MONROE - The Cheesemakers may have started the regular season with a tough loss, but the start of the Badger South season came with a grin.
A rivalry that goes back to when the WISAA and the WIAA consolidated, the Monroe-Madison Edgewood matchup brings fans, noise, and stunning "D." Friday's game was no different, but ended pleasantly for the Cheesemakers, as they raked in a 47-32 victory.
"Whenever we play Edgewood, we know it's going to be a 35-36 game," Monroe senior guard Mitch McArdle said. "Even if they are better or we are better, we play the same style defense and the score is always going to be pretty darn close."
Defense was the name of the game all night. Monroe got on the board first when Bryan Tordoff drained a 3-pointer just over a minute into the ball game. The game's next points didn't come until 3:17 left in the first when McArdle knocked down two free throws.
"I feel bad for Mitch McArdle. He plays such great defense and we wanted to reward him on the offensive end, but the couple times he got in the lane he got fouled or maybe rushed the shot a little bit," Cheesemaker head coach Pat Murphy said.
McArdle's defense on Edgewood's top scorer Derek Braucht (6'6") set the pace of the game. In the first quarter, Edgewood scored only four points - both by Braucht - and trailed 5-4 at the end of the period.
"I was a little worried about this matchup. I was giving up nine inches - (Braucht's) pretty tall," McArdle said. "You just have to be tougher than he is. I think that got the guys going a little bit by wearing down (Edgewood's) best player."
Braucht finished the game with eight points.
Grinding it out against Edgewood is something the Cheesemakers have learned to do. Through the first four years of the rivalry, Monroe didn't win a game. The first Cheesemaker win came on March 2, 2004 in the state tournament. Since then, Monroe has rattled off a 9-1 record against the Crusaders, including winning the last six meetings.
"Every time we play (Edgewood), it's an absolute grind - whether it's in the summer or in the school season," Murphy said.
In the second quarter, Monroe got rolling on the offensive side of the ball right away. Big man Kevin Frint scored on a put-back with 5:39 to play in the half to give Monroe a 7-4 lead. Moments later, McArdle found Cullen Sampson slashing underneath.
"(Assistant coach Brian Bassett) has been saying for eight years that he wants guys to cut back door. We did that and we got to the paint," Murphy said.
Before too long, Monroe was holding a 16-6 lead after Sampson found Jake Grinnell cherry-picking on the back side of the play. The Cheesemakers went into the half with a 16-8 lead - something that looks more like a football score than a basketball score.
"We were trying to get some rebounds and play some solid defense. We want to be fundamentally sound," Murphy said. "To be up at halftime against Edgewood without Mitch (Tordoff) scoring says a lot about this team that we have."
Mitch Tordoff, Monroe's senior standout that opposing teams game plan against, scored just three baskets from the field in the season opener and started slow again against Edgewood.
"I know that the team will make plays even if I'm not the one scoring," Tordoff said. "It's a team game, and I feel that if I'm not the one scoring or if I'm not playing well, my teammates will pick me up just like I will pick them up."
The senior got it going in the third, scoring nine points. A 3-pointer at the buzzer spun around the hoop and rimmed out, but Monroe continued holding an 8-point 32-24 lead over Edgewood. Perhaps the biggest basket of the period came from sophomore guard Michael Barrett, who hit a wide-open shot from downtown to bump Monroe's lead back to 10 points with just 25 seconds left to play in the quarter.
"Michael Barrett hit a big 3-pointer when we needed it," Murphy said.
In the fourth, the Crusader's defense could not slow down the scurrying Cheesemakers. Mitch Tordoff opened the quarter with a booming three and Brian Tordoff hit the longest possible two-pointer in basketball to force Edgewood head coach Chris Zwettler to call timeout.
Monroe continued putting points on the board, and at one point held an 18-point lead, which rarely happens against a team like Edgewood.
"You never feel good when you play a team like Edgewood. We knew Patrick Lagman (10 points) can shoot and Derek Braucht has been playing varsity for four years. But I'm proud of our guys. They hung in there and made enough shots," Murphy said.
"When teams go against our set defense, we'll be all right. Edgewood got a couple cheap baskets on steals or on bad passes by us. But when it comes down to 5-on-5, I think our guys are great - and they did a good job tonight."
The worrying wouldn't last as the Cheesemakers slowed down the offense and forced Edgewood into poor shots on defense as the game winded down.
"That first half we were pretty quiet offensively, but I think our defense is going to keep us in every game this year. This could be the best defensive team we've had in a while," McArdle said. "We should do some damage in the Badger South, but we'll just take it one game at a time."
Mitch Tordoff led the Cheesemakers with 14 points. Bryan Tordoff scored 11. Cullen Sampson had 8, Grinnell 5, Frint 4, Barrett 3, and McArdle had 2.
Monroe (1-1, 1-0 Badger South) will spend Monday preparing for Stoughton, a resurgent conference contender, who they play on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
A rivalry that goes back to when the WISAA and the WIAA consolidated, the Monroe-Madison Edgewood matchup brings fans, noise, and stunning "D." Friday's game was no different, but ended pleasantly for the Cheesemakers, as they raked in a 47-32 victory.
"Whenever we play Edgewood, we know it's going to be a 35-36 game," Monroe senior guard Mitch McArdle said. "Even if they are better or we are better, we play the same style defense and the score is always going to be pretty darn close."
Defense was the name of the game all night. Monroe got on the board first when Bryan Tordoff drained a 3-pointer just over a minute into the ball game. The game's next points didn't come until 3:17 left in the first when McArdle knocked down two free throws.
"I feel bad for Mitch McArdle. He plays such great defense and we wanted to reward him on the offensive end, but the couple times he got in the lane he got fouled or maybe rushed the shot a little bit," Cheesemaker head coach Pat Murphy said.
McArdle's defense on Edgewood's top scorer Derek Braucht (6'6") set the pace of the game. In the first quarter, Edgewood scored only four points - both by Braucht - and trailed 5-4 at the end of the period.
"I was a little worried about this matchup. I was giving up nine inches - (Braucht's) pretty tall," McArdle said. "You just have to be tougher than he is. I think that got the guys going a little bit by wearing down (Edgewood's) best player."
Braucht finished the game with eight points.
Grinding it out against Edgewood is something the Cheesemakers have learned to do. Through the first four years of the rivalry, Monroe didn't win a game. The first Cheesemaker win came on March 2, 2004 in the state tournament. Since then, Monroe has rattled off a 9-1 record against the Crusaders, including winning the last six meetings.
"Every time we play (Edgewood), it's an absolute grind - whether it's in the summer or in the school season," Murphy said.
In the second quarter, Monroe got rolling on the offensive side of the ball right away. Big man Kevin Frint scored on a put-back with 5:39 to play in the half to give Monroe a 7-4 lead. Moments later, McArdle found Cullen Sampson slashing underneath.
"(Assistant coach Brian Bassett) has been saying for eight years that he wants guys to cut back door. We did that and we got to the paint," Murphy said.
Before too long, Monroe was holding a 16-6 lead after Sampson found Jake Grinnell cherry-picking on the back side of the play. The Cheesemakers went into the half with a 16-8 lead - something that looks more like a football score than a basketball score.
"We were trying to get some rebounds and play some solid defense. We want to be fundamentally sound," Murphy said. "To be up at halftime against Edgewood without Mitch (Tordoff) scoring says a lot about this team that we have."
Mitch Tordoff, Monroe's senior standout that opposing teams game plan against, scored just three baskets from the field in the season opener and started slow again against Edgewood.
"I know that the team will make plays even if I'm not the one scoring," Tordoff said. "It's a team game, and I feel that if I'm not the one scoring or if I'm not playing well, my teammates will pick me up just like I will pick them up."
The senior got it going in the third, scoring nine points. A 3-pointer at the buzzer spun around the hoop and rimmed out, but Monroe continued holding an 8-point 32-24 lead over Edgewood. Perhaps the biggest basket of the period came from sophomore guard Michael Barrett, who hit a wide-open shot from downtown to bump Monroe's lead back to 10 points with just 25 seconds left to play in the quarter.
"Michael Barrett hit a big 3-pointer when we needed it," Murphy said.
In the fourth, the Crusader's defense could not slow down the scurrying Cheesemakers. Mitch Tordoff opened the quarter with a booming three and Brian Tordoff hit the longest possible two-pointer in basketball to force Edgewood head coach Chris Zwettler to call timeout.
Monroe continued putting points on the board, and at one point held an 18-point lead, which rarely happens against a team like Edgewood.
"You never feel good when you play a team like Edgewood. We knew Patrick Lagman (10 points) can shoot and Derek Braucht has been playing varsity for four years. But I'm proud of our guys. They hung in there and made enough shots," Murphy said.
"When teams go against our set defense, we'll be all right. Edgewood got a couple cheap baskets on steals or on bad passes by us. But when it comes down to 5-on-5, I think our guys are great - and they did a good job tonight."
The worrying wouldn't last as the Cheesemakers slowed down the offense and forced Edgewood into poor shots on defense as the game winded down.
"That first half we were pretty quiet offensively, but I think our defense is going to keep us in every game this year. This could be the best defensive team we've had in a while," McArdle said. "We should do some damage in the Badger South, but we'll just take it one game at a time."
Mitch Tordoff led the Cheesemakers with 14 points. Bryan Tordoff scored 11. Cullen Sampson had 8, Grinnell 5, Frint 4, Barrett 3, and McArdle had 2.
Monroe (1-1, 1-0 Badger South) will spend Monday preparing for Stoughton, a resurgent conference contender, who they play on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
