MONONA - Monroe's stride back into the winning column (and playoff column) fell a few seconds short this season.
In the last game of the regular season, facing a win-or-go home matchup Wednesday against perennial conference power Monona Grove, the Cheesemakers gave it their all - only to have an onside kick with 44 seconds left in the game determine the fate of the season.
The Silver Eagles, strong on both lines all night, wrestled the football away from Monroe's Jordan Gilbertson at the bottom of a huge pile on the final onside kick to close out a 28-20 win that left the Cheesemakers with a 4-5 record and out of playoff contention.
"We've been close before and it was close again," Cheesemaker head coach Curt Miller said. "No matter the situation, our kids have never given up all year long. And tonight they weren't going to give up until the clock hit zero."
In the first quarter, Monona Grove looked shocked to see the Cheesemakers play so well defensively. Monroe shut out the Silver Eagles through the first 13 minutes of the game - something that doesn't happen often.
However, with 11:17 left in the second quarter, Monona Grove capped a 10-play 65-yard drive when Ryan Roberts rumbled into the endzone for the game's first score and a 7-0 lead.
The Cheese tried to rally, but dropped passes and blitzes stifled any momentum quarterback Mitch Tordoff & Co. had going for them. The Silver Eagles added to their lead minutes later when Roberts busted loose on an 89-yard run on first down after a Cheesemaker punt. Miller, clearly upset at his team's play in the second quarter, flung his clipboard across the sidelines.
From there, the Cheesemakers knew they had to take care of business. Unfortunately, a three-and-out after a trifecta of superb defensive play-calling forced Monroe to punt. On the punt return, Monona Grove returner Jack Retzlaff lost the handle, the ball came loose, and the Cheesemakers recovered with just 36 yards to go for six points. With just minutes to go in the half, the time for Monroe to act was immediate.
Tordoff and running back Alex Dammen guided the offense down the field. The Cheesemakers got down to inside the 5-yard line on Brian Tordoff's great catch of a low pass. On the next play, Dammen dashed into the endzone to put the Cheese on the board.
"(The touchdown) made us feel good. We knew we were in the game, but we knew how good Monona Grove is. They are an outstanding football team," Miller said.
In the third quarter, Monroe again came out a little lackluster, despite narrowing the gap to a single score. The Silver Eagles marched down the field and scored to make the difference again two scores at 21-7.
Tordoff & Co. got to work, using penalties and crossing patterns to their advantage to start the fourth. On first-and-15 from the 29 after a false start penalty, Miller called for a well-timed pass play.
"Coach called for me to run a corner route, but we were on the short end of the field and I would have only five yards to work with," senior wideout Mitch McArdle said. "I told (Tordoff) that I was going to run a post instead. Mitch said he wasn't going to throw the ball to me.
"Then, I looked behind me while running down field and saw he threw it to the corner. Then I just had to adjust and make sure I stayed in bounds."
McArdle's 29-yard reception brought the score back to within seven points at 21-14 with 10:47 to play in the game. Monona Grove answered again, though, to put Monroe on its heels once more.
"We knew we were in the game," Dammen said. "We just had to go out there and execute."
Monroe got its last possession with 2:52 to play and sprinted its way down the field. Brian Tordoff caught an early first-down pass and Monona Grove was called for pass interference later in the drive, setting up Monroe with a chance to score with the game clock falling under a minute.
Tordoff, who had his hand stepped on in the first quarter, threw a rainbow to the left side of the endzone, where Josh Popanz and his defender were positioned. Popanz leaped and caught the ball with the Silver Eagle wrapped around him like a burrito. The touchdown catch brought the game to 28-20.
Monroe faked the extra point on an end-around pitch to Dammen, who then flipped a perfect pass to a wide-open McArdle in the endzone for the two-point conversion. However, a Cheesemaker lineman was called for being too far down field and the play had to be run again.
The second time around, Tordoff hit a diving McArdle at the half-yard line. Unfortunately, high school football marks the spot of where the player is down, and McArdle's desperate roll into the endzone was for naught.
"I've known all year that we have some outstanding playmakers. And one of them is at quarterback (Mitch Tordoff). He made two outstanding throws to McArdle and Popanz," Miller said. "We have a great receiving core. I knew we were in the game until the very end."
On the ensuing kickoff, Monroe recovered the onside kick, but an offsides penalty forced a second attempt. On the second try, MG won the battle in the trench.
"Steven Knox had some great onside kicks. He had three big extra points last week and had some beautiful onside kicks tonight," Miller said. "And our kids wanted it. You could tell how bad they wanted to win the game because they were down there 100 miles an hour making big hits.
"That second one, it was so close. They saw the ball on the ground and went after it. We just lost the scrum on the bottom."
Monroe, after going winless last year, was one victory shy of a winning season and was 2-4 in the Badger South. A win would have made the Cheesemakers eligible for their first playoffs since 2003.
"It's a weird feeling. I don't know when it will sink in," McArdle said of playing his last football game. "I can remember freshman football like it was yesterday. Now, coming through the season and everything, it's weird to know it's over."
Dammen thought for a second, then agreed.
"You work all four years for this. Last year we didn't win a game. Then this year, we made a run," Dammen said. "I don't think anyone outside of this team thought we would be this good with the players we have and a first-year coach. We believed, and it's really cool to know that we can go out there against some of the best teams in the conference and bring it down to the end like this."
While Miller's first year was technically a losing season, the way his team improved and allowed themselves to believe in the team and the program was refreshing.
"These seniors had a great game. And they haven't won a lot in football. All the way through, freshman, JV's, last year. They haven't won a lot of games. For them to bounce back from a lot of losses to feel like they can play with anyone is awesome," Miller said.
"A season like this will keep our kids hungry. We have a lot of good young players here - the JV team went 7-2. We still have a ways to go, but the kids are more confident and they know what they can do."
Dammen rushed for 74 yards. Tordoff was 12-of-27 for 139 yards with an interception and two touchdowns.
McArdle had 67 receiving yards on six catches in his final high school game. Brian Tordoff added 32 receiving yards on three catches.
In the last game of the regular season, facing a win-or-go home matchup Wednesday against perennial conference power Monona Grove, the Cheesemakers gave it their all - only to have an onside kick with 44 seconds left in the game determine the fate of the season.
The Silver Eagles, strong on both lines all night, wrestled the football away from Monroe's Jordan Gilbertson at the bottom of a huge pile on the final onside kick to close out a 28-20 win that left the Cheesemakers with a 4-5 record and out of playoff contention.
"We've been close before and it was close again," Cheesemaker head coach Curt Miller said. "No matter the situation, our kids have never given up all year long. And tonight they weren't going to give up until the clock hit zero."
In the first quarter, Monona Grove looked shocked to see the Cheesemakers play so well defensively. Monroe shut out the Silver Eagles through the first 13 minutes of the game - something that doesn't happen often.
However, with 11:17 left in the second quarter, Monona Grove capped a 10-play 65-yard drive when Ryan Roberts rumbled into the endzone for the game's first score and a 7-0 lead.
The Cheese tried to rally, but dropped passes and blitzes stifled any momentum quarterback Mitch Tordoff & Co. had going for them. The Silver Eagles added to their lead minutes later when Roberts busted loose on an 89-yard run on first down after a Cheesemaker punt. Miller, clearly upset at his team's play in the second quarter, flung his clipboard across the sidelines.
From there, the Cheesemakers knew they had to take care of business. Unfortunately, a three-and-out after a trifecta of superb defensive play-calling forced Monroe to punt. On the punt return, Monona Grove returner Jack Retzlaff lost the handle, the ball came loose, and the Cheesemakers recovered with just 36 yards to go for six points. With just minutes to go in the half, the time for Monroe to act was immediate.
Tordoff and running back Alex Dammen guided the offense down the field. The Cheesemakers got down to inside the 5-yard line on Brian Tordoff's great catch of a low pass. On the next play, Dammen dashed into the endzone to put the Cheese on the board.
"(The touchdown) made us feel good. We knew we were in the game, but we knew how good Monona Grove is. They are an outstanding football team," Miller said.
In the third quarter, Monroe again came out a little lackluster, despite narrowing the gap to a single score. The Silver Eagles marched down the field and scored to make the difference again two scores at 21-7.
Tordoff & Co. got to work, using penalties and crossing patterns to their advantage to start the fourth. On first-and-15 from the 29 after a false start penalty, Miller called for a well-timed pass play.
"Coach called for me to run a corner route, but we were on the short end of the field and I would have only five yards to work with," senior wideout Mitch McArdle said. "I told (Tordoff) that I was going to run a post instead. Mitch said he wasn't going to throw the ball to me.
"Then, I looked behind me while running down field and saw he threw it to the corner. Then I just had to adjust and make sure I stayed in bounds."
McArdle's 29-yard reception brought the score back to within seven points at 21-14 with 10:47 to play in the game. Monona Grove answered again, though, to put Monroe on its heels once more.
"We knew we were in the game," Dammen said. "We just had to go out there and execute."
Monroe got its last possession with 2:52 to play and sprinted its way down the field. Brian Tordoff caught an early first-down pass and Monona Grove was called for pass interference later in the drive, setting up Monroe with a chance to score with the game clock falling under a minute.
Tordoff, who had his hand stepped on in the first quarter, threw a rainbow to the left side of the endzone, where Josh Popanz and his defender were positioned. Popanz leaped and caught the ball with the Silver Eagle wrapped around him like a burrito. The touchdown catch brought the game to 28-20.
Monroe faked the extra point on an end-around pitch to Dammen, who then flipped a perfect pass to a wide-open McArdle in the endzone for the two-point conversion. However, a Cheesemaker lineman was called for being too far down field and the play had to be run again.
The second time around, Tordoff hit a diving McArdle at the half-yard line. Unfortunately, high school football marks the spot of where the player is down, and McArdle's desperate roll into the endzone was for naught.
"I've known all year that we have some outstanding playmakers. And one of them is at quarterback (Mitch Tordoff). He made two outstanding throws to McArdle and Popanz," Miller said. "We have a great receiving core. I knew we were in the game until the very end."
On the ensuing kickoff, Monroe recovered the onside kick, but an offsides penalty forced a second attempt. On the second try, MG won the battle in the trench.
"Steven Knox had some great onside kicks. He had three big extra points last week and had some beautiful onside kicks tonight," Miller said. "And our kids wanted it. You could tell how bad they wanted to win the game because they were down there 100 miles an hour making big hits.
"That second one, it was so close. They saw the ball on the ground and went after it. We just lost the scrum on the bottom."
Monroe, after going winless last year, was one victory shy of a winning season and was 2-4 in the Badger South. A win would have made the Cheesemakers eligible for their first playoffs since 2003.
"It's a weird feeling. I don't know when it will sink in," McArdle said of playing his last football game. "I can remember freshman football like it was yesterday. Now, coming through the season and everything, it's weird to know it's over."
Dammen thought for a second, then agreed.
"You work all four years for this. Last year we didn't win a game. Then this year, we made a run," Dammen said. "I don't think anyone outside of this team thought we would be this good with the players we have and a first-year coach. We believed, and it's really cool to know that we can go out there against some of the best teams in the conference and bring it down to the end like this."
While Miller's first year was technically a losing season, the way his team improved and allowed themselves to believe in the team and the program was refreshing.
"These seniors had a great game. And they haven't won a lot in football. All the way through, freshman, JV's, last year. They haven't won a lot of games. For them to bounce back from a lot of losses to feel like they can play with anyone is awesome," Miller said.
"A season like this will keep our kids hungry. We have a lot of good young players here - the JV team went 7-2. We still have a ways to go, but the kids are more confident and they know what they can do."
Dammen rushed for 74 yards. Tordoff was 12-of-27 for 139 yards with an interception and two touchdowns.
McArdle had 67 receiving yards on six catches in his final high school game. Brian Tordoff added 32 receiving yards on three catches.
