MONROE - A rash of injuries have taken a toll on the Monroe football team, but a showdown with unbeaten Stoughton could be just the motivation the Cheesemakers need.

The Cheesemakers (2-2, 1-1 Badger South) will be without three starters Friday when they host the Vikings (4-0, 2-0) -including senior defensive back and wide receiver Brayden Zettle (broken and dislocated thumb), senior fullback and middle linebacker Travis Wolf (broken bone in his leg) and sophomore offensive lineman Alan Whitehead (knee). Wolf is the Cheesemakers' leading rusher (257 rushing yards and three touchdowns).

Senior Dempzy Foley, in tandem with junior Ethan Kleckler, will carry the load at fullback. Foley has rushed for 178 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also is a starter at defensive end where he has 33 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The injury to Wolf, who has a team-high 46 tackles, will leave a void at middle linebacker. Senior Sam Kind (41 tackles and two interceptions) will shift from defensive back to middle linebacker.

"We are banged up and had to move some guys around," Monroe coach Toby Golembiewski said. "It's been like a cookie cutter of guys. I don't know each one's number and name. We still expect the same production. They are all expected to block and run like everyone else. We just have to see how tough and durable we are for four quarters."

Golembiewski likes Kind's quickness and instincts on defense. He's confident he can make the switch to middle linebacker.

"He's just the next guy on the list who can do the best," Golembiewski said of Kind."

Stoughton enters the game unbeaten at 4-0 overall and 2-0 Badger South. The Vikings are coming off a 35-7 win over Milton last week. Stoughton's four wins have come against teams that have a combined record of 5-11.

"It (the combined record of Stoughton's opponents) doesn't prove how good they are," Golembiewski said. "I don't know how good they are. They were like us last year where they were in some games where they have been able to get their starters out, give them some rest and keep them from being banged up. They are a premier team. They are one of the two teams I picked to be at the top of the conference."

The Vikings run a shotgun single back offense with one running back. Stoughton senior running back Brady Schipper is the focal point of the offense with 512 rushing yards, an average of 170 yards per game, and eight total touchdowns. Schipper is averaging 8.0 yards per carry.

"He's their best player," Golembiewski said of Schipper who only played a couple plays against the Cheesemakers last year due to a shoulder injury. "He's a great athlete. He has a great athletic mind."

Schipper's father, Robert Schipper played basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and was on the Pioneers' first NCAA Division III national championship team in 1990-91 along with Monroe's Pat Murphy that was coached by Bo Ryan.

Many of the plays the Cheesemakers' defense will see will be familiar.

"There are plays they run that are similar to Milton and Watertown," Golembiewski said. "It's the same type of offense."

One big difference is the Vikings won't live and die by the pass like Watertown did. Watertown's senior all-state quarterback Dylan Fagerland threw 59 passes against the Cheesemakers last week, completed just 41 percent and three interceptions. Stoughton quarterback Jonathan Malueg has thrown just 52 passes all season. He's completing 61.5 percent of his passes. Malueg has passed for 425 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Cheesemakers' defense has forced six turnovers this season. Kind, sophomore Nick Bansley and junior Anthany Hernandez each have two interceptions. Sophomore Alex Witt made his first varsity start at quarterback last week and Hernandez, who had been the quarterback in the first three games, started at defensive back.

Witt completed 4 of 6 passes for 49 yards and ran for a touchdown in the win over Watertown last week. Junior running back Jordan Montgomery has rushed for 202 yards this year and Bansley has 211 total yards on 10 touches this season, an average of 21.1 yards per touch.

"Alex at the beginning of the year had to get a couple starts on JV, then some playing time on varsity to get ready," Golembiewski said. "It's just his time right now."

The Cheesemakers like Hernandez's athletic ability on defense after injuries to Zettle and Wolf. Hernandez had eight tackles, two interceptions ands three passes knocked down last week. Golembiewski didn't want to put more pressure on Hernandez by having him to try to fill dual starting roles at defensive back and quarterback.

"I've never seen Anthany have so much fun playing football than he did last week without the weight bearing on him," Golembiewski said.