Tosa West Makes Big Plays to Down Grafton 35-15

The air was warm and humid for this end-of-August football Friday. And there was an air of excitement because the teams fought like they were competing for post-season play. Wauwatosa West was the better team this night, pulling away to win 35 – 15 against their non-conference foe, Grafton High School.

Grafton was big and talented up front, quick and crafty in the backfield. They used quarterback run-options that had fans and defenders trying to locate the guy with the ball. Their backs ran very well (sometimes through weak Trojan arm tackles). Grafton backs scored twice in the first quarter for a 12-0 lead before the Trojans came alive. And who better to get the Trojan heart beating than senior Demaris Purifoy.

Purifoy finished with 232 yards rushing on just 12 carries. He got the Trojans on the scoreboard with two minutes left in the first quarter with a thrilling run of 75 yards that began with muscle and twists through the left edge of the defense. Then came a sprinter’s dash to pay dirt, and the score at the end of the first quarter was 12-7.

In the second quarter, the Tosa West defense took center stage. On one series, senior tackle Blake Braxton made three key stops to seriously disrupt Grafton’s ground game. Junior defensive tackle Cuauhtemoc Hernandez used a bull rush to sack the Grafton quarterback. On fourth down on that same defensive series, Tosa West junior Jake Hronek timed his leap perfectly to intercept Grafton at the Tosa West 47 yard line.

From their own 47, it took only one line-carving romp from Purifoy for 53 yards, and the Trojans were up 14-12.

On Grafton’s possession they kicked a 26 yard field goal to close first half with a lead of 15-14.

After half-time Tosa West’s stout defense and key plays turned the tide. The Trojan defense stuffed the line of scrimmage and protected the edges of the field. Stand out play came from interior linemen Braxton and junior James Canady, and inspired containment by seniors Devin Tucker and Christian Cagle. Senior middle linebacker Joe Harrington, who left the game early in the 4th quarter with a leg injury, was outstanding as he ranged left and right – shooting gaps and finishing tackles.

With 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and the Trojans near midfield, the offense sputtered and senior Zach Veit dropped back to punt. A good snap by sophomore Logan Scharf was followed by a heads-up play by Veit. An uneven rush allowed him to see a lane open to his right, so he tucked the ball and sprinted 20+ yards for a first down.

From there Trojan sophomore quarterback Rayvon Bartelt Jr found senior Arrion Dixon open on a left side post pattern, and he threw a strike for a 29 yard score, putting Tosa West back on top 21-15.

On the ensuing kickoff return, Veit came up big again, as he made a score-saving tackle near midfield. From there Grafton’s drove to the Trojan 6 yard line where they had a 4th and 2. Trojan linebackers and interior linemen converged to stop a quarterback keeper – and the Trojans had the ball back on downs.

Now early in the 4th quarter, the Trojan offense struck fast. Junior Truman Tyson ran a deep out-route and then adjusted nicely to the ball in the air, making a diving catch of a Bartelt pass for a 30 yard gain. On the next play, a well-executed reverse got the ball to senior speedster Andre Carroll who followed several nice blocks – including from Bartelt Jr., as he flew 65 yards down the left sideline to the house, and the score was 28-15.

The Trojan defense continued to do what was needed to stop Grafton. On one series, junior Justin Folley used good closing speed to make a big tackle for a loss. On a 4th and long, Cagle jumped high to knock down a pass attempt, and the ball came back to West on downs. After that play and near the 4 minute mark, Purifoy broke through the line for a 80-yard sprint to conclude all scoring 35-15.

Tosa West fans seemed to agree, “a nice win, good half-time adjustments and solid run defense.”

Next up is Pius XI at 7 PM, Friday Sept 5, at the Wisconsin Lutheran College Stadium – near Watertown Plank and I-45/41 (to find travel or parking updates, access the Stadium website at http://www.wlc.edu/about/index.aspx?id=11880 ).

KB+X