Madison Memorial, Waunakee, Monona Grove, Stoughton, Lodi, McFarland, and Cambridge all stayed undefeated past the halfway point of the high school football season, in mostly very convincing victories in Week 5 on Friday night.
Waunakee and Lodi extended their state-long winning streaks to 19 games, as both defending state champs had big wins in Week 5. In the Big 8, Sun Prairie and Janesville Craig each got big wins to remain tied for second place behind undefeated Madison Memorial, while Middleton, Madison La Follette, and Verona all loom at 3-2 with plenty of big games the rest of the way in the 2018 season.
Week 6 will see the start of Homecoming games, more playoff-clinching scenarios, and renewed rivalries. All three of those factors are on the table in our Game of the Week next week when Stoughton visits Oregon in the Battle for 138.
Big Eight
⭐📈 D1 #10 Sun Prairie (4-1) 43, Verona (3-2) 35: Sun Prairie coach Brian Kaminski told us Friday night that Verona presents a big challenge this year because of how many ways they can attack you on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals were able to hold off the Wildcats to pick up a huge win, their fourth in a row. Verona will have a chance right away next week to jump back into the Big 8 fray, as they will take on Big 8-leading Madison Memorial.
⭐📈 Janesville Craig (4-1) 17, Madison La Follette (3-2) 10: Janesville Craig and Madison Memorial are the only two teams that control their own Big 8 title destiny, with the teams set to meet in Week 9. The Cougars won a low-scoring affair at Madison La Follette and are now tied for second place with Sun Prairie. La Follette still has some important games late in the season coming up, so the Lancers will have plenty to say about the Big 8 championship race.
📈 D1 #8 Madison Memorial (5-0) 35, Madison West (1-4) 13: (🔊 Madison Taxi Game of the Week Broadcast) Madison Memorial clinched a playoff spot, a city championship, and Burt Hable's Clipboard with their win over Madison West. Coach Mike Harris said after the game that the game was as physical as he expected, and it forced Memorial to adapt to not having the ball for most of the first half. West ran for over 200 yards, but Memorial scored 21 points in less than three minutes to end the first half to pull away and win.
Middleton (3-2) 42, Beloit Memorial (1-4) 6: Middleton has had two heartbreaking losses this season, so in another test of their resiliency, the Cardinals bounced right back up with a win over Beloit Memorial. The Purple Knights are seeing their playoff hopes fade a bit, with challenging upcoming games including Madison Memorial on the horizon.
Madison East (1-4) 32, Janesville Parker (0-5) 14: Jeremy Thornton got his first win at his alma mater, as the Purgolders scored 26 unanswered to beat the Vikings on the road. East snapped a losing streak dating to 2016 with the win and gives the Purgolders a building block for future success. For Parker, the past two seasons have seen some tremendous graduation losses, which have been difficult to overcome.
Standings:
*5-0 Madison Memorial
4-1 Sun Prairie
4-1 Janesville Craig
3-2 Madison La Follette
3-2 Verona
3-2 Middleton
1-4 Beloit Memorial
1-4 Madison West
1-4 Madison East
0-5 Janesville Parker
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 6 Games:
Madison Memorial (5-0) at Verona (3-2): After this game, the Spartans will see the schedule let up with games against Beloit Memorial and Janesville Parker (combined one win) before finishing up against Janesville Craig in a potential Big 8 title tilt. First, they have to solve the complicated offense of the Verona Wildcats, which put Sun Prairie on their heels and was able to help beat Middleton in Week 2. If there's a game that could shake up the Big 8 picture this week, it's this one.
Madison La Follette (3-2) at Sun Prairie (4-1): La Follette's schedule is pretty tough in the back half, with a season-ending date against Middleton still on the horizon as well as Verona in two weeks, and that's after playing Janesville Craig last week. Sun Prairie is on a four-game winning streak, and a win over La Follette would clinch them a playoff spot. The Cardinals also hope to stay in the conference title chase, since Madison Memorial has a big game against Verona this Friday.
Janesville Craig (4-1) at Madison East (1-4): Madison East got into the win column by beating one Janesville school, and they'll need an even bigger effort to take down the Cougars this week. Craig is the only other team besides Madison Memorial that can claim to control their own conference title fate, as winning out would guarantee them a share of the league title. One game at a time, though, and a win would seal up a playoff spot for the Cougars.
Middleton (3-2) at Janesville Parker (0-5): Middleton's ground game is tough for even the best defenses to stop, and Parker is coming off of a loss in which they let a halftime lead get away in losing to Madison East. The Cardinals' schedule ramps up after this, with Janesville Craig, Sun Prairie, and Madison La Follette to close out the season.
Beloit Memorial (1-4) at Madison West (1-4): Both teams had playoff aspirations before the season began, and for one of those teams, those dreams could be a step away from becoming extinguished with a loss this week. Despite the records, there's a ton to play for, as Beloit looks to mark improvement from a two-win season last year and West, after a difficult early schedule, attempts to salvage a year with a roster primarily comprised of sophomores on varsity.
Playoffs: Madison Memorial has clinched a playoff spot. Sun Prairie and Janesville Craig, with wins, can clinch playoff spots this week. Madison La Follette, Verona, and Middleton all need a fourth win this week to (likely) get into the postseason field. Janesville Parker will be eliminated from playoff consideration with a loss. Beloit Memorial, Madison West, and Madison East can no longer control their own playoff fates if they suffer a loss the rest of the way.
Badger North
D3 #7 Mount Horeb/Barneveld (4-1, 2-1) 24, Baraboo (2-3, 2-1) 14: While the end result was a monster rally by Mount Horeb/Barneveld, Baraboo showed that they can play with just about anyone, after dropping a close call earlier this season to Stoughton in which they led midway through but fell late as well. Mount Horeb/Barneveld got a big win to get them a step closer to the playoffs with big games against DeForest and Reedsburg on the schedule yet.
DeForest (3-2, 2-1) 46, Sauk Prairie (1-4, 1-2) 7: The Norskies challenged Waunakee last week before succumbing to the depth of the Warriors, and this week put it all on the field in a blowout win over Sauk Prairie. DeForest is one of the sneaky-good teams in the area, with a very good line on both sides of the ball and some dynamic athletes in the backfield. If the pass game comes along in the back half of the season, look out. Sauk Prairie had a tough loss to Reedsburg last week, and with Waunakee this week, will continue to work through the hardest part of their schedule.
Reedsburg (4-1, 2-1) 38, Beaver Dam (1-4, 0-3) 0: After the devastating floods of the past few weeks along the Baraboo River, Reedsburg's ability to rally for a win over Sauk Prairie last week and then put it to Beaver Dam this week puts them on a path towards a return to the postseason. Mount Horeb/Barneveld awaits this week in what should be one of the area's top games. Beaver Dam needs to win out to clinch a playoff spot, and with Waunakee waiting in Week 9, that's a tall order. The Golden Beavers could still get in at 3-4 possibly, but that was a fine line to walk last year.
D2 #2 Waunakee (5-0, 3-0) 70, Portage (0-5, 0-3) 6: The outcome wasn't all that surprising--Portage got a long touchdown for their only score of the game--but Waunakee bounced back from a stiff challenge from DeForest, only pulling away late to make the game look like more domination by the Warriors with a game that was actual domination.
Standings:
Waunakee 3-0 (5-0)
Mount Horeb/Barneveld 2-1 (4-1)
DeForest 2-1 (3-2)
Reedsburg 2-1 (3-2)
Baraboo 2-1 (2-3)
Sauk Prairie 1-2 (1-4)
Beaver Dam 0-3 (1-4)
Portage 0-3 (0-5)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 6 Games:
Mount Horeb/Barneveld (4-1, 2-1) at Reedsburg (4-1, 2-1): This will be one of the games in consideration for statewide Game of the Week status. If you like defense and big-time run games, this is a game for you. MH/B's pass game is what gave them the edge in coming back to beat Baraboo, and it'll be a key against a stingy Reedsburg defense.
Baraboo (2-3, 2-1) at DeForest (3-2, 2-1): The other Badger North game of consequence, the winning team will be just one more victory away from a playoff berth while the losing team will have to win two of their last three to get in. Baraboo has the most difficult stretch of their schedule at the moment, with last week's game against Mount Horeb/Barneveld and contests to come against Waunakee and the season finale against longtime rival Reedsburg.
Waunakee (5-0, 3-0) at Sauk Prairie (1-4, 1-2): Waunakee can clinch a playoff spot with a win here. Sauk Prairie had a tremendous defensive effort against Reedsburg two weeks ago, but got demolished by DeForest's skilled lines. The only possibly better line in the Badger might be Waunakee's, and that is going to be a big challenge for the Eagles.
Beaver Dam (1-4, 0-3) at Portage (0-5, 0-3): Well, 3-4 can get you into the playoffs, but with some tough games still left on the schedule for both teams, a loss all but ends the postseason dream. Both teams have struggled defensively. This actually may end up one of the better games in the area this week, given the records, and the stakes for keeping their respective playoff hopes alive.
Playoffs: Waunakee wraps a playoff spot with a win this week. The losing team in the Beaver Dam-Portage game is almost certainly eliminated from playoff contention, although a few 3-4 teams got in last season, so they won't be scratched from the list--yet.
Badger South
Oregon (3-2, 2-1) 38, Milton (2-3, 1-2) 13: For Oregon, with games against Stoughton and Watertown coming up, this was an important win to stay close to the conference leaders and set up for a big run down the stretch. For Milton, it's one step forward, one step back again, although it's hard to fault them for losing to a team as tested as Oregon is so far this year.
Watertown (4-1, 3-0) 23, Edgewood (1-4, 0-3) 14: Watertown's lone loss is Waunakee, certainly not a bad loss. Edgewood's defense has been solid this season, even getting a shutout for a win this season. The Goslings have a fairly dynamic offense, so keeping it close is a moral win for Edgewood as they build towards real wins in the future.
D2 #8 Stoughton (5-0, 3-0) 13, Monroe (0-5, 0-3) 6: Stoughton had to come back from behind to claim a victory here, as Monroe gave the Vikings all they could handle at Collins Field. The Vikings are about to enter a very difficult part of their schedule, beginning on Friday with Oregon before taking on Watertown and Monona Grove, the other two teams tied atop the Badger South.
D2 #6 Monona Grove (5-0, 3-0) 49, Fort Atkinson (0-5, 0-3) 0: A much different result than the conference's other 4-0, 0-4 match-up. Fort Atkinson has really struggled on offense, but Monona Grove is one of the league's best defenses too. Fort's schedule becomes a little more tenable down the road, while MG's will get harder closer to the playoffs.
Standings:
Monona Grove 3-0 (5-0)
Stoughton 3-0 (5-0)
Watertown 3-0 (4-1)
Oregon 2-1 (3-2)
Milton 1-2 (2-3)
Edgewood 0-3 (1-4)
Fort Atkinson 0-3 (0-5)
Monroe 0-3 (0-5)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 6 Games:
Stoughton (5-0, 3-0) at Oregon (3-2, 2-1): (Madison Taxi Game of the Week Broadcast): The Battle for 138 is renewed with plenty at stake for both teams. Oregon has lost to Mount Horeb/Barneveld and Monona Grove, two state-ranked teams, and only by a combined 25 points. Stoughton, meanwhile, has had to battle back in wins over Baraboo and Monroe. If Stoughton wins, they'll clinch a playoff spot and yet another win in this rivalry series after sweeping both games last year. If Oregon notches a victory, they'll still have a shot at a conference title should Monona Grove lose at some point.
Milton (2-3, 1-2) at Watertown (4-1, 3-0): The team records don't indicate what a solid match-up this is. Watertown will play Stoughton, Oregon, and Monona Grove to close out the year, and this will be the beginning of that tough stretch to close out the season. Milton didn't fare well against Oregon last week, but the Panthers have played a pretty tough schedule thus far and are pretty well-tested. Milton's defense will be another tough test for the Gosling's offense. Watertown clinches a playoff spot with a win.
Monroe (0-5, 0-3) at Monona Grove (5-0, 3-0): Monroe led Stoughton at halftime last week before faltering late, and the Cheesemakers haven't really been a pushover this year. The offense has struggled at times, but they'll need to turn that around against a pretty good Silver Eagles defense. Monona Grove's propensity for scoring points is their trademark, but the defense is full of capable athletes across the board. Monona Grove clinches a playoff spot with a win, and Monroe can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss.
Edgewood (1-4, 0-3) at Fort Atkinson (0-5, 0-3): Fort Atkinson has struggled to score points this year, and despite the record, Edgewood has a decent defense in 2018. For Edgewood, after a nine-point loss to Watertown, things are starting to trend up a bit, although the Crusaders still have a few tough games coming up. The losing team in this game will not be able to clinch a playoff spot later in the year.
Playoffs: Monona Grove, Stoughton, and Watertown can all clinch playoff spots with wins this week. Meanwhile, Edgewood, Monroe, and Fort Atkinson will all look to avoid their fourth loss, which puts the playoffs out of their own control. Edgewood vs. Fort Atkinson will guarantee one team is on the wrong side of that four-loss line.
Capitol Conference - North
Not counting Capitol crossovers, the Capitol Conference is 23-12 in non-conference games this season (North 13-6, South 10-6)... the Capitol North dominated crossover games 5-0
Lake Mills (4-1, 1-0) 47, Poynette (4-1, 0-1) 14: Lake Mills has won four in a row since an opening-week loss to D2 powerhouse Menomonie. Adam Moen set a Lake Mills record with four passing touchdowns as the L-Cats solved Poynette's solid defense in a conference-opening win.
D4 #2 Lodi (5-0, 1-0) 34, Luther Prep (3-2, 0-1) 14: Lodi took control in this game, beating a pretty solid Luther Prep squad handily. The Blue Devils have won 19 in a row, tied with Waunakee, Bangor, and St. Mary's Springs for the longest streak in the state. Luther Prep had a solid showing, proving how difficult this conference will be this season.
Lakeside Lutheran (4-1, 1-0) 41, Columbus (1-4, 0-1) 6: Lakeside Lutheran is figured to be one of the top teams in the Capitol North, if not D-4, this year, their lone loss coming to D5 power Lake Country Lutheran (in a game closer than the 33-14 final score). No trouble here against a young Columbus team, although the Cardinals have played a difficult schedule so far.
Standings:
Lake Mills 1-0 (4-1)
Lakeside Lutheran 1-0 (4-1)
Lodi 1-0 (5-0)
Columbus 0-1 (1-4)
Luther Prep 0-1 (3-2)
Poynette 0-1 (4-1)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 6 Games:
Lakeside Lutheran (4-1, 1-0) at Luther Prep (3-2, 0-1): This rivalry clash takes place earlier in the conference season this year, and has recently been the deciding game for who makes the playoffs. Lakeside has dynamic athletes all over the place, while Luther Prep has a ton of experience and battering rams along the lines and at the second level. This is one of the area's better games this week.
Lodi (5-0, 1-0) at Poynette (4-1, 0-1): Despite the setback against Lake Mills, Poynette's still sporting a good ground game and a defense that prior to last week was demoralizing opponents. Lodi, meanwhile, will be looking for a 20th straight win and doing it mostly the same way they did last year, sans one of the state's most outstanding athletes from a season ago: sound defense and the ability to move the ball in different ways.
Columbus (1-4, 0-1) at Lake Mills (4-1, 1-0): Columbus has played some very difficult games in the middle part of the season, and that continues when they see Lake Mills this week and Lodi next week. For Lake Mills, their schedule jumps up the final three weeks against the other 4-1 or 5-0 teams in the conference, so making it back to the playoffs could hinge on how this game turns out.
Playoffs: No playoff scenarios until Week 7.
Capitol Conference - South
Not counting Capitol crossovers, the Capitol Conference is 23-12 in non-conference games this season (North 13-6, South 10-6)... the Capitol North dominated crossover games 5-0
New Glarus/Monticello (2-3, 1-0) 13, Belleville (4-1, 0-1) 9: New Glarus/Monticello started their second season with a huge win over one of the other defending Capitol South champs from last year, turning their prospects around as the Knights chase the playoffs. Belleville's schedule didn't feature many heavy hitters in the first four weeks, so this was by far their biggest test to date.
Cambridge (5-0, 1-0) 49, Waterloo (0-5, 0-1) 14: The Blue Jays should be close to being state-ranked soon, and if not this week, then perhaps in a couple of weeks as they take a break from conference play to face Darlington next week. The Blue Jays have some outstanding two-way athletes and candidates for the all-state team in the fold. Waterloo's still looking for the first win for AD and first-year coach Aaron Erickson.
D6 #7 Mineral Point (4-1, 2-0) 54, Marshall (1-4, 0-0) 18 - Non Conference: Mineral Point is one of the state's better teams among smaller schools and was able to hold Marshall's offense in check during a big win. Marshall has played up against larger schools for most of the non-conference slate, so wrapping it up with one of the best teams statewide should be a good boost of experience going into a four-week run of Capitol South games.
Standings:
Cambridge 1-0 (5-0)
New Glarus/Monticello 1-0 (2-3)
Marshall 0-0 (1-4)
Belleville 0-1 (4-1)
Waterloo 0-1 (0-5)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 6 Games:
Marshall (1-4, 0-0) at New Glarus/Monticello (2-3, 1-0): The Knights can become playoff-eligible with a win over Marshall. The Cardinals' offense has been capable of big plays all year, and they'll need a few to open up conference play with a victory.
Belleville (4-1, 0-1) at Waterloo (0-5, 0-1): The losing team here will no longer be able to clinch a playoff spot, Belleville saw a four-game win streak snapped last week, and to bounce back, they'll have to get past a hungry Waterloo program looking for win #1.
Cambridge (5-0, 1-0) at Darlington (1-4, 0-3) - Non Conference: The Blue Jays are rolling to start the year, and they'll get one last big non-conference test before the big road game against Belleville in Week 7. Darlington has struggled against a very tough schedule this year, including games against ranked powerhouses like Fennimore and Lake Country Lutheran, so the record is a bit deceiving. However, the Redbirds have lost four in a row while Cambridge has won five in a row.
Playoffs: New Glarus/Monticello becomes playoff-eligible with a win. The losing team between Belleville and Waterloo can no longer clinch a playoff spot, although it is very likely a 2-2 record would get either team in once we cross that bridge in Week 9.
Rock Valley
Edgerton (4-1) 34, Jefferson (3-2) 7: One of the most eye-opening scores in the area was this one, with Edgerton putting up a big win to stay a game back of McFarland in the Rock Valley. Jefferson is still in good shape even with the loss for a playoff spot, but the conference title hopes took a big hit here.
Beloit Turner (4-1) 32, Brodhead/Juda (2-3) 27: Brodhead/Juda's rally came up short, and after a 2-0 start, the Cardinals have lost three in a row. Beloit Turner continues to stay one game back of McFarland, their only loss this year.
Big Foot (2-3) 34, Clinton (1-4) 26: A one-score game gives Big Foot their second win in a row, defeating the defending conference champion Clinton Cougars. Big Foot's early schedule was daunting, and now the late part of the schedule will pick up again with McFarland next week. Clinton graduated a ton of talent from last year, so the record isn't that surprising, but the defending conference champions are now on the brink of missing out on the playoffs.
East Troy (4-1) 41, Evansville/Albany (0-5) 20: Evansville/Albany kept it close, but East Troy was able to pull away in the second half to keep the Trojans in the hunt for the Rock Valley title, while Evansville/Albany now can no longer clinch a playoff spot.
McFarland (5-0) 45, Whitewater (0-5) 6: McFarland is out-scoring conference opponents by over 22 points per game this year, having played all of the teams with the winning records already in Rock Valley play. The Spartans' dominating offense gets the headlines, but how about a defense that has pounded some of the toughest teams in the Rock Valley already too? Whitewater had a tall order coming into this one, but they'll play in an elimination game next week.
Standings:
*McFarland 5-0
Beloit Turner 4-1
East Troy 4-1
Edgerton 4-1
Jefferson 3-2
Brodhead/Juda 2-3
Big Foot 2-3
Clinton 1-4
Evansville/Albany 0-5
Whitewater 0-5
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched playoff berth
#Eliminated
Week 6 Games:
Beloit Turner (4-1) at Edgerton (4-1): In the three-way tie for second place, this week begins the process to sort that out, as Turner's rock wall of a defense faces the potent Edgerton offense. Both programs are ascending in recent memory, with Turner dispelling years of poor records to establish themselves as a rock-solid contender, while Edgerton is making a big jump behind a wave of incoming talent in their next three classes. One of the area's very best games.
East Troy (4-1) at Brodhead/Juda (2-3): The records belie how good of a match-up this is. East Troy's Jake Dessart is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing already and he'll very likely get there, but Brodhead/Juda has played some teams very tough this year despite a three-game losing streak.
Big Foot (2-3) at McFarland (5-0): The next stop on the Spartans' world tour is a home date with Big Foot. The Chiefs have played better the past two weeks, but they'll have to find a way to slow down a very strong passing attack in this one. McFarland's defense hasn't gotten its due yet, but that should play a part in any success they have this week.
Clinton (1-4) at Jefferson (3-2): What a difference a year makes. Last year, this decided the conference. This year, it's for playoff positioning, as both teams are looking to bounce back from Week 5 losses.
Whitewater (0-5) at Evansville/Albany (0-5): An elimination game of sorts, as neither team can clinch a playoff spot, but while 4-5 can get you into the playoffs, 3-6 almost certainly will not. Both teams are on long losing streaks dating to last season.
Playoffs: McFarland has clinched a playoff spot. The winner of Beloit Turner and Edgerton will clinch a playoff spot. East Troy can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Brodhead/Juda. The losing team in Evansville/Albany and Whitewater will be eliminated from postseason contention. If Clinton loses, they will not be able to clinch a playoff spot.
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