BEAVER DAM — The Cheesemakers opened the 2022 football season by crashing the floodgates on Beaver Dam, winning 39-0 on Aug. 19.
It took Monroe a short bit to collect its bearings before senior fullback Alex Hernandez put his team on the board with 7 seconds remaining in the first quarter on a 31-yard touchdown run. Hernandez would finish the game with two scores and 186 yards on 13 carries — an average of 14.3 yards per rush.
Perhaps the biggest turning point in the game was in the second quarter. Monroe forced a Beaver Dam punt, but the Golden Beavers pinned the Cheesemakers back at their own 6-yard-line. Sophomore running back Ben Gatdula wasted no time flipping the field position by busting off a 50-yard run. After another big rumble from Hernandez, Gatdula capped the quick but long drive with a 5-yard score to make it 13-0 with 8:24 left in the second.
Gatdula made it 20-0 six minutes later on a 35-yard run of his own. He finished the night — his first varsity start — with 114 yards on eight carries. Keatin Sweeney, who scored on a 32-yard rush on the first play of the fourth quarter, had 83 yards on eight carries himself. Sweeney was the Rock Valley’s leading rusher a year ago. Sophomore Lane Meier added two carries for 36 yards, including a 10-yard score with 6:33 left in the fourth to turn on the running clock.
In all, the Cheesemakers gained 435 yards on the ground on just 35 attempts (12.4 ypc). Quarterback George Brukwicki was 2-for-2 passing for 43 yards — 34 to Charlie Wiegel and nine to Drew Indergand. Monroe’s defense allowed just 16 passing yards and 120 yards on the ground.
Up next for Monroe is former Badger Conference rival Mount Horeb-Barneveld, which opened the season with a 23-15 victory over McFarland. Mount Horeb defeated Monroe by a point in overtime in 2021 — the Cheesemakers’ lone regular season blemish. The game will serve as Monroe’s home opener, as well as the introduction of the school’s new video scoreboard in the south end zone. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
Black Hawk-Warren 54, North Fond du Lac 0
NORTH FOND DU LAC — The Warriors opened their season with authority on Aug. 19. Black Hawk-Warren gained more than 500 yards of offense and scored six touchdowns in the first half.
Senior running back Landen Mahoney was in his element for the Warriors, finishing the night with 181 yards and four touchdowns on just 11 carries — averaging 16.5 yards per tote. Senior running back Lucas Milz added 144 yards on 14 attempts (10.3) with a score, and senior Reed McNutt made his first start at quarterback, completing both passes attempted for 61 yards and a TD to Milz. He added 92 yards and a score on the ground on just four rushing attempts.
In all, the Warriors gained 502 yards of offense (441 rushing, 61 passing). Abe Maurer had 196 yards passing for North Fond du Lac with a TD pass and an interception. NFDL had just 21 rushing yards on 19 attempts (1.1 ypc).
The Warriors are on the road again in Week 2 at Marshall (1-0), which went 11-1 in 2021.
Clinton 34, NG-Monticello 13
CLINTON — The Glarner Knights fell behind early in Week 1 and simply couldn’t catch up to the Cougars. Clinton went up 14-0 in the first quarter and led 20-13 at halftime. The Knights were shutout in the second half, 14-0.
Junior QB Max Marty had 80 yards passing and another 86 on the ground for New Glarus-Monticello. He threw a TD pass and ran for another. The Knights had just 1 yard rushing on 10 attempts from its other backs.
Defensively, Marty had five solo and eight total tackles, one behind teammate Jackson Eyler for the team lead in both categories.
Up next for the Knights is a home game against longtime rival Belleville in a nonconference affair. The Wildcats are coming off a 44-7 thumping of Cambridge in Week 1, and reached the WIAA Division 5 state semifinals in the playoffs last year.
Fall River/Rio 40, Park-Albany 6
FALL RIVER — The Vikings went into halftime trailing just 6-0, and were down 14-0 through three quarters. The fourth quarter was a completely different ballgame, with host Fall River/Rio scoring four touchdowns in quick succession before Parkview-Albany could answer with time winding down.
Fall River/Rio scored on runs of 46, 5, 1, 86, and 9, and added a 23-yard TD pass. The Vikings lone score came on a 46-yard scamper in the fourth.
QB Matthew Miller was 4 of 7 passing for 94 yards and a TD and added 136 yards rushing on seven attempts for Fall River/Rio. Conner Richardson had 24 totes for 157 yards and two scores. Fall River/Rio intercepted three passes and forced a fumble.
Parkview-Albany will host Highland (0-1) in Week 2. The Cardinals were blanked by River Ridge 26-0 in Week 1.
Waterloo 42, Pecatonica-Argyle 0
WATERLOO — The Vikings opened the season on Aug. 18 with a tough task: The host Pirates went 9-3 in 2021.
The Vikings had just 29 rushing yards and 9 passing yards with two interceptions thrown and a fumble lost.
This week Pecatonica-Argyle hosts Dodgeville (1-0).
