2023 Monona Grove Football: A Season Defined by Resilience, Offensive Explosion and a Return to Playoff Success

The 2023 Monona Grove football season was not a smooth climb from August to October. It was something more complicated — and ultimately more revealing.

The Silver Eagles began the year breaking in a sophomore quarterback, replacing much of the previous season’s defense and facing an unforgiving early schedule. By mid-September, MG had been beaten decisively by Waunakee, lost three of four games and fallen to 2-3 overall. From that point forward, however, the season changed dramatically.

Monona Grove won five consecutive games, averaged more than 46 points during the streak, finished second in the Badger Small Conference and went on the road to earn the program’s first WIAA playoff victory since 2018. By the time the season ended in Level 2 against Sun Prairie East, MG had finished 7-4 overall, produced one of the most prolific regular-season offenses in program history and established a young core that would help shape the seasons that followed. The program archive lists the 2023 team at 5-1 in conference play, 6-3 in the regular season and 7-4 overall.

At the center of it all was senior running back Gavin Hablewitz, the team MVP and the veteran centerpiece of the offense; senior tackle Sam Hawker, who anchored an experienced offensive line; sophomore quarterback Cal Moreau, who developed rapidly in his first season as the varsity starter; and a collection of playmakers including Isaiah Erb, Cal Woerth, Joseph Otto Morton and Preston Huemmer.

The result was a season that began with uncertainty but finished by restoring postseason momentum to Monona Grove football.

A Team Built Around the Run — With a New Quarterback Taking Over

Monona Grove entered 2023 knowing what it could rely upon.

Hablewitz had already established himself as one of the Badger Conference’s premier backs. As a junior in 2022, he rushed for 1,004 yards and 14 touchdowns, earned unanimous First Team All-Conference recognition and helped MG finish the regular season with three consecutive victories to reach the playoffs. Around him returned an experienced offensive line featuring Hawker, James Pedretti, Max Sisler, Jacob Bonjour and Brayden Maxson.

The major unknown was quarterback.

Moreau had appeared only briefly as a freshman, but entered August working with the first-team offense. Instead of asking a first-year starter to carry the team immediately, MG surrounded him with experience. Woerth returned after leading the team with 28 receptions in 2022, Otto Morton returned from an ACL injury, Erb provided a large target at tight end, and Huemmer gave the offense another explosive option.

Head coach Brandon Beckwith’s preseason assessment proved prophetic: MG would go as far as its offensive and defensive lines could take it.

That offensive line became one of the defining units of the season.

Week 1: Sun Prairie East Provides an Immediate Reality Check

Monona Grove opened at home against Sun Prairie East, already one of the state’s most explosive programs.

The Silver Eagles discovered immediately how difficult their schedule would be.

Sun Prairie East quarterback Drew Kavanaugh accounted for seven touchdowns, including six through the air, as the Cardinals defeated MG 57-34. The score was lopsided enough to expose the work still ahead, but Monona Grove’s ability to score 34 against an elite opponent also hinted at what the offense might eventually become.

The opener was particularly valuable for Moreau. Rather than easing into varsity football against an overmatched opponent, he was immediately forced to operate in a game where MG had to chase points and respond to explosive plays.

There would be no easing into the season.

Week 2: The Offensive Line Takes Over Against La Follette

One week later, MG offered a much clearer picture of its intended identity.

Against Madison La Follette, the Silver Eagles rushed for 369 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-7 victory. Hablewitz ran only 13 times but gained 178 yards and scored three touchdowns. Moreau demonstrated the athletic dimension he brought to the quarterback position, rushing six times for 114 yards and scoring on a 43-yard run. He also connected with Erb for a 16-yard touchdown.

The game was effectively finished by halftime, when MG led 35-0.

The defense joined the offensive line in controlling the game. Kaden Connor intercepted two passes. Will Knoeck and Cohen McKail recovered fumbles. Knoeck registered two sacks and Erb added another as La Follette was limited to 140 yards on 55 plays.

The victory established the blueprint MG would return to later in the year: physical offensive line play, Hablewitz running downhill, Moreau stressing defenses as both a passer and runner, and a defense capable of creating turnovers.

Week 3: Moreau Breaks Through at Stoughton

Conference play began at Stoughton, where Moreau delivered his first major varsity quarterback performance.

MG led only 14-7 at halftime before taking control after the break. Moreau accounted for multiple scores, including touchdown passes to Otto Morton, while Hablewitz helped finish the game with several second-half touchdowns. The Silver Eagles eventually pulled away for a 49-14 victory. Contemporary reporting described Moreau throwing four touchdown passes as MG opened conference play successfully.

The victory moved Monona Grove to 2-1 and showed that the passing game could be much more than a complement to Hablewitz.

That development would become crucial.

Opponents could no longer devote their entire defensive structure to stopping MG’s running game.

The Low Point: Waunakee Wins 63-0

Then came Waunakee.

On September 8, the second-ranked Warriors overwhelmed MG 63-0, one of the most decisive defeats in recent program history.

Moreau was held to 5-of-16 passing for 71 yards and threw three interceptions. Hablewitz managed only 29 rushing yards on 10 carries. Woerth had two receptions for 35 yards. Defensively, Chase Yinko recorded nine tackles and Alex Knopps registered a sack, but the Silver Eagles had few answers for a Waunakee offense that scored repeatedly through both the run and pass.

For a team with postseason aspirations, the result could have become the defining moment of the season.

Instead, it became the line separating the first half of the year from what followed.

Mount Horeb/Barneveld: MG Fights Back but Falls to 2-3

The next week brought another major challenge against unbeaten Mount Horeb/Barneveld, ranked second in Division 3.

MG again fell behind, but unlike at Waunakee, the Silver Eagles fought their way back into the game.

Hablewitz scored twice. Moreau rushed for a touchdown and threw another to Otto Morton. On one of the strangest plays of the season, Moreau had a pass deflected back toward him, caught his own throw and ran seven yards for a touchdown.

That score pulled MG within 37-32 with approximately five minutes remaining.

Mount Horeb/Barneveld answered with a late touchdown and won 44-32, dropping the Silver Eagles to 2-3 overall. Moreau finished 20-of-33 for 167 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 53 yards. Hablewitz added 79 yards and two scores. Otto Morton caught eight passes for 82 yards.

The record was discouraging.

The way MG had competed was not.

Three of its first five opponents had included Sun Prairie East, Waunakee and undefeated Mount Horeb/Barneveld. The Silver Eagles had been tested, exposed and forced to develop quickly.

They would not lose again for more than a month.

The Turning Point: 70-62 Against DeForest

If one game captured the identity of the 2023 team, it was September 22 against DeForest.

The Silver Eagles fell behind 14-0.

Then everything changed.

Moreau hit Huemmer for a 77-yard touchdown. He later found Huemmer again for a 23-yard score. The defense contributed when Theiler deflected a pass and Jesus Garcia intercepted it, returning the ball 10 yards for a touchdown.

From there, the game became an offensive track meet.

The teams combined for an astonishing 1,276 yards, 132 points and 56 first downs, with MG eventually surviving 70-62.

Hablewitz was magnificent.

He rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns, including a 57-yard score in the fourth quarter. Moreau rushed for another 145 yards and two touchdowns. Together, they helped MG pile up 393 rushing yards.

Moreau also threw for 319 yards, giving him 464 total yards of offense. One of his touchdown passes came on a beautifully designed trick play: Moreau handed to Hablewitz, Hablewitz handed to Woerth on a reverse, Woerth pitched the ball back to Moreau, and Moreau found Erb behind the defense for a 60-yard touchdown.

The game was chaotic, but MG discovered something important about itself.

It could respond.

It could trail by multiple scores without panicking.

And when the offense found rhythm, it could score against almost anyone.

That resilience became the defining trait of the season.

Sauk Prairie: The Defense Answers Back

One week after allowing 62 points and 564 yards to DeForest, MG’s defense responded.

Sauk Prairie opened the game with a 95-yard kickoff return and took a 7-0 lead, but Garcia and Theiler quickly changed the momentum.

Garcia chased quarterback Landon Schultz from behind and forced a fumble. Theiler scooped up the ball and returned it nine yards for a touchdown.

It was the second consecutive week the defensive line had produced a touchdown.

MG went on to force three turnovers, record four sacks and keep the Sauk Prairie offense out of the end zone until the fourth quarter. The Silver Eagles won 42-21.

Meanwhile, Moreau’s development accelerated.

He completed 15 of 26 passes for 285 yards and four touchdowns. Erb caught touchdown passes of 11 and 14 yards. Woerth caught fourth-quarter touchdowns covering 26 and 81 yards, finishing with 120 receiving yards.

Hablewitz supplied the balance with 141 rushing yards and another touchdown.

MG was now 4-3.

What had been a season in danger of slipping away had become a playoff push.

Portage: The Playoff Ticket Is Punched

The offensive surge continued at Portage.

MG scored at least 40 points for the third straight week and defeated the Warriors 49-18, earning its fourth conference victory and securing a postseason berth for the third consecutive year.

Hablewitz carried 26 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Moreau threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns — both to Woerth — while adding a 13-yard rushing score. Woerth’s touchdown catches covered 63 and 12 yards. Jace Thomsen added a one-yard touchdown run, and Dom Najacht converted all seven extra points.

The defense continued producing impact plays. Yinko led MG with eight tackles, Knoeck and Jenner Zeutzius recorded sacks, and Tyler Donkersgoed intercepted a pass.

The Silver Eagles were no longer merely surviving the schedule.

They were surging.

Homecoming and Senior Night: Hablewitz Dominates Fort Atkinson

The regular-season finale brought Fort Atkinson to Monona Grove on a windy, rainy night.

The conditions made throwing difficult, so MG leaned on exactly what had carried the offense from the beginning: Hablewitz and the offensive line.

Hablewitz scored the first four touchdowns of the game, all on short runs, and finished with 189 rushing yards in a 42-8 victory. Woerth added a seven-yard rushing touchdown, while Moreau connected with Erb for a three-yard score.

The win completed a remarkable turnaround.

After starting 2-3, MG had won four consecutive games to finish the regular season 6-3 and second in the Badger Small.

The evening also carried an historical connection. Monona Grove honored its undefeated 2013 Division 3 state championship team during the game — ten years after that group completed the greatest season in program history.

The 2023 team was not chasing the same historical stature.

But it was beginning to create a postseason story of its own.

An Offense That Joined MG’s Historical Leaderboard

The offensive transformation was significant enough to place the 2023 team among the most productive regular-season offenses in Monona Grove history.

The program archive credits the 2023-24 team with 360 points across nine regular-season games — 40.0 points per game — the third-highest regular-season scoring average in documented MG history, trailing only the 2017 and 2011 teams in the archive.

That production was not simply the result of one star.

Hablewitz provided the foundation. By the start of the playoffs, he had surpassed 2,000 rushing yards for the season and scored 20 rushing touchdowns. During MG’s four-game winning streak to close the regular season, he rushed for more than 140 yards in every game.

Moreau developed into a legitimate dual-threat quarterback. Entering the postseason he had thrown for more than 1,660 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding 442 rushing yards and seven scores.

The receiving corps made the offense difficult to defend.

Entering the playoffs, Woerth and Erb each had 435 receiving yards. Woerth led the team with six touchdown receptions, Erb had five, while Huemmer and Otto Morton each had three.

And behind all of it was an offensive line that became one of the team’s greatest strengths.

Hawker was the centerpiece, but Pedretti, Sisler, Bonjour and Maxson gave MG the continuity necessary to build the physical rushing attack envisioned before the season began.

A Defense That Made Its Mark Through Pressure and Turnovers

The final defensive numbers were not as dominant as the offensive totals. MG played several high-scoring games and faced some of the state’s best offenses.

But the defense became increasingly opportunistic.

Entering the playoffs, Monona Grove had recovered 10 fumbles and intercepted eight passes. Donkersgoed and Connor each had three interceptions, while Knoeck had recorded eight sacks.

The front created several of the season’s most memorable momentum swings.

Theiler tipped the pass that Garcia returned for a touchdown against DeForest.

Garcia forced the fumble that Theiler returned for a touchdown against Sauk Prairie.

Knoeck developed into one of the Badger Small’s top defensive linemen.

Yinko became a versatile playmaker in the secondary.

Beck provided senior leadership at linebacker.

Erb contributed on both sides of the football.

By October, MG was no longer simply trying to outscore teams. The defense was creating the takeaways and field-position swings needed to complement one of the conference’s most dangerous offenses.

Level 1: The Breakthrough at Nicolet

Monona Grove entered the WIAA Division 2 playoffs as the No. 6 seed, traveling to face No. 3 Nicolet.

The matchup looked dangerous. Nicolet featured a physical offensive line and running back Ben Ott, who had rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns.

And the night began badly.

Nicolet jumped ahead 15-0.

For the 2023 Silver Eagles, however, falling behind was becoming familiar territory.

Moreau responded with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Erb before the first quarter ended.

After a scoreless second quarter, the game turned in the third.

Moreau found Erb for an 18-yard touchdown. Then came the biggest play of the game: Moreau connected with Erb for a 66-yard touchdown, and Huemmer converted the two-point attempt to give MG its first lead, 21-15.

Hablewitz finished the comeback with a 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth.

Monona Grove won 28-15, scoring 28 unanswered points after falling behind by 15.

Moreau delivered perhaps his best complete passing performance of the season, finishing 23-of-35 for 309 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another 57 yards.

Erb produced a postseason performance that belongs among the memorable receiving games in modern MG history: eight catches, 178 yards and three touchdowns.

Woerth added 10 receptions for 70 yards.

And on defense, Connor and Donkersgoed each intercepted passes.

The significance went beyond advancing to Level 2.

It was Monona Grove’s first playoff victory since 2018.

For a senior class that had helped rebuild the program after the disrupted 2020 season and the first-round exits of 2021 and 2022, the win represented tangible progress.

Level 2: Sun Prairie East Ends the Run

The postseason bracket produced a rematch.

MG returned to Sun Prairie East, the same team that had beaten the Silver Eagles 57-34 in Week 1.

For one quarter, the rematch looked as though it might become one of the stories of the season.

Sun Prairie East scored first, but Moreau answered with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Otto Morton.

Then, after the Cardinals took a 14-6 lead, Yinko fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 79 yards for a touchdown.

At the end of the first quarter, MG trailed only 14-12.

The possibility of another comeback was real.

This time, however, Sun Prairie East did not allow it.

The Cardinals scored twice in the second quarter and continued pulling away after halftime, defeating MG 43-12. Moreau finished with 156 passing yards and 60 rushing yards. Hablewitz rushed for 66 yards and caught three passes for 106 yards. Erb forced a fumble in his final game.

The season was over.

The final record: 7-4.

Hablewitz Finishes as the 2023 Team MVP

The program’s MVP archive identifies Gavin Hablewitz as Monona Grove’s 2023-24 team MVP, an appropriate conclusion to a season in which the senior running back served as the centerpiece of the offense.

His impact extended beyond rushing totals.

When MG needed stability against DeForest, Hablewitz provided it.

When weather limited the passing game against Fort Atkinson, MG handed him the football.

When Nicolet needed to be finished in the fourth quarter of the playoffs, Hablewitz scored the touchdown that created a two-possession lead.

His production and consistency helped give Moreau the time to develop at quarterback and allowed MG’s passing game to grow naturally rather than forcing a sophomore starter to carry the offense immediately.

He also repeated as a unanimous First Team All-Conference running back and earned All-Region recognition for his senior season. The historical archive lists him among MG’s 2023-24 All-Region honorees.

Hawker Anchors the Line and Earns State Recognition

Hawker’s senior season further established him as one of the most accomplished offensive linemen of the Beckwith era.

At 6-foot-9, he entered the season on the Joe Thomas Award watch list and with college interest already established. By season’s end, he was a unanimous First Team All-Conference offensive lineman, a First Team All-Area selection, an All-Region selection and a WFCA All-Star selection. The program honors archive also lists him among MG’s significant postseason honorees from 2023.

He eventually committed to the University of South Dakota, extending MG’s tradition of producing college offensive linemen.

His impact was visible in the identity of the entire offense. The Silver Eagles repeatedly trusted their line to carry games, particularly during the five-game winning streak.

A Deep All-Conference Class

The success of the season was reflected in the Badger Small postseason awards.

MG’s archive lists seven First Team All-Conference selections:

Sam Hawker — Offensive LineGavin Hablewitz — Running BackLukas Beck — LinebackerChase Yinko — Defensive BackWill Knoeck — Defensive LineEli Theiler — Defensive LineCal Woerth — Wide Receiver

Hawker, Hablewitz, Beck, Yinko and Knoeck are marked in the program archive as unanimous selections.

Additional Second Team and Honorable Mention recognition went to a deep group that included Isaiah Erb, Jack Foley, Cal Moreau, Dom Najacht, Max Sisler, Joseph Otto Morton, Jacob Bonjour, Kaden Connor, Tyler Donkersgoed, Jesus Garcia, Preston Huemmer, Brayden Maxson and Jenner Zeutzius.

Altogether, contemporary coverage reported that MG was voted to 21 All-Conference positions, demonstrating how broadly the team’s success was distributed across offense, defense and special teams.

That depth became particularly meaningful in retrospect. Many of the juniors earning recognition in 2023 — Yinko, Knoeck, Woerth, Connor, Donkersgoed, Garcia, Huemmer, Sisler, Bonjour, Maxson and Zeutzius — would form the veteran core of the 2024 team.

The Senior Leadership Group

The 2023 captains were:

Isaiah Erb, Gavin Hablewitz, Sam Hawker, Eli Theiler and Jack Foley.

They represented much of the personality of the team.

Hablewitz supplied relentless production and energy.

Hawker anchored the offensive line.

Erb was a two-way difference-maker who saved one of his greatest games for the playoffs.

Theiler helped produce defensive touchdowns in consecutive weeks during the season-changing winning streak.

Foley provided senior leadership on the offensive line.

The graduating senior class also included Otto Morton, Lukas Beck, Ethan Scott-Brown, Charlie Shea, Zach Cadogan, Zach Massie, Austin Foust, Jayshaun Lively, James Pedretti, Tyler Keck, Evin Schultz and Owen Gingher.

Their final season ended short of a championship, but they left the program in a stronger position than they had inherited it.

The 2023 Season in Perspective

The most meaningful part of the 2023 season may not be the final 7-4 record.

It is how the record was constructed.

At 2-3, Monona Grove could have become an ordinary team playing out the second half of its schedule.

Instead, the Silver Eagles changed.

Beginning with the 70-62 comeback against DeForest, MG won five consecutive games:

70-62 over DeForest42-21 over Sauk Prairie49-18 over Portage42-8 over Fort Atkinson28-15 over Nicolet

Across those five victories, the Silver Eagles scored 231 points — 46.2 per game.

More importantly, the wins came in different ways.

DeForest required offensive endurance.

Sauk Prairie required a defensive response.

Portage required taking care of business with a playoff berth available.

Fort Atkinson required winning through weather and the running game.

Nicolet required overcoming a 15-0 deficit on the road in the postseason.

That versatility is what turned 2023 into an important season in the modern history of MG football.

A Bridge to What Came Next

The 2023 season also became a bridge between two different Monona Grove teams.

The seniors provided the foundation, but the roster was filled with underclassmen receiving meaningful varsity experience.

Moreau started an entire season at quarterback as a sophomore.

Woerth became a First Team All-Conference receiver as a junior.

Yinko earned unanimous First Team honors as a junior.

Knoeck became a unanimous First Team defensive lineman.

Connor and Donkersgoed became takeaway threats in the secondary.

Zeutzius gained significant experience at linebacker.

Sisler, Bonjour and Maxson developed along the offensive line.

Huemmer emerged as a vertical receiving threat.

Garcia made game-changing plays on the defensive front.

The postseason victory at Nicolet therefore represented more than a reward for the departing seniors. It provided a group of returning players with the experience of winning a road playoff game — something no MG team had accomplished since 2018.

That mattered.

Final Legacy: The Team That Refused to Let 2-3 Define It

The 2023 Silver Eagles were not undefeated.

They did not win the Badger Small championship.

They did not make a deep run to Camp Randall.

What they did was demonstrate one of the characteristics that has repeatedly defined successful Monona Grove teams: the ability to improve during the season.

They began 2-3.

They endured a 63-point loss.

They lost consecutive games to Waunakee and Mount Horeb/Barneveld.

And then they became one of the most explosive offensive teams in school history.

Hablewitz delivered a dominant senior season and earned team MVP honors.

Hawker led an offensive line that gave the offense its physical identity.

Moreau evolved from an inexperienced sophomore into a quarterback who entered the postseason with more than 2,000 yards of total offense and then threw for more than 300 yards in MG’s biggest win of the year.

Erb delivered a three-touchdown playoff masterpiece.

Woerth emerged as an All-Conference receiving threat.

The defense produced sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries and even consecutive weeks with defensive-line touchdowns.

And when the postseason arrived, Monona Grove went on the road, fell behind 15-0 and responded with 28 unanswered points to beat Nicolet.

That comeback is an appropriate summary of the entire season.

The 2023 Silver Eagles were repeatedly placed in difficult positions — on the scoreboard, in the standings and by the schedule.

Their response was what made the season memorable.

Final Record: 7-4Badger Small: Second PlaceWIAA Division 2: Level 2First playoff victory since 2018Five-game late-season winning streak2023-24 Team MVP: Gavin HablewitzRegular-season offense: 360 points, 40.0 per game — No. 3 in the program archive

The 2023 season did not end with a championship.

It ended with Monona Grove football moving forward again.