Week 5 - MG @ Watertown Preview

Monona Grove heads into Week 5 at 4–0 and Ranked No. 2 in Division 2 of the Wisconsin High School Football Coaches Poll presented by Bound Wisconsin, but Friday night's trip to Watertown comes with some unusual pieces of history attached to it:

The last time these two teams played, Watertown won.

That was seven years ago, on September 20, 2019, when the Goslings defeated MG 28–16 at Landsverk Field. It remains Watertown's only victory in the series and the most recent meeting between the schools.

A Short Series With Four Very Different Chapters 

Friday will be only the fifth Monona Grove-Watertown game ever played. Monona Grove leads the all-time series with Watertown 3–1 and has outscored the Goslings 114–62, but the four previous meetings have been spread across very different eras of Silver Eagle football.

There has been a playoff thriller decided in the final seconds, a rain-soaked blowout by one of the best offensive teams in MG history, one of the most explosive passing performances in the series, and finally the 2019 Watertown victory that still stands as the most recent meeting.

2005 — MG 17, Watertown 14: A Playoff Game Decided in the Final Seconds

The series began in the 2005 WIAA playoffs, when Monona Grove hosted Watertown in a game that remained scoreless through three quarters before turning into a fourth-quarter thriller. Senior running back Chris Nelson scored twice for MG, first from four yards out and later from three, but Watertown answered both times and tied the game 14–14 with 3:14 remaining.

Monona Grove responded with a 68-yard final drive, highlighted by a 27-yard reception from Derrick Rice, before Tyler Neuhagen kicked a 19-yard field goal with seven seconds left for the 17–14 win. Nelson finished with 124 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Brandon Foley completed 13 of 16 passes for 138 yards and added 46 rushing yards. The game also featured senior lineman Gabe Carimi, then a 6-foot-7 Wisconsin recruit who would later become an MG All-American, win the Outland Trophy at Wisconsin and become a first-round NFL Draft pick. MG went on to finish the season 10–2. The programs would not meet again for 12 years.

2017 — MG 46, Watertown 6: Thomsen and Ogden Finish an Unbeaten Regular Season

When the teams met again in 2017, Monona Grove was closing out one of the most explosive regular seasons in school history. Despite heavy rain, the Silver Eagles jumped on Watertown early and built a 46–6 halftime lead. Alec Ogden threw touchdown passes to Anthony Ellis-Krehl, Lucas Gerlach and Sam Hepp, while Jackson Thomsen scored on runs of 50, 70 and two yards. P.J. Spalding also returned an interception for a touchdown.

Thomsen finished with 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries, while Ogden completed 5 of 6 passes for 116 yards and three TDs and added 55 rushing yards. The 46–6 victory completed a 9–0 regular season and outright Badger South championship. MG scored 450 points in nine regular-season games — 50 points per game, the highest regular-season scoring average in program history.

2018 — MG 35, Watertown 14: Bishop-to-Hepp Takes Over Landsverk Field

The 2018 meeting produced the most explosive passing performance in the series. Monona Grove traveled to Watertown with an undefeated regular season and conference title on the line and raced to a 35–0 halftime lead. Quarterback Jordan Bishop connected with Sam Hepp for touchdown passes of 28, 48, 85 and 17 yards, while also finding Kameron Reuter for another score.

Bishop finished 10 of 16 for 288 yards and five touchdowns, while Hepp caught five passes for 213 yards and four TDs. Brady Killerlain added 105 rushing yards, and Trenton Herber led the defense with two interceptions, a fumble recovery and five tackles. The 35–14 win completed another 9–0 regular season and 7–0 conference championship for MG.

2019 — Watertown 28, MG 16: Killerlain Produces, but Watertown Breaks Through

One year later, Monona Grove returned to Watertown and saw the series turn the other way. The Goslings built a 14–0 lead before Brady Killerlain broke a 65-yard touchdown run to get MG on the board. Watertown answered before halftime, but Killerlain struck again in the third quarter when Camron Behnke found him for a 22-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to seven.

Watertown responded once more and eventually finished off the 28–16 victory, its first and only win over Monona Grove. Killerlain led MG with 110 rushing yards on 11 carries, averaging 10 yards per attempt, and accounted for both Silver Eagle touchdowns. Behnke threw for 136 yards and a score, while Henry Walsh had five catches for 68 yards. Defensively, Tyler Dahlhauser had 10 tackles, Grant Dahlhauser added nine, and Tucker Merrill and Killerlain each recorded an interception. Seven years later, that remains the most recent result in the series.

The Coaching Connection Goes Back to the Beginning

There is another link between the 2005 game and Friday night's reunion.

When Monona Grove and Watertown first met in that playoff game, current MG coaches Travis Rohrer and Tim Halverson were both coaching for Watertown. Rohrer served as the Goslings' defensive coordinator, while Halverson was the offensive coordinator.

By the time the schools met again in 2017, both had crossed to the Monona Grove side.

Halverson joined MG in 2016 and was part of a staff that reached the state championship game in his first season. Rohrer later brought extensive head-coaching experience of his own to the Silver Eagles.

Now, 21 years after that first playoff meeting, both are still part of the MG program as the Silver Eagles return to Watertown.

The players have changed and the conference alignment has changed, but there are still people on the Monona Grove sideline who were there when this unusual five-game series began.

In 2026 MG Is 4–0 — Despite Barely Playing Its Starters

Monona Grove's record is impressive. The way the Silver Eagles have reached 4–0 may be even more remarkable.

Through four games, there have been 16 quarters of football, yet MG's starting units have effectively played only about nine of them — roughly 56% of the available game time.

That puts the team's early-season production into a different perspective.

Dating back to the second quarter against Madison La Follette, the Silver Eagles have put together a six-quarter stretch in which their starting offense and defense have completely controlled the game.

MG outscored La Follette 31–0 over the second and third quarters, then followed with a 42–0 first half against Milton and another 42–0 first half against Oregon.

That's a combined 115–0 advantage across six quarters with the starting units on the field.

By that point, the games against Milton and Oregon were essentially over, allowing MG to turn much of the second half over to younger players and reserves.

The 42–7 win over Oregon was the latest example. The Panthers came in 2–1 and looked capable of providing one of MG's tougher early-season tests. Instead, the Silver Eagles led 42–0 at halftime.

Now the challenge shifts to the road.

DLo Leads a Defense Producing From Every Level

Senior defensive lineman DLo Clay has been at the center of MG's defensive start.

Clay enters Week 5 with a team-leading 29 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. His 14 TFLs rank No. 1 in Wisconsin Division 2. But MG's defensive production goes well beyond Clay.

Junior defensive back Landry Ganshert is second on the team with 19 tackles, while Dom Melone and Cole Kessenich are tied for third with 18 apiece.

That balance has been one of the strengths of the defense. The Silver Eagles are getting production from the front, linebackers and secondary rather than relying on one player to clean everything up.

That becomes especially important against Watertown quarterback Aiyden Parr-Mitchell. His ability to escape pressure and turn broken plays into rushing yards has been one of the Goslings' most dangerous weapons.

Watertown's Record Doesn't Tell the Entire Story

Watertown enters Friday 1–3 overall and 0–2 in Badger Large play.

The Goslings opened with a 35–13 loss to Beaver Dam, bounced back with a 21–20 victory over Madison West, then dropped conference games to Sun Prairie West, 36–14, and Waunakee, 57–7.

Through four games, Watertown has been outscored 148–55.

Still, the Goslings have moved the ball better at times than those scores suggest.

Watertown produced 292 yards against Beaver Dam and 316 against Sun Prairie West, but too many possessions ended without points. Against Sun Prairie West alone, the Goslings were stopped on downs three times in the first half.

That has been the recurring issue: Watertown has shown it can move the football, but drives have stalled before becoming points, and the Goslings have too often found themselves playing from well behind.

Aiyden Parr-Mitchell Makes the Offense Go

Sophomore quarterback Aiyden Parr-Mitchell is the centerpiece of Watertown's offense.

Through four games, he has thrown for 533 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception, although he has completed just 36.6% of his passes. Parr-Mitchell has rushed for 344 yards on 52 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt. He accounted for 220 total yards against Beaver Dam and 217 against Sun Prairie West.

Waunakee provided the clearest example of what happens when that part of his game is taken away. The Warriors held him to minus-two rushing yards, and Watertown managed only 135 total yards in a 57–7 loss.

Alexander David Is the Big-Play Threat

If Parr-Mitchell is the engine of the offense, senior receiver Alexander David is its most dangerous downfield weapon. David leads Watertown with 14 receptions for 290 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 20.7 yards per catch. He had 118 receiving yards against Beaver Dam and another 85 against Sun Prairie West, showing the ability to turn limited opportunities into major gains. Junior Connelly Cashin has added eight catches for 100 yards, while Joseph VanBuren has six receptions.

Kameron Zingler Leads the Backfield

Sophomore Kameron Zingler has become Watertown's primary running back. He enters Week 5 with 182 yards and two touchdowns on 53 carries. His 3.4 yards per carry haven't been overwhelming, but he's also shown that he can hurt defenses as a receiver. Zingler has only three catches, but those receptions have produced 101 yards and a touchdown.

Watertown Is Young at the Skill Positions, More Experienced Up Front

Watertown starts sophomores at quarterback and running back, while Cashin and VanBuren are juniors. David and senior tight end/linebacker Dexter Haversack provide experience around them. The offensive line is older and averages roughly 241 pounds, led by 325-pound right tackle Cole Singer. Several of those linemen also contribute on defense, including Bryson Jeske and Antonio Valenzuela at defensive tackle. Haversack and Micah Miller provide veteran experience at linebacker.

The result is a Watertown team that is young in some of the places where the ball is handled most often, but has enough experience and athletic ability to create problems if MG allows the Goslings to settle into the game.

Watertown's Biggest Problem Has Been Stopping the Run

Before the season, Watertown coach Alex Crogan talked about building a defense around physical football and stopping the run. Through four weeks, that has been the area opponents have attacked most successfully. Beaver Dam rushed for 308 yards in the opener. Ashtyn Seifert needed only three carries to gain 124 yards, while Brock Hiley added 132 yards on 10 attempts. Two weeks later, Sun Prairie West ran for 370 yards.

Jahleel Weah did most of the damage, rushing for 216 yards on only four carries. His first three carries went for touchdowns of 69, 80 and 62 yards. Beaver Dam and Sun Prairie West combined for 678 rushing yards against Watertown. The biggest concern hasn't been simply allowing four or five yards at a time. It's been what happens after the first level is broken. Runs that begin as ordinary plays have turned into touchdowns.

MG's Offensive Balance Creates a Physical Challenge

Monona Grove brings a combination of size, rushing production and improving balance into Friday night's matchup. Junior RB Carson Schoenherr heads to Watertown with 315 rushing yards on 40 carries, an average of nearly 7.9 yards per attempt. He gives the Silver Eagles another physical and explosive option.

MG has also developed more balance through the air. Junior tight end Nic Busalacchi leads the team with 11 receptions, while Diego has 10 catches, giving 6-foot-3 205 pound QB Jaxon Zukowski multiple established targets. Busalacchi, at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, creates a particularly difficult matchup. That versatility is supported by plenty of size; Schoenherr gives the backfield another 200-pound athlete, and Deangelo Clay brings a 245-pound two-way presence. Up front, the Silver Eagles have 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior Owen Hadden, 275-pound junior Brody Thomsen and 220-pound junior Cal Bennett, along with additional depth in the 255- to 300-pound range.

What matters most, though, is how quickly that group has come together. MG entered the season needing to replace 21 seniors from a 10–2 team, yet through four weeks the offense has developed enough balance and physicality that the starters have barely needed to play past halftime in recent games.

What Will Decide the Game — and the Final Outlook

The matchup starts with Watertown quarterback Aiyden Parr-Mitchell. His 344 rushing yards make him much more than a traditional pocket passer, and MG will need to pressure him without giving away escape lanes. At the same time, the Silver Eagles cannot get so focused on the quarterback run that senior receiver Alexander David finds favorable one-on-one matchups downfield. David has averaged more than 20 yards per catch, making him Watertown's most dangerous big-play threat through the air.

The first half could also be especially important. Watertown's losses have tended to get away early. Beaver Dam led 27–0 at halftime, Sun Prairie West led 24–0 at the break and eventually pushed the margin to 36–0, and Waunakee scored 57 last week. Monona Grove has been doing the opposite, building large early leads and turning much of the second half over to reserves.

That makes the line of scrimmage another major factor. Watertown has struggled to prevent explosive rushing plays, while MG has become increasingly comfortable leaning on its size and running game. If the Goslings can force the Silver Eagles into long drives and repeated third downs, they have a better chance of staying in the game. If MG begins creating chunk runs early, Watertown could once again find itself playing from behind.

On paper, the numbers strongly favor Monona Grove. The Silver Eagles are 4–0, their starting units have outscored opponents 115–0 over their last six quarters together, Deangelo Clay already has 14 tackles for loss, and Carson Schoenherr is averaging nearly eight yards per carry. What makes those numbers even more impressive is how little the starters have actually needed to play: through four weeks, MG's first units have been on the field for only about nine of 16 quarters — roughly 56% of the available football.

Still, Watertown carries a distinction only one other team on Monona Grove’s 2026 schedule can claim: the Goslings won the last time they faced MG.

That 28–16 victory came seven years ago at the same stadium where the teams will meet Friday night. It will also mark just Monona Grove’s third trip to Watertown. The first ended in a 35–14 MG win in 2018; the second ended with Watertown’s 28–16 victory in 2019.

So while Monona Grove enters Week 5 with the stronger résumé, Friday brings a different kind of challenge — returning to a place where the most recent meeting ended with the Silver Eagles on the losing side.

Four previous meetings. Three MG wins. One Watertown win. Two previous trips to Landsverk Field. Friday night begins Chapter Five.