MONROE - Back on Feb. 5, the Cheesemakers boys basketball team knocked the Brodhead Cardinals out of the playoffs in the regional semifinal, 57-55. Monroe trailed late in the game, only to come back and pull out the win. On Saturday, they meet again.
The loss left a little bit of a sour taste in Brodhead's mouth.
"In year's past we've kind of struggled coming into Monroe's gym, but this year I think our kids will understand that this is a high school basketball game," Brodhead head coach Brian Kammerer said. "We'll have our hands full on Saturday. Our kids are excited to play another basketball game. Monroe's a good team and we will be able to see where we're at as a team."
Monroe head coach Pat Murphy is excited to face an in-county rival with such experience and talent.
"It's a neat thing that we're playing each other," Murphy said. "I'm happy coach Kammerer decided to play us. With the expansion of the games (from 20 to 22 this season), it's nice to find a game close by so you can treat the fans. I'm expecting a big crowd, especially since it is alumni weekend."
The Cardinals lost just two senior starters from last year's team that won the Rock Valley South, Micah Wallace and Ryan Miller, yet return everyone else returns including, senior point guard Jake Cole and junior big men Nick Jacobson and J.J. Panoske.
Monroe, meanwhile, lost the vast majority of its lineup including, Mitch Tordoff, Mitch McArdle, Jake Grinnell, Zach Rast, Mike Geiger and Cullen Sampson. The Cheesemakers return just a few pieces from last year's WIAA Division 2 state runner-up team. Michael Barrett, Bryan Tordoff, and Kevin Frint played valuable minutes while Michael Turek, Kyle Klinzing and Alex Capesius saw limited minutes last season.
"It's going to be a tough game. We just have to bring everything we've got," Bryan Tordoff said.
Brodhead opened the season with a big win over Belleville, 58-47, which included 25 points from Panoske, who is 6-feet, 9-inches tall and is a Division I college prospect.
"They've already got that game under their belt, so they will have those opening-night jitters pretty much out of their systems," Murphy said. "(And Panoske) has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so. He brings a whole lot of things to the table and there is a reason he's getting a lot of looks. He might have a couple dunks, he might have a couple blocks. Our big guys won't shy away from him, though."
Since each school is a 20 minute drive from one another, a large crowd is expected.
"It's going to most likely be like a playoff atmosphere. I think they there will be a lot of people out at the game. I don't think there will be too much tension between us (on the court). We might be a little bit nervous to start, but other than that it could be a good game," Panoske said. "It kind of sucks that we have to play them at the beginning of the year because we are always a team that progresses throughout the year, but I think if we work as hard as we have been in practice, the game could go either way."
If Brodhead can pick up the win, it will put the Cardinals at 2-0 headed into their conference opener Thursday against Clinton.
"Belleville is going to be a good basketball team this year and Monroe - you obviously can't say too much about them. They've had some great past couple of years. These two teams prepare us for conference very well," Kammerer said.
Monroe, however, would like to pick up a solid win before its first Badger South game against Monona Grove Tuesday.
"We've never shied away from playing good teams in non-conference games and Brodhead is a really really good team. We want to do well," Murphy said.
The Cheesemakers are focusing on each game at a time, and a team like Brodhead, and a prime-time player like Panoske, couldn't be a much better team to start the season against.
"We played them last year and we know that we have to play a good game if we want to beat them," Frint said. "A player like him you just have to be physical, push him around a little bit and see what happens."
The loss left a little bit of a sour taste in Brodhead's mouth.
"In year's past we've kind of struggled coming into Monroe's gym, but this year I think our kids will understand that this is a high school basketball game," Brodhead head coach Brian Kammerer said. "We'll have our hands full on Saturday. Our kids are excited to play another basketball game. Monroe's a good team and we will be able to see where we're at as a team."
Monroe head coach Pat Murphy is excited to face an in-county rival with such experience and talent.
"It's a neat thing that we're playing each other," Murphy said. "I'm happy coach Kammerer decided to play us. With the expansion of the games (from 20 to 22 this season), it's nice to find a game close by so you can treat the fans. I'm expecting a big crowd, especially since it is alumni weekend."
The Cardinals lost just two senior starters from last year's team that won the Rock Valley South, Micah Wallace and Ryan Miller, yet return everyone else returns including, senior point guard Jake Cole and junior big men Nick Jacobson and J.J. Panoske.
Monroe, meanwhile, lost the vast majority of its lineup including, Mitch Tordoff, Mitch McArdle, Jake Grinnell, Zach Rast, Mike Geiger and Cullen Sampson. The Cheesemakers return just a few pieces from last year's WIAA Division 2 state runner-up team. Michael Barrett, Bryan Tordoff, and Kevin Frint played valuable minutes while Michael Turek, Kyle Klinzing and Alex Capesius saw limited minutes last season.
"It's going to be a tough game. We just have to bring everything we've got," Bryan Tordoff said.
Brodhead opened the season with a big win over Belleville, 58-47, which included 25 points from Panoske, who is 6-feet, 9-inches tall and is a Division I college prospect.
"They've already got that game under their belt, so they will have those opening-night jitters pretty much out of their systems," Murphy said. "(And Panoske) has garnered a lot of attention, and rightfully so. He brings a whole lot of things to the table and there is a reason he's getting a lot of looks. He might have a couple dunks, he might have a couple blocks. Our big guys won't shy away from him, though."
Since each school is a 20 minute drive from one another, a large crowd is expected.
"It's going to most likely be like a playoff atmosphere. I think they there will be a lot of people out at the game. I don't think there will be too much tension between us (on the court). We might be a little bit nervous to start, but other than that it could be a good game," Panoske said. "It kind of sucks that we have to play them at the beginning of the year because we are always a team that progresses throughout the year, but I think if we work as hard as we have been in practice, the game could go either way."
If Brodhead can pick up the win, it will put the Cardinals at 2-0 headed into their conference opener Thursday against Clinton.
"Belleville is going to be a good basketball team this year and Monroe - you obviously can't say too much about them. They've had some great past couple of years. These two teams prepare us for conference very well," Kammerer said.
Monroe, however, would like to pick up a solid win before its first Badger South game against Monona Grove Tuesday.
"We've never shied away from playing good teams in non-conference games and Brodhead is a really really good team. We want to do well," Murphy said.
The Cheesemakers are focusing on each game at a time, and a team like Brodhead, and a prime-time player like Panoske, couldn't be a much better team to start the season against.
"We played them last year and we know that we have to play a good game if we want to beat them," Frint said. "A player like him you just have to be physical, push him around a little bit and see what happens."
