Monona Grove Dominates Milton 35–6, Advances to Level 2 Behind Explosive Second Quarter

Silver Eagles score 28 unanswered second-quarter points as the defense forces four turnovers.

Friday, October 23, 2026 | John Klement Stadium - WIAA Division 2 Playoffs — Level 1

No. 8 Milton Red Hawks (4–6) at No. 1 Monona Grove Silver Eagles (9–1)

MONONA GROVE — For one quarter, Milton managed to keep Friday night's playoff rematch competitive. Then Monona Grove took complete control.

The top-seeded Silver Eagles erupted for 28 second-quarter points, forced four turnovers and rode three touchdowns from junior quarterback Jaxon Zukowski to a convincing 35–6 victory over the Red Hawks in the opening round of the WIAA Division 2 playoffs.

Monona Grove led just 7–0 after the first quarter before scoring four touchdowns in the second, building a 35–0 halftime advantage and triggering a running clock for the remainder of the game.

The victory improved Monona Grove to 9–1 overall, extended its season and secured another home playoff game. The Silver Eagles will host Marshfield on Friday, October 30, with a trip to the Division 2 state quarterfinals at stake.

MG Establishes Control, Milton Keeps It Close Early

Monona Grove received the opening kickoff and immediately established the kind of physical, balanced offense that has carried the team throughout the season.

The Silver Eagles moved methodically downfield before Carson Schoenherr, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior running back, finished the opening drive with a 13-yard touchdown run.

Senior kicker Hans Haffele (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) added the extra point, giving MG an early 7–0 lead.

Milton, which had rebounded from an 0–3 start to the season to qualify for the playoffs, showed some early offensive life.

Quarterback Brice Remington connected with Max Grady on a 35-yard reception that moved the Red Hawks into Monona Grove territory. But Milton couldn't turn the opportunity into points. An interception near the MG five-yard line ended one scoring threat, and the Silver Eagles' defense continued to frustrate the visitors.

Senior defensive lineman Deangelo "D'Lo" Clay (5-foot-11, 245 pounds) delivered a four-yard tackle for loss on another Milton possession, helping force a punt with 6:53 remaining in the opening quarter.

Monona Grove's offense also encountered some resistance. Facing first-and-20, Zukowski found senior wide receiver Henry Parrott (6-foot, 160 pounds) for consecutive receptions that moved the chains with 3:59 remaining. Milton eventually forced a punt with 2:25 left, keeping the deficit at one touchdown.

The Red Hawks had accomplished their most important early objective: surviving the first quarter without allowing Monona Grove to break the game open.

That changed dramatically over the next 12 minutes.

MG Offense Breaks Game Open

Monona Grove's second quarter began with another example of its ability to mix physical rushing with timely completions.

Junior tight end Nic Busalacchi (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) opened the period with a 12-yard reception. Schoenherr followed with consecutive powerful runs, repeatedly pushing through Milton defenders and keeping the Silver Eagles moving forward.

With 8:43 remaining in the half, Zukowski broke through the middle of Milton's defense for a 21-yard touchdown run.

Haffele's extra point made it 14–0.

The momentum shifted even further toward Monona Grove on Milton's next possession.

At 7:32, junior linebacker Cal Bennett (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) delivered one of the game's biggest defensive hits, dropping a Milton ball carrier for a five-yard loss and putting the Red Hawks in second-and-15.

Moments later, senior defensive back Makai "Kai" Fowler (6-foot, 190 pounds) came on a blitz and exploded into the backfield, pressuring Remington and forcing a fumble. Junior linebacker Cole Kessenich (5-foot-10, 165 pounds) recovered it, giving the Silver Eagles possession with an opportunity to extend the lead.

They needed exactly one play.

Zukowski took the snap, found an opening and accelerated down the right sideline for a spectacular 62-yard touchdown run.

Haffele converted again, and the Silver Eagles suddenly led 21–0, but the Monona Grove defense wasn't finished creating opportunities.

Junior defensive back Liam Maday (5-foot-11, 170 pounds) intercepted another Milton pass and returned it 20 yards, setting up the Silver Eagles inside the Red Hawks' 20-yard line.

Rather than look for another explosive play, Monona Grove went back to its physical rushing attack. The offensive line opened lanes as the Silver Eagles steadily pushed toward the goal line. Senior running back Jay Ramsey (5-foot-8, 170 pounds) capped the possession with a short touchdown run at the 3:45 mark.

Haffele's fourth successful extra point made it 28–0.

Three touchdowns had come in just over five minutes of game time, with defensive takeaways setting up two of them.

One Final First-Half Drive Sends MG Into Running Clock

Even with a four-touchdown lead, Monona Grove continued to execute on both sides of the football.

The defense forced another Milton punt with 2:34 remaining, giving the offense enough time to put together one final scoring drive.

At 1:38, Zukowski escaped pressure, rolled to his left and found Parrott, who made an excellent catch to keep the possession alive.

Later, facing third-and-five, Milton used a timeout in an attempt to organize its defense and prevent another score before halftime.

It didn't work.

Zukowski connected with Busalacchi for a 28-yard touchdown pass, giving the Silver Eagles their fifth touchdown of the half and their only passing score of the evening.

Haffele finished a perfect first half on extra points, converting his fifth attempt to send Monona Grove into the locker room with a commanding 35–0 advantage.

The scoring reflected how thoroughly MG had taken control. The Silver Eagles had scored on the ground with three different players, produced a touchdown through the air and capitalized repeatedly on Milton's mistakes.

The defense had been equally influential, generating pressure, forcing turnovers and keeping Milton off the scoreboard through the first 24 minutes.

Defense and Depth Carry the Second Half

With a 35-point lead and a running clock, Monona Grove opened the second half with its reserve offense and gave additional players valuable postseason experience.

The defense continued to make plays.

On Milton's opening possession of the third quarter, senior linebacker Jay Hurley (6-foot-2, 210 pounds) and junior defensive back Austin Donkersgoed (5-foot-10, 155 pounds) combined for a five-yard tackle for loss, helping force another Red Hawks punt.

Milton also turned to its younger players during the second half, including sophomore quarterback Colston Pernot, who replaced Remington and played the final two quarters.

Pernot gave the Red Hawks a spark, completing several passes and eventually helping orchestrate their best sustained scoring drive of the evening.

With 9:41 remaining in the fourth quarter, Milton senior Caden Pernot finished that possession with a one-yard touchdown run. Owen Fisher missed the extra point, leaving Monona Grove ahead 35–6.

The Red Hawks made one more attempt to generate offense through the Pernot brothers, but Monona Grove's defense had the final word.

As Colston Pernot attempted to connect with his older brother Caden, junior defensive back Zion Ozulamoi (#22, 5-foot-11, 160 pounds) intercepted the pass, ending Milton's final offensive opportunity and putting the finishing touches on Monona Grove's dominant playoff victory.

It was a fitting conclusion to a night in which MG's defense had repeatedly disrupted Milton's passing attack. Ozulamoi's interception was the Silver Eagles' third of the game and fourth takeaway overall, ensuring the Red Hawks had no opportunity to add to their six-point total.

Milton finished with 153 passing yards between its two quarterbacks. Remington completed 7 of 16 attempts for 85 yards with two interceptions, while Colston Pernot completed 6 of 11 for 68 yards with one interception. Caden Pernot led the Red Hawks with four receptions for 60 yards and scored their lone touchdown.

Milton's season ended at 4–6 under interim head coach Jeff Spiwak, following an encouraging turnaround over the second half of the regular season.

A Complete First-Half Performance Moves MG Forward

Friday's victory showcased many of the qualities that have made Monona Grove one of the strongest teams in Division 2 throughout the 2026 season.

The Silver Eagles established their running game immediately, generated explosive plays when opportunities developed and used defensive pressure to create additional possessions.

The second quarter told the story. MG scored four touchdowns, capitalized on a fumble recovery and an interception, and went from a narrow seven-point lead to a 35-point advantage by halftime.

The offense demonstrated its depth and defensively, the Silver Eagles combined physical play at the line of scrimmage with aggressive pressure and opportunistic coverage. Bennett's tackle for loss, Fowler's forced fumble, Kessenich's recovery, Maday's interception return and Ozulamoi's game-ending interception were among the defining defensive moments.

MG finished with four takeaways, including three interceptions, and held Milton scoreless until the fourth quarter, long after the outcome had been decided.

The Silver Eagles have now won nine of their first ten games and advanced past the opening round of the postseason for the third consecutive year. After reaching the Division 2 state quarterfinals in 2025, this year's team is looking to take another step.

The opening-round matchup also continued Monona Grove's postseason success against Milton. The Silver Eagles previously defeated the Red Hawks in WIAA playoff meetings in 2006 and 2013, making Friday's result their third postseason victory over Milton.

Now comes a considerably different challenge.

Monona Grove will host No. 5 seed Marshfield, which advanced with a 44–14 victory over No. 4 Wausau East. The Tigers will arrive at John Klement Stadium looking to end the Silver Eagles' season, while MG will be playing for another trip to the Division 2 quarterfinals.

Friday, October 30. John Klement Stadium. Another home playoff game, with another opportunity to keep the season going.

Special thanks to Lori Dahl for providing the photography featured throughout.

Lori Dahl Photography - Cottage Grove loridahlphotography@gmail.com

Final Scoring Summary

Quarter	Milton	Monona Grove
1st	0	7
2nd	0	28
3rd	0	0
4th	6	0
Final	6	35

First Quarter

MG — Carson Schoenherr 13-yard touchdown run (Hans Haffele kick).

Second Quarter

MG — Jaxon Zukowski 21-yard touchdown run (Haffele kick).

MG — Jaxon Zukowski 62-yard touchdown run (Haffele kick).

MG — Jay Ramsey 1-yard touchdown run (Haffele kick).

MG — Nic Busalacchi 28-yard touchdown reception from Jaxon Zukowski (Haffele kick).

Fourth Quarter

MIL — Caden Pernot 1-yard touchdown run (Owen Fisher kick failed).