BRODHEAD - Smash mouth football is just how the Cardinals like to play.
"That's our style of football," Brodhead-Juda head coach Jim Matthys said. "It all started with our defense. Our defense has really set the tone the last three weeks. They gave us great field position all game."
During Saturday's 29-3 stomping of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau in the second round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs, Brodhead-Juda ran for 264 yards and the defense dominated the Redmen. G-E-T averaged 314.5 yards rushing through its first 10 games this season, but the Cardinals' defense closed the door, holding its opponent to just 77 yards on the ground.
"It feels awesome to go out and win like this," senior running back Ethan Douglas said. "When we attack I think it's hard for anybody to run the ball on us."
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau went three-and-out on its first drive and fumbled on the first play of its second drive. Brodhead-Juda then marched 46 yards on six plays, capped by a 17-yard touchdown run by senior Ethan Douglas with 6 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The Redmen answered with a 27-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the first to make the score 7-3.
With 6:39 left in the second, on fourth-and-1, Brodhead-Juda senior quarterback Travis Hull scored from three yards out on an option keeper.
Douglas, who had 144 yards on 30 carries in the game, scored on a 3-yard run with 23 seconds left in the half to put the Cardinals ahead 21-3 at the break.
In the second half, Brodhead-Juda continued dominating the line of scrimmage.
"Our offensive line has been solid all year, and so has our defensive line. Those guys don't get nearly enough credit for everything that they've done so far this year," Matthys said. "They came out ready to play and attacked the ball."
On a second-and-8 from the Cardinals' 23-yard line, Hull ran right on an option, juked a defender, cut back to the outside, and nearly 15 yards down the field pitched the ball to Devin Seitz, who sprinted to the G-E-T 48-yard line before lowering his shoulder and taking a hit out of bounds.
"He sticks with me the entire option and he was right where he was supposed to be for the pitch. It ended up working out really good," Hull said.
"We've never pitched the belly option down field that far before. We always talk about it, but tonight it was there so I yelled his (Hull's) name and he pitched it," Seitz said.
Hull capped the drive nine plays later on a quarterback sneak from about one foot out.
"Travis did a great job. He gives us that addition of running. They (G-E-T) were coming down so hard on our fullbacks that it opened up the option game," Matthys said.
With the win, Brodhead-Juda (9-2 overall) not only earned a shot at the sectional's top seed, Lodi (10-1), the Cardinals also earned an entire week of rest and a home game.
"It's huge being able to now give the kids a day or two off. Not that we're hurt, but to get rid of some of those bumps and bruises that we got from playing three games in 10 days will be huge for us. And we can get a game plan together," Matthys said.
The date of the third-round game has yet to be set, but either will be Friday, Nov. 6 or Saturday, Nov. 7.
"That's our style of football," Brodhead-Juda head coach Jim Matthys said. "It all started with our defense. Our defense has really set the tone the last three weeks. They gave us great field position all game."
During Saturday's 29-3 stomping of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau in the second round of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs, Brodhead-Juda ran for 264 yards and the defense dominated the Redmen. G-E-T averaged 314.5 yards rushing through its first 10 games this season, but the Cardinals' defense closed the door, holding its opponent to just 77 yards on the ground.
"It feels awesome to go out and win like this," senior running back Ethan Douglas said. "When we attack I think it's hard for anybody to run the ball on us."
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau went three-and-out on its first drive and fumbled on the first play of its second drive. Brodhead-Juda then marched 46 yards on six plays, capped by a 17-yard touchdown run by senior Ethan Douglas with 6 minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The Redmen answered with a 27-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the first to make the score 7-3.
With 6:39 left in the second, on fourth-and-1, Brodhead-Juda senior quarterback Travis Hull scored from three yards out on an option keeper.
Douglas, who had 144 yards on 30 carries in the game, scored on a 3-yard run with 23 seconds left in the half to put the Cardinals ahead 21-3 at the break.
In the second half, Brodhead-Juda continued dominating the line of scrimmage.
"Our offensive line has been solid all year, and so has our defensive line. Those guys don't get nearly enough credit for everything that they've done so far this year," Matthys said. "They came out ready to play and attacked the ball."
On a second-and-8 from the Cardinals' 23-yard line, Hull ran right on an option, juked a defender, cut back to the outside, and nearly 15 yards down the field pitched the ball to Devin Seitz, who sprinted to the G-E-T 48-yard line before lowering his shoulder and taking a hit out of bounds.
"He sticks with me the entire option and he was right where he was supposed to be for the pitch. It ended up working out really good," Hull said.
"We've never pitched the belly option down field that far before. We always talk about it, but tonight it was there so I yelled his (Hull's) name and he pitched it," Seitz said.
Hull capped the drive nine plays later on a quarterback sneak from about one foot out.
"Travis did a great job. He gives us that addition of running. They (G-E-T) were coming down so hard on our fullbacks that it opened up the option game," Matthys said.
With the win, Brodhead-Juda (9-2 overall) not only earned a shot at the sectional's top seed, Lodi (10-1), the Cardinals also earned an entire week of rest and a home game.
"It's huge being able to now give the kids a day or two off. Not that we're hurt, but to get rid of some of those bumps and bruises that we got from playing three games in 10 days will be huge for us. And we can get a game plan together," Matthys said.
The date of the third-round game has yet to be set, but either will be Friday, Nov. 6 or Saturday, Nov. 7.
