DELAVAN — The top-ranked Cheesemakers didn’t skip a beat at Delavan-Darien in Week 6, winning 55-0 on Sept. 23.
Monroe led 27-0 after the first quarter, and 41-0 by halftime. The reserves tacked on two more scored in the second half with the running clock.
Keatin Sweeney had 235 yards rushing on just 13 attempts for Monroe, scoring three times in the first quarter. He had touchdown runs of 3, 80 and 5 yards. Tucker Markham added 83 yards and two TDs on just three carries, including scoring runs of 51 and 21 yards, and added a 48-yard catch. Senior fullback Alex Hernandez, the team’s leading rusher this season, had 55 yards and a 21-yard score on just seven carries. Lane Meier had 10 tackles, Charlie Wiegel added a sack and Drew Indergand intercepted a pass.
The Cheesemakers gained 523 yards of offense on just 35 plays (14.9 yards per play), while defensively holding Delavan-Darien to just 82 yards of offense on 37 plays (2.2 ypp). Monroe leads the state in rushing by nearly 400 yards, with a collective average rushing attempt going for 10.5 yards.
Up next for Monroe is a homecoming game against Edgerton, which sits at 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the Rock Valley. The Tiders have been outscored 97-144, while Monroe has walloped teams by a combined score of 264-34. Four of Monroe’s six wins have been shut outs.
Edgerton’s offense is balanced, but nowhere close to as efficient as Monroe. The Tiders have 1,074 yards of offense, with about 60% coming via the air on 46.9% passing. The Tiders also have nine touchdowns to nine turnovers.
Monroe meanwhile, has 2,561 yards rushing alone and nearly 2,800 yards of offense with a TD-to-turnover ratio of 39-2. Hernandez is averaging 9.5 yards per carry with 848 yards rushing and eight TDs total. Sweeney has 676 yards (10.9) with 12 TDs, while Kaden Kuester (369 yards), Tucker Markham (244) and Ben Gatdula (139) have split carries at the third tailback position.
Brodhead 54, Dodgeville 14
BRODHEAD — The Cardinals, ranked No. 3 in Division 5, rumbled past Dodgeville in their game Sept. 24.
Blake Matthys scored the opening TD of the game for Brodhead-Juda in the first quarter, then on Dodgeville’s first play, a poorly tossed pitch hit the turf at the Dodger 15, with the Cardinals recovering. On the very next play, QB Gabe Bockhop threw a high-arching corner fade to Gunner Boegli for a second TD.
On the second play of the second quarter, the Cards punted away, only for the Dodger return man to muff the punt right into the arms of Bockhop, the gunner. Two plays later, Matthys bullied into the end zone for another TD, putting the Cardinals up 22-0.
Dodgeville answered on their next drive, scoring on a fourth down pass from 21-yards out in an empty backfield set with four wideouts to the left. Brodhead-Juda looked as though to be answering on the ensuing drive, but a 30-plus yard pickup on a throw to Boegli went for naught when the ball was punched free from behind inside the Dodgeville 15-yard-line. This time, the Cardinals D came up with a big stop as David Maslowski picked off a pass at his own 5, keeping the difference at 22-6 at halftime.
Matthys scored again on the opening drive of the third quarter on a 14-yard rush. On Dodgeville’s next possession, the Dodgers gained a mid-field first down on a 4th-and-1, and on the next play Isaac Saunders missed an interception by his fingertips. On second down, Matthys picked off a pass at the 36 and returned it 64 yards for a score, making it 35-6.
After a 3-and-out, Dodgeville punted again, and moments later Aidyn Vondra took a sweep to the house from 65 yards away. On Dodgeville’s next play, Boegli picked off a ball along the sideline. Six plays later, moments into the fourth quarter, Sean Huffman barreled in for another TD to make it 47-6.
Two snaps later, the Cardinals struck again as Vondra stepped in front of a receiver, intercepting a pass, then running 40 yards down the field for a score — including hurdling a defender. The score was the final of the game for Brodhead-Juda.
Week 7 will be a tough matchup for Brodhead-Juda (6-0), as unbeaten yet unranked Adams-Friendship (6-0) will host a crossover conference game. The Cardinals have already clinched a spot in the postseason, though a win over the South Central Conference-leading Green Devils would go a long way in the seeding department prior to playoffs.
Darlington 20, Mineral Point 7
DARLINGTON — The Redbirds got off to a slow start in Week 6 against rival Mineral Point, but were able to overcome their struggles to win Sept. 23.
Darlington (5-1, 4-0), ranked fourth in D6, let up a 24-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter from Eli Lindsey to Tremaine Kennicker. The score sat at 7-0 in favor of Mineral Point into halftime.
With 8:10 left in the third quarter, Breylin Goebel put the Redbirds on the board with a 4-yard run, but the 2-point conversion failed. Then, with just two seconds remaining in the period, Goebel scored again, this time from 6-yards out.
In the fourth quarter, Tye Crist broke free for a 60-yard touchdown to put Darlington up two scores. The defense did it’s job the rest of the way.
Crist led Darlington with 129 yards on 12 carries. Breylin Goebel had 67 yards on 17 attempts, with Maddox Goebel (48) and Cadyn Burbach (43) also picking up big yardage. Burbach was also 4-for-4 through the air for 132 yards. Will Murray had two catches for 68 yards.
Up next for the Redbirds is a home game against Cuba City (1-5, 1-3).
Lake Mills 40, NG-Monticello 0
LAKE MILLS — The gauntlet of the Capitol Conference continued for the Glarner Knights, who felt the rath of the L-Cats in Week 6.
Ben Buchholtz had 223 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns for Lake Mills (4-2, 2-2 Capitol). Teammate Caden Belling had nine rushing attempts for 94 yards, and finished 16 of 18 passing for 179 yards with two TDs, through one of his two incompletions was an NGM interception. The L-Cats gained 511 yards of offense in the contest.
The Glarner Knights (0-6, 0-4) are mathematically removed from an automatic qualifying postseason berth. In Week 7 they will host Big Foot (1-5, 0-4).
Cuba City 62, Parkview-Albany 8
CUBA CITY — The battle of two win-less SWAL teams saw the host Cubans run away with victory on Sept. 23.
Cuba City scored three times in the first quarter, including on a short 22-yard punt return. In the second quarter, the Cubans scored four more touchdowns, with one an interception returned for a TD. The Vikings trailed 48-0 at halftime, and went behind 55-0 before Aiden Crane hit Gauge Pomplun for a 5-yard TD with 9:54 to play. The Cubans scratched across another touchdown before the final buzzer blew.
Tyson Richard was 11-for-11 passing for 223 yards and two TDs. The Cubans had 377 yards of offense to the Vikings’ 153. Karson Redman had 98 yards rushing.
In Week 7, the Vikings travel to Fennimore (1-5, 0-4).
Potosi-Cassville 64, Pecatonica-Argyle 6
BLANCHARDVILLE — The Chieftains ran out to a 40-0 lead at halftime, and led 56-0 at halftime against the Vikings on Sept. 24. The loss officially knocked the Vikings from automatically qualifying for the playoffs.
Potosi-Cassville had 511 yards of offense, including 391 on the ground. No Chieftain player had 100 yards or more, but four finished with at least 65 yards rushing. Pecatonica-Argyle’s lone score came with 1:27 left in the game on a 1-yard TD run by Talen Havens.
The Vikings host Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg in Week 7 at Argyle.
