Lodi's defense has powered its great 2009 season. Can it lead the Blue Devils to the state semifinals?

Look no further than the first half of Lodi's 31-6 win over Poynette on Sept. 25 as proof of how its defense has been at the center of its success this season.

In the first 24 minutes the Blue Devils had four takeaways, including three fumble recoveries that set up two offensive touchdowns. The biggest turnover, however, came when Lodi flushed Pumas quarterback Cody Odegaard out of the pocket, forced him to get rid of the ball quickly and Tony Zeman stepped in front of the pass and returned it 16 yards for the score to put Lodi in control.

"Our defense is definitely the catalyst for the whole thing that makes it go," Lodi coach Dave Puls said. "All three phases of the game are as important as the other... but when your defense can give you some field position or make some big plays... it always has a domino effect that kind of rolls over to the offensive side of the ball."

No. 1 seed Lodi and its stellar defense meets another physical, hard-nosed team when it plays unseeded Brodhead/Juda in its WIAA Division 4 quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. today in Brodhead.

DIVISION 4 WIAA Level 3 playoffs

Lodi (10-1) at Brodhead/Juda (9-2), 2 p.m.

→How they got here: Lodi, 8-10 in 11 playoff appearances, won the Northern Capitol Conference title and beat River Valley 47-0 and Prairie du Chien 21-7 to open the playoffs. Brodhead-Juda, 20-17 in 18 playoff appearances, finished second in the Southern Rock Valley Conference and beat New Glarus-Monticello 47-0 and Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 29-3 to open the playoffs.

→Statistical standouts: Lodi RB Tyler Caldwell has rushed for 1,673 yards and 11 TDs. Brodhead-Juda RB Ethan Douglas has handled the bulk of his team's ground game, with 1,265 yards and 20 TDs.

→What to watch: Lodi has a defense that could give the Cardinals fits, allowing just 67.3 yards per game.

It already has been a banner season for the Blue Devils, who for the first time in school history won back-to-back conference titles by winning the Capitol North and won 10 games for just the second time in program history. It's all started with defense and the statistics are staggering: Lodi has pitched three shutouts this season while allowing opponents an average of 67.3 yards and 6.2 points per game. The most points Lodi has allowed in one game is 19 to Marshall and even in its one loss of the season - in week 1 to McFarland - it allowed only seven points and 204 total yards.

So what's behind the defenses success? Experience and... wrestling.

Lodi's defense features 10 returning starters from last season, nine of whom have started since their sophomore seasons.

"When times get tough you just look at each other and you realize it's going to be alright," said Lodi senior Cody Endres, who is second on the team with 3.5 sacks. "We trust each other so much that we just think that it's gonna come out good for us."

2009 Capitol North Defensive Player of the Year Tony Zeman has 89 tackles, 1 interception, four fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown this season and it's arguable those aren't even the best numbers on the defense. Fellow linebacker Dakota Cable has 109 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions.

"We definitely wanna lead the team through defense," Endres said. "We have a good offense but I think defense is the way we like to play. It's what we're best at."

Besides experience, another common theme among the Blue Devils defensive players is participation in Lodi's wrestling program. Endres was a WIAA state runner-up at 215 pounds last year while Zeman, Cable, running backs Justin Miller and Tyler Caldwell, Jamison Adler and Ryan Quick are also wrestlers, Puls said.

"Some of the tackles these guys make, sometimes they look like two-legged takedowns," said Puls, adding wrestling is especially helpful in honing balance and learning about leverage. But Endres said it provides a mental edge, too.

"Most of it is just a mentality," Endres said. "Especially on our defense, all our best players are wrestlers or have wrestled in the past. And just that aggressive, go-get-'er, shut-you-down type of mentality, I think that's one reason the defense is so stout."

THE GAME

The Blue Devils and Cardinals are similar in many ways.

Brodhead/Juda has shut out two opponents this season and is giving up an average of 11.6 points per game. It's two losses came back-to-back in the final two weeks of the regular season to 2008 state runner-up Walworth Big Foot and to Rock Valley North Conference co-champion McFarland. Those were losses that Cardinals coach Jim Matthys said fueled his team heading into the postseason.

"It probably did a little bit," Matthys said. "I think we're better for it."

Offensively, both teams thrive on a power, run-first style but both teams have proved they can throw the ball as well. Caldwell leads the Blue Devils with 1,673 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, but quarterback

Lucas Stronach has proven to be a threat in the running and passing game. Cardinals senior Ethan Douglas has rushed for 1,265 yards and 20 touchdowns and is a main cog on the Brodhead/Juda defense.

"It's kind of interesting because we're kind of a mirror image of each other in certain ways," Puls said. The last time these two teams met, Lodi took a 21-20 win over the Cardinals in their 2005 Level 3 playoff game.

Puls said he's confident, physically, his team is as good as any in the state.

"Number one is going to be, 'are we mentally ready and focused?' That is absolutely number one," Puls said. "If we don't come in mentally prepared for the toughest game of the year - and it will be the toughest game of the year because Brodhead/Juda is absolutely probably gonna be the most physical game we've played all year. If we don't come in mentally ready, it could be a short afternoon."

Puls said he's liked the way the Blue Devils have handled themselves this week and throughout this playoff stretch.

"We're not getting too tight, we're not getting too stressed, we're not getting over-anxious," Puls said. "We've got to enjoy the journey and enjoy the practice time and the fact that we're one of only 56 teams in the state still practicing football right now.

"Regardless of winning or losing, the kids know that life goes on and we're gonna give it everything we've got for 48 minutes on Saturday. And however it turns out, it turns out."

kmorales@capitalnewspapers.com

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