Todays games
A look at today's local games:
- Division 4: Platteville at Brodhead-Juda, 7 p.m.
- Division 5: Cambridge at Darlington, 3 p.m.
- Division 7: Black Hawk at Rio (Portage) 4 p.m.
MONROE - There are three area football teams that will kickoff first round playoff games today with aspirations of making a run to state at Camp Randall Stadium.
Two teams begin their postseason quests at home. Brodhead-Juda will host Platteville and Darlington will host Cambridge. Black Hawk will play Rio on the road.
Division 4
Brodhead-Juda (7-2), last year's WIAA Division 4 state runner-up, will host Platteville. Both teams are ranked 10th in the Associated Press Medium School poll. After losing to Walworth Big Foot in Week 3 last year, the Cardinals won 10 straight games to get to the state championship. This year after losing 27-10 to Big Foot, again in Week 3, Brodhead-Juda enters the playoffs with six consecutive wins. Whether the Cardinals can make another state run is to be determined.
"We don't talk much about that," Brodhead-Juda coach Jim Matthys said. "I'm sure it's in the back of their minds. It's the playoffs and every team is good. We are not looking ahead. It's a tough road. We are completely focused on Platteville."
Platteville quarterback Logan Emendorfer has passed for 1,509 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has completed 64 percent of his passes and will test the Cardinals' pass defense.
"They are very explosive," Matthys said of the Hillmen's offense. "It's not just the quarterback. It all starts with him."
The Cardinals are led by senior Jesse DeLorme, who has rushed for 1,124 yards and has scored 16 touchdowns. The Cardinals average 37.1 points per game and are averaging 307 rushing yards per game. Fellow seniors Trenton Jordan (571 rushing yards) and Jaron Harding (415 yards) also give the Cardinals depth in the backfield. When teams stack the line of scrimmage, Brodhead-Juda senior quarterback David Earleywine has been able to make plays passing the ball. Earleywine has passed for 796 yards and nine touchdowns.
Brodhead-Juda has a postseason history against Platteville. The Cardinals beat Platteville in the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. Matthys didn't go back and look at film from those previous meetings.
"Personnel is a lot different for them and we are different," he said.
Division 5
Darlington is 3-0 against Cambridge in the playoffs, and that includes a triple-overtime win in the first round in 1990.
Cambridge fullback Alex Resnick has rushed for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns this year. Darlington senior fullback Seth Rowe has rushed for 1,028 yards and scored 17 touchdowns this year. Rowe is averaging 146 yards per game in the seven games he has played this season.
Darlington (7-2) won the SWAL for the third straight year and enters the playoffs as one of the hottest teams with seven consecutive wins. The Redbirds went unbeaten in the SWAL for the second straight season.
If Darlington beats Cambridge, the Redbirds will play the winner of Waterloo and Oostburg.
Division 7
Black Hawk enters the playoffs on the heels of a 44-27 win over Pecatonica Argyle. The Warriors (7-2) have lost in the first round four of their last five playoff appearances. Black Hawk beat Rio 28-14 in the second round of the 2007 playoffs. Rio (7-2) finished second in the Small Trailways Conference and enters the postseason with a five-game winning streak.
If Black Hawk beats Rio, the Warriors would likely face Randolph, who was a state semifinalist last year. Randolph first must get by Catholic Central. Catholic Central has played in three straight state championship games and has won Division 7 titles in 2008 and 2009.
"I think it will be a pretty even matchup," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "They probably have more size than we have. That's been the story all year for us. Collectively, we probably have more speed. It will be a good test for us."
The Warriors' high powered offense that averages 33 points per game received some bad news when junior starting quarterback Merik Meythaler fractured his tibia and is out for the season. The Warriors have been a balanced offense that likes to use the spread and pass the ball. Without Meythaler, who passed for 1,101 yards and 15 touchdowns, the Warriors' offense hasn't been as wide open. Black Hawk senior wide receiver Hayden Schliem has a knack for making big plays. Schliem has 25 receptions for 512 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Junior Kyle Walters stepped in at quarterback the final two games and has passed for four touchdowns and ran for two. It's his running ability that Milz is excited about.
"He's a different athlete than Merik," Milz said of Walters. "Kyle is a lot like a Brett Favre gunslinger. He's sometimes a wild man out there. He does have the ability to run. We have tried to reinvent our offense to more of a running team with him at quarterback. He's getting better with every snap. Right now, he is inexperienced. He's still trying to digest the whole defense and sometimes plays a little slow."
Black Hawk senior running back Jace Johnsrud has 1,031 total yards (779 rushing, 252 receiving) and he has scored 13 touchdowns this year. The Warriors also have a couple of other capable running backs, including senior Michael Walker and sophomore Jayden Rufenacht, who rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns against Pecatonica-Argyle last week.
Two teams begin their postseason quests at home. Brodhead-Juda will host Platteville and Darlington will host Cambridge. Black Hawk will play Rio on the road.
Division 4
Brodhead-Juda (7-2), last year's WIAA Division 4 state runner-up, will host Platteville. Both teams are ranked 10th in the Associated Press Medium School poll. After losing to Walworth Big Foot in Week 3 last year, the Cardinals won 10 straight games to get to the state championship. This year after losing 27-10 to Big Foot, again in Week 3, Brodhead-Juda enters the playoffs with six consecutive wins. Whether the Cardinals can make another state run is to be determined.
"We don't talk much about that," Brodhead-Juda coach Jim Matthys said. "I'm sure it's in the back of their minds. It's the playoffs and every team is good. We are not looking ahead. It's a tough road. We are completely focused on Platteville."
Platteville quarterback Logan Emendorfer has passed for 1,509 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has completed 64 percent of his passes and will test the Cardinals' pass defense.
"They are very explosive," Matthys said of the Hillmen's offense. "It's not just the quarterback. It all starts with him."
The Cardinals are led by senior Jesse DeLorme, who has rushed for 1,124 yards and has scored 16 touchdowns. The Cardinals average 37.1 points per game and are averaging 307 rushing yards per game. Fellow seniors Trenton Jordan (571 rushing yards) and Jaron Harding (415 yards) also give the Cardinals depth in the backfield. When teams stack the line of scrimmage, Brodhead-Juda senior quarterback David Earleywine has been able to make plays passing the ball. Earleywine has passed for 796 yards and nine touchdowns.
Brodhead-Juda has a postseason history against Platteville. The Cardinals beat Platteville in the playoffs in 2004 and 2005. Matthys didn't go back and look at film from those previous meetings.
"Personnel is a lot different for them and we are different," he said.
Division 5
Darlington is 3-0 against Cambridge in the playoffs, and that includes a triple-overtime win in the first round in 1990.
Cambridge fullback Alex Resnick has rushed for 1,761 yards and 21 touchdowns this year. Darlington senior fullback Seth Rowe has rushed for 1,028 yards and scored 17 touchdowns this year. Rowe is averaging 146 yards per game in the seven games he has played this season.
Darlington (7-2) won the SWAL for the third straight year and enters the playoffs as one of the hottest teams with seven consecutive wins. The Redbirds went unbeaten in the SWAL for the second straight season.
If Darlington beats Cambridge, the Redbirds will play the winner of Waterloo and Oostburg.
Division 7
Black Hawk enters the playoffs on the heels of a 44-27 win over Pecatonica Argyle. The Warriors (7-2) have lost in the first round four of their last five playoff appearances. Black Hawk beat Rio 28-14 in the second round of the 2007 playoffs. Rio (7-2) finished second in the Small Trailways Conference and enters the postseason with a five-game winning streak.
If Black Hawk beats Rio, the Warriors would likely face Randolph, who was a state semifinalist last year. Randolph first must get by Catholic Central. Catholic Central has played in three straight state championship games and has won Division 7 titles in 2008 and 2009.
"I think it will be a pretty even matchup," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "They probably have more size than we have. That's been the story all year for us. Collectively, we probably have more speed. It will be a good test for us."
The Warriors' high powered offense that averages 33 points per game received some bad news when junior starting quarterback Merik Meythaler fractured his tibia and is out for the season. The Warriors have been a balanced offense that likes to use the spread and pass the ball. Without Meythaler, who passed for 1,101 yards and 15 touchdowns, the Warriors' offense hasn't been as wide open. Black Hawk senior wide receiver Hayden Schliem has a knack for making big plays. Schliem has 25 receptions for 512 yards and nine touchdowns this season.
Junior Kyle Walters stepped in at quarterback the final two games and has passed for four touchdowns and ran for two. It's his running ability that Milz is excited about.
"He's a different athlete than Merik," Milz said of Walters. "Kyle is a lot like a Brett Favre gunslinger. He's sometimes a wild man out there. He does have the ability to run. We have tried to reinvent our offense to more of a running team with him at quarterback. He's getting better with every snap. Right now, he is inexperienced. He's still trying to digest the whole defense and sometimes plays a little slow."
Black Hawk senior running back Jace Johnsrud has 1,031 total yards (779 rushing, 252 receiving) and he has scored 13 touchdowns this year. The Warriors also have a couple of other capable running backs, including senior Michael Walker and sophomore Jayden Rufenacht, who rushed for 216 yards and three touchdowns against Pecatonica-Argyle last week.
