PLATTEVILLE - Darlington junior quarterback Jared Meister passed for two touchdowns to lead the Redbirds to a season-opening 37-21 win over Platteville on Friday night.
It marks the first time Darlington has beaten Platteville in a season opener since 2010 when University of Wisconsin wide receiver Alex Erickson starred at quarterback for the Redbirds.
The past two seasons, the Redbirds have lost the season opener to the Hillmen and then won 12 straight games to advance to the WIAA Division 6 state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium.
Meister was 7 of 9 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's win.
"It's always nice to be able to win," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said. "It doesn't matter if it's the opener or the last game. Platteville is always a challenge because of their athleticism, size of their school and their numbers. Each (win) I get I cherish."
Darlington junior fullback Hunter Johnson rushed for 160 yards and scored one touchdown. He also caught one of Meister's touchdown passes.
Darlington's Brayden McDonald and Trevor Johnson each added touchdown runs.
"We had an outstanding balanced attack," Zywicki said. "We were very balanced and that makes us very dangerous."
River Valley 44, Brodhead-Juda 38
SPRING GREEN - The Brodhead-Juda football team's fourth-quarter rally came up short - by a toe and then by one foot - in a 44-38 nonconference loss to River Valley in the season opener for both teams Friday night.
River Valley led 21-14 at halftime and built a 14-point advantage with three minutes left in the game. But Brodhead-Juda wasn't ready to call it quits.
Senior Ned Slocum caught a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Matt Schmitt that Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said was from about 40 yards out with 36 seconds left, and then senior Jake Pickel ran in the two-point conversion.
With 35 seconds left, Brodhead-Juda recovered its onside kick at the River Valley 45-yard line.
That's when Brodhead-Juda suffered two near misses - Slocum caught a pass in the end zone but officials said he had a toe out of bounds, and then he caught another pass from about 25 yards out but was stopped at the one-foot line.
Evansville-Albany 28, Dodgeville 0
EVANSVILLE - Rykker Brown had 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns to
lead Evansville-Albany to victory.
It marks the first time Darlington has beaten Platteville in a season opener since 2010 when University of Wisconsin wide receiver Alex Erickson starred at quarterback for the Redbirds.
The past two seasons, the Redbirds have lost the season opener to the Hillmen and then won 12 straight games to advance to the WIAA Division 6 state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium.
Meister was 7 of 9 passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns in Friday's win.
"It's always nice to be able to win," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said. "It doesn't matter if it's the opener or the last game. Platteville is always a challenge because of their athleticism, size of their school and their numbers. Each (win) I get I cherish."
Darlington junior fullback Hunter Johnson rushed for 160 yards and scored one touchdown. He also caught one of Meister's touchdown passes.
Darlington's Brayden McDonald and Trevor Johnson each added touchdown runs.
"We had an outstanding balanced attack," Zywicki said. "We were very balanced and that makes us very dangerous."
River Valley 44, Brodhead-Juda 38
SPRING GREEN - The Brodhead-Juda football team's fourth-quarter rally came up short - by a toe and then by one foot - in a 44-38 nonconference loss to River Valley in the season opener for both teams Friday night.
River Valley led 21-14 at halftime and built a 14-point advantage with three minutes left in the game. But Brodhead-Juda wasn't ready to call it quits.
Senior Ned Slocum caught a touchdown pass from junior quarterback Matt Schmitt that Brodhead-Juda coach B.J. Bockhop said was from about 40 yards out with 36 seconds left, and then senior Jake Pickel ran in the two-point conversion.
With 35 seconds left, Brodhead-Juda recovered its onside kick at the River Valley 45-yard line.
That's when Brodhead-Juda suffered two near misses - Slocum caught a pass in the end zone but officials said he had a toe out of bounds, and then he caught another pass from about 25 yards out but was stopped at the one-foot line.
Evansville-Albany 28, Dodgeville 0
EVANSVILLE - Rykker Brown had 88 yards rushing and two touchdowns to
lead Evansville-Albany to victory.
