MONROE - Milton senior quarterback Tyler Westrick scored four touchdowns in the second half to power Milton to a 34-7 win over Monroe Friday.
But the scoreboard didn't tell the whole story. Monroe (2-2, 0-2 Badger South) was tied with the Red Hawks at 7 at the half. Milton (3-1) dominated field position in the second half and scored 27 unanswered points. The Red Hawks scored 13 points off three fumbles and a shanked punt by the Cheesemakers. The average starting field position for the Cheesemakers in the second half was their own 21-yard line.
"We can't give them the ball in our own territory and expect to win games," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Field position and the turnovers came back to bite us in the second half."
Westrick rushed for more than 100 yards and scored three touchdowns and tossed a 37-yard TD pass. He used his scrambling and play-making ability to hurt the Cheesemakers on quarterback draws and option plays.
Early on, it appeared that Monroe was up to the challenge of winning its first Badger South Conference game. The Cheesemakers, on their second possession, marched 77-yards in 16 plays capped off by senior running back Cody Wolf's 2-yard TD run. The drive chewed up more than 9 minutes and the Cheesemakers were 3-for-3 converting on fourth downs including two fake punts. Facing fourth down-and-3 from their own 31-yard line, Monroe senior punter Jake Flannery had a 6-yard run on the fake punt to convert a key fourth down. The second successful fake punt of the drive came on fourth-and-2 from the Cheesemakers' 46-yard line. Flannery again converted with a 4-yard run to keep the scoring drive alive.
When asked if the game was a must-win and whether the Cheesemakers were rolling the dice to win, Miller said it wasn't a decision where the Cheesemakers felt pressure to go for it.
"We let a kid like Jake Flannery make some plays," Miller said. "It was his decision whether he was going to punt it or run. He's a great athlete and we let him continue to do that. We were in a groove and we were too close to punt."
The Red Hawks answered with senior Howard Greene diving and stretching the ball across the pylon for a 15-yard TD run to tie the game at 7 late in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers had a chance with 2 minutes, 11 seconds to go to move into field goal range or push the ball downfield with the passing game. Wolf ripped off a 16-yard run to move the ball to the Cheesemakers' 48-yard line. The Cheesemakers were content to pound with the running game and ran the clock down before punting.
"At the time we were moving the ball on the ground running behind our linemen," Miller said. "Their defensive backs were playing well behind our receivers. Tyler (Elmer) managed the game well. He did what we asked him to do."
Wolf rushed for 122 yards on 32 carries and scored one touchdown. He understood that the intensity level would pick up in the second half.
"At halftime we knew they (Milton) would come out more aggressive," Wolf said. "We knew they would come out and battle. Like our coach said, the game would come down to six or seven plays and you didn't know when they would be. Field position really killed us and they had a really good kicker who pinned us deep."
After a short punt by Flannery in the third quarter to the Cheesemakers' 27-yard line, the Red Hawks took advantage of the golden field position. Westrick broke loose on a 15-yard TD run to give the Red Hawks a 14-7 lead. After the Cheesemakers' first fumble, the Red Hawks took over at the Cheesemakers' 37-yard line. The Red Hawks cashed in on the field position right away with Westrick hooking up with Devon Higginbotham on a 37-yard TD pass to give the Red Hawks a 20-7 lead.
"We were able to move the football on them and played tough defense," Miller said. "The short field hurt us in the second half."
Westrick added 2 and 69-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Red Hawks. Monroe sophomores Dylan Beaver and Isaac Allen each had one sack. The Cheesemakers played without middle linebacker Alex Borowitz due to injury, Miller said.
But the scoreboard didn't tell the whole story. Monroe (2-2, 0-2 Badger South) was tied with the Red Hawks at 7 at the half. Milton (3-1) dominated field position in the second half and scored 27 unanswered points. The Red Hawks scored 13 points off three fumbles and a shanked punt by the Cheesemakers. The average starting field position for the Cheesemakers in the second half was their own 21-yard line.
"We can't give them the ball in our own territory and expect to win games," Monroe coach Curt Miller said. "Field position and the turnovers came back to bite us in the second half."
Westrick rushed for more than 100 yards and scored three touchdowns and tossed a 37-yard TD pass. He used his scrambling and play-making ability to hurt the Cheesemakers on quarterback draws and option plays.
Early on, it appeared that Monroe was up to the challenge of winning its first Badger South Conference game. The Cheesemakers, on their second possession, marched 77-yards in 16 plays capped off by senior running back Cody Wolf's 2-yard TD run. The drive chewed up more than 9 minutes and the Cheesemakers were 3-for-3 converting on fourth downs including two fake punts. Facing fourth down-and-3 from their own 31-yard line, Monroe senior punter Jake Flannery had a 6-yard run on the fake punt to convert a key fourth down. The second successful fake punt of the drive came on fourth-and-2 from the Cheesemakers' 46-yard line. Flannery again converted with a 4-yard run to keep the scoring drive alive.
When asked if the game was a must-win and whether the Cheesemakers were rolling the dice to win, Miller said it wasn't a decision where the Cheesemakers felt pressure to go for it.
"We let a kid like Jake Flannery make some plays," Miller said. "It was his decision whether he was going to punt it or run. He's a great athlete and we let him continue to do that. We were in a groove and we were too close to punt."
The Red Hawks answered with senior Howard Greene diving and stretching the ball across the pylon for a 15-yard TD run to tie the game at 7 late in the second quarter. The Cheesemakers had a chance with 2 minutes, 11 seconds to go to move into field goal range or push the ball downfield with the passing game. Wolf ripped off a 16-yard run to move the ball to the Cheesemakers' 48-yard line. The Cheesemakers were content to pound with the running game and ran the clock down before punting.
"At the time we were moving the ball on the ground running behind our linemen," Miller said. "Their defensive backs were playing well behind our receivers. Tyler (Elmer) managed the game well. He did what we asked him to do."
Wolf rushed for 122 yards on 32 carries and scored one touchdown. He understood that the intensity level would pick up in the second half.
"At halftime we knew they (Milton) would come out more aggressive," Wolf said. "We knew they would come out and battle. Like our coach said, the game would come down to six or seven plays and you didn't know when they would be. Field position really killed us and they had a really good kicker who pinned us deep."
After a short punt by Flannery in the third quarter to the Cheesemakers' 27-yard line, the Red Hawks took advantage of the golden field position. Westrick broke loose on a 15-yard TD run to give the Red Hawks a 14-7 lead. After the Cheesemakers' first fumble, the Red Hawks took over at the Cheesemakers' 37-yard line. The Red Hawks cashed in on the field position right away with Westrick hooking up with Devon Higginbotham on a 37-yard TD pass to give the Red Hawks a 20-7 lead.
"We were able to move the football on them and played tough defense," Miller said. "The short field hurt us in the second half."
Westrick added 2 and 69-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter to seal the win for the Red Hawks. Monroe sophomores Dylan Beaver and Isaac Allen each had one sack. The Cheesemakers played without middle linebacker Alex Borowitz due to injury, Miller said.
