Week 1 - Preview v. Janesville Parker

MG opens 2026 with a familiar Week 1 opponent when Janesville Parker visits John Klement Stadium on Thursday, August 20.

This will be the third consecutive season the Silver Eagles and Vikings have met in the opener. What began as a new nonconference matchup has quickly become a useful early-season measuring stick for MG—a chance to evaluate new personnel, establish physicality, earn valuable playoff points against a Division 1 opponent and begin answering the defining question of every new season:

What kind of team is Monona Grove prepared to become?

Through two meetings, the Silver Eagles have controlled the young series. MG defeated Parker 37-7 at home in 2024 before traveling to Monterey Stadium and winning 31-7 in 2025. Monona Grove leads the all-time series 2-0 and has outscored the Vikings 68-14.

The history is brief, but the pattern has been consistent: two MG victories, more than 30 points scored in each game and only one touchdown allowed in each meeting.

The 2024 Opener Establishes the Formula

The first meeting introduced many of the traits that have defined Monona Grove’s success against Parker. Senior quarterback Jace Thomsen delivered an immediate opening-night performance, accounting for 247 total yards and three touchdowns. After the MG defense created favorable field position, Thomsen scored on a three-yard run before connecting twice with senior receiver Cal Woerth on touchdown passes of 38 and 56 yards. Woerth finished with six receptions for 110 yards and two scores, while Thomsen passed for 167 yards and rushed for another 80.

The running game supplied the finishing power. Junior running back Tremayne Habeck carried 18 times for 113 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Silver Eagles accumulate 258 rushing yards across eight ball carriers.

Defensively, MG allowed only four first downs and recorded three sacks. Sophomore defensive back Makai Fowler intercepted a pass, junior defensive lineman Nick Gallagher delivered a blindside sack that forced a fumble and sophomore defensive lineman Deangelo Clay flashed as part of an aggressive front.

Parker’s only score came late on an 87-yard run by Jadyn Fraiser, long after Monona Grove had taken control.

The final score—Monona Grove 37, Janesville Parker 7—established a repeatable formula: run with depth, pressure the quarterback, control field position and allow the defense to dictate the game.

The 2025 Rematch Requires Patience

The second meeting produced a similar final margin, but Monona Grove had to navigate a much less comfortable path.

The Silver Eagles opened with a defensive three-and-out, and Habeck broke a run of more than 40 yards to set up a five-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Jaxon Zukowski.

Parker answered behind sophomore quarterback Ashton Smith, who scored from the one-yard line to tie the game at 7-7. Junior kicker Hans Haffele restored MG’s lead with a 30-yard field goal, but penalties, dropped passes and a missed scoring opportunity left Monona Grove ahead only 10-7 at halftime.

The opener had become an early test of composure.

MG responded by taking control immediately after the break.

Zukowski used his legs to move the offense, and Clay supplied the game’s emotional turning point. After a bruising 22-yard run carried Parker defenders deep into the red zone, Clay broke through multiple tackle attempts and somersaulted into the end zone for a 17-7 lead.

The play energized the entire team.

Gallagher recorded a third-down sack on Parker’s next possession, and Carson McConnell followed with a strong punt return. Zukowski then lofted a touchdown pass toward the pylon to Gavyn Williams.

After another defensive stop, Fowler took on a larger offensive role. His 20-yard run helped set up a one-yard touchdown with 7.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

In one period, MG transformed a tense three-point game into a 31-7 advantage.

Habeck finished with 120 rushing yards, while Monona Grove accumulated 319 yards on 47 carries. Zukowski added a passing touchdown and important rushing production. Haffele converted a field goal and all three extra-point attempts.

The defensive front again overwhelmed Parker. Gallagher finished with three sacks, while Logan Donkersgoed and TJ Wolf each added one. The Vikings were held scoreless over the final three quarters.

The 31-7 victory reinforced several important qualities: patience through mistakes, halftime adjustment, physical rushing, defensive pressure and the ability to separate once momentum shifted.

What the First Two Meetings Say About MG

The Parker series has already revealed two different versions of a successful Monona Grove opener.

In 2024, MG identified immediate offensive playmakers in Thomsen, Woerth and Habeck while younger defenders such as Fowler, Gallagher and Clay began establishing larger roles.

In 2025, the Silver Eagles showed they could survive a frustrating first half and impose themselves after the break. Zukowski remained composed, Clay changed the game physically, Fowler contributed in multiple phases and the defensive front repeatedly placed Parker behind schedule.

Zukowski’s development will be one of the central Week 1 storylines. As a sophomore in the 2025 opener, he worked through early inconsistency, contributed as a runner and delivered a well-placed touchdown pass in the decisive third quarter.

One year later, the expectations are higher.

With a full varsity season and a playoff run behind him, he should enter the opener with greater command of protections, coverages and situational football. Parker will provide the first public measure of that growth.

The running game will again be central to MG’s offensive identity, but the personnel will look different. With Habeck graduated and Fowler unavailable due to an injury, Jay Ramsey is expected to take the lead role in the backfield in Week 1. Ramsey gives the Silver Eagles a veteran senior presence and will likely receive the first opportunity to establish the run game. Delo Clay provides another experienced, physical option, while junior Carson Schoenherr adds depth to a group that will need to collectively replace the 2025 season production.

The defensive front has been a major factor in MG’s past success against Parker, with Nick Gallagher, Deangelo Clay, Logan Donkersgoed and TJ Wolf creating sacks, tackles for loss and consistent pressure. Clay and Donkersgoed return but maintaining the team standard in 2026 will depend partly on a new group stepping into larger roles.

Dom Melone returns after contributing at linebacker last season and has an opportunity to become an every-down presence in the middle of the defense. Jay Hurley also gained varsity experience in 2025 as an edge rusher and could emerge as another important source of pressure off the edge. Junior defensive back Liam Maday gained varsity experience last season and returns looking to make an impact. New in 2026 are junior defensive backs Landry Ganshert and Aiden Dennis; expected to make their varsity debuts against Parker and will look to establish themselves as significant contributors in the secondary.

If Melone, Hurley, Maday, Ganshert and Dennis can make the expected transition into larger roles, MG should have a strong chance to preserve the aggressive front-seven play and disciplined coverage that have helped control Parker in the first two meetings.

About the 2026 Janesville Parker Vikings

Janesville Parker enters its third season under head coach Joe Flister, a 1997 Parker graduate who returned to lead the Vikings in 2024.

Parker brings more varsity experience into this matchup, led by junior quarterback Ashton Smith, who passed for 477 yards and rushed for 297 as a sophomore. Senior running back Ellis Parker returns in the backfield, while senior Javonte Johnson is the Vikings’ top returning receiver after posting 176 yards in 2025.

Defensively, seniors Zacchaeus McHenry and Brandon Saltz return as experienced tacklers, while junior Harrison O’Leary is a player to watch after recording 11 tackles for loss last season.

Parker has shown flashes against MG, including staying within 10-7 at halftime in 2025, but the Vikings must do a better job sustaining drives, protecting Smith and slowing Monona Grove’s rushing attack.

Keys to the Game

Establish the Line of Scrimmage

Monona Grove has controlled both meetings through its running game and defensive front. That advantage must be earned again rather than assumed. The offensive responsibility shifts toward Ramsey, Clay and Schoenherr. MG’s ability to successfully rotate all three backs could be important in maintaining the physical pressure that wore Parker down in the first two meetings.

Defensively, the Silver Eagles must stop the conventional run and place Smith in predictable passing situations.

Establish the Backfield Early

Getting Jay Ramsey comfortable in the lead role will be important. Productive early-down carries can keep pressure off Zukowski and create manageable situations, while Deangelo Clay’s experience and physicality and Carson Schoenherr’s versatility give MG quality depth and multiple running styles to rotate.

Contain Ashton Smith

Smith is Parker’s leading returning passer and second-leading returning rusher. His mobility creates pressure on both the defensive front and the secondary. MG must collapse the pocket without creating escape lanes and remain disciplined when plays extend beyond their initial timing.

Account for Harrison O’Leary

O’Leary’s 11 tackles for loss make him Parker’s most proven disruptive defender. Preventing penetration will allow MG’s backs to get downhill rather than forcing them to evade defenders before reaching the line of scrimmage.

Limit Javonte Johnson

Johnson gives Parker an experienced receiving option. The Silver Eagles must contest short throws, tackle immediately and prevent routine completions from becoming explosive gains.

Win First Down

Penalties and missed opportunities kept the 2025 game close through halftime. MG must stay ahead of the chains offensively and force Parker into difficult down-and-distance situations defensively. A productive early-down running game provides greater flexibility with the entire playbook.

Maintain Special-Teams Discipline

Haffele’s field goal and McConnell’s punt return influenced the 2025 meeting. In an opener, field position, coverage and place-kicking can become especially important while offenses are still developing rhythm.

Hans Haffele returns for his third season as Monona Grove’s field goal kicker, providing the Silver Eagles with valuable continuity in a phase of the game that can decide close early-season contests.

Finish Drives

Monona Grove moved the football in the first half of the 2025 game but failed to convert several opportunities. Red-zone execution will be one of the first meaningful tests of the 2026 offense.

Play With Patience

Parker’s best chance is to keep the game close, create frustration and force MG into mistakes. The Silver Eagles must avoid pressing if early possessions do not produce immediate separation.

Final Outlook

Monona Grove enters the 2026 opener with the advantages of recent history, established physicality and consecutive victories by at least 24 points.

The Silver Eagles lead the series 2-0, have outscored Parker 68-14 and have allowed only one touchdown in each meeting.

But Week 1 also presents an immediate test of Monona Grove’s offensive depth. How effectively the Running Back trio establishes Monona Grove’s traditional physical rushing identity will be one of the defining storylines of the night.

Parker, meanwhile, enters the third matchup with more returning experience. Smith is now a junior quarterback with a full varsity season behind him. Johnson returns as the leading receiver. McHenry and Saltz provide senior leadership, while O’Leary gives the defense a proven backfield disruptor.

Monona Grove should enter with confidence based on the first two meetings, but the opener will provide immediate answers about a roster now stepping into new roles.

Can Ramsey handle the lead workload?

Can Clay and Schoenherr give MG the backfield depth it has traditionally relied upon?

Can Zukowski take another step forward in his second season as the varsity starter?

Can the defense again make Parker play from behind the chains?

The history is short, but the standard is already established: two meetings, two MG victories;  on Thursday the Silver Eagles have an opportunity to write Chapter 3.