MONROE — The last time the Cheesemakers were fully padded and facing an opponent, they were beaten in the third round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs by eventual champion DeForest. They didn’t know it would take another 16 months to get back out onto the field — and be faced with a half of a season at that.

Despite the delays and COVID-19 protocols, Monroe’s football program has a handful of games scheduled for the alternative fall season. Practice began March 8 and the scrimmage against New Glarus-Monticello is slated for March 20 at 2 p.m. on the artificial turf at Freeport High School. The first game of the season, scheduled for March 20, was originally set to be at home against McFarland, though with Dane County’s loosening on COVID-19 restrictions, the enticement of playing on McFarland’s artificial turf field could potentially change the location again.

Monroe’s other scheduled games include away games at Evansville (April 1) and Whitewater (April 16), and home games against Jefferson (April 9) and East Troy (April 23). All five teams have a long history playing against each other, while the Cheesemakers will be new to Rock Valley Big this spring. Monroe has faced off against each team in years past, but none with consistency since McFarland left the Badger South more than a decade ago.

Whitewater went just 1-8 back in 2019, while the other four teams all made the postseason. McFarland and Jefferson each went 6-4, losing in the opening round of the playoffs, as did East Troy at 5-5. Evansville’s 9-2 record was the best of the bunch, and the Blue Devils reached Level 2 of the Division 3 playoffs. 

Monroe went 7-5 on the season in 2019, but the tail of the season can’t be told through its record. The season opener was a 1-point road loss to Sauk Prairie, with a missed two-point conversion in the closing minutes the difference in the score. Other losses included a 10-point defeat to Monona Grove, 21 to Oregon during a rain storm, and a 53-18 drubbing to Stoughton in Week 8. 

The Cheesemakers scored wins over Portage, Watertown, Fort Atkinson, Milton and Madison Edgewood in the regular season, then knocked off top-seeded Onalaska on the road in the opening round of the playoffs. Monroe then avenged its midseason lopsided loss to Stoughton by pulling out a 14-7 victory on a snow-covered field in Level 2 of the playoffs. 

In the loss to DeForest, Monroe led 14-7 with five minutes left in the first half, only for the Norskies to turn on the jets and score 45 unanswered points the rest of the way.

Monroe led the Badger South by nearly 500 yards rushing and finished third in total points. 

The Cheesemakers graduated a slew of talent from the roster, including its main line up front. And while losing 1,100-yard rushing and 18-TD scorer Nick Bansley will hurt, Monroe returns Badger South leading rusher Trevor Rodebaugh (1,509 yards, 12 TDs, first-team all-conference) and the team’s No. 3 running back Tyler Matley (539 yards). 

Also back is quarterback Max Golembiewski, who threw for 916 yards and 11 TDs on less than 9 attempts a game. JT Seagreaves, a 6-6 junior wideout, was the team’s leading pass catcher with 499 yards on just 19 catches, and was second in the conference in yards per catch (26.3) by those with 10 receptions or more on the season. Seagreaves, Matley and Golembiewski were honorable mention all-conference on offense. 

Defensive back Preston Ambrose returns after finishing second on the team in total tackles (70). Seagreaves and Caleb Bunker solidify the end rushers on the D-Line, with Matley at safety keeping the group organized. Ambrose, Bunker and Seagreaves were HM all-conference. Matley and Golembiewski will attend Loras College in Dubuque in the fall to continue playing football.

Fifth-year head coach Toby Golembiewski said that replacing the graduated players and working through COVID-19 could pose some challenges for his squad, other than playing in the spring instead of the fall. He said his team’s goal is to stay COVID-free and play all of their scheduled games.

Under Toby Golembiewski’s tutelage, the Cheesemakers are 24-22 overall (.521), 15-12 (.555) in the Badger South, and have made the playoffs three out of four seasons — twice to Level 3. Under previous coach Curt Miller, Monroe went just 23-49 in eight years. In the 12-year span between Hall of Fame coach Pat Martin and Golembiewski, Monroe was just 32-76 overall (.296) and 18-54 (.250) in conference play and played in the postseason just once (2012).

There will be no postseason for the alternate fall football season. The WIAA stipulates that the season end the week of May 3, which leaves Monroe with two more potential contests to add to its schedule.