We recap our best Madison Taxi Game of the Week broadcasts from 2017 this week.
By the second round of the playoffs, many were looking forward to a potential Sun Prairie-Middleton rematch in Level 3. Middleton had been short-handed in Week 2 during their loss to Sun Prairie, so it would be interesting to see if Middleton could get to Level 3 and pull the upset on the undefeated Sun Prairie Cardinals. But first, Middleton had to take care of Madison West in Level 2.
The Regents famously only had barely a little over two dozen players on varsity this season. Most of their players were two-way starters, and played key roles in all three phases. Middleton, meanwhile, was working in some of their injured players from early in the season, and nearing full strength.
Madison West played the short game, eating up clock and having success on run-pass options all game. In the second half, Middleton's James Pabst burst for two big runs to get the Cardinals right back into it, and Middleton held a lead in the fourth quarter when the Regents took over. Keishawn Shanklin carried the team on his back, keeping on most of the option plays, and set up a fourth and goal in the final seconds. Out of the timeout, Shanklin went right side, stretched the ball across the goal line inside the pylon, and Madison West had pulled the upset.
Yes, I still have the program that was thrown at me after I made the final call. Thank you, random fan!
You can hear the full broadcast below.
Game Audio: Madison West 30, Middleton 27
By Jimmie Kaska