Waunakee Wins Defensive Battle 7–3, Hands Monona Grove First Loss of 2026

mgfootball

Oct 12

7 min read

Week 8 Game Recap | Friday, October 9, 2026 | Waunakee High School

For seven weeks, Monona Grove had overwhelmed opponents with an explosive offense and a defense that rarely allowed teams to sustain drives.

Friday night at Waunakee was an entirely different kind of football game.

Two state-ranked teams, two outstanding defenses, no turnovers and very little room to operate.

With the Badger-Large Conference championship on the line, Waunakee made one big play count, connecting on a 69-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter to defeat Monona Grove 7–3 and hand the Silver Eagles their first loss of the season.

The Warriors, ranked No. 6 in Division 1, improved to 7–1 overall and 6–0 in conference play, clinching at least a share of the Badger-Large championship. Monona Grove, ranked No. 3 in Division 2, fell to 7–1 overall and 5–1 in the conference.

MG's defense delivered one of its strongest performances of the season, holding a Waunakee offense that had averaged more than 43 points per game during its six-game winning streak to just seven points. The Warriors' only touchdown came on one long pass, and their most productive sustained drive ended without points.

Offensively, the Silver Eagles encountered their most difficult game of the season. An offense that had scored touchdowns on 17 of its previous 18 starting-unit possessions was held to a field goal and just seven first downs.

In a game this close, one play was enough to make the difference.

MG Defense Delivers Against Waunakee's High-Scoring Offense

Monona Grove entered the game dealing with adjustments to its lineup. Junior defensive back Aiden Dennis was unavailable because of injury, while Hunter Meyer and Landry Ganshert took on expanded defensive responsibilities. The Silver Eagles also played without Carson Schoenherr and had limited availability from Kai Fowler.

Despite those changes, MG's defense repeatedly answered the challenge.

Junior Landry Ganshert led MG with 13 tackles, including nine solo stops, both team highs.

Senior Deangelo "D'Lo" Clay finished with 12 tackles, eight solo stops and two tackles for loss.

Clay was one of the game's most disruptive defenders, consistently making plays near the line of scrimmage.

Junior Cole Kessenich added 10 tackles, five solo stops and two tackles for loss, giving MG another outstanding performance against the run.

Together, Ganshert, Clay and Kessenich accounted for nearly half of MG's total defensive production.

The contributions extended throughout the lineup.

Seniors Colten Jenkins and Dom Melone each recorded six tackles, with Melone collecting four solo stops. Juniors Nic Busalacchi and Diego Adame finished with four tackles and one tackle for loss apiece, while Hunter Meyer added four tackles, including three solo stops.

Gavin Weiss recorded three tackles and made several important plays in pass coverage. Austin Donkersgoed and Jay Hurley also finished with three tackles each.

Steven Brumm, Cal Bennett and Santana Jackson added two tackles apiece, while Lucas Jordan recorded a tackle for loss.

Early Defensive Stops Set the Tone

Waunakee opened with its most productive sustained drive of the evening. Quarterback Aaron Trudell moved the Warriors into MG territory, with senior receiver Wes DuCharme converting an early third down to help extend the possession.

The Silver Eagles responded with two important defensive plays.

Meyer broke up a pass intended for DuCharme, and Weiss batted down a third-and-long throw after consecutive Waunakee penalties. The Warriors were forced to punt.

MG followed with a three-and-out on Waunakee's next possession.

Early in the second quarter, Diego Adame broke up another third-down pass to force a punt. Clay stopped a rushing attempt for no gain, and the defense delivered another tackle for loss on a DuCharme run late in the half.

The defensive effort continued after halftime. Weiss delivered another impressive pass breakup, and MG followed with a tackle for loss and a third-down incompletion to force another punt.

Waunakee running back Eli Drangstveit finished with 98 yards on 25 carries, but the Silver Eagles repeatedly prevented the Warriors from turning those rushing yards into scoring opportunities.

After Waunakee reached MG's 23-yard line on its opening possession, a Warriors sustained offensive drive never advanced inside the MG 35 again. For nearly the entire evening, Monona Grove's defense kept one of Wisconsin's highest-scoring offenses out of the end zone.

MG's Offense Battles Through Its Toughest Test

Monona Grove entered Friday with considerable offensive momentum, but Waunakee's defense made productive possessions difficult to sustain.

Junior quarterback Jaxon Zukowski completed 5 of 15 passes for 88 yards. he also led the Silver Eagles in rushing with 49 yards on 16 carries, including a 26-yard run. He accounted for 137 yards of total offense.

Senior running back Jay Ramsey carried nine times for 28 yards; Meyer and Austin Donkersgoed each added one rushing attempt for three yards.

Hunter Meyer led the team with two receptions for 40 yards, averaging 20 yards per catch, including a 26-yard gain. Senior Hans Haffele caught one pass for 24 yards, while junior Diego Adame added two receptions for 24 yards.

The Silver Eagles showed occasional flashes of the explosive offense that had carried them through seven victories, but neither team found much consistency.

MG's opening possession featured two Zukowski runs and a Ramsey carry before ending with a punt on fourth-and-2.

Late in the first quarter, Zukowski connected with Meyer for 26 yards, giving the Silver Eagles an opportunity to build momentum. But penalties disrupted the possession, and MG was forced to punt again.

Penalties were particularly costly in the first half. The Silver Eagles were assessed four penalties for 41 yards during the game, including setbacks that interrupted promising possessions. With both defenses controlling the action, the teams entered halftime scoreless.

Haffele Gives MG the Lead Before One Big Play Changes Everything

After nearly two and a half quarters of scoreless football, Monona Grove finally broke through midway through the third quarter.

Facing fourth-and-8 from its own 44-yard line, the Silver Eagles executed one of the game's biggest plays.

Rather than punt, MG completed a fake when Zukowski delivered a pass to Hans Haffele for a 24-yard gain, giving the Silver Eagles a critical first down in Waunakee territory.

The Warriors prevented another first down, but MG had moved into scoring position.

Haffele converted a 37-yard field goal with 4:59 remaining in the third quarter, giving Monona Grove a 3–0 lead.

Haffele was also instrumental in the field-position battle throughout the evening, recording seven punts for 251 yards, averaging 35.9 yards per punt, with a long of 51 yards.

Following the field goal, Austin Donkersgoed made an excellent tackle in kickoff coverage, helping keep Waunakee near its own 28-yard line. MG's defense then forced another punt.

With the way the Silver Eagles were playing defensively, three points looked as though they might be enough.

But with just 17 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Waunakee faced first-and-15 from its own 31-yard line.

Trudell dropped back and launched a deep pass down the left sideline to DuCharme. The senior receiver secured the catch and raced into the end zone for a 69-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, Waunakee led 7–3.

Trudell finished 8 of 12 passing for 106 yards. The touchdown accounted for nearly two-thirds of Waunakee's passing production, with the Warriors generating just 37 yards on their other seven completions.

Zukowski Gives MG One Final Chance

Trailing 7–3 entering the fourth quarter, Monona Grove still had opportunities.

Zukowski escaped pressure and scrambled for an important first down on third-and-long, but the Silver Eagles were unable to build on the play and eventually punted with 9:35 remaining.

Waunakee then turned to Drangstveit and its running game, attempting to protect the four-point lead and work the clock.

Despite surrendering two first downs, MG's defense held firm and forced another punt with 3:56 remaining.

The Silver Eagles took possession at their own 16-yard line with just over three minutes left, needing a touchdown to win.

After an incomplete pass intended for Meyer on first down, Zukowski produced one of MG's most exciting offensive plays of the evening.

The junior quarterback escaped pressure, broke through the middle of the defense, avoided three defenders and accelerated into the open field before a fourth defender managed to trip him up.

The 26-yard scramble, his longest run of the night, moved MG toward midfield and gave the Silver Eagles a chance to pull off a late comeback.

But Waunakee's defense held firm.

A sack pushed MG backward, and Zukowski gained back some of the lost yardage on third down. Facing fourth-and-long near midfield, the Silver Eagles called a timeout before their final opportunity.

Zukowski's fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and Waunakee took possession to secure the 7–3 victory.

Contributions Beyond the Box Score

While the defensive tackle leaders and offensive statistics tell much of the story, several other performances helped keep MG competitive.

Hunter Meyer contributed in all three phases, leading MG in receiving yards, recording four defensive tackles, breaking up an important first-quarter pass and returning a kickoffs. His expanded defensive responsibilities were especially meaningful given the changes to MG's lineup.

Gavin Weiss delivered multiple pass breakups, including two plays that helped end Waunakee possessions.

Steven Brumm made an excellent tackle in punt coverage during the second quarter, limiting a potential return.

Austin Donkersgoed contributed three defensive tackles, a rushing attempt and an important special-teams stop following Haffele's field goal.

Other game statistics: Waunakee recorded 11 first downs to MG's seven. Neither team committed a turnover.

Looking Ahead: MG Returns Home for DeForest

The loss ends Monona Grove's undefeated start, but it does not erase what the Silver Eagles have accomplished through eight weeks.

MG enters the regular-season finale at 7–1 overall and 5–1 in the Badger-Large Conference, with an opportunity to finish 8–1 before beginning the WIAA playoffs.

The Silver Eagles return to John Klement Stadium on Friday, October 16, for Homecoming against DeForest.