Week 2 Preview: MG Looks to Slow La Follette Big-Play Offense and Extend Five-Game Streak

Monona Grove’s Week 2 trip to Madison La Follette comes with an obvious storyline: new Lancers head coach Toren Young will face his alma mater for the first time.

But once the game starts, the bigger question will be whether MG can slow a La Follette offense that already looks far more dangerous than the one the Silver Eagles shut out 42-0 a year ago.

The Lancers opened 2026 with a 34-16 win over Beloit Memorial, piling up 425 total yards, including 269 on the ground. Behind an experienced quarterback, two explosive running backs and a vertical passing game built off play action, La Follette produced five offensive touchdowns and repeatedly turned defensive overreaction into big plays.

Monona Grove answered Week 1 with an equally emphatic statement. The Silver Eagles defeated Janesville Parker 42-0, outgained the Vikings 375-71 and debuted at No. 2 in Division 2 in the first Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Poll presented by Bound Wisconsin.

That sets up the defining matchup Thursday night: can an MG defense that overwhelmed Parker contain a La Follette offense that averaged more than 11 yards per rushing attempt in its opener?

Week 2 at a Glance

Monona Grove at Madison La Follette

Thursday, August 27, 2026 — 7:00 p.m.

Lussier Stadium — Madison, Wisconsin

Monona Grove: 1-0 — defeated Janesville Parker 42-0

Madison La Follette: 1-0 — defeated Beloit Memorial 34-16

The contrast is clear: MG allowed only 71 total yards in Week 1, while La Follette generated 425. Thursday will reveal which strength travels better.

La Follette Showed a Different Offensive Identity in Week 1

La Follette did more than beat Beloit Memorial in Week 1. The Lancers showed they can create explosive plays from several different looks, mixing spread formations with I-formation power and using the running game to force defenders into mistakes.

Sophomore Bry'Shaun Dillard rushed 13 times for 127 yards, while senior Shaun Peeler added 121 yards and a touchdown on just six carries, including a 79-yard run. Together, they produced 248 rushing yards on 19 attempts.

That success opened the field for senior quarterback Patrick Toomey. He completed only 5 of 11 passes, but those five completions produced 156 yards and three touchdowns — an average of 31.2 yards per completion.

Senior Javonta Morgan was the biggest beneficiary, catching two passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Cooper Hermanson added a 32-yard touchdown reception.

That is what makes La Follette dangerous. The Lancers do not need to complete 15 or 20 passes to hurt a defense. If MG becomes too aggressive against the run, Toomey has already shown he can attack behind it.

The challenge for the Silver Eagles is simple to describe and difficult to execute: stop the run without giving up the explosive pass.

MG’s Run Defense Faces a Much Bigger Test

Parker had some early offensive success against Monona Grove in Week 1, but nearly all of it came on the Vikings’ opening possession. After that, the MG defense took control, and Parker finished with only 71 total yards.

La Follette presents an entirely different challenge. The combination of Dillard and Peeler gives the Lancers two runners capable of turning small creases into significant gains. Their Week 1 production suggests MG cannot simply win most snaps defensively. The Silver Eagles must also eliminate the occasional breakdown that creates a 30-, 40- or 79-yard play.

That responsibility begins with the defensive front and linebackers. Deangelo Clay was outstanding against Parker, recording 11 tackles and five tackles for loss. Logan Donkersgoed again provided an experienced presence along the defensive front, while Jay Hurley and Carson Schoenherr played important roles on the edges. Inside, Dom Melone and Cole Kessenich helped prevent Parker from consistently reaching the second level.

Against La Follette, the priority will be similar but the margin for error will be smaller. MG must maintain gap discipline, tackle cleanly and force Dillard and Peeler to earn their yards a few at a time. The objective does not need to be holding them to two yards per carry. It needs to be preventing 10-yard runs from becoming 40-yard runs.

If MG can create second-and-long and third-and-medium situations, the Silver Eagles can begin dictating the game. If La Follette repeatedly stays ahead of the chains, Young can continue mixing power runs, play action and formation changes without exposing Toomey to obvious passing situations.

Don’t Let Play Action Become Six Points

The most dangerous La Follette passing plays in Week 1 were created by the credibility of the running game, and that should be one of the biggest points of emphasis for MG’s secondary.

Liam Maday, Gavin Weiss, Landry Ganshert and Aiden Dennis all made their first varsity starts in the opener and helped Monona Grove limit Parker’s passing game. Maday also recorded an interception. Week 2 will ask something different from the group.

When Dillard and Peeler begin producing yards, the natural reaction for defensive backs is to become more involved in run support. That is exactly when Morgan becomes dangerous. The challenge is maintaining discipline with the football in the backfield.

If MG’s safeties and cornerbacks react too aggressively to play action, Toomey has already shown he can deliver the ball downfield. La Follette does not need 15 completions to create points. Against Beloit, five completions were enough to produce three touchdowns. For MG, the secondary must be willing to concede an occasional short run rather than surrendering a receiver behind the defense.

Can Monona Grove Establish Its Own Running Game?

While much of the attention will be on La Follette’s offensive improvement, Monona Grove enters Week 2 with its own productive running attack. The Silver Eagles rushed 33 times for 219 yards against Parker, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.

Carson Schoenherr led the way with 66 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while quarterback Jaxon Zukowski added 65 yards on five attempts. MG also received contributions from several other ball carriers as the game progressed. That balance matters.

Monona Grove does not necessarily need a single running back to handle 25 carries. The Silver Eagles can create production through different personnel, quarterback runs, perimeter action and physical downhill carries. The offensive line will have an opportunity to establish the tone early, and that has been a significant part of MG’s recent success against La Follette.

In 2024, Monona Grove rushed for 369 yards in a 42-7 victory. Gavin Hablewitz finished with 178 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Cal Moreau added 114 rushing yards. The personnel has changed, but the principle remains relevant.

If MG can consistently create positive yardage on first down, it will force La Follette to defend the entire playbook. If the Lancers can create penetration and put Monona Grove behind schedule, they can bring more pressure and create obvious passing situations.

Zukowski’s Opportunity Will Come When La Follette Commits to the Run

MG QBJaxon Zukowski has not needed high passing volume against La Follette or during the opening week of 2026. In last year’s 42-0 victory over the Lancers, Zukowski completed 6 of 8 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Against Parker last week, he completed 7 of 12 for 110 yards, again throwing two touchdowns without an interception.

The important question Thursday is not whether he throws 25 times. It is whether MG can create the same conflict La Follette created against Beloit.

If the Silver Eagles establish the run, La Follette will eventually have to commit additional defenders toward the line of scrimmage. That is when opportunities should emerge outside and behind the secondary. MG demonstrated that ability in the 2025 matchup when Zukowski sold a bubble-screen fake and found Diego Adame behind the defense for a 55-yard touchdown.

The same principle applies Thursday. The more effectively MG runs the football, the more difficult it becomes for La Follette to defend receivers without leaving space elsewhere. That creates an interesting symmetry between the two offenses. Both teams want to run effectively enough to make defenders hesitate, both have quarterbacks capable of exploiting the resulting space, and both defenses must find a way to stop the run without becoming vulnerable to explosive passes.

Monona Grove Has Controlled the Recent Series

Monona Grove enters Thursday with five consecutive victories over La Follette since the series resumed in 2021.

Year	Result
2021	MG 48-20
2022	MG 50-30
2023	MG 42-7
2024	MG 42-7
2025	MG 42-0

Across those five games, Monona Grove has outscored La Follette 224-64. The Silver Eagles have scored at least 42 points in every meeting, and the trend has also become increasingly defensive. After allowing 20 points in 2021 and 30 in 2022, MG held La Follette to seven points in both 2023 and 2024 before recording a shutout last season.

The last two meetings illustrate two different ways Monona Grove has controlled the matchup. In 2024, the Silver Eagles dominated with their offensive line and rushing attack, producing 369 rushing yards. In 2025, MG combined explosive offense with turnovers and special-teams execution to turn a 7-0 game into a 35-0 halftime lead.

La Follette’s Week 1 performance suggests Monona Grove should not assume those previous results will automatically repeat themselves. The Lancers already appear capable of creating more explosive offense than they did a year ago.

Five Keys for Monona Grove

1. Stop Dillard and Peeler Before the Second Level

La Follette averaged 11.7 yards per rushing attempt against Beloit Memorial. MG’s first priority must be preventing the Lancers’ backs from consistently reaching the secondary with momentum. That means winning first contact, maintaining gap integrity and pursuing from the backside. A six-yard run is manageable. A six-yard run that becomes 60 is how games change quickly.

2. Don’t Let Run Support Create Play-Action Explosives

Morgan caught only two passes in Week 1, but both became touchdowns. MG’s secondary must trust the defensive front and maintain responsibility over the top. La Follette has already shown that it does not need to throw frequently to create significant passing production.

3. Make Toomey Operate on Third-and-Long

Toomey is experienced and clearly capable of making big plays. The ideal scenario for MG is still forcing him into obvious passing situations. Winning first down changes La Follette’s play-calling options. Third-and-7 is a much different defensive situation than third-and-2 when Dillard, Peeler, Toomey and play action are all available.

4. Establish the MG Running Game

The Silver Eagles averaged 6.6 yards per carry against Parker. If MG can continue producing that kind of efficiency, it will remain ahead of the chains and prevent La Follette from dictating the game with pressure. The running game also creates the conditions for Zukowski to attack vertically when the Lancers begin committing additional defenders to the box.

5. Don’t Give La Follette Free Momentum

This is a road game against a 1-0 team playing its first home game under a new head coach, so La Follette should have considerable energy. Turnovers, penalties, poor special-teams execution or busted coverages are the easiest ways for Monona Grove to amplify that energy.

The Silver Eagles have been dominant in this series because they have often forced La Follette to chase the game. Allowing the Lancers to stay within one score into the second half would create an entirely different environment.

Final Outlook

Recent history clearly favors Monona Grove. The Silver Eagles have won five straight against La Follette, scored at least 42 points in every one of those games and are coming off a season-opening performance in which they outgained Parker 375-71.

But Week 1 also provided evidence that La Follette is capable of presenting a much more significant offensive challenge than it did last season. Dillard and Peeler can create explosive runs, Toomey has experience, and Morgan can punish defensive backs who become overly aggressive against the run. That makes Thursday an early test of Monona Grove’s defensive maturity.

MG does not need to completely shut down every part of La Follette’s offense. It needs to prevent the Lancers from turning a handful of defensive mistakes into touchdowns. Control the line of scrimmage, keep the running backs in front of the defense, maintain discipline against play action, establish the MG running game and protect the football.

Do those things, and Monona Grove should put itself in position to extend its winning streak over La Follette to six games. Fail to do them, and a matchup that has become increasingly one-sided over the past several seasons could look considerably different in 2026.