BRODHEAD - Mitchell Johnson rushed for 145 yards on 28 carries and scored three touchdowns to power Brodhead-Juda to a 44-18 season-opening win over River Valley Friday.
The Cardinals battled back from a 12-8 deficit and scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to roll to the win. Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said the Cardinals tweaked their blocking scheme at the half.
"We started running at the weak side because they were stunting to the strong side," Bockhop said. "I'm really happy with how we played in the second half. We came out and executed a lot better. We played downhill the whole night."
Brodhead-Juda junior quarterback Brennan Bescup was 3 of 5 passing for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Johnson rammed in for a 2-yard TD run late in the first quarter. Bescup then hit Ned Slocum with a two-point conversion pass to give the Cardinals an 8-6 lead. After falling behind again, Johnson answered with a 3-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 15-12 lead. Bescup connected with Slocum on a 59-yard TD pass to help the Cardinals take a 22-18 lead at the half.
Johnson bowled in for a 1-yard TD run and Bescup had a 9-yard TD run in the third quarter. Brodhead-Juda junior Jake Pickel capped the scoring with a 10-yard TD run.
Edgerton 33,
NG-Monticello 26
EDGERTON - Senior running back Ricky Williams scored five touchdowns to propel Edgerton to a 33-26 shootout win over New Glarus-Monticello in the season opener for both teams.
The Knights and last year's Rock Valley North Conference champion Crimson Tide were tied late in the fourth quarter before Edgerton pulled away with Williams' game-winning 3-yard TD run.
"I don't think anyone outside our locker room thought we had any chance to stay close to Edgerton," New Glarus-Monticello coach Desie Breadon said. "Gavin Binger did a really good job of running the option. I thought our passing game was a little ahead of where it usually is at."
Williams had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. New Glarus-Monticello quarterback Gavin Binger then hooked up with Tanner Hoeffer on a 14-yard TD pass, but the Glarner Knights missed the extra point kick and the Crimson Tide led 7-6. Williams scored on a 6-yard run to extend the lead to 13-6. The Knights answered with Binger's 16-yard TD run. Dristen Krebs then scored on a two-point conversion run to give the Knights a short-lived 14-13 lead at the half.
Williams had a go-ahead 5-yard TD run to give the Tide a 20-14 lead. Binger tied the game with a 70-yard TD run in the third quarter. Williams again gave the Tide the lead with a 20-yard TD run. New Glarus-Monticello running back Trey Taylor had a 9-yard TD run to tie the game at 26 in the fourth quarter.
"The difference in the game was Ricky Williams and our field experience," Breadon said. "For as young as we are, we contained him and put him under wraps for the most part. I think that says a lot about how fast and good our defense can be."
Platteville 35, Darlington 19
DARLINGTON - Backup fullback Slade Norton shined in a starring role, rushing for 104 yards and scoring one touchdown, but last year's Division 6 state runner-up lost to Division 4 state runner-up Platteville 35-19 in the season opener at Martens Field.
Norton broke loose for a 42-yard TD run midway through the first quarter. However, the Redbirds missed the point-after kick and led 6-0. Norton rushed for 104 yards on nine carries. The Hillmen answered with quarterback Blake Wagner breaking a tackle and scoring on a 1-yard run. Wagner's TD run capped an 11-play, 67-yard drive. The Hillmen made the extra point to take a 7-6 lead. Wagner completed to two touchdowns passes to Chance Kupersmith.
Platteville running back Jacob Bernhardt had a 3-yard TD run to give the Hillmen a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter. The Redbirds answered with senior quarterback Cole McDonald hooking up with Cole Whalen on an 12-yard TD pass to cut the Hillmen's lead to 14-12.
Bernhardt returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 80 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing play, Darlington senior Jason Singer took a reverse on the kickoff and raced for a 92-yard TD run to cut the Hillmen's lead to 21-19. That was as close as the Redbirds would get.
Bernhardt rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries and had one touchdown. McDonald for the Redbirds was 3 of 7 passing for 51 yards and one touchdown.
Black Hawk 58, ZEPHYRS 0
BENTON - Black Hawk senior quarterback Heath Butler passed for 233 yards to help lead the Warriors to a 58-0 rout of Benton-Scales Mound.
Black Hawk, the defending Division 7 state champions, exploded for 22 points in the first quarter. Butler completed 10 of 14 passes. Black Hawk freshman Brody Milz rushed for 86 yards on six carries.
Black Hawk's Chase Stietz had six receptions for 102 yards.
Union Grove 25, Evansville-Albany 6
UNION GROVE - Zac Melendez and Matt Nelson each tossed two touchdowns to propel Union Grove to a 25-6 win over Evansville-Albany.
Evansville-Albany running back Nathan Redders had a 6-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter to prevent the shutout.
In another game, Pecatonica-Argyle knocked off Belmont 28-6. The Vikings were 7-0 last season before late season losses to Black Hawk and Potosi. No other information on the game was available late Friday.
The Cardinals battled back from a 12-8 deficit and scored 22 unanswered points in the second half to roll to the win. Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said the Cardinals tweaked their blocking scheme at the half.
"We started running at the weak side because they were stunting to the strong side," Bockhop said. "I'm really happy with how we played in the second half. We came out and executed a lot better. We played downhill the whole night."
Brodhead-Juda junior quarterback Brennan Bescup was 3 of 5 passing for 81 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Johnson rammed in for a 2-yard TD run late in the first quarter. Bescup then hit Ned Slocum with a two-point conversion pass to give the Cardinals an 8-6 lead. After falling behind again, Johnson answered with a 3-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 15-12 lead. Bescup connected with Slocum on a 59-yard TD pass to help the Cardinals take a 22-18 lead at the half.
Johnson bowled in for a 1-yard TD run and Bescup had a 9-yard TD run in the third quarter. Brodhead-Juda junior Jake Pickel capped the scoring with a 10-yard TD run.
Edgerton 33,
NG-Monticello 26
EDGERTON - Senior running back Ricky Williams scored five touchdowns to propel Edgerton to a 33-26 shootout win over New Glarus-Monticello in the season opener for both teams.
The Knights and last year's Rock Valley North Conference champion Crimson Tide were tied late in the fourth quarter before Edgerton pulled away with Williams' game-winning 3-yard TD run.
"I don't think anyone outside our locker room thought we had any chance to stay close to Edgerton," New Glarus-Monticello coach Desie Breadon said. "Gavin Binger did a really good job of running the option. I thought our passing game was a little ahead of where it usually is at."
Williams had an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter. New Glarus-Monticello quarterback Gavin Binger then hooked up with Tanner Hoeffer on a 14-yard TD pass, but the Glarner Knights missed the extra point kick and the Crimson Tide led 7-6. Williams scored on a 6-yard run to extend the lead to 13-6. The Knights answered with Binger's 16-yard TD run. Dristen Krebs then scored on a two-point conversion run to give the Knights a short-lived 14-13 lead at the half.
Williams had a go-ahead 5-yard TD run to give the Tide a 20-14 lead. Binger tied the game with a 70-yard TD run in the third quarter. Williams again gave the Tide the lead with a 20-yard TD run. New Glarus-Monticello running back Trey Taylor had a 9-yard TD run to tie the game at 26 in the fourth quarter.
"The difference in the game was Ricky Williams and our field experience," Breadon said. "For as young as we are, we contained him and put him under wraps for the most part. I think that says a lot about how fast and good our defense can be."
Platteville 35, Darlington 19
DARLINGTON - Backup fullback Slade Norton shined in a starring role, rushing for 104 yards and scoring one touchdown, but last year's Division 6 state runner-up lost to Division 4 state runner-up Platteville 35-19 in the season opener at Martens Field.
Norton broke loose for a 42-yard TD run midway through the first quarter. However, the Redbirds missed the point-after kick and led 6-0. Norton rushed for 104 yards on nine carries. The Hillmen answered with quarterback Blake Wagner breaking a tackle and scoring on a 1-yard run. Wagner's TD run capped an 11-play, 67-yard drive. The Hillmen made the extra point to take a 7-6 lead. Wagner completed to two touchdowns passes to Chance Kupersmith.
Platteville running back Jacob Bernhardt had a 3-yard TD run to give the Hillmen a 14-6 lead midway through the second quarter. The Redbirds answered with senior quarterback Cole McDonald hooking up with Cole Whalen on an 12-yard TD pass to cut the Hillmen's lead to 14-12.
Bernhardt returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 80 yards for a touchdown. On the ensuing play, Darlington senior Jason Singer took a reverse on the kickoff and raced for a 92-yard TD run to cut the Hillmen's lead to 21-19. That was as close as the Redbirds would get.
Bernhardt rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries and had one touchdown. McDonald for the Redbirds was 3 of 7 passing for 51 yards and one touchdown.
Black Hawk 58, ZEPHYRS 0
BENTON - Black Hawk senior quarterback Heath Butler passed for 233 yards to help lead the Warriors to a 58-0 rout of Benton-Scales Mound.
Black Hawk, the defending Division 7 state champions, exploded for 22 points in the first quarter. Butler completed 10 of 14 passes. Black Hawk freshman Brody Milz rushed for 86 yards on six carries.
Black Hawk's Chase Stietz had six receptions for 102 yards.
Union Grove 25, Evansville-Albany 6
UNION GROVE - Zac Melendez and Matt Nelson each tossed two touchdowns to propel Union Grove to a 25-6 win over Evansville-Albany.
Evansville-Albany running back Nathan Redders had a 6-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter to prevent the shutout.
In another game, Pecatonica-Argyle knocked off Belmont 28-6. The Vikings were 7-0 last season before late season losses to Black Hawk and Potosi. No other information on the game was available late Friday.
