Baileyville ends Madison’s season
Brent Maycock/Special to The Gazette
Monday, November 17, 2008
BAILEYVILLE — All season long, Madison’s offense had been an unstoppable force.
Through their first 11 games, the Bulldogs hadn’t scored fewer than 42 points and were averaging just under 50 points per game. Much of that production, mind you, came in less than a full game’s work as Madison mercy-ruled all but two foes.
Saturday in Baileyville, however, the Bulldog offense met its match. Bidding to reach the state championship game for the first time as an eight-man program, Madison couldn’t force its way past the roadblock that was the Baileyville B&B defense in Saturday’s Eight-Man Division I semifinals.
Not only did the Falcons hand Madison its first loss of the season, they did it in dominating style. Baileyville held the Bulldogs to 106 yards of total offense and in shutting them down, Baileyville shut Madison out with a 24-0 victory.
“We just seemed to not be able to get in sync today like we have all year,” Madison coach Fred McClain said. “You have to give credit to Baileyville.”
Indeed, you do. Madison (11-1) had just one play that covered more than 10 yards as Baileyville flew to the ball from seemingly every direction, rendering the Bulldogs’ explosive offense punchless.
“That’s as good as it’s been all year,” Baileyville coach Steve Tiernan said of his defense, which had posted only one shutout in its first 11 games. “That’s a dang good Madison team and that’s as good defensively as we’ve played. We were just assignment-sound and physical. We’ve been physical, but that was just really good.”
While Baileyville deserves the bulk of the credit, Madison didn’t exactly do itself any favors early. After going three-and-out on their first possession, Madison punter Henry Ott saw the snap go over his head and out the back of the end zone for a safety.
Baileyville rode the quick momentum shift to its only touchdown of the first half, as quarterback Kyle Haverkamp scored three plays after he hit Matt Rottinghaus on a 29-yard pass to the Bulldog 9 to give Baileyville a 10-0 lead.
When Ott managed just a 9-yard punt on Madison’s second possession, setting Baileyville up at the Madison 20, things looked like they might get totally away from the Bulldogs as they did in 2003, when Baileyville nearly mercy-ruled the Bulldogs in a playoff showdown, settling for a 44-8 victory. Instead, Madison’s defense held.
Needing something to get back in the game, Madison almost got it. Taking over at their own 17, the Bulldogs cranked out a 23-play drive that lasted 10:38. Madison converted on four fourth downs on the drive, but needing to do it a fifth time, the Bulldogs couldn’t.
Facing 4th-and-goal at the Baileyville 4, Madison was whistled for a false start. Ott then sent a pass toward the end zone that was intercepted by the Falcons’ Kyle Reinecke.
“We just couldn’t get some momentum when we needed it,” McClain said.
Madison only had three more possessions the rest of the game as Baileyville put the game away. The Falcons opened the second half with a 65-yard touchdown drive capped by Ryan Huerter’s 4-yard run and then after a three-and-out by Madison, the Falcons iced the game with a 17-play drive that took 9:34, with Haverkamp finishing it with another 1-yard touchdown sneak.
Madison got one last chance to avoid the shutout, but their final drive stalled at the Baileyville 33 after a holding penalty wiped out a first-down run by Ott.
Bulldog back Michael Luthi, who had rushed for 218 yards and five touchdowns in the quarterfinal victory against Goessel, was held to just 53 yards and Caleb Hamilton managed just eight.
“I’m real proud of these guys, they fought hard all year,” McClain said. “We had three seniors out there playing and they gave everything they had. My guys are pretty disappointed right now, but I’m awfully proud of them.”
Saturday at Baileyville
Madison (11-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
B-ville B&B (12-0) 10 0 8 6 — 24
First quarter
B&B — Safety, ball snapped out of end zone
B&B — Haverkamp 1 run (M. Rottinghaus pass from Haverkamp)
Third quarter
B&B — Huerter 4 run (Huerter run)
Fourth quarter
B&B — Haverkamp 1 run (run failed)
GAME STATISTICS
Mad B&B
First downs 7 13
Rushes-yards 34-63 50-147
Passing yards 43 81
Comp-Att-Int 3-13-2 7-10-0
Fumbles-lost 0-0 0-0
Penalties-yards 6-31 1-5
Punts-Avg. 2-13.5 0-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — Madison: Hamilton 7-8, Luthi 16-53, Ott 9-16, Team 1-(minus-14). Baileyville: Haverkamp 16-37, Sudbeck 11-44, Huerter 22-62, Rottinghaus 1-4.
Passing — Madison: Ott 3-11-2 43, Hamilton 0-1-0 0, Luthi 0-1-0 0. Baileyville: Haverkamp 7-10-0 81.
Receiving — Madison: Luthi 1-9, Childers 1-8, Hamilton 1-26. Baileyville: M. Rottinghaus 3-37, Huerter 3-37, Holthaus 1-7.