Middleton holds off Memorial

Gabe Passini picked the perfect time to call his own number.

With his team clinging to a 21-20 lead late in the fourth quarter last Friday, Middleton’s senior quarterback faked a handoff then scampered down the sideline 60 yards on a keeper deep into Madison Memorial territory.

Passini’s run eventually led to a touchdown and helped the Cardinals clinch a 28-20 triumph over the visiting Spartans in a WIAA Division 1 first round playoff game at Breitenbach Stadium.

“They were expecting us to want to run out the clock with the running back,” Passini said. “Usually when my key goes in at the running back I can have my freedom to pull it. I just felt my opening, felt my time was there from what we practiced and tried to turn on my jets the best I could, but my tall lengthy self can’t beat those little fast guys.”

Middleton co-interim coach Tim Simon actually missed the play, but heard the reaction from the sideline.

“I heard people cheering and I look and I see (Passini) running by,” said Simon, who was talking to his defense. “I turned from the defensive guys on the bench and literally there he went right by me. Like ‘Holy Cow’ what happened?”

There was a brief scare when an official threw a flag on the play, but it was merely a warning for the excited Cardinals to back off on the sideline.

Four plays later, running back Elijah Jackson scored on an 8-yard run with 2 minutes, 33 seconds remaining in the game. The Spartans had rallied from a 21-7 deficit early in the second half to within 21-20 before Jackson’s TD.

“Our kids knew and our staff knew it was going to go down to the wire,” Simon said. “The first time we played them it went our way, but it was very good football game. I think both teams knew that it was going to be hard fought to the end. They’re a very physical team and coach (Michael) Harris and his staff do a tremendous job with their kids and we’re very fortunate to come out with a win.”

Senior linebacker Sam Pilof agreed.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Pilof said. “I mean it’s the playoffs, everybody’s going to play their hearts out no matter what.”

Third-seeded Middleton improved to 9-1 with its sixth consecutive victory. The sixth-seeded Spartans finished 6-4.

Middleton now travels to second-seeded Verona for a Level 2 game Friday at 7 p.m. The Big Eight Conference champion Wildcats (9-1) handed the Cardinals their only loss this season.

“We’re all pretty excited to get them again,” Middleton senior defensive lineman Dom Frost said. “It should be a good game. We know what they’ve got now and we think we can come out on top.”

Middleton looked to be in control against the Spartans after Passini found senior Damien Hansbro all alone in the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown with 1:14 left in the third quarter. The Cardinals overcame two consecutive penalties to score on the second-and-goal play.

Memorial answered back when quarterback Owen Fiedler and Mekai Ward hooked up for an-8-yard TD that capped a six-play, 80-yard drive. The Spartans got the ball right back on the ensuing kickoff when Hansbro fumbled it away at the 27.

“Our kid tried to make a play and sometimes when you’re making that play like he was trying to jump you get in trouble,” Simon said. “Fortunately we can learn from that for next week.”

Memorial took full advantage as Fiedler hit Ward for a 26-yard TD in the corner of the end zone, their third touchdown connection of the game.

“The quarterback put a couple balls exactly where he needed to,” Simon said. “That last touchdown he caught was underthrown and wide so we had a safety in the corner right there. It was a touchdown, but he caught it out of bounds with his feet in. There was no way we could defend that. Mekai Ward made a couple of amazing catches.”

Quone Burks, a 6-foot, 330-pound junior lineman, broke through the line to block Ty Aparicio’s extra-point attempt, and Middleton clung to a 21-20 advantage with 8:07 remaining.

“We just put a bunch of heat on the left side, so then our big man No. 99 will get in there because no one can block him,” Pilof said. “Quone Burks, he’s a beast. They were triple teaming him.”

Aparicio had a difficult angle kicking from the right hash mark at a short distance.

“That was a tough angle,” Simon said. “You kind of feel for the kid. It’s over on this hash, that’s a tough angle for a right-foot kicker.”

After forcing a three-and-out by the Cardinals, the Spartans got the ball back at their own 48. Five plays later, Fiedler hooked up with Ward who made a leaping 29-yard catch at the Middleton 6-yard line.

The Cardinals’ defense stiffened from there as the Spartans netted just two yards on the next three plays. Memorial elected to attempt a field goal, but came up empty when Aparicio’s kick sailed wide left.

“No matter where they are on the field, we know we can get a stop,” Pilof said. “We know we can cause a turnover. We know we can do anything. We have confidence in each other.”

Frost agreed.

“That was very nerve wracking, but our D held strong, didn’t break and the kick was a big point in the game,” Frost said. “We built off that momentum and finished strong.”

Simon broke down the defensive alignment the Cardinals used to stymie Memorial.

“We went into a front that we worked on this week for that scenario,” said Simon. “We put one of our linebackers down and we call it a mug and we put two guys in the A-gap. It’s something we worked on this past week, like we just might need this so let’s have it in.

“We haven’t repped it in a game yet, so for us to rep in practice a couple times and execute the way it’s supposed to be executed in the game is very nice to see. The whole defensive staff feels good about the kids translating something that really we just did Wednesday.”

Passini was thankful the defense came through.

“That’s a little scary feeling being a senior on my home field,” Passini said. “We had a tough three and out and the defense was confident. I was confident in the defense and I just had to believe in the boys and they got it done.”

Trailing 28-20 after Jackson’s TD, Memorial got the ball back at its own 20, but turned the ball over on downs after three incompletions and a sack by Frost.

Middleton marched down the field on its opening possession of the game. Passini capped the 5-play, 70-yard drive with a 32-yard TD strike to Hansbro for a 7-0 lead.

Memorial then went on a 21-play drive moving from its own 13-yard line to Middleton’s 15. The march, which featured six first downs and lasted over 10 minutes, ended when Thomas D’Onofrio intercepted Fiedler’s pass intended for Aparicio in the end zone.

Passini returned the favor two plays later when his deep ball was intercepted by Marion Moore at the Spartans’ 27. After a pair of 2-yard runs by Steve Young, Fiedler hooked up with Ward for a 69-yard TD to tie the game, 7-7.

Ward caught the ball at the 30, then outraced defenders Isaiah Dean and Greg Givens to the end zone.

Middleton responded with a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive capped by Passini’s 15-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7. Passini made a nifty move as he eluded defenders Moore and Carson Bott just before crossing the goal line.

Both teams traded fumbles on their next possessions. Memorial drove from its own 18 to the Middleton 1-yard line when Young fumbled and the Cardinals’ Trey Suttle recovered it. The drive featured a 50-yard reception by Ward.

Middleton took over with just 1:46 remaining in the half and drove to the Memorial 1-yard line. A 50-yard pass from Passini to junior tight end Drew Cooney set the Cardinals up at the Memorial 10-yard line.

“I just broke through and I saw an opening,” Cooney said. “My main focus was catch the ball first and he tackled me, but it gave us some momentum.”

A 9-yard pass from Passini to Isaiah Oliver on second down set the Cardinals up at the Memorial 1-yard line. However, the Cardinals came up empty when a fumble off a botched snap was recovered by the Spartans on third-and-goal with seconds remaining.

“That was a weird scenario and what we’d heard was the official’s hand was on the ball. Yet we heard it was marked into play so our kids are trying to snap it when his hand was still on the ball which obviously you can’t do,” Simon said. “I don’t know what the heck happened, but something was a little bit off there.”

“That was unfortunate, but move on,” Cooney said. “You’ve got to turn the page.”

After allowing Young to run for 57 yards on 16 carries in the first half, the Cardinals’ defense stepped up and limited Young to just nine yards on eight carries in the second. Ward accumulated 234 yards on eight catches with three touchdowns.

“We did a much better job of stopping the run in the second half but Mekai Ward, No. 3, he’s just so dangerous,” said Simon. “He’s so fast and he’s so quick on his cuts.”

“We knew that they’re a very tough team, they like to run it at us,” added Pilof. “That was our goal to take them out of their game and make them pass it which they did. No. 3 is an animal, he is very good.”

Passini was 12-of-17 for 184 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 97 yards and a score while Bryce Falk and Jackson added 54 and 52 rushing yards, respectively.

Memorial’s Fiedler connected on 14-of-28 for 291 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.

Frost was happy with the win, but sees room for improvement.

“We made some mental errors, but we came out with a win,” said Frost. “We’ve got to lock in more and play better next week.”

Oct. 20

Middleton 28, Madison Memorial 20

 Madison Memorial ……… 0  7  0 13 — 20

Middleton …........……… 7  7  7  7 — 28

M – Damien Hansbro 32 pass from Gabe Passini (Drew Cooney kick)

MM – Mekai Ward 69 pass from Owen Fiedler (Ty Aparicio kick)

M – Passini 15 run (Cooney kick)

M – Hansbro 29 pass from Passini (Cooney kick)

MM – Ward 8 pass from Fiedler (Aparicio kick)

MM – Ward 26 pass from Fiedler (kick failed)

M – Elijah Jackson 8  run (Cooney kick)

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs – MM 15, M 16. Rushing (Att-Yds) – MM 33-59, M 34-201. Passing yards – MM 291, M 184. Passing (Att.-Comp.-Int.) – MM 28-14-1. M 17-12-1. Total plays-yards – MM – 61-350, M – 51-385. Fumbles-lost – MM 2-1, M 4-2. Penalties-yards – MM 5-55, M 8-90.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Rushing: MM – Steve Young 24-66. M – Passini 15-97, Bryce Faulk 8-54, Jackson 10-52. Passing: MM – Fiedler 28-14-1. M – Passini 16-11-1. Receiving: MM – Ward 8-234. M – Hansbro 2-61, Cooney 1-50.