BRODHEAD - Defensive lineman Reave Lincoln's eyes lit up like lights on a Christmas tree after he and the Brodhead-Juda defense put pressure on the quarterback against Saint Thomas More's spread offensive attack.
Lincoln, a Brodhead-Juda junior, had two of the Cardinals' four sacks and senior fullback Derek Turner scored four touchdowns to propel the Cardinals to a 43-6 win over Saint Thomas More in a WIAA Division 4 Level 1 playoff game Friday, Oct. 25.
"I love it when I knew they were going to pass," said Lincoln, who also had a forced fumble and a blocked field goal. "I just saw the quarterback's eyes and he just looked scared. It's my first sacks of the year. It's one tough defensive line we have. We are all trying to get to the state game and this was our first step."
The Cardinals' defense limited the Cavaliers to just 165 total yards, 69 rushing yards and forced two turnovers.
Brodhead-Juda (8-2) got off to a quick start with a seven-play, 41-yard first quarter drive, culminating in Turner's 2-yard TD run. Brodhead-Juda's Brady Beuschel kicked a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 10-0 lead. Turner rushed for 86 yards on 21 carries and scored four touchdowns.
"We got the pressure off our shoulders and now we can go," Turner said. "We just wanted to wear them down, grind it out and keep pounding it at them."
The Cardinals' defense delivered again in the second quarter when Lincoln hit Saint Thomas More quarterback Alex Mendoza and then senior Mitch Wilson sacked him and stripped the ball. Turner recovered the fumble to set up a golden scoring opportunity. The Cardinals couldn't cash in on the turnover as Beuschel missed a 27-yard field goal.
Lincoln forced a fumble on a reverse in the second quarter and Wilson recovered to give the Cardinals another golden scoring opportunity. Brodhead-Juda quarterback Brennan Bescup then hooked up with Jordan Kraak on a 35-yard pass. That set up Turner's 3-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 16-0 lead at the half. Brodhead-Juda junior Brady Colden also had a sack.
"In the first half we were a little slow," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "We had to get our scheme down and once we did we rolled. They were bringing a blitz off the outside. We were more worried about helping each other instead of doing our own blocking."
Once the Cardinals got their blocking schemes fine-tuned, it didn't take long to get on a roll. Brodhead-Juda senior Jordan Douglas had a 39-yard TD run on the Cardinals' first possession of the third quarter. Douglas rushed for 72 yards on eight carries and scored one touchdown.
Turner added a pair of 1-yard TD plunges to give the Cardinals a 37-0 fourth quarter lead. Mitchell Johnson capped the scoring with a 1-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 43-0 lead.
The Cardinals' blueprint of attack was obvious in the second half.
"You have to keep pounding and pounding with a big fullback like Derek (Turner) and sometimes they get tired of tackling him," Bockhop said. "They wanted to keep that foot on the gas and keep going."
Bescup was 4 of 6 passing for 105 yards. Tyler Updike had one catch for 43 yards and Kraak had one catch for 35 yards.
Brodhead-Juda will now gear up for a Level 2 playoff game against Platteville next week in Brodhead.
"We have to take it one game at a time," Bockhop said. "I know some of their athletes. I don't know much about their team. We will start looking at them tonight. There is not a lot of time to prepare."
Lincoln, a Brodhead-Juda junior, had two of the Cardinals' four sacks and senior fullback Derek Turner scored four touchdowns to propel the Cardinals to a 43-6 win over Saint Thomas More in a WIAA Division 4 Level 1 playoff game Friday, Oct. 25.
"I love it when I knew they were going to pass," said Lincoln, who also had a forced fumble and a blocked field goal. "I just saw the quarterback's eyes and he just looked scared. It's my first sacks of the year. It's one tough defensive line we have. We are all trying to get to the state game and this was our first step."
The Cardinals' defense limited the Cavaliers to just 165 total yards, 69 rushing yards and forced two turnovers.
Brodhead-Juda (8-2) got off to a quick start with a seven-play, 41-yard first quarter drive, culminating in Turner's 2-yard TD run. Brodhead-Juda's Brady Beuschel kicked a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter to give the Cardinals a 10-0 lead. Turner rushed for 86 yards on 21 carries and scored four touchdowns.
"We got the pressure off our shoulders and now we can go," Turner said. "We just wanted to wear them down, grind it out and keep pounding it at them."
The Cardinals' defense delivered again in the second quarter when Lincoln hit Saint Thomas More quarterback Alex Mendoza and then senior Mitch Wilson sacked him and stripped the ball. Turner recovered the fumble to set up a golden scoring opportunity. The Cardinals couldn't cash in on the turnover as Beuschel missed a 27-yard field goal.
Lincoln forced a fumble on a reverse in the second quarter and Wilson recovered to give the Cardinals another golden scoring opportunity. Brodhead-Juda quarterback Brennan Bescup then hooked up with Jordan Kraak on a 35-yard pass. That set up Turner's 3-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 16-0 lead at the half. Brodhead-Juda junior Brady Colden also had a sack.
"In the first half we were a little slow," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "We had to get our scheme down and once we did we rolled. They were bringing a blitz off the outside. We were more worried about helping each other instead of doing our own blocking."
Once the Cardinals got their blocking schemes fine-tuned, it didn't take long to get on a roll. Brodhead-Juda senior Jordan Douglas had a 39-yard TD run on the Cardinals' first possession of the third quarter. Douglas rushed for 72 yards on eight carries and scored one touchdown.
Turner added a pair of 1-yard TD plunges to give the Cardinals a 37-0 fourth quarter lead. Mitchell Johnson capped the scoring with a 1-yard TD run to give the Cardinals a 43-0 lead.
The Cardinals' blueprint of attack was obvious in the second half.
"You have to keep pounding and pounding with a big fullback like Derek (Turner) and sometimes they get tired of tackling him," Bockhop said. "They wanted to keep that foot on the gas and keep going."
Bescup was 4 of 6 passing for 105 yards. Tyler Updike had one catch for 43 yards and Kraak had one catch for 35 yards.
Brodhead-Juda will now gear up for a Level 2 playoff game against Platteville next week in Brodhead.
"We have to take it one game at a time," Bockhop said. "I know some of their athletes. I don't know much about their team. We will start looking at them tonight. There is not a lot of time to prepare."
