MONROE - DeForest junior Logan Hackl rushed for 132 yards and scored two touchdowns, but it was the Norskies' defense that stymied Monroe, stuffing the Cheesemakers for a 27-7 nonconference loss in the home opener Friday night.
"DeForest was driven and hungry after losing to Oregon," Monroe coach Toby Golembiewski said. "They stuck it to our offense. Their defense played great and they just flew around. They are a team built to compete with and beat Waunakee every year. We talked about it on Monday, DeForest didn't care if we won or lost against Reedsburg."
The Norskies' 4-4 defense held Monroe (1-1) without a first down in the first half and limited the Cheesemakers to just 23 total yards. Monroe didn't pick up a first down until their first drive of the third quarter. The Norskies' offense ran 20 plays in Cheesemakers' territory in the first half to roll up a 13-0 lead at the half.
"It was a very anemic attempt," Golembiewski said of the Cheesemakers' offense. "There were times where we didn't get off the ball and sustain blocks. I thought our defense played well for the amount of time they were on the field. If you don't get a first down and don't score or change the field and get the defense off the field, those points (DeForest scored) are on the offense."
The loss may have come at a cost. Monroe senior safety and wide receiver Brayden Zettle left the game with an injury and came back on the field in the fourth quarter with a cast on his hand.
Golembiewski didn't want to speculate on whether Zettle had dislocated or broken his thumb. He didn't know the severity of the injury.
"It's something with his hand," he said of Zettle. "We have to make sure we are as healthy as we can be next week at Milton. If we are not, that always throws a wrench into things."
Golembiewski said he's not sure if Zettle will miss any games.
"It might have to be the next man up next week," he said.
The Cheesemakers' defense got off to a promising start as Monroe senior Sam Kind intercepted DeForest senior quarterback Sam Vomhof's pass. After a three-plays-and-out, Monroe stepped up with a defensive stand that led to a turnover on downs. With the Norskies facing a fourth-and-5 from the Cheesemakers' 24-yard line, Monroe stuffed Vomhof on a 1-yard run. Vomhof was injured on the play and the Norskies went to sophomore backup quarterback Trey Schroeder the rest of the game.
Schroeder gave the Norskies a spark. The Norskies' six-play, 49-yard drive in the second quarter culminated in Schroeder's 4-yard TD run to give DeForest a 7-0 lead with 8 minutes, 30 seconds to go in the quarter.
The Norskies again capitalized on golden field position and capped an eight-play, 47-yard drive with Hackl's 5-yard TD run late in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers were called for running into the kicker and the Norskies opted to go for a two-point play. The Cheesemakers' defense bottled up Hackl on a run on the two-point conversion attempt to keep the Norskies' lead at 13-0.
The Norskies limited the Cheesemakers to 143 total yards in the game. One week after rushing for 344 yards in a season-opening 31-13 win over Reedsburg, the Norskies held Monroe to 123 rushing yards.
Monroe senior Dempzy Foley rushed for 53 yards on nine carries. Junior running back Jordan Montgomery rushed for 32 yards on eight carries and senior Travis Wolf had 27 rushing yards on eight carries.
"The coaches told us exactly what they do and run and how to block it," said junior quarterback Anthany Hernandez, who scored the team's only touchdown on a run. "The job just didn't get done. We have to get our stuff together on offense and defense so we don't have mistakes like tonight so we can win."
Kind had a 4-yard run on the Cheesemakers' first possession of the third quarter for the first down. Wolf then ripped off a 9-yard run later in the drive. The drive stalled and the Cheesemakers were forced to punt.
DeForest senior Jarrett Klein made a big play on special teams with a 62-yard punt return that set up the Norskies' next scoring opportunity. Three plays later, Hackl rammed in for a 2-yard TD run to give the Norskies a 20-0 lead.
Hernandez had a 9-yard touchdown run about midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Norskies' lead to 20-7. DeForest sophomore Evan Armstrong answered with a 20-yard touchdown run.
"It felt good to score," Hernandez said. "We still had to get our stuff together and get going. We have a lot of power in the backfield. We just have to get our momentum going and we will be good."
"DeForest was driven and hungry after losing to Oregon," Monroe coach Toby Golembiewski said. "They stuck it to our offense. Their defense played great and they just flew around. They are a team built to compete with and beat Waunakee every year. We talked about it on Monday, DeForest didn't care if we won or lost against Reedsburg."
The Norskies' 4-4 defense held Monroe (1-1) without a first down in the first half and limited the Cheesemakers to just 23 total yards. Monroe didn't pick up a first down until their first drive of the third quarter. The Norskies' offense ran 20 plays in Cheesemakers' territory in the first half to roll up a 13-0 lead at the half.
"It was a very anemic attempt," Golembiewski said of the Cheesemakers' offense. "There were times where we didn't get off the ball and sustain blocks. I thought our defense played well for the amount of time they were on the field. If you don't get a first down and don't score or change the field and get the defense off the field, those points (DeForest scored) are on the offense."
The loss may have come at a cost. Monroe senior safety and wide receiver Brayden Zettle left the game with an injury and came back on the field in the fourth quarter with a cast on his hand.
Golembiewski didn't want to speculate on whether Zettle had dislocated or broken his thumb. He didn't know the severity of the injury.
"It's something with his hand," he said of Zettle. "We have to make sure we are as healthy as we can be next week at Milton. If we are not, that always throws a wrench into things."
Golembiewski said he's not sure if Zettle will miss any games.
"It might have to be the next man up next week," he said.
The Cheesemakers' defense got off to a promising start as Monroe senior Sam Kind intercepted DeForest senior quarterback Sam Vomhof's pass. After a three-plays-and-out, Monroe stepped up with a defensive stand that led to a turnover on downs. With the Norskies facing a fourth-and-5 from the Cheesemakers' 24-yard line, Monroe stuffed Vomhof on a 1-yard run. Vomhof was injured on the play and the Norskies went to sophomore backup quarterback Trey Schroeder the rest of the game.
Schroeder gave the Norskies a spark. The Norskies' six-play, 49-yard drive in the second quarter culminated in Schroeder's 4-yard TD run to give DeForest a 7-0 lead with 8 minutes, 30 seconds to go in the quarter.
The Norskies again capitalized on golden field position and capped an eight-play, 47-yard drive with Hackl's 5-yard TD run late in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers were called for running into the kicker and the Norskies opted to go for a two-point play. The Cheesemakers' defense bottled up Hackl on a run on the two-point conversion attempt to keep the Norskies' lead at 13-0.
The Norskies limited the Cheesemakers to 143 total yards in the game. One week after rushing for 344 yards in a season-opening 31-13 win over Reedsburg, the Norskies held Monroe to 123 rushing yards.
Monroe senior Dempzy Foley rushed for 53 yards on nine carries. Junior running back Jordan Montgomery rushed for 32 yards on eight carries and senior Travis Wolf had 27 rushing yards on eight carries.
"The coaches told us exactly what they do and run and how to block it," said junior quarterback Anthany Hernandez, who scored the team's only touchdown on a run. "The job just didn't get done. We have to get our stuff together on offense and defense so we don't have mistakes like tonight so we can win."
Kind had a 4-yard run on the Cheesemakers' first possession of the third quarter for the first down. Wolf then ripped off a 9-yard run later in the drive. The drive stalled and the Cheesemakers were forced to punt.
DeForest senior Jarrett Klein made a big play on special teams with a 62-yard punt return that set up the Norskies' next scoring opportunity. Three plays later, Hackl rammed in for a 2-yard TD run to give the Norskies a 20-0 lead.
Hernandez had a 9-yard touchdown run about midway through the fourth quarter to cut the Norskies' lead to 20-7. DeForest sophomore Evan Armstrong answered with a 20-yard touchdown run.
"It felt good to score," Hernandez said. "We still had to get our stuff together and get going. We have a lot of power in the backfield. We just have to get our momentum going and we will be good."
