper."
For it not to be, the Cheesemakers (17-7) will have to defeat Badger South Conference rival Madison Edgewood (19-4) for the third time this season. The two teams play with a state tournament berth at stake in a Division 2 sectional championship game at 6 p.m. today in Sun Prairie. The Cheesemakers are hoping to make their third consecutive trip to the Kohl Center in Madison.
In the teams' first meeting Dec. 5, Monroe cruised to a 47-32 win, with the brothers Tordoff, Mitch and Bryan, scoring 14 and 11 points, respectively.
In game No. 2, the Cheesemakers needed an extra session to down the Crusaders, 56-52. Murphy said Monroe was fortunate to win that game. Edgewood had a chance to win with 1.3 seconds left in regulation, but missed a free throw. In overtime, Monroe outscored the Crusaders 6-2 to pick up the win.
Since the second loss to the Cheesemakers, Edgewood has been on a roll. The Crusaders have won 13 games in a row.
"It's better going into this third game with a second game like that than if we would have got our butts kicked," Edgewood head coach Chris Zwettler said. "We've been playing pretty well since that game. We know what Monroe's got and the guys feel a lot better about their chances."
Murphy knows all teams in the sectional finals are good, but he's proud of the efforts his players have put in, especially in February and March, when the team has won eight games and lost four.
"It's been a grind of a year, especially these last two months," Murphy said. "We have to find a way to keep going."
Murphy said much of Monroe's success will be dependent on stopping Edgewood's leading scorer, senior forward Derek Braucht. He's averaging 19.9 points per game.
The first two games, Monroe's Mitch McArdle had guarding duties on Braucht and held him to 8 and 15 points. Murphy said McArdle will be called on to guard Braucht again, but he'll have help.
"You don't shut him down by going one-on-one," Murphy said. "They're going to try and take away what we do, too."
Zwettler said a key is for Braucht to handle Monroe's pressure.
"When they clamp down on Derek, we need him to become a good passer," Zwettler said. "Derek tends to push and force things against Monroe, and we need to try and pull him back a bit and get him to have 12 to 14 assists."
Regardless of who secures the Division 2 state berth, the coaches, who are good friends, say it says great things about the conference to have a team there. Whomever makes it will have the other team's help with getting game films of opponents.
"Either way, a Badger South team is going on," Murphy said. "We'd like it to be us, but if not, we'll do everything we can to help them."
"We got together as a team for some pizza here in Monroe," Murphy said. "I told the guys tonight that we don't want it to be our last supper."
For it not to be, the Cheesemakers (17-7) will have to defeat Badger South Conference rival Madison Edgewood (19-4) for the third time this season. The two teams play with a state tournament berth at stake in a Division 2 sectional championship game at 6 p.m. today in Sun Prairie. The Cheesemakers are hoping to make their third consecutive trip to the Kohl Center in Madison.
In the teams' first meeting Dec. 5, Monroe cruised to a 47-32 win, with the brothers Tordoff, Mitch and Bryan, scoring 14 and 11 points, respectively.
In game No. 2, the Cheesemakers needed an extra session to down the Crusaders, 56-52. Murphy said Monroe was fortunate to win that game. Edgewood had a chance to win with 1.3 seconds left in regulation, but missed a free throw. In overtime, Monroe outscored the Crusaders 6-2 to pick up the win.
Since the second loss to the Cheesemakers, Edgewood has been on a roll. The Crusaders have won 13 games in a row.
"It's better going into this third game with a second game like that than if we would have got our butts kicked," Edgewood head coach Chris Zwettler said. "We've been playing pretty well since that game. We know what Monroe's got and the guys feel a lot better about their chances."
Murphy knows all teams in the sectional finals are good, but he's proud of the efforts his players have put in, especially in February and March, when the team has won eight games and lost four.
"It's been a grind of a year, especially these last two months," Murphy said. "We have to find a way to keep going."
Murphy said much of Monroe's success will be dependent on stopping Edgewood's leading scorer, senior forward Derek Braucht. He's averaging 19.9 points per game.
The first two games, Monroe's Mitch McArdle had guarding duties on Braucht and held him to 8 and 15 points. Murphy said McArdle will be called on to guard Braucht again, but he'll have help.
"You don't shut him down by going one-on-one," Murphy said. "They're going to try and take away what we do, too."
Zwettler said a key is for Braucht to handle Monroe's pressure.
"When they clamp down on Derek, we need him to become a good passer," Zwettler said. "Derek tends to push and force things against Monroe, and we need to try and pull him back a bit and get him to have 12 to 14 assists."
Regardless of who secures the Division 2 state berth, the coaches, who are good friends, say it says great things about the conference to have a team there. Whomever makes it will have the other team's help with getting game films of opponents.
"Either way, a Badger South team is going on," Murphy said. "We'd like it to be us, but if not, we'll do everything we can to help them."
