FORT ATKINSON - With the playoffs on the line, the Cheesemakers came into Fort Atkinson Friday with a vengeance. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks had the final say, winning 23-9.
Both teams turned each other's miscues into points, but it was Fort Atkinson that moved the ball more efficiently on offense.
"They played very aggressive football," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "They did some different things up front that kind of confused our front guys. They did some things to challenge our guys, and that was the big difference."
The Cheesemakers (2-6, 2-3 Badger South) got out to an early 6-0 lead, thanks to Jon Becker, who picked off Fort Atkinson quarterback Drew Dunkleberger in Blackhawk territory and then punched in a 1-yard TD run.
"Playoffs were in the back of my head the whole time," said Becker, who added a dozen highlight reel hits throughout the game. "I really wanted it, but the chance (for playoffs) just isn't as likely now."
Kicker Kevin Klopfenstein's extra point attempt clanked off the left upright, leaving an early point on the board.
Not long later, Fort (7-1, 4-1) scored on a 1-yard run by Tyler Courtier and with the kick made it 7-6 in the first quarter.
In the second, a Monroe drive stalled at their own 37, but when Alex Dahlk booted the punt, the Blackhawk returner muffed the fair catch, and Josh Farrey recovered for Monroe at Fort's 41. The drive later continued after the Cheesemakers converted on 4th and 8, as quarterback Alex Barenklau connected with Dahlk 19 yards downfield. With 44 seconds left, Klopfenstein drilled a 31-yard field goal to give Monroe a 9-7 advantage just before the half.
"It was nice that they gave us some opportunities in the first half and that we could take advantage of that," Miller said. "We did the same thing for them in the second half and let them back into the game. But a great deal of credit to them. They're a program that's on the rise."
The Blackhawks carried the momentum in the second half. Barenklau was hit hard on Monroe's third play of the third quarter, and his throw flew right into the arms of Fort's Nick Schulenburg, who was later brought down at the Cheesemakers' 22-yard-line.
Fort scored six plays later on a 1-yard run by Courtier, and added a two point conversion to make it 15-9.
"We were excited at halftime, but when we come out and don't execute, it's disappointing," Monroe senior Cam Elmer said.
Becker was hurt on the first play of Monroe's next possession, bruising his hand. A third-down run by Trent Wyssbrod a few plays later came within 2 inches of a first down. With Fort's biggest bodies stacked just over the nose of the football before the fourth down snap, Monroe's Ryan Hughes could get nowhere, and Monroe turned the ball over on downs.
"It was tough, but when I was on the sideline, I didn't really know what all was going on," Becker said.
In the fourth quarter, Courtier ran to the left side but fumbled on a gang tackle by Becker and Skyler Stingley, with Hughes recovering the ball for Monroe. But there were multiple flags on the play, each of which caught the same thing - a double horse collar by the two Cheesemaker defenders. The automatic first-down penalty gave the Blackhawks the ball back, and a later punt pinned Monroe at its own 13 with just 6:37 to play.
"I guess you could say (the turning point) was when they scored their second touchdown, but there really wasn't one. We just got down on ourselves and did ourselves in," Elmer said.
The Cheesemakers went three-and-out, and Fort went 40 yards on five plays, culminating in a 25-yard TD run by Dunkleberger. A second two point conversion capped the scoring with 2:34 left.
Monroe's final play, a trick play in which Wyssbrod, the running back, throws deep down the field, was picked off.
Monroe had just 126 yards of offense, while the defense allowed 251.
"Now we can't leave anything on the table," Elmer said.
Monroe need to win next week at home against Oregon (1-6, 0-4) in order to become eligible for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
"It's an outside chance if we beat Oregon - a real outside chance. They know that they will probably be stepping onto the field for the last time," Miller said. "But they've worked very hard to get to this point. Kids like Jon Becker and Cam Elmer are leaving everything they have on the field."
"This is probably my last home game. I'm going to give it my all. My best," Becker said.
Both teams turned each other's miscues into points, but it was Fort Atkinson that moved the ball more efficiently on offense.
"They played very aggressive football," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "They did some different things up front that kind of confused our front guys. They did some things to challenge our guys, and that was the big difference."
The Cheesemakers (2-6, 2-3 Badger South) got out to an early 6-0 lead, thanks to Jon Becker, who picked off Fort Atkinson quarterback Drew Dunkleberger in Blackhawk territory and then punched in a 1-yard TD run.
"Playoffs were in the back of my head the whole time," said Becker, who added a dozen highlight reel hits throughout the game. "I really wanted it, but the chance (for playoffs) just isn't as likely now."
Kicker Kevin Klopfenstein's extra point attempt clanked off the left upright, leaving an early point on the board.
Not long later, Fort (7-1, 4-1) scored on a 1-yard run by Tyler Courtier and with the kick made it 7-6 in the first quarter.
In the second, a Monroe drive stalled at their own 37, but when Alex Dahlk booted the punt, the Blackhawk returner muffed the fair catch, and Josh Farrey recovered for Monroe at Fort's 41. The drive later continued after the Cheesemakers converted on 4th and 8, as quarterback Alex Barenklau connected with Dahlk 19 yards downfield. With 44 seconds left, Klopfenstein drilled a 31-yard field goal to give Monroe a 9-7 advantage just before the half.
"It was nice that they gave us some opportunities in the first half and that we could take advantage of that," Miller said. "We did the same thing for them in the second half and let them back into the game. But a great deal of credit to them. They're a program that's on the rise."
The Blackhawks carried the momentum in the second half. Barenklau was hit hard on Monroe's third play of the third quarter, and his throw flew right into the arms of Fort's Nick Schulenburg, who was later brought down at the Cheesemakers' 22-yard-line.
Fort scored six plays later on a 1-yard run by Courtier, and added a two point conversion to make it 15-9.
"We were excited at halftime, but when we come out and don't execute, it's disappointing," Monroe senior Cam Elmer said.
Becker was hurt on the first play of Monroe's next possession, bruising his hand. A third-down run by Trent Wyssbrod a few plays later came within 2 inches of a first down. With Fort's biggest bodies stacked just over the nose of the football before the fourth down snap, Monroe's Ryan Hughes could get nowhere, and Monroe turned the ball over on downs.
"It was tough, but when I was on the sideline, I didn't really know what all was going on," Becker said.
In the fourth quarter, Courtier ran to the left side but fumbled on a gang tackle by Becker and Skyler Stingley, with Hughes recovering the ball for Monroe. But there were multiple flags on the play, each of which caught the same thing - a double horse collar by the two Cheesemaker defenders. The automatic first-down penalty gave the Blackhawks the ball back, and a later punt pinned Monroe at its own 13 with just 6:37 to play.
"I guess you could say (the turning point) was when they scored their second touchdown, but there really wasn't one. We just got down on ourselves and did ourselves in," Elmer said.
The Cheesemakers went three-and-out, and Fort went 40 yards on five plays, culminating in a 25-yard TD run by Dunkleberger. A second two point conversion capped the scoring with 2:34 left.
Monroe's final play, a trick play in which Wyssbrod, the running back, throws deep down the field, was picked off.
Monroe had just 126 yards of offense, while the defense allowed 251.
"Now we can't leave anything on the table," Elmer said.
Monroe need to win next week at home against Oregon (1-6, 0-4) in order to become eligible for the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
"It's an outside chance if we beat Oregon - a real outside chance. They know that they will probably be stepping onto the field for the last time," Miller said. "But they've worked very hard to get to this point. Kids like Jon Becker and Cam Elmer are leaving everything they have on the field."
"This is probably my last home game. I'm going to give it my all. My best," Becker said.
