As we enter into the fall prep sports season, there are storylines abound for the local sports scene. Each team has question marks, and each team will have diamonds in the rough to fill in the blanks of some of those questions.

Here are the five things I will be paying attention to most this year:

♦  Will Monroe football be able to get through the gauntlet of the Badger South and make a return to the  postseason? 

While teams like Milton, Watertown and Edgewood seem to be “down” on paper, one false move and the road to the postseason gets even harder for the Cheesemakers. Stoughton lost now-Badger Brady Schipper, but returns a whole bunch of talent; Oregon is a team to never sleep on; Fort Atkinson has found ways to give the Cheese troubles over the years; and MG will continue to be the team to beat every season until the program shifts.

If Monroe can keep injuries at a minimum (always easier said than done), I think they have the talent to get there. They certainly have the coaching — coach Toby Golembiewski and his staff are not only great at Xs and Os, but are fantastic motivators and in the last two seasons were able to get more out of their players than the program had done the previous decade.

♦  Will Monroe-New Glarus churn out another state champion swimmer?

Mekenzie Hammer took first in the 100 backstroke last year as a freshmen — which certainly bodes well for the prospect of repeating. The precedent was set nearly 15 years ago when Ellie Radke won two state titles as a sophomore in 2003 and then did the same in 2004.

Hammer and a list of other Cheesemakers have the talent to make it to state, but again, injuries and progress are the biggest factors. Their season opened Thursday with a home meet against Platteville and the Badger South slate opens Tuesday at home against Milton.

♦  Can Darlington boys cross country make it back to the promised land and win state yet again?

The Redbirds have qualified for state as a team in each of the last 10 years, at one point winning six straight titles. But Darlington graduated four of its top five runners from 2017. Will the program be able to simply re-load? 

Pecatonica-Argyle seems to think they have a shot at a conference title over the Redbirds, so maybe we’ll have a budding rivalry on our hands.

First race for Darlington and Pec-Argyle is Tuesday at the Blackhawk Lake Invitational.

♦  Will Monroe’s soccer program get over the hump, finish in the top half of conference and make a run to sectionals?

Sure, this may seem like a tall task, but first-year coach Kyle Kasten has seen the girls program find stability, and the boys program has talent to make some noise.

Injuries are a key factor — please tell me to stop repeating myself — as are motivation. But this Cheesemakers squad is experienced — they graduated just one player from last year. With a “younger” team that is now an “older” team, collectively, can Monroe win a handful of games against the like of Milton, Stoughton, Fort Atkinson or Watertown. And then once the postseason comes around, can they get out of the regional and make it to sectionals? Last season Monroe lost to Edgewood 5-0 in the regional final, only for local rival Sugar River to knock off the Crusaders in the sectional semifinal.

I guess we’ll find out when the Cheesemakers take the pitch for the first time Tuesday against Wisconsin Heights.

♦  Who will come out on top in the Six Rivers in football?

Black Hawk ran through the regular season last year before getting shut down in the state championship, but heavy turnover may have brought them back to earth a bit. However, the Warriors are still loaded with talent and are the kings until someone knocks them off the throne.

Pecatonica-Argyle is led by ultra-athletic quarterback Colton Schraepfer, who is a true leader on the field. Watching him in basketball and baseball the last two years, it is apparent his leadership on the playing surface is as good as any that we’ve had in these parts since (oh gosh I’m going to say it) Alex Erickson.

Potosi-Cassville is a co-op of two of the best football schools in the conference over the past decade and could very easily finish the year on top. 

Highland might be the biggest factor in the league — and the Cardinals shouldn’t be considered a true threat to win the conference title. However, they have just enough talent that on any given Friday (or Saturday) they can knock off one of the big ones and send the conference standings into a tizzy.

Adam Krebs is a reporter of the Times and his list of puns to use in headlines is in the triple-digits. He can be reached at akrebs@themonroetimes.net.