Mike Harris reacts to Madison Memorial's big season-opening win
Big Eight
Madison Memorial 32, Sun Prairie 26 (Madison Taxi Game of the Week): (LISTEN) (Coach Harris Postgame) A wild back-and-forth game, Madison Memorial kept battling back and got the win behind four total touchdowns from Jason Ceniti, including a 73-yard game-tying fourth quarter touchdown pass to Max Hoeser and two rushing touchdowns inside the five. It's Sun Prairie's first conference loss since Week 2 of the 2016 season, and Memorial coach Mike Harris' first win in his first game as Spartans coach.
Madison La Follette 19, Madison West 14: Kayvion-James Ragland provided the eventual game-winning score as the Lancers held off the Regents to open the season with a big win. While La Follette brought back several key contributors from last year, West debuted a new-look lineup with several two-way contributors graduating after last season.
Middleton 50, Madison East 0: Kallion Buckner led the way for the Cardinals as Middleton began the season with a shutout win against Madison East.
Janesville Craig 27, Beloit Memorial 7: Janesville Craig led 14-0 after the first quarter and led 27-0 in the fourth quarter to kick off the season with a victory.
Verona 40, Janesville Parker 2: Adam Bekx's debut as starting quarterback went well, throwing for two touchdowns to Aubrey Dawkins, and Haakon Anderson provided a hat trick of touchdowns rushing as Verona easily defeated the Vikings, as the defense allowed no points in the win.
1-0 Janesville Craig
1-0 Madison La Follette
1-0 Madison Memorial
1-0 Middleton
1-0 Verona
0-1 Beloit Memorial
0-1 Janesville Parker
0-1 Madison East
0-1 Madison West
0-1 Sun Prairie
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 2 Games:
Middleton (1-0) at Verona (1-0): Each team out-scored their opponents by a combined 90-2 in Week 1. Kallion Buckner of Middleton against Haakon Anderson of Verona makes for a very intriguing running back match-up, and both teams will vie for early control of the Big 8 after Sun Prairie went down in Week 1. This will be our Madison Taxi Game of the Week broadcast on The Big 1070.
Madison La Follette (1-0) at Madison Memorial (1-0): The winning team will be one of just two or three that will have a lead in the Big 8 after Week 2, and for Madison Memorial, they'll have to avoid a letdown after a long, emotional, and enthralling victory over Sun Prairie after Week 1. On the other side, La Follette will have to find a way to slow down the ground-and-pound attack of the Spartans, and get Kayvion James-Ragland into space to work against a very solid defense. It's also the Mike Harris Bowl, as new Memorial coach Mike Harris previously coached at La Follette.
Janesville Parker (0-1) vs Janesville Craig (1-0): It's only Week 2, but the Battle for Monterey Rock is here already. Craig's big win over Beloit Memorial in Week 1 was a big step towards a playoff return, and if they beat Parker in Week 2, they'll be in a three-way tie for first in the Big 8 heading into Week 3. Parker is looking to bounce back after a near-shutout loss against Verona in Week 1.
Beloit Memorial (0-1) at Sun Prairie (0-1): After a loss to Madison Memorial, Sun Prairie will return home for their first game since July's gas line explosion that devastated the community, and it'll be Pack The Pit night for the Cardinals as they honor first responders. Admission is free to the game, and donations will be taken for the Sun Prairie disaster relief fund. Beloit Memorial is coming off of an opening-week loss to playoff hopeful Janesville Craig, and they'll need a big game to take down the defending Big 8 champs.
Madison West (0-1) at Madison East (0-1): The intra-city rivalry is far from the least-interesting game in Week 2, but both teams are looking to bounce back after tough losses in the opening week of the season. For East, they're still looking for their first win for second-year coach Jeremy Thornton, and for West, they'll need to collect a win here to stay in the hunt for a city championship, and possibly a playoff spot.
Playoffs: No one can clinch until Week 5
Badger North and Badger South (Crossover Games in Week 1/2)
Oregon 17, DeForest 7: Both teams were third-place finishers last year in their respective halves of the Badger Conference, and Oregon emerged the winner in this big-time opener at Oregon in 2018. The Panthers also won this head-to-head match-up last season.
Mount Horeb/Barneveld 50, Edgewood 20: It was the debut of new head coaches at both schools, and the Vikings emerged winners behind Ethan Post's four touchdowns passing (with an added one on the ground), three of them to Caden Lee. Edgewood, meanwhile, was able to rush for 217 yards, 111 of them from returning all-conference honorable mention quarterback Thomas Hartlieb, who also had a touchdown pass.
Reedsburg 28, Monroe 7: After missing the playoffs last year, including a Week 9 loss to rival Baraboo that ultimately dashed any postseason dreams, the Beavers used it as motivation this offseason and got off to a good start in 2018, taking down a playoff team from a year ago in the opener. Reedsburg had over 300 yards rushing on a 9.4 yards-per-carry average to take control.
Stoughton 56, Portage 15: Perhaps a little surprising among the scores from Week 1 was Stoughton piling on points against Portage, given what Stoughton had lost from last year due to graduation and the work Portage had done throughout 2017 in battling hard and falling a little short of the playoffs. If the Vikings can consistently point up points behind their big O-line, they should be challengers again in the Badger South race against Monona Grove and Oregon (and others).
Milton 26, Sauk Prairie 12: Milton suffered three one-score losses to miss the playoffs a year ago after starting out 3-0 before finishing 3-6, and the Red Hawks are off to a good start again with a win over Sauk Prairie.
Monona Grove 39, Baraboo 0: Monona Grove scored just before halftime to take a 19-0 lead into the break, and piled it on in the second half as the Silver Eagles picked up where they left off in Badger Conference play from last year in the opener.
Waunakee 66, Fort Atkinson 0: The defending Division 2 state champions routed Fort Atkinson and spoiled the Blackhawks' debut of new coach Brady Grayvold. Waunakee looked every part the conference favorite in the dominating victory.
Watertown 20, Beaver Dam 7: Because of flooding in Watertown, the game was delayed until Saturday night. Watertown used their spread effectively to create running space and took the 98th all-time game in this series.
Week 2 Games:
Oregon (1-0) at Mount Horeb/Barneveld (1-0): Two Badger Conference challengers in their respective halves of the conference, both teams were challenged in their opening contests before settling in for wins. While it won't count for playoff contention, it's still a very interesting game between two of the teams picked to finish high in the conference standings.
Milton (1-0) at Reedsburg (1-0): Both programs aren't that far removed from deep playoff runs, and both are working towards postseason berths in 2018 after winning their openers. Expect plenty of running in this one.
Watertown (1-0) at Waunakee (1-0): Last year, Waunakee won this game going away, after the pre-game billing had it as one of the state's premier games on the schedule. After the Warriors' dominating win in Week 1, it doesn't have quite the same gleam as 2017 going in either, but it'll be interesting from the aspect that Watertown brings back plenty of players who experienced last year's drubbing in this contest, and in addition to a packed playbook of pass plays, the Goslings displayed some run ability last week too.
Monona Grove (1-0) at Portage (0-1): Monona Grove got two road games in the crossover this year, and this week they'll face Portage. The Warriors, like Baraboo, are playing the top two teams from the Badger South last year, which ups their strength of schedule considerably.
Baraboo (0-1) at Stoughton (1-0): Baraboo's very difficult schedule continues as they'll take on Stoughton, a team with a massive offensive line and a solid front position group on defense as well. The Thunderbirds should be pretty well-tested after an opening-week loss to Badger South favorite Monona Grove.
Fort Atkinson (0-1) at Beaver Dam (0-1): Fort Atkinson will have to face another tough defense to start the year, as the Blackhawks work with a very young lineup. Beaver Dam will get a chance to evaluate from a tough loss to Watertown on a short week, and sometimes film on a team during a game like Fort's last week can be hard to prepare with, so it'll be interesting to see how things go against the young Blackhawks.
Monroe (0-1) at DeForest (0-1): Both teams made the playoffs last year but lost their opening game, and in the final non-conference game before the conference season begins, it'll be one of the more intriguing match-ups to see who can emerge with a win and who will have to start their path back to the playoffs with an 0-2 start to the season.
Edgewood (0-1) at Sauk Prairie (0-1): Edgewood was able to move the ball against Mount Horeb/Barneveld, which makes the crossover game against Sauk Prairie interesting from the aspect that Sauk Prairie won this game a year ago. The Eagles are seeking a win to get some momentum heading into conference play.
Playoffs: No one can clinch until Week 6.
Capitol Conference - North and South (Non-Conference)
Not counting crossovers, the Capitol Conference is 5-4 in non-conference games this season (North 2-3, South 3-1)... the Capitol North leads crossover games 1-0
Menomonie 33, Lake Mills 7: (LISTEN) Menomonie is one of the pre-eminent programs in the entire state of Wisconsin, so it was all the L-Cats could do to get a score late in the game and get some work in against a top-flight opponent on the road in the opening week.
Poynette 24, Waterloo 0: The Pumas returned several all-conference players to their defense for 2018, and it showed in a shutout of Waterloo, who lost the debut of head coach Aaron Erickson. Poynette ran for 243 yards in the victory in the first Capitol Crossover of the season.
Lodi 13, Delavan-Darien/Willams Bay 7: Along with Waunakee, St. Mary's Springs, and Bangor, Lodi extended their state-long winning streak to 15 games with a win in the opener. The defending Division 4 champs got it done with a late score.
Lakeside Lutheran 40, Adams-Friendship 6: Capitol North favorite Lakeside Lutheran got four touchdowns from Jack Monis and added 322 yards on the ground as the Warriors looked every part the contender they're projected to be with this opening-week win.
Ripon 14, Luther Prep 13: Two playoff hopefuls went at it in Week 1, with Luther Prep dropping their opener. The Phoenix have had winning records in two of the last three seasons, but missed the playoffs both times.
Omro 21, Columbus 14: The young Cardinals didn't get the win, but against a good opponent, the experience should pay off as Columbus navigates a more competitive non-conference schedule this year.
Palmyra-Eagle 33, Marshall 8: Marshall entered the season very young, and it showed in a drubbing in week one.
Belleville 69, Elcho/White Lake 0... New Glarus/Monticello 43, Dodgeville 0... Cambridge 41, Brookfield Academy 7: The three reigning Capitol South conference champions easily won opening-week contests.
Week 2 Games:
Lake Mills (0-1) at New Glarus/Monticello (1-0): An intriguing match-up for two 2017 playoff teams, Lake Mills will get another strong test against the Glarner Knights as the L-Cats' difficult schedule plays out. For NG/M, they'll get to see a solid defense, and a chance to see what Lake Mills will try at quarterback heading into Week 2 after rotating two players against Menomonie.
Wisconsin Dells (1-0) at Lodi (1-0): As the Chiefs try to build their program, they'll get a good measuring stick when they take on the defending D-4 state champs. Lodi will try to continue working in some of their new starters after a tough challenge in a week one win.
Cambridge (1-0) at Cochrane-Fountain City (0-1): This should be a solid contest as C-FC lost to one of the better small-school programs in Wisconsin at Pepin/Alma. Cambridge will try to build on a big week one victory ahead of conference play which begins in a few weeks.
Lakeside Lutheran (1-0) at Elkhorn (0-1): A pretty solid match-up, as Elkhorn narrowly lost to New Berlin West to open the season and will tune up for the difficult Southern Lakes. Lakeside Lutheran will try to continue their
Columbus (0-1) at Platteville (1-0): Platteville won their opener against Cuba City and figures to be a strong team again in the Southwestern Conference, so it'll be another solid test for Columbus as they gain experience leading up to conference play.
Adams-Friendship (0-1) at Poynette (1-0): The Pumas are trying to start 2-0 behind their excellent defense, and they'll get a South Central Conference opponent to work against in their second of four non-conference games.
Kettle Moraine Lutheran (0-1) at Luther Prep (0-1): Both teams are looking to bounce back after opening-week losses. KML didn't get a win last year, so they're trying to snap the streak against a solid Phoenix squad.
Waterloo (0-1) at Palmyra-Eagle (1-0): The Pirates will try to get their first win for new head coach Aaron Erickson against Palmyra-Eagle, playing their second Capitol South team in as many weeks.
Stanley-Boyd at Marshall (0-1): One of the top programs in Wisconsin will make the trip to Dane County. Marshall views a game like this as an opportunity to compete against a top program to get ready for conference play.
Parkview (0-0) at Belleville (1-0): Parkview cancelled their first game of the year due to numbers, while Belleville rolled to a big win to start the year.
Playoffs: No one can clinch until Week 7
Rock Valley
East Troy 20, Clinton 0: This year's RVC favorites beat last year's RVC champs in the opener, shutting out a young Clinton team trying to replace one of the best senior classes the school has had, ever. The Trojans came into the season projected to be a big offensive powerhouse, but the defense pitched a shutout against the defending champs.
Brodhead/Juda 28, Evansville/Albany 22: Only 12 miles separate these co-ops' home fields, and the Cardinals got a big win to start the year as they work back towards the playoffs after missing them for the first time in a quarter-century last year. For the Blue Devils, the road back to a conference championship got more difficult, after winning three straight from 2014-2016.
McFarland 57, Edgerton 34: With both teams bringing so much back, especially on offense, this one had all the makings of a high-powered scoring affair. McFarland stayed in front of the Tiders, and both teams' starting quarterbacks had four touchdown passes.
Beloit Turner 56, Whitewater 7: Turner got off to a good start, dominating Whitewater behind some new players on the lines and plenty of returning talent at the skill positions.
Jefferson 57, Big Foot 25: This game was postponed until Saturday night. Nolan Klawitter scored four touchdowns, including thre ein the second half, to help the Eagles bounce back from a 14-7 deficit in the second quarter.
Beloit Turner 1-0
Brodhead/Juda 1-0
East Troy 1-0
Jefferson 1-0
McFarland 1-0
Big Foot 0-1
Clinton 0-1
Edgerton 0-1
Evansville/Albany 0-1
Whitewater 0-1
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched playoff berth
#Eliminated
Week 2 Games:
Jefferson (1-0) vs McFarland (1-0) (at Madison La Follette): Both teams put up over 50 points last week, and you can expect that the clock operators at Lussier Stadium will be busy again this week, as both offenses are explosive and stocked with talented players across the board. It would be surprising if the team that won this game didn't eclipse 30 points.
Beloit Turner (1-0) at Big Foot (0-1): Turner scored over 50 in week one and Big Foot allowed over 50 in the opening week. That's hardly the way to look at this match-up, of course, but the Chiefs will face another great running back in Kyle Hanaman this week. For Turner, it's a chance to get off to a hot start like they did in 2017 en route to a 7-2 third-place RVC finish.
Clinton (0-1) at Brodhead/Juda (1-0): Brodhead/Juda has a chance to take on the defending conference champs. A win would give them a huge leg up in getting back to the playoffs. For Clinton, it's an opportunity to bounce back from a loss against the conference favorite and get back on track.
East Troy (1-0) at Whitewater (0-1): The conference favorites will make the short trip to Whitewater to take on the Whippets, who only won one game a season ago. Whitewater's got two all-conference players back on defense, but it'll be a challenge to stop the powerful Trojans offense.
Edgerton (0-1) at Evansville/Albany (0-1): A short drive down Highway 59, this one is very interesting given the high-flying Edgerton offense as they work against one of the better defenses, at least on paper, in the conference. E/A started 0-3 last year and is trying to avoid the same fate in 2018.
Playoffs: No teams can clinch until Week 5.