NEW GLARUS - Senior linebacker Forrest Havens understands that defense wins championships. Havens and the New Glarus-Monticello football team's smothering defense performance sparked a 35-0 win over Cambridge Friday night.
With the win, New Glarus-Monticello (5-4) clinched the Capitol South Conference outright by virtue of Belleville's 23-20 win over Marshall, which was tied with the Glarner Knights atop the conference entering the regular season finale.
"Ever since we were little eighth-graders, we said we were going to win a conference championship," Havens said. "We accomplished that goal. It feels amazing. We have worked four years for this moment."
The Knights stifled the Blue Jays limiting them to just 36 total yards (19 rushing yards) and just one first down. Cambridge running back Josh Owens entered the game averaging 145 yards per game. The Knights bottled him up limiting him to 10 rushing yards on 10 carries.
"The boys played lights-out," New Glarus-Monticello coach Desie Breadon said. "We knew that was the way they could play. We talked to them and asked them if they wanted to be the team that lost four games or won four games and wanted to get to the next level. We wanted to take the bad loss (40-34 to Waterloo) out of our mouth from last week."
The Knights wasted no time early on in the first quarter marching 63-yards in eight plays, culminating in Gavin Binger's 24-yard TD pass to Havens. The Knights then capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive with senior Jim Chenoweth rumbling for a 22-yard TD run to give the Knights a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. With the Knights facing fourth-and-2 from the Blue Jays' 35-yard line, New Glarus-Monticello senior Casey Severson had a 13-yard run to keep the drive alive.
Chenoweth rushed for 149 yards on 24 carries, scored two touchdowns and had a key interception in the second half.
"Coming off of last week we could have folded," Chenoweth said of the heartbreaking loss to Waterloo in which the Knights had a 14-point lead. "We knew they (Cambridge) only had one loss and were a good team. We haven't played like that all year. We wanted conference and we won it tonight. With Belleville beating Marshall, (that) was unexpected. That was icing on the cake."
The Knights had a clock-chewing nine-play, 47-yard drive that spanned late in the third quarter into the fourth. Severson scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Knights a 21-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Knights racked up 311 total rushing yards and Severson rushed for 61 yards on 19 carries and scored one touchdown.
Chenoweth added a 3-yard TD run and Dristen Kriebs capped the scoring with a 3-yard TD run to give the Knights the momentum they need heading into the playoffs.
The Knights forced two turnovers - one interception and a fumble recovered by Jacob Larson.
"Everyone did their assignments 100 percent," Chenoweth said. "Everyone did their job together."
Binger was 3 of 8 passing for 61 yards and one touchdown. He had a a second 24-yard TD pass to Havens in the second half that was wiped out by a holding penalty. Havens was excited to score his first touchdown on the varsity in the first quarter.
"Emotion-wise I was fully prepared after that," Havens said. "It was my first touchdown on varsity. It was overwhelming."
New Glarus-Monticello senior Patrick Elzen started the season at quarterback, but the Knights switched to Binger to quarterback and Elzen to wingback in the middle of the season.
"We thought that would give us the most dangerous option with Gavin at quarterback and Patrick at wingback," Breadon said.
With the win, New Glarus-Monticello (5-4) clinched the Capitol South Conference outright by virtue of Belleville's 23-20 win over Marshall, which was tied with the Glarner Knights atop the conference entering the regular season finale.
"Ever since we were little eighth-graders, we said we were going to win a conference championship," Havens said. "We accomplished that goal. It feels amazing. We have worked four years for this moment."
The Knights stifled the Blue Jays limiting them to just 36 total yards (19 rushing yards) and just one first down. Cambridge running back Josh Owens entered the game averaging 145 yards per game. The Knights bottled him up limiting him to 10 rushing yards on 10 carries.
"The boys played lights-out," New Glarus-Monticello coach Desie Breadon said. "We knew that was the way they could play. We talked to them and asked them if they wanted to be the team that lost four games or won four games and wanted to get to the next level. We wanted to take the bad loss (40-34 to Waterloo) out of our mouth from last week."
The Knights wasted no time early on in the first quarter marching 63-yards in eight plays, culminating in Gavin Binger's 24-yard TD pass to Havens. The Knights then capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive with senior Jim Chenoweth rumbling for a 22-yard TD run to give the Knights a 14-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. With the Knights facing fourth-and-2 from the Blue Jays' 35-yard line, New Glarus-Monticello senior Casey Severson had a 13-yard run to keep the drive alive.
Chenoweth rushed for 149 yards on 24 carries, scored two touchdowns and had a key interception in the second half.
"Coming off of last week we could have folded," Chenoweth said of the heartbreaking loss to Waterloo in which the Knights had a 14-point lead. "We knew they (Cambridge) only had one loss and were a good team. We haven't played like that all year. We wanted conference and we won it tonight. With Belleville beating Marshall, (that) was unexpected. That was icing on the cake."
The Knights had a clock-chewing nine-play, 47-yard drive that spanned late in the third quarter into the fourth. Severson scored on a 1-yard plunge to give the Knights a 21-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Knights racked up 311 total rushing yards and Severson rushed for 61 yards on 19 carries and scored one touchdown.
Chenoweth added a 3-yard TD run and Dristen Kriebs capped the scoring with a 3-yard TD run to give the Knights the momentum they need heading into the playoffs.
The Knights forced two turnovers - one interception and a fumble recovered by Jacob Larson.
"Everyone did their assignments 100 percent," Chenoweth said. "Everyone did their job together."
Binger was 3 of 8 passing for 61 yards and one touchdown. He had a a second 24-yard TD pass to Havens in the second half that was wiped out by a holding penalty. Havens was excited to score his first touchdown on the varsity in the first quarter.
"Emotion-wise I was fully prepared after that," Havens said. "It was my first touchdown on varsity. It was overwhelming."
New Glarus-Monticello senior Patrick Elzen started the season at quarterback, but the Knights switched to Binger to quarterback and Elzen to wingback in the middle of the season.
"We thought that would give us the most dangerous option with Gavin at quarterback and Patrick at wingback," Breadon said.
