Prep Football: Madison adds punch to NLS' attack

NEW LONDON - Payton Madison says his favorite part about playing football is blocking.

"Um, touchdowns?" New London-Spicer quarterback and teammate Brandon Adelman said incredulously.

OK, so maybe blocking is the senior running back's second favorite part of football. But one glance at the towering Madison and it's clear the worst part of football for most of his opponents is trying to wrap him up. In a world where athletes and coaches fudge heights and weights for competitive advantage and deception, Madison fills out every bit of his listed 6-foot-4, 235-pound frame.

Madison is new to the Wildcats' varsity team this season, although he grew up in New London-Spicer school district and played football with his current teammates growing up. But rather than follow his friends into the high school football path, he hit the road to play junior hockey in Omaha, Nebraska.

A standout forward, Madison played 22 games for the Omaha AAA Lancers' 16-and-under team in the North American Prospects Hockey League during the 2016-2017 school year. After one year in the junior hockey circuit, Madison decided he was ready to return home, although that meant sitting out the fall semester due to Minnesota State High School League policy.

Except that wasn't entirely true, either. Madison, a man among boys even at the junior hockey level, suited up to play junior varsity football.

"Dominant," said NLS head coach Dan Essler. "Totally dominant."

While Madison tore apart junior varsity, he looked on as his friends and former middle school teammates posted a 7-4 record and earned a spot in the Section 6AAA championship.

Led by Adelman, running back Sam Stageberg, wide receiver Kelly Bennetts and a strong offensive line, the Wildcats averaged 33.1 points per game (fifth-best tally in Class AAA) and avenged their regular-season loss to Albany with a 28-20 playoff win over the Huskies. Ultimately, however, Pierz proved to be too much to handle and the Pioneers defeated the Wildcats 40-14 on their way to a state title.

The Wildcats are eager for another shot at the Pioneers and Madison could be the missing piece to defeating the reigning state champions.

NLS is 6-1 with one regular-season game remaining-a 7 p.m. home game today against Albany. The Wildcats are averaging 45 points per game, an 11.9 point increase per game compared to last year.

Madison's addition creates a new dynamic for an already high-powered offense. Stageberg continues to get his yards as a second-year starter but Madison provides plenty of punch to complement Stageberg's shifty speed.

Stageberg leads the team with nine rushing touchdowns and he has 579 yards on 71 carries (8.2 yards per carry). Madison leads the team with 580 rushing yards on 58 carries (10 yards per carry) and seven rushing touchdowns. Madison has also been a go-to security blanket for Adelman, hauling in nine passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

The duo's proficiency also opens up the field for Adelman. If he ever needs to pass, that is.

"If we don't have to throw it and we can just keep scoring while running the ball I'll take it," Adelman said. "I just want the points. I could care less."

That selflessness is echoed throughout this vaunted offense. Madison's blocking prowess means he doesn't worry about touches and his mate in the backfield doesn't either.

"I think it's fun (to share carries)," Stageberg said. "I love seeing him just run kids over and I love running right behind him every play. We love it out there. Either way, as long as the ball is in the end zone, we'll get hyped together. There's too many guys on this team that could be the key player on another team so you just accept your role out there and it's more fun."

The only thing Madison cares about is getting his name called as lead blocker.

"When we run a counter trey, I'm not big into that because I don't get to block," Madison said. "I don't care if I get the ball once or 50 times."

This no-drama situation is perfect for any head coach and Essler is grateful for the new weapon.

"He's a great lead blocker and that takes the pressure off Sam because if he keeps running the ball as well as he does and the defense is focusing on Sam, all of a sudden Payton, having the success he's had running the ball, it opens things up for Sam, opens things up for himself," Essler said. "The diversity of the offense is really helpful. Then it takes pressure of Brandon at quarterback because now they're sucking up on the run. It opens the passing game as well."

Even though Madison wasn't on last year's team last year, he is eager for another shot at a state berth along with the rest of his teammates.

In fact, the Wildcats have used #BringItHome as a rallying cry in the locker room and on social media throughout the season. Before they get there, though, the Wildcats have Albany to look forward to at least once, and possibly twice if the two teams meet in the playoffs.

The Wildcats and Huskies offer a clash of styles. NLS enters today's game tied for the third-highest scoring offense in Class AAA while Albany features Class AAA's stingiest defense, allowing just 5.7 points per game.

"For Albany, we just need to do what we've been doing," Essler said. "We know what they run defensively. They've used the same defense the last 25 years. We just hope we're bigger, faster, stronger than they are."

With Madison, they just might be.

Prep Football Polls

Class 6A

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Lakeville North (5) 7-0 50 1

2. Blaine 7-0 43 2

3. Eden Prairie 6-1 42 3

4. Edina 6-1 34 4

5. Woodbury 6-1 31 5

6. Champlin Park 5-2 20 NR

7. Rosemount 5-2 13 NR

8. Wayzata 4-3 12 NR

9. East Ridge 4-3 9 10

10. Buffalo 6-2 6 NR

Class AAAAA

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Owatonna (4) 7-0 57 1

2. Elk River 7-0 53 2

3. St. Thomas Academy (2) 7-0 52 3

4. Robbinsdale Cooper 7-0 42 4

5. Chanhassen 7-0 35 6

6. Waconia 6-1 26 5

7. Sauk Rapids 6-1 23 8

8. Bemidji 6-1 19 10

9. Mankato West 6-1 12 9

10. Hastings 6-1 7 NR

Others receiving votes: Spring Lake Park 4

Class AAAA

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Holy Angels (7) 7-0 70 1

2. Winona 7-0 61 2

3. Hutchinson 7-0 56 3

4. Detroit Lakes 7-0 47 4

5. SMB Wolfpack 7-0 42 5

6. Marshall 7-0 35 6

7. Hermantown 7-0 28 8

8. Providence Academy 7-0 24 9

9. Cloquet 6-1 10 10

10. Willmar 6-1 6 NR

Others receiving votes: Fridley 4, Dassel-Cokato 2

Class AAA

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Pierz (6) 7-0 60 1

2. Rochester Lourdes 7-0 54 2

3. Mora 7-0 45 3

4. Spectrum 7-0 41 4

5. Breck 6-1 30 6

6. Fairmont 6-1 29 7

7. New London-Spicer 6-1 26 5

8. Annandale 6-1 17 8

9. Jordan 6-1 16 9

10. Albany 6-1 8 10

Others receiving votes: Jackson County Central

Class AA

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Caledonia (5) 7-0 50 1

2. Minneapolis North 7-0 45 2

3. Redwood Valley 7-0 38 4

4. Hawley 6-1 24 9

5. Pipestone 6-1 23 8

6. Royalton 7-0 22 6

7. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 6-1 21 NR

8. Chatfield 6-1 20 10

9. Barnesville 6-1 14 3

10. St. Charles 6-1 10 5

Others receiving votes: Pillager 6, St. Agnes 2

Class A

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Minneota (5) 7-0 50 1

2. BOLD 7-0 41 2

3. Mahnomen/Waubun 7-0 34 4

4. Blooming Prairie 7-0 33 3

5. Ottertail Central 7-0 31 5

6. United South Central 7-0 28 6

7. Goodhue 6-1 15 8

8. Ada-Borup 7-1 12 10

9. Dawson-Boyd 6-1 11 9

T10. Rushford-Peterson 6-1 7 NR

T10. Fertile-Beltrami 5-2 7 NR

Others receiving votes: Polk County West 4, Murray County Central 2

Class 9-Man

School (first-place votes) Record Total Points Prv.

1. Spring Grove (4) 7-0 49 1

2. Stephen-Argyle (1) 7-0 43 2

3. Verndale 7-0 37 T3

4. Cromwell 7-0 33 T3

5. Cook County 7-0 26 5

6. Mountain Lake 7-0 23 6

T7. South Ridge 7-0 18 7

T7. Houston 6-1 18 8

9. NCE/UH 7-0 16 9

10. Hills-Beaver Creek 6-1 5 NR

Others receiving votes: Ogilvie 4, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 1, Underwood 1, Edgerton/Ellsworth 1.

1/2: New London-Spicer's Payton Madison prepares for impact against a trio of Zimmerman defenders during an East Central North district game against Zimmerman on Sept. 14. Joe Brown / Tribune

2/2: New London-Spicer's Payton Madison runs the ball in an August 30 game against Holy Family at New London-Spicer High School. Jake Schultz / Tribune