MONROE - The Cheesemakers (4-4 overall, 2-3 Badger South) have had dozens of memorable games in the school's football history. But no one on this year's varsity team has ever experienced a game like Friday's 21-20 come-from-behind victory over Stoughton that keeps Monroe's playoff hopes very alive.
"The kids were really excited," Monroe head coach Curt Miller said. "The fans, everyone. This was the biggest win of the year."
Monroe rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to get the improbable win.
In their first season under Miller, Monroe has seen a resurgence - this is the team's first four-win season since 2003, when the Cheesemakers won five games in the regular season, and six total. Stoughton (4-4, 2-3), another team on the rise in the re-tooled Badger South Conference, carries a solid running attack and a spotty pass game.
In the first half, Monroe's passing and running offense were almost non-existent. Monroe's first offensive possession ended after just three downs. However, there was no punt, as the 3rd-and-8 pass from senior Mitch Tordoff at his own 27 was intercepted by Sean Gerber and returned back to the 13-yard line. Two plays later, the Vikings' Jordan Adams plowed his way for the first score, just 2 minutes, 37 seconds into the game, to give Stoughton a 7-0 lead.
Monroe struggled to move the ball, gaining no yards in its first three possessions. On the third possession, Josh Popanz' kick was blocked, giving Stoughton the ball on the Cheesemakers' 2-yard line. Adams scored for the second time on the next play.
Monroe started to move the ball after that, but missed opportunities.
A fake punt run for a first down by Mitch McArdle kept the next drive alive, but the possession ended with a punt. Then Alex Dammen got going on the next drive with runs of 8, 20, 2 and 6 yards with a 41-yard screen pass thrown in to give Monroe a third-and-8 at the 15.
But Mitch Tordoff's pass was intercepted in the end zone, and Adams dashed past defenders for an 80-yard touchdown run on the next play, and Stoughton led 20-0.
The Cheesemakers reached red zone on the next possession, but Tordoff was picked off for a third time, again in the end zone, after McArdle tipped an errant pass into the hands of a diving Eric Gerber.
Trailing 14-0, Monroe was finally starting to move the ball on offense. Dammen gained another 20 yards on the first play of the new possession, and soon later, the Cheesemakers were in the redzone again. With 1:42 left in the first half from Stoughton's 13 yard line, Tordoff was picked off for the third time (second in the endzone), after McArdle tipped the errant pass into the hands of a diving Eric Gerber - the Vikings quarterback.
"We knew that we are a good football team and we could play with these guys," Miller said. "We missed some tackles and turned the ball over in the end zone. We knew we could play better, and credit to the kids for coming out and doing just that."
Monroe came out swinging in the second half. Dammen and Zach Rast barreled their way down the field in eight plays (73 yards). Tordoff's 7-yard pass to Steve Knox put Monroe on the board, trailing 20-7.
Then the defense stepped up, too.
"The first half we kind of let everyone down - a lot of slip-ups, a lot of missed tackles," senior linebacker Garrett Wyss said. "The second half we just wanted to come out hard and show them what we could do. Everyone did their jobs."
Monroe forced a three-and-out, and the next possession saw the Cheesemakers rumble another 52 yards, with Wyss plowing in from a yard out on second down with 4:17 left to play in the third quarter.
The offense didn't get going again until the final possession, which Monroe started at its own 44 with 4:44 left. The drive didn't start well, with Dammen getting tackled for a 7-yard loss and Tordoff drawing an intentional grounding call on second down.
It was third-and 31.
Tordoff took a flea flicker and chucked the ball to a streaking Dammen for a 14-yard gain down the sideline to set up fourth-and-17. Feeling the pressure with under three minutes to play, Tordoff dropped back in the pocket, dashed to avoid pass rushers and hurled a pass across midfield. Sophomore Brian Tordoff was there to snag the ball at the Stoughton 43.
"Brian has only gotten better all season long. I've said this before - he and his brother are only going to do something right and the best they can. It was a great throw and catch to give us a great first down," Miller said.
Mitch Tordoff hit McArdle a play later for nine yards and then hit Popanz inside the Vikings' 15-yard line. Three plays later, on third-and-7 from the 11, the Tordoffs connected again, this time for the game-tying touchdown.
As the crowd cheered in the background, Knox cooly hit the PAT, sending T.R. Holyoke Field into a frenzy.
"We've worked on two-minute drill all the time in practice. It just seemed like everything clicked. The line covered well," Mitch Tordoff said.
"I don't even know how to describe it. It's the greatest feeling in the world - coming back from down 20 points in the second half," Dammen said.
But the win wasn't secure. Adams returned the kickoff to midfield, and soon Stoughton was at Monroe's 38 with 1:30 left. A bad snap set the Vikings back to a second-and-25, then an offensive pass interference followed by an unsportsmanlike penalty put Stoughton in a fourth-and-55 situation.
Gerber's hail Mary pass with under a minute left was intercepted by Rast at Monroe's 38.
"We knew that was the game," Wyss said. "Nothing describes the feeling of coming back and sticking it to them."
"This was the biggest win of the season for these kids. I give credit to them. They've worked hard all season and deserve this one," Miller said.
Dammen finished with 223 yards on 33 carries - 151 in 19 rushes in the second half. Tordoff threw for 183 yards, and Monroe outgained Stoughton in yardage (434-157) and first downs (18-7). It was the turnover battle (Monroe 4, Stoughton 1) that allowed the game to stay close.
The Cheesemakers will not practice Sunday evening in order to prepare for their short week, as Monroe travels to Monona Grove (5-3, 3-2) on Wednesday night for the regular-season finale. What is on the line? Monroe's first chance to qualify for the playoffs in the past five years.
"The kids were really excited," Monroe head coach Curt Miller said. "The fans, everyone. This was the biggest win of the year."
Monroe rallied from a 20-0 halftime deficit to get the improbable win.
In their first season under Miller, Monroe has seen a resurgence - this is the team's first four-win season since 2003, when the Cheesemakers won five games in the regular season, and six total. Stoughton (4-4, 2-3), another team on the rise in the re-tooled Badger South Conference, carries a solid running attack and a spotty pass game.
In the first half, Monroe's passing and running offense were almost non-existent. Monroe's first offensive possession ended after just three downs. However, there was no punt, as the 3rd-and-8 pass from senior Mitch Tordoff at his own 27 was intercepted by Sean Gerber and returned back to the 13-yard line. Two plays later, the Vikings' Jordan Adams plowed his way for the first score, just 2 minutes, 37 seconds into the game, to give Stoughton a 7-0 lead.
Monroe struggled to move the ball, gaining no yards in its first three possessions. On the third possession, Josh Popanz' kick was blocked, giving Stoughton the ball on the Cheesemakers' 2-yard line. Adams scored for the second time on the next play.
Monroe started to move the ball after that, but missed opportunities.
A fake punt run for a first down by Mitch McArdle kept the next drive alive, but the possession ended with a punt. Then Alex Dammen got going on the next drive with runs of 8, 20, 2 and 6 yards with a 41-yard screen pass thrown in to give Monroe a third-and-8 at the 15.
But Mitch Tordoff's pass was intercepted in the end zone, and Adams dashed past defenders for an 80-yard touchdown run on the next play, and Stoughton led 20-0.
The Cheesemakers reached red zone on the next possession, but Tordoff was picked off for a third time, again in the end zone, after McArdle tipped an errant pass into the hands of a diving Eric Gerber.
Trailing 14-0, Monroe was finally starting to move the ball on offense. Dammen gained another 20 yards on the first play of the new possession, and soon later, the Cheesemakers were in the redzone again. With 1:42 left in the first half from Stoughton's 13 yard line, Tordoff was picked off for the third time (second in the endzone), after McArdle tipped the errant pass into the hands of a diving Eric Gerber - the Vikings quarterback.
"We knew that we are a good football team and we could play with these guys," Miller said. "We missed some tackles and turned the ball over in the end zone. We knew we could play better, and credit to the kids for coming out and doing just that."
Monroe came out swinging in the second half. Dammen and Zach Rast barreled their way down the field in eight plays (73 yards). Tordoff's 7-yard pass to Steve Knox put Monroe on the board, trailing 20-7.
Then the defense stepped up, too.
"The first half we kind of let everyone down - a lot of slip-ups, a lot of missed tackles," senior linebacker Garrett Wyss said. "The second half we just wanted to come out hard and show them what we could do. Everyone did their jobs."
Monroe forced a three-and-out, and the next possession saw the Cheesemakers rumble another 52 yards, with Wyss plowing in from a yard out on second down with 4:17 left to play in the third quarter.
The offense didn't get going again until the final possession, which Monroe started at its own 44 with 4:44 left. The drive didn't start well, with Dammen getting tackled for a 7-yard loss and Tordoff drawing an intentional grounding call on second down.
It was third-and 31.
Tordoff took a flea flicker and chucked the ball to a streaking Dammen for a 14-yard gain down the sideline to set up fourth-and-17. Feeling the pressure with under three minutes to play, Tordoff dropped back in the pocket, dashed to avoid pass rushers and hurled a pass across midfield. Sophomore Brian Tordoff was there to snag the ball at the Stoughton 43.
"Brian has only gotten better all season long. I've said this before - he and his brother are only going to do something right and the best they can. It was a great throw and catch to give us a great first down," Miller said.
Mitch Tordoff hit McArdle a play later for nine yards and then hit Popanz inside the Vikings' 15-yard line. Three plays later, on third-and-7 from the 11, the Tordoffs connected again, this time for the game-tying touchdown.
As the crowd cheered in the background, Knox cooly hit the PAT, sending T.R. Holyoke Field into a frenzy.
"We've worked on two-minute drill all the time in practice. It just seemed like everything clicked. The line covered well," Mitch Tordoff said.
"I don't even know how to describe it. It's the greatest feeling in the world - coming back from down 20 points in the second half," Dammen said.
But the win wasn't secure. Adams returned the kickoff to midfield, and soon Stoughton was at Monroe's 38 with 1:30 left. A bad snap set the Vikings back to a second-and-25, then an offensive pass interference followed by an unsportsmanlike penalty put Stoughton in a fourth-and-55 situation.
Gerber's hail Mary pass with under a minute left was intercepted by Rast at Monroe's 38.
"We knew that was the game," Wyss said. "Nothing describes the feeling of coming back and sticking it to them."
"This was the biggest win of the season for these kids. I give credit to them. They've worked hard all season and deserve this one," Miller said.
Dammen finished with 223 yards on 33 carries - 151 in 19 rushes in the second half. Tordoff threw for 183 yards, and Monroe outgained Stoughton in yardage (434-157) and first downs (18-7). It was the turnover battle (Monroe 4, Stoughton 1) that allowed the game to stay close.
The Cheesemakers will not practice Sunday evening in order to prepare for their short week, as Monroe travels to Monona Grove (5-3, 3-2) on Wednesday night for the regular-season finale. What is on the line? Monroe's first chance to qualify for the playoffs in the past five years.
