MONROE - Stoughton senior running back Brady Schipper rushed for 208 yards and scored a touchdown to lead the Vikings to an 18-0 win over Monroe Friday.
"They just have one good guy," said Monroe senior Dempzy Foley said of Stoughton. "As long as you block for him (Schipper), he will find a hole. That is what he found tonight. We just made mistakes and beat ourselves. It could have been a different ballgame."
Foley rushed for a team-high 81 yards on 19 carries. The Cheesemakers got off to an ominous start. The tone was set on Monroe's first offensive play when the Cheesemakers fumbled and the Vikings recovered at Monroe's' 17-yard line. Three plays later, Stoughton senior quarterback Jonathan Malueg hooked up with Sam Whalen on a 9-yard TD pass. Schipper ran in the two-point conversion to give the Vikings an 8-0 lead.
Monroe (2-3, 1-2 Badger South) had horrible field position the entire first half. The Cheesemakers' average field position for starting a drive was at their own 21-yard line. Three of the Cheesemakers' seven drives in the first half started inside their own 20-yard line.
"We didn't execute early on," Monroe coach Toby Golembiewski said. "We had two fumbles and we put our defense in a bind. Our special teams and our offense is putting our defense out there on the field in bad positions. They have stepped up, but the offense needs to execute. We didn't execute early on."
The loss may have come at a cost. Monroe senior Sam Kind, who took over at starting middle linebacker, suffered a concussion in the first half and didn't play in the second half. Senior defensive lineman Tyson Welsch suffered a knee injury about midway through the fourth quarter and didn't return.
"We have to do better at playing four quarters and we have to get better and we need to get healthy," Golembiewski said.
Schipper bolted for a 76-yard TD run early in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 15-0 lead.
"He's the type of guy if he (Schipper) gets one step he could be gone," Golembiewski said. "We were lucky he was injured and didn't play against us last year. Everything has to be perfect. If one guy slips and he turns his shoulders, he could be gone."
Stoughton had numerous opportunities to break the game open, but the Cheesemakers' defense rose to the occasion. Junior Anthany Hernandez recovered a Vikings' fumble deep in Cheesemakers' territory late in the second quarter to dodge a bullet and Stoughton led 15-0 at the half.
The Cheesemakers had a promising 66-yard drive in the second quarter that reached the Vikings' 22-yard line before a second fumble that was recovered by Stoughton senior Tommy McClain thwarted a golden opportunity. The Cheesemakers rushed for 160 yards and were limited to 170 total yards. Junior running back Jordan Montgomery rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries andHernandez had 21 yards on four carries.
"We have a lot of young guys on offense and special teams," Golembiewski said. "Things are not unfolding like you would like them to and the defense bears the brunt. We are not making him (Foley) better. The fullback game has been solid for us. We are not able to compliment that with anything else without execution. The defense stepped up and minimized the touchdowns. It's a slippery slope when you are playing against teams who can get starters off the field to get a rest."
On the Vikings' first drive of the third quarter, they marched down to the Cheesemakers' 5-yard line. Monroe sophomore Nick Bansley intercepted a pass by Malueg to kill the drive. The Vikings also missed a short field goal in the second half.
Stoughton senior Sam Mchone booted a 23-yard field goal with 2 minutes, 27 seconds to go to seal the win.
Monroe sophomore quarterback Alex Witt completed 1 of 8 passes for 10 yards with one interception. At times in the second half, the Cheesemakers had five sophomores starting on offense, including offensive linemen Darien Hargrove and Julian Gruber.
"We just have to remember our plays and we have to be out there on the field in practice to fine-tune some things and keep the old things going," Foley said. "We need to get the younger guys into the game more. We have to make sure they know all of their plays so we can get a rest."
It won't get any easier for Monroe as the Cheesemakers host unbeaten Monona Grove in a homecoming game next week. The Silver Eagles are ranked ninth in the Associated Press' large school state poll.
"They (Monona Grove) are the premier team in the league," Golembiewski said. "Hopefully, they will come in here and think we will roll over and die. It will be a David against a Goliath matchup."
"They just have one good guy," said Monroe senior Dempzy Foley said of Stoughton. "As long as you block for him (Schipper), he will find a hole. That is what he found tonight. We just made mistakes and beat ourselves. It could have been a different ballgame."
Foley rushed for a team-high 81 yards on 19 carries. The Cheesemakers got off to an ominous start. The tone was set on Monroe's first offensive play when the Cheesemakers fumbled and the Vikings recovered at Monroe's' 17-yard line. Three plays later, Stoughton senior quarterback Jonathan Malueg hooked up with Sam Whalen on a 9-yard TD pass. Schipper ran in the two-point conversion to give the Vikings an 8-0 lead.
Monroe (2-3, 1-2 Badger South) had horrible field position the entire first half. The Cheesemakers' average field position for starting a drive was at their own 21-yard line. Three of the Cheesemakers' seven drives in the first half started inside their own 20-yard line.
"We didn't execute early on," Monroe coach Toby Golembiewski said. "We had two fumbles and we put our defense in a bind. Our special teams and our offense is putting our defense out there on the field in bad positions. They have stepped up, but the offense needs to execute. We didn't execute early on."
The loss may have come at a cost. Monroe senior Sam Kind, who took over at starting middle linebacker, suffered a concussion in the first half and didn't play in the second half. Senior defensive lineman Tyson Welsch suffered a knee injury about midway through the fourth quarter and didn't return.
"We have to do better at playing four quarters and we have to get better and we need to get healthy," Golembiewski said.
Schipper bolted for a 76-yard TD run early in the second quarter to give the Vikings a 15-0 lead.
"He's the type of guy if he (Schipper) gets one step he could be gone," Golembiewski said. "We were lucky he was injured and didn't play against us last year. Everything has to be perfect. If one guy slips and he turns his shoulders, he could be gone."
Stoughton had numerous opportunities to break the game open, but the Cheesemakers' defense rose to the occasion. Junior Anthany Hernandez recovered a Vikings' fumble deep in Cheesemakers' territory late in the second quarter to dodge a bullet and Stoughton led 15-0 at the half.
The Cheesemakers had a promising 66-yard drive in the second quarter that reached the Vikings' 22-yard line before a second fumble that was recovered by Stoughton senior Tommy McClain thwarted a golden opportunity. The Cheesemakers rushed for 160 yards and were limited to 170 total yards. Junior running back Jordan Montgomery rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries andHernandez had 21 yards on four carries.
"We have a lot of young guys on offense and special teams," Golembiewski said. "Things are not unfolding like you would like them to and the defense bears the brunt. We are not making him (Foley) better. The fullback game has been solid for us. We are not able to compliment that with anything else without execution. The defense stepped up and minimized the touchdowns. It's a slippery slope when you are playing against teams who can get starters off the field to get a rest."
On the Vikings' first drive of the third quarter, they marched down to the Cheesemakers' 5-yard line. Monroe sophomore Nick Bansley intercepted a pass by Malueg to kill the drive. The Vikings also missed a short field goal in the second half.
Stoughton senior Sam Mchone booted a 23-yard field goal with 2 minutes, 27 seconds to go to seal the win.
Monroe sophomore quarterback Alex Witt completed 1 of 8 passes for 10 yards with one interception. At times in the second half, the Cheesemakers had five sophomores starting on offense, including offensive linemen Darien Hargrove and Julian Gruber.
"We just have to remember our plays and we have to be out there on the field in practice to fine-tune some things and keep the old things going," Foley said. "We need to get the younger guys into the game more. We have to make sure they know all of their plays so we can get a rest."
It won't get any easier for Monroe as the Cheesemakers host unbeaten Monona Grove in a homecoming game next week. The Silver Eagles are ranked ninth in the Associated Press' large school state poll.
"They (Monona Grove) are the premier team in the league," Golembiewski said. "Hopefully, they will come in here and think we will roll over and die. It will be a David against a Goliath matchup."
