With the clock ticking down until halftime, Brookfield East was driving deep into Wauwatosa West territory holding a 9-6 lead. 

If the Spartans had settled for a field goal, Tosa West could enter the locker room with a shot of momentum down just six points despite two first-half turnovers. 

But there would be no settling. 

Making his first varsity start at quarterback, Sam McGath faked left before throwing a perfect fade to the right corner of the end zone. Patrick Cartier used his 6-foot-8 frame to go up over the corner back and snag the ball for a touchdown with 32.4 seconds on the clock. 

"The corner is obviously smaller than me," Cartier said. "He was pressed up, so if he threw it up, I had a chance to go get it."

Brookfield East took a 16-6 advantage into halftime and didn't look back in a 25-6 over Tosa West in the Greater Metro Conference opener for both teams Aug. 18. 

"The offensive line had great protection and gave me time," McGath said. "I have all the confidence in the world in our receivers to come down with the catch. Patty is 6-8, so he's pretty much the tallest kid out there. I know he's going to go up and get it. 

"It was big for us. We hit that and went up by 10 going into the locker room."

While the Spartans returned eight players that saw snaps on defense in the state title game, Brookfield East had to fill the void of three key offensive players in running back Sam Santiago-Lloyd, quarterback Jake Graf and offensive lineman Max Aslin. 

McGath competed in camp with fellow sophomore Michael Poker for the starting quarterback job. Brookfield East coach Ben Farley told McGath he would start the season opener early in the week. 

"We're best friends," McGath said of his relationship with Poker. "We have all the confidence in the world in each other. We always help each other out. If I do something wrong, he'll correct me. If he does something wrong, I'll correct him. We're also all over each other when we do something right." 

Despite starting on the Spartans varsity basketball team as a freshman and seeing playing time as a slot receiver on varsity in the playoffs, McGath admitted there were nerves Friday night. 

Those nerves were hard to see, however, as McGath showed the poise of a senior.

The Spartans scored their first touchdown off a short field but otherwise went three-and-out or turned the ball over on four of their first five drives prior to the 10-play march that resulted in the touchdown at the end of the half. 

"It is a lot faster than freshman football," McGath said. "Everything is a lot more physical. Playing slot receiver in the playoffs got me used to it.

"In years past we started with a non-conference game. This game counted toward the playoffs. We didn't get off to a great start, but we picked it up as the game went on."

He ran for 51 yards (71 yards with sacks excluded) and a score while going 7-for-7 for 58 yards and a touchdown. His 11-yard touchdown run gave Brookfield East a 9-0 lead late in the first quarter, but McGath made his biggest impact on the ground in the second half, as he gained 40 yards in the fourth quarter to help put the game away. 

"He certainly didn't look like a sophomore making his first varsity start," Farley said. "He's a young man that started every single game on the varsity basketball squad, so we knew nerves wouldn't be a factor with him. He's a smart quarterback. We're looking for him to get better each week. 

"He won the job outright. It was tough competition he beat out, but we thought he gave us the best chance to be successful." 

Graf and Santiago-Lloyd carried heavy load on the ground for the Spartans a year ago. This season, it appears as if a committee of McGath, Caleb Wright, Justin Christiansen, Nick Pluemer and Justin Parbs will spread out the load. 

Wright led the way with 72 yards on 12 carries. The Northern Illinois recruit got better as the game wore on, as his bruising running style wore on the Tosa West defense. However, Wright plays both ways, which may limit his carries. 

With Marquette and a crossover nonconference game with Classic 8 foe Muskego looming over the next two weeks, the inexperienced Spartans offense will be tested.

But with the way Brookfield East is capable of playing defense, McGath knows he doesn't have to feel the need to do too much too soon.

"We have a great defense," McGath said. "If we get stopped on third down, I know they are going to get a stop and we are going to get the ball back."