Madison La Follette Win Their First Playoff Game In Over A Decade
Madison La Follette grabbed their first playoff win in more than ten years after taking down Beloit Memorial at home by a score of 2-0. Striker Elijah Williams led the path to victory by scoring a goal in the 5th minute and 43rd minute of the match–a goal early in each half which allowed La Follette to control the game throughout.
The No. 9 seed Beloit Memorial came into this game with a 12-6-1 record and had one of the hottest scorers in the state, Banks Denu. He recently put up a four goal performance against rival Elkhorn to win the Purple Knights the Southern Lakes Conference Championship. He also recently broke his school’s goals and assists record after notching his 103rd goal contribution.
Madison La Follette on the other hand, came off a promising regular season with an 8-4-2 record and they placed fifth in the Big Eight Conference after finishing in the bottom half throughout the last decade.
Many La Follette players were overcome with emotion after the win. “It means more than just a win,” Elijah said in our post-match interview. “Us being able to compete and pull away with this victory shows that we’re not done yet, and ready to keep going.”
This is, by far, the most complete La Follette team we have seen in a very long time. They’ve had great players come through their program. Players like Ogechu Enwemnwa, who currently plays at UW-Eau Claire, or guys like Aiden Fitz, currently at Wisconsin Lutheran College. What these players were missing was a full team around them–a full group of eleven guys who can go out and compete throughout the entirety of a match against top competition.
2026 has been different for this group. They knocked off De Pere 4-3 early on in the season, a team that is now one of the favorites to win their sectional. They tied Verona on the road, taking points from a Wildcats team that ended the season unbeaten in conference play. Verona later dropped points to Middleton, which opened the door for Madison West to win the title. They also beat a solid Waunakee team, and they had one goal losses to DeForest and Middleton who are some of the very best teams in the state.
Very few people knew how good this team would turn out to be going into this season, myself included. There weren’t any media outlets talking about the potential that La Follette had going into the season.
It seems that this group has used the lack of coverage as fuel for motivation throughout the season. In fact, many fans in the area believed that the lower seed Beloit Memorial would come in and win this game to advance onto the next round. Elijah mentioned that during the week leading up to this game, his team “was ready for an intense game, and we were ready for all the hate. We just used it as motivation to pull away.”
One of their biggest strengths comes at the goalkeeper position. They start sophomore Armando Herrera who plays club with Forward Madison’s Homegrown Academy, but they also have a junior goalkeeper Cesar Flores behind him who also plays at the same club. When asked about their goalkeepers, Elijah said that “they really are the rock of this team, and they really do deserve all the credit.”
Neither goalkeeper stands out at first glance. They’re both undersized for their position, but that’s part of how they’re so effective. Armando plays with heart. He is a talented shotstopper but is even more effective with his feet.
It’s often said that the goalkeeper is the last player in defense and first in attack, meaning the progression of play starts with a team's keeper. Armando showcases that perfectly. He’s very confident with the ball at his feet and has the technical ability to back it up. He’s also incredibly quick off his line–his first step is explosive, allowing him to beat attackers to any ball that gets behind his back line–thwarting chances that may turn into dangerous opportunities without him.
Another aspect of La Follette’s defense is their back line. Stopping Banks Denu was a challenge going into this matchup, but they executed their gameplan to near perfection. La Follette was able to hold Beloit scoreless by consistently double-teaming or triple-teaming Banks, giving him very little room to operate.
As a captain, Elijah leads the team’s growth and reminds them of the importance of staying grounded. He mentioned that “everyone makes mistakes, but if we can all remain as a team and not get down on our teammates, I feel like that’ll help [us] out even more.”
The sectional is extremely competitive this year. Teams one through five are all genuine state contenders, but the teams behind them are dangerous enough to end any of those runs if a favorite slips. La Follette has proven that, taking points from unbeaten Verona, knocking off De Pere, and ending Beloit Memorial’s season, they have what it takes to win in games that matter.
The Lancers are set to take on the No. 1 seed DeForest Norskies on the road on Saturday, October 24th at 7:00 p.m. It should be an extremely competitive game, one that could see one of the biggest upsets in recent memory for high school soccer in the state, or at least on paper that is. Do we see the underdogs pull through? Or will DeForest put an end to a team that’s set a new standard for their program?
Post-match interview with goalscorer Elijah Williams
