MOUNT HOREB - Friday's season opening football games was a tale of two halves for Monroe. The Cheesemakers fought to a 6-6 tie in the opening two quarters, but coming out of the gate in the third, things were different.
"We were really pumped up in the first half," junior defensive back Kevin Klopfenstein said after Monroe's 38-13 loss to Mount Horeb-Barneveld. "In the second half we came out (thinking) we could do it again and it didn't happen."
The Vikings opened the third quarter with a no-huddle offense, something Monroe coach Curt Miller said he wasn't surprised to see. What was surprising was just how quickly Mount Horeb took off. The Vikings scored four touchdowns in the third quarter in an 7-minute, 56-second span to completely take Monroe out of the game.
"Unfortunately they won the battle up front and we weren't able to stop them," Miller said. "They have some pretty good backs that will take advantage of that. Once they put us on our heals, we really struggled to respond."
Mount Horeb senior quarterback Matt Fargo ran the spread option offense to perfection, rarely making a mistake. Fargo ran for 108 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns overall. He added a 10 for 14 mark through the air with 125 yards, a score, and another big play.
Fargo scored the first touchdown of the second half with a 22-yard run with 9:00 left in the third. Not even three minutes later, Fargo connected with Shane Collins on an acrobatic one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. With 2:56 left in the third, Fargo broke off for a 35 yard run to make it 25-6, and two minutes later Justin Martig scored his second touchdown of the game on a five yard run, set up by a 31-yard pass to a wide open Damon Baker.
"They had some kids make some great plays," Miller said. "They have a good football team. They really do."
Martig ended the scoreless game with a 35-yard run early in the second quarter, but Monroe answered right back. Junior quarterback Alex Barenklau hooked up with senior wide out Alex Dahlk on a roll out pass up the sidelines for 37 yards. The very next play Barenklau scored from 17 yards out to tie the game at 6.
"We were ready to go after that. It fired us up," Klopfenstein said.
Monroe second touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter. The Cheesemakers traveled 78 yards on 17 plays with sophomore running back Ryan Hughes breaking the goal line with 5:51 to play for his first varsity touchdown.
"It was exciting," said Hughes, who started the game on defense and had a few big tackles for loss. "I wish we could have beat these guys."
Teaming with Hughes in the backfield on the drive was fellow sophomore fullback Brett Zimmerman, who picked up a key first down on 4th and 1.
"There's a lot of potential sitting there," Miller said of the two sophomores who each started on defense.
Mount Horeb answered moments later as Daylon Bower scampered 63 yards on a highlight-reel run. Bower broke two tackles with a spin move, followed blockers downfield up the right sideline before cutting back to his left and breaking away from the defense.
Monroe finished with 233 yards of offense, with 143 coming on the ground. Mount Horeb had 253 yards of rushing alone, with another 125 passing (378 total). Monroe became visibly fatigued in the second half, which allowed for the Vikings to run away with the game.
"As the game wore on, they won the battle up front. It's something we have to get better on. It doesn't matter if it's Jon Becker, Trevor Gorr, Ryan Hughes or whoever behind the offensive line, if we can't handle them up front, it's a long game," Miller said. "We played a great, fantastic first half. They just got after us more in the second half."
The Cheesemakers will try to prepare themselves as best they can for next week's home opener against two-time defending state champion Waunakee.
"It's no secret to know what's coming to town. But yet we're going to put a lot of kids on the field and try to control the clock. Take the philosophy of 'Let's stay competitive. You never know what's going to happen,'" Miller said. "It will be nice to be at home. And I think a lot of our kids are excited that they will get the chance to see what it's like playing one of the best teams in the state."
"We were really pumped up in the first half," junior defensive back Kevin Klopfenstein said after Monroe's 38-13 loss to Mount Horeb-Barneveld. "In the second half we came out (thinking) we could do it again and it didn't happen."
The Vikings opened the third quarter with a no-huddle offense, something Monroe coach Curt Miller said he wasn't surprised to see. What was surprising was just how quickly Mount Horeb took off. The Vikings scored four touchdowns in the third quarter in an 7-minute, 56-second span to completely take Monroe out of the game.
"Unfortunately they won the battle up front and we weren't able to stop them," Miller said. "They have some pretty good backs that will take advantage of that. Once they put us on our heals, we really struggled to respond."
Mount Horeb senior quarterback Matt Fargo ran the spread option offense to perfection, rarely making a mistake. Fargo ran for 108 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns overall. He added a 10 for 14 mark through the air with 125 yards, a score, and another big play.
Fargo scored the first touchdown of the second half with a 22-yard run with 9:00 left in the third. Not even three minutes later, Fargo connected with Shane Collins on an acrobatic one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. With 2:56 left in the third, Fargo broke off for a 35 yard run to make it 25-6, and two minutes later Justin Martig scored his second touchdown of the game on a five yard run, set up by a 31-yard pass to a wide open Damon Baker.
"They had some kids make some great plays," Miller said. "They have a good football team. They really do."
Martig ended the scoreless game with a 35-yard run early in the second quarter, but Monroe answered right back. Junior quarterback Alex Barenklau hooked up with senior wide out Alex Dahlk on a roll out pass up the sidelines for 37 yards. The very next play Barenklau scored from 17 yards out to tie the game at 6.
"We were ready to go after that. It fired us up," Klopfenstein said.
Monroe second touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter. The Cheesemakers traveled 78 yards on 17 plays with sophomore running back Ryan Hughes breaking the goal line with 5:51 to play for his first varsity touchdown.
"It was exciting," said Hughes, who started the game on defense and had a few big tackles for loss. "I wish we could have beat these guys."
Teaming with Hughes in the backfield on the drive was fellow sophomore fullback Brett Zimmerman, who picked up a key first down on 4th and 1.
"There's a lot of potential sitting there," Miller said of the two sophomores who each started on defense.
Mount Horeb answered moments later as Daylon Bower scampered 63 yards on a highlight-reel run. Bower broke two tackles with a spin move, followed blockers downfield up the right sideline before cutting back to his left and breaking away from the defense.
Monroe finished with 233 yards of offense, with 143 coming on the ground. Mount Horeb had 253 yards of rushing alone, with another 125 passing (378 total). Monroe became visibly fatigued in the second half, which allowed for the Vikings to run away with the game.
"As the game wore on, they won the battle up front. It's something we have to get better on. It doesn't matter if it's Jon Becker, Trevor Gorr, Ryan Hughes or whoever behind the offensive line, if we can't handle them up front, it's a long game," Miller said. "We played a great, fantastic first half. They just got after us more in the second half."
The Cheesemakers will try to prepare themselves as best they can for next week's home opener against two-time defending state champion Waunakee.
"It's no secret to know what's coming to town. But yet we're going to put a lot of kids on the field and try to control the clock. Take the philosophy of 'Let's stay competitive. You never know what's going to happen,'" Miller said. "It will be nice to be at home. And I think a lot of our kids are excited that they will get the chance to see what it's like playing one of the best teams in the state."
