MONONA — Going up against one of the top teams in the state is never easy. Doing it on the road in the middle of a winless season just adds to daunting nature of the mission.

“We saw it right away — they are an outstanding team and they are going to go far in the playoffs,” Monroe senior fullback Ethan Kleckler said.

Monona Grove came into the Week Six matchup against Monroe ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Large Schools poll and No. 5 in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association’s Division 2 rankings. The Silver Eagles would add to their unblemished record with a 48-15 thumping.

“They continue to be unbeaten for a good reason. They’ve got some good players,” Monroe head coach Toby Golembiewski said.

Senior quarterback Jordan Bishop is in his first year starting for Monona Grove after spending three years behind all-state QB Alex Ogden. Bishop wasted no time showing off his talents against the Cheesemakers, hurling a 57-yard touchdown strike to 6-foot-7-inch wideout Sam Hepp on the first play from scrimmage.

The Silver Eagles (6-0, 4-0 Badger South) would lead 21-0 after the first quarter and never let down the rest of the game.

“I think even if you play mistake-free against these guys I don’t know if we still would pull it off,” Golembiewski said.

Bishop finished 10 for 14 for 189 yards passing and four touchdowns. Sepp had three catches for 80 yards and two scores and Brady Killerlain finished with 81 yards rushing on six carries with two scores. Monona Grove had 397 yards of offense in the game.

Kleckler led the Cheesemakers with 85 yards rushing on 14 carries and a touchdown and freshman wideout JT Seagreaves had 38 yards receiving on two catches, a tackle-for-loss and a blocked extra point.

Seagreaves only started playing wideout this fall due to size limits in youth football. He had a 29-yard jump ball catch at the Monona Grove 2-yard-line that put the Cheesemakers in line for their first score of the game.

“I’ve been learning and trying to get better,” Seagreaves said. “I’m just trying to make plays. I like to contribute in any way that I can to help out the team.”

Two plays after the catch, Kleckler tried to bully his way through a pair of tacklers and fumbled the ball away to the Silver Eagles. The officials conferred and could not determine if the whistle had blown prior to the ball coming loose, so instead they indicated to replay the down. On the very next play, Kleckler, with two hands on the football, was able to plow into the end zone to make it 21-6. Anthany Hernandez added the extra point.

“I came to the sidelines really mad after I dropped the ball and putting it back in felt really good — it really got my confidence back up,” Kleckler said.

Monroe’s last set of highlights came in the latter half of the fourth quarter with a running clock. A weak punt by Monona Grove’s backup punter gave the Cheesemakers the ball at the MG 36. Monroe deployed several reserves into the huddle at various positions. Sophomore Max Golembiewski took over at quarterback while his junior varsity backup Preston Ambrose deployed at left tackle. Senior wideout Gab Witt played left guard junior starting quarterback Alex Witt moved into the fullback slot. On the ninth play of the drive, Witt took the handoff four yards into the end zone. Max Golembiewski then ran a bootleg for the two-point conversion to make it 48-15.

On the ensuing kickoff, Hernandez’s onside attempt was a rocket off the facemask of a Monona Grove player and Monroe recovered. The final play of the game was an incomplete pass, with Nick Bansley nearly catching the tipped pass in open space.

After a daunting schedule that saw the Cheesemakers take on Watertown (5-1, 4-0), Stoughton (5-1, 3-1) and Monona Grove back-to-back-to-back, Monroe (0-6, 0-4) now returns home for homecoming against Fort Atkinson (0-6, 0-4).

“They are going to be just as hungry as we are,” coach Golembiewski said. “They are going get themselves to believe that this is their opportunity – the same as us. It’s going to be a great game. It’s going to boil down to mistakes and turnovers and who can react the best to them and who can have the fewest of them. It’s as simple as that.”

Kleckler said that while some aspects of homecoming week can be a distraction, the collective excitement of the student body is something his young teammates should take in stride.

“(Homecoming) is a lot of fun. They should enjoy it – it’s going to go by pretty fast and there is nothing better than the homecoming game,” Kleckler said. “Especially now because we’re going to be angry to get our first win.”