DARLINGTON – The Redbirds took care of business Oct. 30, advancing to Level 3 for the first time since 2016 after beating Mondovi Oct. 30 in a Division 6 playoff game. Darlington is also playing in its 13th consecutive postseason in football after missing out in 2007.

The last time Darlington played Mondovi was in Level 2 of the 2019 season, with the visiting Redbirds losing 42-0.

Braden Davis had 26 passing yards on just four attempts with two completions, but he had 125 rushing yards and four touchdowns to lead the way. Breylin Goebel added 65 yards and a score on the ground.

Darlington had 259 yards of offense, while holding Mondovi to just 158 total. The Redbirds also forced two fumbles, and Davis had an interception on defense.

Darlington took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on a 16-yard TD run by Davis. Goebel’s 3-yard plunge in the second made it 12-0 at the break. David added runs of 6 and 55 yards in the third quarter. Mondovi’s only score came with 10:25 left in the fourth on a 27-yard touchdown pass. Davis capped the scoring with a 17-yard scamper with 2:58 to play.

Darlington (10-1) will host rival Cuba City (9-2) in a Level 3 game Nov. 5. The two teams played each other in Week 7, with the Redbirds winning 53-33 while gaining nearly 500 yards of offense, including 469 on the ground. Three Redbirds had more than 100 yards rushing, and a fourth, QB Braden Davis, finished with 81. 

Cuba City is led by first-team all-SWAL QB Beau Kopp, who has 1,928 passing yards and 394 rushing yards this season, plus 36 combined touchdowns. Chase Barth has 1,085 yards on the ground for the Cubans.

Coming into Level 2, Darlington had four players with over 600 rushing yards, led by Easton Evenstad, who had 876 on just 91 carries this season. Davis has 629 yards passing and 685 yards rushing through the first 10 games.