STOUGHTON - Monroe senior Jon Becker returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown with 17 seconds to go to catapult the Cheesemakers to a thrilling 27-20 win over Stoughton Friday night.
Becker rushed for 189 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns. He scored his fourth touchdown of the game on the game-winning punt return. After the game, the Cheesemakers hoisted Becker on their shoulders and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" blared on the speakers as one of the first postgame songs.
Becker kept believing even after the Vikings rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie it late in the fourth quarter.
"My favorite player in the NFL is DeSean Jackson of the Eagles," Becker said. "He had one (punt return) just like this one. He has inspired me. I knew I was going to take it to the house."
The late game heroics by Becker wouldn't have been possible without some big plays by the Cheesemakers' defense. Monroe senior Colin Lehman recorded his second sack of the game with 40 seconds left to force the Vikings to punt to Becker.
"I read what I needed to do and I just got to the quarterback," Lehman said.
The Cheesemakers' defense came up with a goal line stand at the start of the fourth quarter to force the Vikings into a turnover on downs. On the Cheesemakers' ensuing possession, Becker on third-and-9 raced 96-yards for a touchdown to give the Cheesemakers a 20-6 lead with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.
"This is probably one of the most memorable games I or the kids will ever be a part of," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "I'm honored to be a part of it. Hopefully, it's a step in a forward direction for the program."
Miller credited the plays the defense made for keying the win.
"Everyone will see Jon's name in the paper and deservedly so," Miller said. "Without that goal line stand, Jon doesn't have a 96-yard touchdown run. Without Colin's sack, Jon doesn't have that punt return. It was a team effort tonight."
Early on, it looked like the Cheesemakers would run away with the game. Monroe sophomore Ryan Hughes blocked two punts in the first half. Hughes' first blocked a punt set up the Cheesemakers' first scoring drive. Becker capped a 10-play, 44-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run. Becker returned a punt 21 yards in the second quarter to set up the Cheesemakers' next scoring drive. Nine plays later, he smashed in for a 1-yard TD run. Becker's two-point conversion run came up short and the Cheesemakers led 13-0 with 7:33 left in the second quarter.
"It feels great pounding a team and know that you are going to win," Becker said.
Stoughton's Conner Kowalkowski returned a kickoff 40 yards midway through the second quarter that set up the Vikings at the Cheesemakers' 45-yard line. The Vikings capitalized on the field position with a 12-play scoring drive, culminating in Jalen Clark's 1-yard TD run that cut the Cheesemakers' halftime lead to 13-6.
The Cheesemakers two blocked punts and forced a fumble in the first quarter, but they were only able to generate seven points on the Vikings' miscues.
"Stoughton has a good defense and they made some plays," Miller said. "We play in a tough conference. This was a stepping stone. We got through our four game grinder."
It looked like the Cheesemakers put the game away when Becker scored on a 96-yard run in the fourth quarter. Stoughton quarterback Tony Volk tossed two touchdowns in less than four minutes to rally the Vikings. He connected with Max Fuller on a 20-yard TD and Kowalkowski on a 37-yard TD pass to tie the game at 20 with 4:07 to go.
"A lot of times when you give up a 96-yard touchdown on third and long, it makes the other team crumble," Miller said. "Stoughton had a lot of resiliency. You have to give them credit."
The Cheesemakers' defense limited the Vikings to just 27 total rushing yards. Volk completed 18 of 27 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Monroe junior quarterback Alex Barenklau completed 2 of 9 passes for 14 yards.
The first four games of the season for the Cheesemakers included Waunakee and Monona Grove. Miller said the playoffs are still on the radar.
The Cheesemakers will have to finish at least .500 in conference to be eligible for the playoffs. Monroe plays at Milton next week.
"We needed to hunker down for Milton next week," Lehman said. "We have to keep this intensity we have."
Becker rushed for 189 yards on 25 carries and scored three touchdowns. He scored his fourth touchdown of the game on the game-winning punt return. After the game, the Cheesemakers hoisted Becker on their shoulders and Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" blared on the speakers as one of the first postgame songs.
Becker kept believing even after the Vikings rallied from a 14-point deficit to tie it late in the fourth quarter.
"My favorite player in the NFL is DeSean Jackson of the Eagles," Becker said. "He had one (punt return) just like this one. He has inspired me. I knew I was going to take it to the house."
The late game heroics by Becker wouldn't have been possible without some big plays by the Cheesemakers' defense. Monroe senior Colin Lehman recorded his second sack of the game with 40 seconds left to force the Vikings to punt to Becker.
"I read what I needed to do and I just got to the quarterback," Lehman said.
The Cheesemakers' defense came up with a goal line stand at the start of the fourth quarter to force the Vikings into a turnover on downs. On the Cheesemakers' ensuing possession, Becker on third-and-9 raced 96-yards for a touchdown to give the Cheesemakers a 20-6 lead with 8:49 left in the fourth quarter.
"This is probably one of the most memorable games I or the kids will ever be a part of," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "I'm honored to be a part of it. Hopefully, it's a step in a forward direction for the program."
Miller credited the plays the defense made for keying the win.
"Everyone will see Jon's name in the paper and deservedly so," Miller said. "Without that goal line stand, Jon doesn't have a 96-yard touchdown run. Without Colin's sack, Jon doesn't have that punt return. It was a team effort tonight."
Early on, it looked like the Cheesemakers would run away with the game. Monroe sophomore Ryan Hughes blocked two punts in the first half. Hughes' first blocked a punt set up the Cheesemakers' first scoring drive. Becker capped a 10-play, 44-yard drive with a 3-yard TD run. Becker returned a punt 21 yards in the second quarter to set up the Cheesemakers' next scoring drive. Nine plays later, he smashed in for a 1-yard TD run. Becker's two-point conversion run came up short and the Cheesemakers led 13-0 with 7:33 left in the second quarter.
"It feels great pounding a team and know that you are going to win," Becker said.
Stoughton's Conner Kowalkowski returned a kickoff 40 yards midway through the second quarter that set up the Vikings at the Cheesemakers' 45-yard line. The Vikings capitalized on the field position with a 12-play scoring drive, culminating in Jalen Clark's 1-yard TD run that cut the Cheesemakers' halftime lead to 13-6.
The Cheesemakers two blocked punts and forced a fumble in the first quarter, but they were only able to generate seven points on the Vikings' miscues.
"Stoughton has a good defense and they made some plays," Miller said. "We play in a tough conference. This was a stepping stone. We got through our four game grinder."
It looked like the Cheesemakers put the game away when Becker scored on a 96-yard run in the fourth quarter. Stoughton quarterback Tony Volk tossed two touchdowns in less than four minutes to rally the Vikings. He connected with Max Fuller on a 20-yard TD and Kowalkowski on a 37-yard TD pass to tie the game at 20 with 4:07 to go.
"A lot of times when you give up a 96-yard touchdown on third and long, it makes the other team crumble," Miller said. "Stoughton had a lot of resiliency. You have to give them credit."
The Cheesemakers' defense limited the Vikings to just 27 total rushing yards. Volk completed 18 of 27 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns. Monroe junior quarterback Alex Barenklau completed 2 of 9 passes for 14 yards.
The first four games of the season for the Cheesemakers included Waunakee and Monona Grove. Miller said the playoffs are still on the radar.
The Cheesemakers will have to finish at least .500 in conference to be eligible for the playoffs. Monroe plays at Milton next week.
"We needed to hunker down for Milton next week," Lehman said. "We have to keep this intensity we have."
