Week 4 Preview: MG, Oregon Add Another Chapter to Rivalry

Monona Grove and Oregon arrive at Friday night's rivalry game from very different conference-opening Week 3 experiences. The Silver Eagles improved to 3–0 after erupting for 42 first-half points against Milton, while Oregon fell to 2–1 after an 8–7 loss to DeForest.

The Silver Eagles have been dominant through three weeks, with all three games reaching a running clock. Monona Grove is ranked No. 2 in Division 2 in Week 3 of the Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Poll presented by Bound Wisconsin.

Oregon, meanwhile, comes in looking to rebound from a frustrating one-point loss. The Panthers led DeForest 7–0 into the fourth quarter before the Norskies scored their only touchdown and converted the decisive two-point try. That narrow loss followed an impressive opening stretch for Oregon: a 53–8 win over Stoughton and a 27–14 road victory over Monroe. While the historical numbers overwhelmingly favor MG, the 2026 Panthers appear considerably more capable than the team Monona Grove shut out a year ago.

Friday marks the 47th meeting between the programs, making Oregon MG’s fourth-most frequently played opponent all-time. The Silver Eagles own a 31–15 series advantage, have won seven straight and are 13–1 against the Panthers since 2009, with Oregon’s lone victory in that stretch coming in 2015. Only Stoughton (69 meetings), Fort Atkinson (58) and Monroe (65) have faced MG more often.

The last two meetings have been especially decisive. MG won a home game 40–7 in 2024 and 21–0 at Oregon in 2025. Before the series resumed in 2024, the programs had not met since the unusual Spring 2021 alternate season, when Monona Grove defeated Oregon 13–7 at DeForest High School on March 27, 2021, after the traditional Fall 2020 season was canceled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series also owns a unique place in the MG record book. In 1994, sophomore Chad Kelsey broke a 99-yard run at Oregon, still listed as the longest run from scrimmage in Monona Grove football history.

Recent Series

Year	Location	Result
2026	Monona Grove HS	Friday, Sept. 11
2025	Oregon High School	MG 21–0
2024	Monona Grove HS	MG 40–7
Spring 2021	DeForest High School	MG 13–7
2019	Oregon High School	MG 21–7
2018	Monona Grove HS	MG 21–7
2017	Oregon High School	MG 49–13
2016	Monona Grove HS	MG 26–21
2015	Oregon High School	Oregon 21–0
2014	Monona Grove HS	MG 38–7
2013	Oregon High School	MG 49–20
2012	Monona Grove HS	MG 30–6
2011	Oregon High School	MG 42–0
2010	Oregon High School	MG 34–0
2009	Oregon High School	MG 22–0

D Lo and Brekke Meet Again — for the Third Straight Year

Few players have more direct history in this matchup than MG senior Deangelo “D Lo” Clay and Oregon senior Kody Brekke. Both contributed as underclassmen in MG's 40–7 victory in 2024. Clay recorded 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, 18 rushing yards and a two-point conversion, while Brekke finished with four tackles and a tackle for loss. They met again in 2025, with both recording four tackles in MG's 21–0 shutout. 

The Last Two Meetings Were Won at the Line of Scrimmage

Monona Grove's recent control of Oregon has been built largely through the running game and defensive front. In 2024, MG rushed 45 times for 266 yards in its 40–7 victory. Tremayne Habeck carried 20 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns, Colin Hablewitz added 55 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Jace Thomsen also scored on the ground. Will Knoeck returned a blocked punt 10 yards for another touchdown, while Cal Woerth led the receiving game with four catches for 51 yards. Defensively, Habeck forced a fumble, Nick Gallagher recorded a sack and Tyler Donkersgoed intercepted a pass. Clay's 10 tackles and two tackles for loss were an early indication of the role he would eventually assume. Oregon's lone touchdown came on a two-yard run by Christian Gates, as MG limited the Panthers to 160 rushing yards and only 48 passing yards.

The 2025 game was even more physical. Playing on Oregon's damp natural-grass field, MG ran 57 times for 299 yards. Makai Fowler carried 28 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns, while Jay Ramsey, rushed 14 times for 73 yards and caught a seven-yard pass. Jaxon Zukowski completed 11 of 20 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown while adding 45 rushing yards, with Zach Dresen catching the four-yard touchdown pass. Nic Busalacchi and Diego Adame each caught passes, while Hans Haffele converted all three extra points and handled MG's lone punt.

The defense was even more decisive, holding Oregon to only 32 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Several players who contributed to that shutout are now important pieces of the 2026 team. Jay Hurley recorded five tackles, forced a fumble and recovered it himself. Colten Jenkins had five tackles, Clay had four, Dom Melone added two and Logan Donkersgoed recorded two tackles. 

Oregon Brings a Much More Complete Team in 2026

In head coach Matt Weber's second season, Oregon looks considerably more dangerous than the team MG shut out last fall. Junior running back Jayce Oparie-Addoh, who managed only 18 yards on seven carries against MG in 2025, opened this season with 144 yards and four touchdowns against Stoughton. Junior Jackson Lathrop gives Oregon another explosive option, rushing for 93 yards against Stoughton and 114 yards with two touchdowns at Monroe; together, the two backs produced 423 rushing yards on 43 carries through the first two games. Senior quarterback Gavin Lehmann added balance by completing 15 of 23 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions through Week 2, including touchdown throws of 84 yards to Isaac Schmitt and 45 yards to Easton Wilk.

Defensively, Oregon returns much of the group that faced MG last season, but the 2026 production shows that experience has translated into a deeper and more productive unit. Anderson Noack leads the Panthers through three games with 25 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks, while William Carstensen has 22 tackles, Declan Lawry and Kody Brekke each have 19, Ari Kamin has 13 and Alex Brito Suarez has 12. Noack, Carstensen, Brekke and Peyton Kypreos all played meaningful roles against MG last season, while Lawry and Brennan Hinderman give Oregon additional veteran experience in the secondary. Junior Griffin McCabe has also contributed 11 tackles and already returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown. As a team, Oregon has totaled 198 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and four sacks through three weeks. The Panthers’ 8–7 loss to DeForest reinforced the strength of that defense: even with the offense struggling, Oregon surrendered only eight points and remained within one possession to the finish.

Familiar MG Contributors Have Grown Into Larger Roles

Perhaps the biggest connection between the 2025 game and Friday night's rematch is how many MG players who contributed to that shutout have moved into larger roles.

Now a Senior Captain Hurley created one of the biggest defensive plays of the 2025 game with his forced fumble and recovery. Clay and Donkersgoed enter Friday as third-year varsity starters and senior captains. Melone and Jenkins both recorded tackles in last year's shutout. Zukowsk is a team captain and back at QB, while Busalacchi and Adame’s offensive roles continue to expand.

That continuity creates one of the most interesting elements of Friday's matchup. Oregon's younger players from last year's loss have developed into the core of an improved Panthers team, while many of the Silver Eagles who helped beat them have simultaneously moved into leadership roles.

Keys to the Game

For Monona Grove, the challenge begins with limiting Oregon’s explosive plays. Jayce Oparie-Addoh and Lathrop have already shown the ability to turn routine opportunities into major gains, while Lehmann and the Panthers’ receivers give Oregon enough balance to make defensive mistakes costly. MG’s best path is to make Oregon consistently earn its way down the field.

Early-down execution will matter for both teams. The offense that stays on schedule will have considerably more flexibility, while negative plays, penalties and turnovers could quickly shift momentum in a matchup featuring two experienced defenses.

Ball security may be especially important. Oregon has already produced takeaways and a defensive touchdown this season, while Monona Grove has consistently benefited from creating favorable field position during its 3–0 start. Extra possessions could have an outsized impact in a game that may be tighter than the last two meetings.

The matchup in the trenches will also be important. Oregon returns considerable experience defensively, while MG has again shown the ability to generate production on the ground in several different ways. Whichever team controls the line of scrimmage more consistently should have the advantage.

Finally, patience could matter for Monona Grove. Oregon just held DeForest to eight points and has enough veteran defenders to make sustained drives difficult. MG may not create the immediate separation it found in the 2024 meeting, making execution over four quarters more important than chasing an early knockout.

Final Outlook

Recent history belongs decisively to Monona Grove. The Silver Eagles lead the series 31–15, have won seven straight, are 13–1 against Oregon since 2009 and have outscored the Panthers 61–7 over the last two meetings.

But the 2026 Panthers appear better equipped to challenge that trend. Oparie-Addoh has emerged as a dangerous feature back, Lathrop provides another rushing threat, Lehmann has given Oregon efficiency at quarterback and the Panthers return considerable experience on defense.

Monona Grove also brings continuity from last season’s 21–0 victory. Ramsey, Hurley, Clay, Donkersgoed, Melone, Jenkins, Zukowski, Busalacchi, Adame and Haffele all contributed in some fashion a year ago and now hold larger roles for a team that has opened 2026 with three consecutive wins.

One of the more interesting individual threads is the continued presence of Deangelo “D Lo” Clay and Kody Brekke. Both contributed in the 2024 matchup, appeared again in last season’s meeting and now enter their third consecutive MG–Oregon game as established senior players.

That sets up the central question Friday night: Has Oregon improved enough to change the direction of a rivalry Monona Grove has controlled for most of the past decade, or can the Silver Eagles extend the streak to eight straight and move to 4–0 for the 2026 season?