Sports
Darlington, Lourdes finish regular seasons with wins as conference titles are shared
Darlington beat Platteville 49-20 in a ranked crossover matchup, while Lourdes Academy rallied past Randolph/Cambria-Friesland to claim a share of its conference title. Week 9 also ended with three teams tied for a share of the Eastern Suburban Conference crown.
Wisconsin high school football’s regular season ended Friday with several ranked matchups and conference races decided across the area.
Darlington, ranked No. 1 in Division 5, defeated Division 4’s No. 10 Platteville 49-20. Both teams had gone undefeated in their conferences, making the crossover game important for playoff seeding. Darlington recovered after Shawn Harris forced a fumble on an early scoring chance, then pulled away to preserve its perfect season. Zeke Zuberbuhler converted a fourth-and-4 run for a first down, and Ryder Fitzsimons scored as the Redbirds built their winning margin.
In another ranked matchup, Division 7’s No. 4 Lourdes Academy came back to beat Division 6’s No. 7 Randolph/Cambria-Friesland, 33-14, and secure a share of its conference title. Lourdes opened the scoring when Brady Bauer ran in a touchdown. The Patriots answered with a Hoyt Helmer touchdown run and a Gerrit Sjoerdsma score to take an 8-6 lead before the Knights rallied.
Pardeeville held off Belleville 26-20, ending Belleville’s bid for an undefeated Eastern Suburban Conference season. Pardeeville, Cambridge and Belleville each finished conference play with one loss, earning a share of the title.
Lake Mills extended its winning streak to eight games with a 48-20 victory over Portage. The L-Cats trailed 12-6 before big passing plays helped spark their comeback.
Monona Grove shut out DeForest 36-0, using a safety and a scoring connection between quarterback Jaxon Zukowski and receiver Jay Ramsey among its key plays. Mount Horeb beat McFarland 48-15 after Garrett Crull completed a deep third-and-20 pass to Eli Krueger to sustain a second-half drive.
Sun Prairie East defeated Watertown 48-13, with Carter Kavanaugh throwing touchdown passes to Justin Roy, Kellen Russell and Kevin Packard III. Oregon beat Sun Prairie West 32-21 after Elias Berner returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Madison Memorial edged Madison La Follette 29-27; a late fumble forced by Gotti Careon and recovered by Tray Harris helped the Spartans protect their lead.
Cuba City defeated Mineral Point 27-20 on senior night, while Janesville Parker beat Middleton by the same score, a result that could help Parker’s playoff chances.