Mavericks rush to 27-6A crown
League title first for Madison since 2012; open playoffs against Warren
Madison quarterback Dante Heaggans simply just wanted some continuity. He wanted to see the same head coach and offensive scheme every time a new season started.
Heaggans knew the talent and determination were there. But they were lost amid the revolving door of head coaches.
The Mavericks found stability in coach Blaine Pederson, a former standout player at the school. They claimed something even more prized — a District 27-6A championship.
Paced by a balanced and punishing rushing attack, No. 3 Madison raced past No. 7 Johnson 4928 on Friday at Comalander Stadium. The Mavericks (8-2, 7-0) secured their first league crown since 2012 and will face Warren (8-2) next week in a Class 6A, Division I bidistrict contest.
“From where we started a year ago, to go undefeated in district is a big deal for us,” Pederson said. “Part of it was they needed consistency. I tried to be there every day, make sure that they know that I’m not going anywhere. We had to build them up, get them to believe in themselves again. They do, and now we’re reaping the benefits of it.”
Three years ago, the seniors were freshmen when Madison finished 0-10. The trajectory to getting back to where league title and deep playoff runs were the norm was achieved on a chilly and cold evening.
Heaggans raced 75 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play to set a tone for the Mavericks, who beat Johnson (7-3, 5-2) for the first time in six years.
“I just wanted to start fast,” said Heaggans, who rushed for a game-high 206 yards and two touchdowns. “Our linemen did a good job all game making holes for me and the running backs.”
Madison’s dominance at the line of scrimmage paved the way for a rushing attack that amassed 481 yards on 41 carries, an average of 11.4 yards per attempt.
It also allowed the Mavericks to bounce back after Johnson scored twice in five minutes to lead 14-7. Jaguars running back Justin Rodriguez scored on runs of 14 and 5 yards. He finished with 193 yards and four TDs, adding scoring runs of 66 and 1 yards.
Madison reeled off 21 unanswered points overlapping the second and third quarters to break open a tie game. Running back Christian Hernandez scored all three touchdowns, tallying runs of 65, 1 and 33 yards. He finished with 155 yards.
The Mavericks went into halftime leading 28-21 after a wild back-and-forth opening 24 minutes.
Madison scored 14 seconds into the contest. Johnson responded with TDs on its next possessions for a 14-7 lead. The Mavericks replied with two scores of their own for a 21-14 advantage. The Jaguars scored to even it at 21 before Madison scored with 2½ minutes to take control for good.
Hernandez scored the first of his three scores to end the half, while Heaggans scored on runs of 75 and 39 yards.
“After seeing that 0-10 season, we just really wanted to change this program back to how it used to be,” Heaggans said. “It was just stuck in our head. That was just our mindset all season and offseason.”