BRODHEAD — The fifth-ranked Cardinals opened the postseason with a methodical 42-13 win over Watertown Luther Prep in the opening round of the WIAA Division 5 playoffs Oct. 22. 

Brodhead-Juda dominated the ground game, gaining 279 yards rushing and 323 yards of offense in total. The Phoenix had 109 yards on the ground and 180 in the game. 

Gage Boegli had 143 yards rushing and four touchdowns on just 10 carries. Brady Rosheisen added 75 yards on 15 carries, while Cole Hoesly and Aiden Vondra combined for 68 more yards on 10 total totes. Hoesly was also 2 of 5 passing for 44 yards and a score.

Brodhead-Juda got the first score of the game with 36 seconds left in the first quarter when Hoesly connected with Gunner Boegli from 19-yards out. WLP tied it at 7-1 two minutes into the second, but the Cardinals took a 14-7 lead into the break thanks to a 10-yard TD run by Gage Boegli with 5:35 left in the half.

The Cardinals broke it open in the third quarter, with two more Gage Boegli scores. Less than a minute into the half, he broke free for a 59-yard TD run. Just over nine minutes later he added a 15-yard score. Vondra made it 35-7 with a 42-yard score with 10:34 left in the fourth, and Gage Boegli capped the scoring with an 8-yard run with 5:39 left in regulation.

WLP’s final score came as time expired on a 1-yard TD pass.

Up next for the Cardinals is SWC foe Richland Center, which defeated Prairie du Chien 31-23, capped by a TD run with 54 seconds left in regulation. The game will be played at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29 in Brodhead. Earlier this season Brodhead-Juda defeated Richland Center 47-10 in Week 4 before pulling out a 3-point win over PDC in Week 9.

The Hornets (7-3) are having their best year in decades — the last time Richland Center won a playoff game was 1993. The team runs the ball much more frequently than it passes, having gained nearly 2,000 yards on the ground compared to 863 through the air. The Cardinals (10-0) have run for over 3,000 yards and thrown for another 676. 

In their Week 4 matchup, Brodhead-Juda didn’t run at all and gained 368 yards on the ground, while Richland Center had 188 yards total. Gage Boegli had 228 yards rushing and four scores on just 13 attempts (17.5 ypc).

WIAA Division 6

Darlington 41, BSMS 0

DARLINGTON — The sixth-ranked Redbirds faced little pushback in a Level 1 win over Benton-Scales Mound-Shullsburg Oct. 22.

Eight players carried the ball two times or more for Darlington, which rushed for 315 yards total. Brady Horne led the way with 96 yards on 13 carries. Braden Davis, Easton Evenstad and Maddox Goebel all scored on running plays. Davis was 3-for-4 passing for 66 yards and two scores, while backup Cadyn Burbach added a 13-yard TD pass on his only attempt. Hunter Hardyman, Carver Fitzsimons and Goebel all caught TD passes.

Darlington jumped out to a 16-0 lead after the first quarter and led 28-0 at halftime. The Redbirds added scored in both the third and fourth quarters.

Up next is Mondovi (6-4) in a game to be played at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 in Darlington. Mondovi is also run-heavy (2,915 yards), but can pass when necessary (1,119 yards) and average 37.1 points per game and win by an average of three scores. The Redbirds have averaged 45.4 points per game and outscore opponents by an average of more than four scores. Darlington also has 3,452 rushing yards this season and 706 passing.

Mondovi’s four losses included a three-score loss to Osceola in Week 2, a one-point loss to Stanley-Boyd in Week 5, and 8-point losses to Regis and Durand in Weeks 7 and 9. Darlington’s lone loss came in Week 2 to Saint Mary’s Springs.

The winner of Darlington-Mondovi will play either Cuba City or Lancaster in Level 3.

Division 7

Black Hawk-Warren 30, Randolph 0

SOUTH WAYNE — It took a bit to get going, but the Warriors found a way to break through against the Rockets in a Level 1 game Oct. 22.

“Randolph was a really good team,” Black Hawk-Warren coach Desie Breadon said. “They were even better in person than on film.”

The Warriors gained 284 yards rushing on the day and another 60 through the air. QB Brayden Bohnsack tossed two TD passes and added 126 yards rushing on 16 carries. Landen Mahoney added 72 yards rushing and a score, Lucas Mils had 73 yards on the ground, and Jovanny Erickson added a 13-yard TD with 1:59 left in the fourth to cap the scoring. Elijah Shelton and Lane Raab each had receiving scores.

“Their outside linebackers especially gave us a number of challenges to adjust to. We had way too many penalties in the game and it really affected drives in the first half. I was really frustrated with us not finishing off drives and continuing to do the things that had hurt us the week before,” Breadon said. “We did play much better in the second half. We played better technique and assignment football, especially up front, the second half of the game. The field position was a huge advantage during the game.”

Up next for the ninth-ranked Warriors is seventh-ranked Hilbert (9-1), which has outscored opponents 38-16 on average this season. The Warriors win the scoring battle 26-12.

Both teams like to run the ball, with Hilbert gaining 3,140 yards on the ground this season, all while attempting just 27 passes. Black Hawk-Warren is a bit more balanced, with 2,297 yards on the ground and 503 through the air on 85 tries.

The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, in Hilbert. The winner will play either Burlington Catholic Central or No. 4-ranked Reedsville.