Ryan Baker

Much like two weeks ago, Madison dominated in the confines of Breese Stevens Field with their 22-11 win over the Indianapolis AlleyCats. 

It was a combination of the Radicals D-line scoring frenzies that we’ve seen all season and Indy shooting themselves in the foot time and time again. The young AlleyCats had 34 turnovers and 12 drops throughout the game.

It didn’t seem like the game was going to go that way after Ken Adams turned it over on the first throw of the game for Madison, leading to an Indy break score. That was changed very quickly when the Radicals put up three in a row. 

“The most important thing is our mental fortitude. If we get knocked down, we always get back up and keep fighting. The start of this game showed that. We don’t let one break get to our heads and always focus on the point in front of us,” said Mitchell McCarthy. 

The AlleyCats were able to tie the game at three after a dirty hold and a break score due to a Ted Schewe drop at the goal line. This is where the game began to be lopsided. The Radicals ripped off three straight scores to finish out the first quarter up 6-3. It was the McCarthy show in the first frame, having three goals of his five goals and an assist. 

The Radicals carried that break train over to the second quarter, starting with four straight breaks fueled by two of Luke Marks’ six blocks on the night. 

“I feel that a lot of my blocks were the result of our communication as a team on the field. We helped each other in preparing for long alley cuts and had well-timed switches that allowed me to anticipate the next throw with a bit more ease. It helps to go all out on an under when you know you have help if they turn the page deep,” said Marks.

A huge cause of Madison finding themselves up 10-3 halfway through the second quarter were the drops by Indy, but also a result of their stout red zone defense. The AlleyCats would breeze through the first half of the field but found themselves stuck and flustered as soon as they got closer to the endzone. 

“The energy on the sideline was electric. The crowd was getting into it, and we fed off that to keep the break train rolling. We were playing with a ton of confidence, and that helped us start to run away with the game,” said McCarthy.

Things did become sloppy for both teams at the end of the first half with multiple dirty holds and drops, but Madison still had a nine-point lead heading into halftime. Indy’s O-line conversion rate sat at 3/18 in the first half with 19 turnovers compared to Madison’s ten breaks and 11/13 red zone conversion rate. 

The third quarter continued with longer points and execution errors by both teams, but after Kainoa Chun-Moy to Kai DeLorenzo dirty hold at the end of the third, the Radicals were up ten.  

Only five goals were scored between the two teams in the final quarter, including Pieran Robert, Joe Leibforth, and Jack Nelson scores, all three putting them each at three goals for the game. 

It was a great first half for Madison and showcased some of the best Radicals play we’ve seen this season. However, the second half was a bit tougher. You could tell they were too comfortable at times having such a big lead. 

Putting together a full game has been a struggle for the Radicals, and when Marks was asked if they did so, there was some uncertainty.

“Yes and no. When we are up, we can continue to be focused on our principles, and stay a bit more disciplined, and grounded. There is still a lot we can still learn from this game,” said Marks.

The win put Madison at 3-1 on the season, and the film will give them some highlights and improvement areas ahead of a huge matchup against the Chicago Union this upcoming weekend.

You can watch that game on Sunday at 5:00 PM on WatchUFA.tv.