CLINTON - Brodhead-Juda junior quarterback Matt Schmitt and senior wide receiver Ned Slocum have a flair for the dramatic.
Schmitt tossed a game-winning 25-yard TD pass to Slocum in overtime to propel Brodhead-Juda to a 42-34 win over Clinton Friday night. With the win, Brodhead-Juda (4-2, 4-0 Rock Valley South) clinched a playoff berth for the 25th straight year, which is the second longest in the state. Slocum played just four plays due to a high ankle sprain, but two of the plays were in overtime including his game-winning touchdown catch.
"It feels great," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "The hard work and effort they are putting in is paying off."
The only losses for the Cardinals this year are to two unbeaten teams - Evansville-Albany (6-0) and River Valley (6-0).
"That is why we schedule those tough nonconference games," Bockhop said. "We are battle-tested."
The Cardinals started the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead. With Clinton facing fourth-and 1 from the Cardinals' 15-yard line in the extra session, Brodhead-Juda stuffed a wedge running play to force a turnover on downs that sealed the victory.
"We let that slip away," Bockhop said. "It was a bend-but-don't-break type of game. They (Clinton) are so explosive. We knew we would have to score some points to hang with them. We barely did in the end."
Darlington 48, Boscobel 19
BOSCOBEL - Darlington junior quarterback Jared Meister ran for three touchdowns to lead the Redbirds to a 48-19 win over Boscobel Friday.
Darlington senior running back Conrad Blosch scored on a 11-yard run early in the first quarter to set the tone for the Redbirds. Junior running back Trevor Johnson had a 1-yard TD plunge to extend the Redbirds lead to 13-6 in the first quarter. Meister had an 18-yard TD run and scored on a 3-yard run. Brayden McDonald caught a two-point conversion pass after Meister's second touchdown run to extend the Redbirds' lead to 28-6. Meister added a 5-yard TD run with 29 seconds to go before the half to give the Redbirds an insurmountable 35-6 lead.
Blosch rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown. Junior fullback Hunter Johnson rushed for 91 yards on 10 carries and scored one touchdown. Trevor Johnson rushed for 66 yards on nine carries and scored two touchdowns with the second coming on a 5-yard TD run in the third quarter.
Meister had 67 rushing yards on nine carries and three touchdowns.
Evansville-Albany 44, Edgerton 14
EVANSVILLE - Evansville-Albany running back Nathan Redders rushed for 170 yards and scored three touchdowns to power the Blue Devils to a 44-14 win over Edgerton.
With the win, Evansville-Albany (6-0, 4-0 Rock Valley North) stays unbeaten. Senior running back Ryker Brown rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns.
"It's a great team win," Evansville-Albany coach Ron Grovesteen said. "It was huge for us."
Grovesteen said the Blue Devils are not worried about going unbeaten to try to secure a No. 1 playoff seed.
"We are just worried about the next game and that is Whitewater," Grovesteen said. "We are focused just on Whitewater."
In other action, Cassville defeated Black Hawk 27-12. With the loss, Black Hawk drops to 4-2.
Schmitt tossed a game-winning 25-yard TD pass to Slocum in overtime to propel Brodhead-Juda to a 42-34 win over Clinton Friday night. With the win, Brodhead-Juda (4-2, 4-0 Rock Valley South) clinched a playoff berth for the 25th straight year, which is the second longest in the state. Slocum played just four plays due to a high ankle sprain, but two of the plays were in overtime including his game-winning touchdown catch.
"It feels great," Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said. "The hard work and effort they are putting in is paying off."
The only losses for the Cardinals this year are to two unbeaten teams - Evansville-Albany (6-0) and River Valley (6-0).
"That is why we schedule those tough nonconference games," Bockhop said. "We are battle-tested."
The Cardinals started the fourth quarter with a 12-point lead. With Clinton facing fourth-and 1 from the Cardinals' 15-yard line in the extra session, Brodhead-Juda stuffed a wedge running play to force a turnover on downs that sealed the victory.
"We let that slip away," Bockhop said. "It was a bend-but-don't-break type of game. They (Clinton) are so explosive. We knew we would have to score some points to hang with them. We barely did in the end."
Darlington 48, Boscobel 19
BOSCOBEL - Darlington junior quarterback Jared Meister ran for three touchdowns to lead the Redbirds to a 48-19 win over Boscobel Friday.
Darlington senior running back Conrad Blosch scored on a 11-yard run early in the first quarter to set the tone for the Redbirds. Junior running back Trevor Johnson had a 1-yard TD plunge to extend the Redbirds lead to 13-6 in the first quarter. Meister had an 18-yard TD run and scored on a 3-yard run. Brayden McDonald caught a two-point conversion pass after Meister's second touchdown run to extend the Redbirds' lead to 28-6. Meister added a 5-yard TD run with 29 seconds to go before the half to give the Redbirds an insurmountable 35-6 lead.
Blosch rushed for 94 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown. Junior fullback Hunter Johnson rushed for 91 yards on 10 carries and scored one touchdown. Trevor Johnson rushed for 66 yards on nine carries and scored two touchdowns with the second coming on a 5-yard TD run in the third quarter.
Meister had 67 rushing yards on nine carries and three touchdowns.
Evansville-Albany 44, Edgerton 14
EVANSVILLE - Evansville-Albany running back Nathan Redders rushed for 170 yards and scored three touchdowns to power the Blue Devils to a 44-14 win over Edgerton.
With the win, Evansville-Albany (6-0, 4-0 Rock Valley North) stays unbeaten. Senior running back Ryker Brown rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns.
"It's a great team win," Evansville-Albany coach Ron Grovesteen said. "It was huge for us."
Grovesteen said the Blue Devils are not worried about going unbeaten to try to secure a No. 1 playoff seed.
"We are just worried about the next game and that is Whitewater," Grovesteen said. "We are focused just on Whitewater."
In other action, Cassville defeated Black Hawk 27-12. With the loss, Black Hawk drops to 4-2.
