GREENDALE – The Cheesemakers punched their way into the third round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs with a thumping of top-ranked Greendale Oct. 30.
Gale-force winds and steady light rain kept the field and ball slick, turning Greendale’s balanced offense into a one-dimensional attack. Monroe bottled up the Hawks on defense, and offensively kept the Panthers (10-1) on their heels.
“It was amazing,” said junior Charlie Wiegel. “Especially playing in not-great conditions. With our game, we love playing in that sort of stuff.”
With the 42-6 win, Monroe (9-2) will host Rock Valley rival Jefferson (8-2) in Level 3, as the Eagles upended New Berlin Eisenhower.
“It will be a battle,” Monroe head coach Toby Golembiewski said. “Two Rock Valley teams – a conference that people thumbed their noses down to in playoff advancement and seeding, and look what we have here – three Rock Valley teams in Level 3. Away we go.”
Unbeaten conference champion Madison Edgewood also advanced in Division 4. The Rock Valley is 6-1 this postseason, while Greendale’s conference, the Woodland, was just 1-4.
Monroe’s wing offense put up more than 400 yards of offense against Greendale, with three runners reaching the century mark in the game. Senior JT Seagreaves finished with a game-high 164 yards and two scores on just 10 carries, while Keatin Sweeney had 106 yards and a score on 12 carries, and fullback Alex Hernandez tallied 120 yards and three scores on 17 touches. Hernandez and Seagreaves both crossed the 1,000-yard rushing threshold on the same drive – Monroe’s first of the second half. Sweeney crossed the mark a week prior in a win at Whitnall.
The defense is what set the tone for Monroe. Greendale’s passing game was never able to get going when the score was within reach, and the Cheesemakers dominated the line of scrimmage right from the opening kickoff. The Panthers finished the night with just 145 yards of offense – 122 of that coming on 28 carries. QB Zach Sheridan was held to just 2 of 18 passing for 23 yards with two second half interceptions – after entering the game with a 57% completion rate, 21 TDs and just six INTs. Sheridan didn’t complete a pass until the 3:42 mark in the fourth quarter.
“We kept up the intensity (in practice) this week. We played better this week in practice, and our coaches did a really good job of studying the other team and really good keys to watch,” said Monroe junior linebacker Charlie Wiegel.
Hernandez and Seagreaves scored short-yardage touchdowns in the first half, and the Cheesemakers led 13-0 at the break. Seagreaves took the opening snap of the second half for more than 60 yards, setting up an 18-yard TD run by Hernandez.
“A game like this is really fun – it’s all about work and toughness. You have to come out and grind in this weather, because there’s not a lot of throwing, and that’s what we like,” Seagreaves said.
Greendale got on the board just under four minutes later with a 54-yard TD run by running back Javon Murry, but Monroe countered right away. Just a few snaps into their drive, Seagreaves broke a tackle in the second level and used his elite speed to score from 65 yards out, making it 28-6.
On the next drive, Wiegel found himself in the backfield pressuring Sheridan, which had become routine throughout the night. Wiegel flushed Sheridan out of the pocket and into a panic throw back across the middle. The ball was tipped, and Seagreaves caught it at the line of scrimmage, setting Monroe up with a short field, which was almost immediately turned into points, as Hernandez punched a score in from four yards out moments later.
“After that Evansville game, the coaches were telling me ‘go’ into the backfield and sack the quarterback” instead of dropping into coverage, Wiegel said. “This time I made sure I stayed home. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that I helped make that play (interception).”
Sweeney added a 23-yard TD run with 9:18 left in the fourth to make it 42-6 and ignite the running clock. Aaron Roidt picked off Sheridan’s last pass in the final minute, running it back nearly 70 yards before being brought down. The clock ran out before Monroe even had to snap the ball to kneel.
Jefferson defeated Eisenhower (5-6) by three scores in Level 3. That means the Eagles, the 6-seed, will play at Monroe (No. 5 seed) in Level 3. Monroe received the No. 5 seed in the sectional despite a No. 7 ranking in the state.
In Level 1, the entire D3 sectional was turned upside down, with Greendale the only top seed winning. That meant that if Monroe could get past the Panthers, the seniors on the Cheesemakers squad would get to play one final game at T.R. Holyoke Field.
“It means a lot and feels great to get to go back and play in Monroe one final time – because for us seniors we know it will be the last time playing at home. I think that will make us play even harder,” Seagreaves said.
Jefferson runs a similar offense to Monroe – a triple wing style of play that sees a lot of rushing plays and very few passing attempts. The Eagles have gained over 2,100 yards on the ground this fall, a strong number, but one that pales in comparison to Monroe’s 4,024.
“These two styles facing each other? It will be a brawl,” Golembiewski said. “They are going to bring it and we will need to be ready to go.”
Jefferson has outscored opponents 255-142, including 173-68 in the first half. The Cheesemakers hold a 395-137 advantage in the scoring department, including a 198-77 spread in the first half.
In their previous meeting, Monroe held on to win 18-7 at Jefferson.
“It’s going to be amazing, especially being able to swap fields. They know what we are like, and we know what they are like. It’s going to be a battle,” Wiegel said.
