MONROE - With just one win standing between Monroe and playoff eligibility, the Cheesemakers came out flat Friday.
Madison Edgewood (6-1, 3-1 Badger South) rolled into town and dominated the Cheesemakers (2-5, 2-2) on Monroe's Homecoming, 43-7.
"We came out flat tonight and got behind the 8-ball a little bit," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "That's a good football team. And we just didn't come out and play to our potential and we knew it."
From almost the beginning, the Cheesemakers appeared as if a black cat had walked across the field in the morning, instead of trash and shattered glass left by pranksters overnight Thursday. Despite some concern the game would be delayed, the field was able to be cleared in time for kickoff.
After forcing an Edgewood punt just five plays into the game, the ill-fated bounce of the ball struck a Cheesemaker in the back, and the Crusaders recovered just 23 yards from the goal line. Three plays later, Monroe trailed 7-0.
"It was a situation of a play that should never have happened and we should have done a better job of calling him off and away on a shorter punt. But it happened and Edgewood took advantage of it," Miller said. "A good team will do that."
Offensively, Monroe was unable to get anything sustainable going. The Cheesemakers went 3-and-out on their first seven possessions and picked up its only first down on a late touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, with a running clock and backups on the field for both sides.
"We just didn't play good at all," Gorr said. "There were a couple of things in the first quarter that hurt us, like the punt."
Trevor Gorr scored Monroe's TD with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter on a 7-yard run.
"It felt really good," Gorr said. "Every time I get in the game or get the ball, I play as hard as I can for the seniors. I want them to have a memorable time. (Playoffs) would mean everything to everyone."
For the moment, the touchdown took the running-clock out of use, but the Edgewood reserves put another TD on the board when back-up quarterback Robert Dunn dashed 45 yards.
It was Edgewood's fourth touchdown of the game from more than 30 yards out.
Spencer Brink had a 50-yard TD reception in the first and added a 36-yard run on a reverse in the second quarter. Those two scores helped the Crusaders jump out to a 21-0 lead. Ben Young, who had three TDs, made it 28-0 on a 1-yard run with 2:41 left in the half, and stretched the score to 34-0 on a 33-yard pass from Seth White with just 9 seconds left before the break.
"Who do you want to stop? Chris Wells, who has more speed than anybody that we have; (Jack) Zwettler who is a nice 6-5 target; Spencer Brink has more speed than anyone we have. So pick your poison," Miller said.
White finished 10 of 15 passing for 163 yards. As a team, Edgewood out-gained Monroe 369-37, including 206-28 rushing.
"They had a lot of different formations," Gorr said. "We just had to buckle down and do what we were coached to do."
Now Monroe gets Fort Atkinson (6-1, 3-1), which has guaranteed itself a winning season for the first time since 2007, before the Blackhawks re-entered the Badger Conference.
"Fort (coach Steve Mahoney) is trying to rebuild that program," Miller said. "He's done a nice job so far. But the opponents they have faced compared to ours, it's not anywhere near the same. The records going in will be a bit deceiving. It will be anyone's battle."
But if the Cheesemakers can win next week, and then in Week 9 at home against Oregon (1-6, 2-4), Monroe would be guaranteed its first playoff appearance since 2003. That could be big for not only the team this year, but for the city as well.
"We still have our goal straight in front of us, and that's to be a playoff team. That's set up right now very well for us. These are two games we feel we can win," Miller said. "This team has put in the time, and this senior class is a great group of kids. It's truly a story of a class trying to be better than they really are."
Miller also enjoyed a home crowd that sold out the home bleachers and had plenty of spill-over on the side.
"I hope people still believe in these kids, because there is some talent here. We appreciate their support," Miller said.
Madison Edgewood (6-1, 3-1 Badger South) rolled into town and dominated the Cheesemakers (2-5, 2-2) on Monroe's Homecoming, 43-7.
"We came out flat tonight and got behind the 8-ball a little bit," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "That's a good football team. And we just didn't come out and play to our potential and we knew it."
From almost the beginning, the Cheesemakers appeared as if a black cat had walked across the field in the morning, instead of trash and shattered glass left by pranksters overnight Thursday. Despite some concern the game would be delayed, the field was able to be cleared in time for kickoff.
After forcing an Edgewood punt just five plays into the game, the ill-fated bounce of the ball struck a Cheesemaker in the back, and the Crusaders recovered just 23 yards from the goal line. Three plays later, Monroe trailed 7-0.
"It was a situation of a play that should never have happened and we should have done a better job of calling him off and away on a shorter punt. But it happened and Edgewood took advantage of it," Miller said. "A good team will do that."
Offensively, Monroe was unable to get anything sustainable going. The Cheesemakers went 3-and-out on their first seven possessions and picked up its only first down on a late touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, with a running clock and backups on the field for both sides.
"We just didn't play good at all," Gorr said. "There were a couple of things in the first quarter that hurt us, like the punt."
Trevor Gorr scored Monroe's TD with 6:45 left in the fourth quarter on a 7-yard run.
"It felt really good," Gorr said. "Every time I get in the game or get the ball, I play as hard as I can for the seniors. I want them to have a memorable time. (Playoffs) would mean everything to everyone."
For the moment, the touchdown took the running-clock out of use, but the Edgewood reserves put another TD on the board when back-up quarterback Robert Dunn dashed 45 yards.
It was Edgewood's fourth touchdown of the game from more than 30 yards out.
Spencer Brink had a 50-yard TD reception in the first and added a 36-yard run on a reverse in the second quarter. Those two scores helped the Crusaders jump out to a 21-0 lead. Ben Young, who had three TDs, made it 28-0 on a 1-yard run with 2:41 left in the half, and stretched the score to 34-0 on a 33-yard pass from Seth White with just 9 seconds left before the break.
"Who do you want to stop? Chris Wells, who has more speed than anybody that we have; (Jack) Zwettler who is a nice 6-5 target; Spencer Brink has more speed than anyone we have. So pick your poison," Miller said.
White finished 10 of 15 passing for 163 yards. As a team, Edgewood out-gained Monroe 369-37, including 206-28 rushing.
"They had a lot of different formations," Gorr said. "We just had to buckle down and do what we were coached to do."
Now Monroe gets Fort Atkinson (6-1, 3-1), which has guaranteed itself a winning season for the first time since 2007, before the Blackhawks re-entered the Badger Conference.
"Fort (coach Steve Mahoney) is trying to rebuild that program," Miller said. "He's done a nice job so far. But the opponents they have faced compared to ours, it's not anywhere near the same. The records going in will be a bit deceiving. It will be anyone's battle."
But if the Cheesemakers can win next week, and then in Week 9 at home against Oregon (1-6, 2-4), Monroe would be guaranteed its first playoff appearance since 2003. That could be big for not only the team this year, but for the city as well.
"We still have our goal straight in front of us, and that's to be a playoff team. That's set up right now very well for us. These are two games we feel we can win," Miller said. "This team has put in the time, and this senior class is a great group of kids. It's truly a story of a class trying to be better than they really are."
Miller also enjoyed a home crowd that sold out the home bleachers and had plenty of spill-over on the side.
"I hope people still believe in these kids, because there is some talent here. We appreciate their support," Miller said.
