Brookfield East took the field Friday for the first time since hoisting the gold ball at Camp Randall Stadium as WIAA Division 2 state champion last November.
The Spartans ruined the first-ever Greater Metro Conference game for Wauwatosa West, as a stout defense allowed time for a young offense to get going in a 25-6 win over the Trojans.
1. Defense the strength: With a young offense, the experienced Spartans defense will have to carry the load, at least early on.
Led by playmakers in linebackers Brad Dati and defensive ends Caleb Wright and Ron Edwards, Brookfield East's defense allowed just one touchdown drive all night.
The Trojans didn't threaten much offensively after scoring in the first quarter. That allowed the Spartans' offense time to wear down the Tosa East defense and pull away.
2. Poised sophomore: Having graduated its top two playmakers in Sam Santiago-Lloyd and Jake Graf, growing pains were to be expected from the Brookfield East offense.
But sophomore quarterback Sam McGath looked like a senior in the way he managed the offense in his first varsity start.
McGath ran for 51 yards (71 yards with sacks excluded) and a score while going 7-for-7 for 58 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play of the game came on a perfectly thrown ball on a fade route to 6-foot-8 wide receiver Patrick Cartier for a score with 32.4 seconds left in the first half. The touchdown gave Brookfield East breathing room heading into the locker room with a 16-6 lead.
3. Unblockable: Tosa West's defense held strong most of the night, despite its offense putting it in bad field position with turnovers.
The Trojans defensive line played particularly well, especially standout junior Austin Ertl. Already receiving plenty of Division 1 interest, Ertl was constantly in the Brookfield East backfield and recorded at least a pair of sacks to go along with handful of tackles for loss.
4. Miscues hurt Tosa West: The Trojans may have put more pressure on Brookfield East if it weren't for costly mistakes.
Tosa West turned the ball over four times, including one on the 8-yard line of the Spartans. Another came on a muffed punt and two others that set up Brookfield East scores.
The Trojans also snapped high on a punt resulting in a safety.
5. Committee approach: Of course replacing a talent like Sam Santiago-Lloyd isn't going to be easy. The Spartans don't appear, at least as of Week 1, to have one workhorse running back.
Seniors Caleb Wright and Justin Christiansen got the majority of the attempts, while sophomore Nick Pluemer and senior Justin Parbs also received carries.
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.
Up Next:
Brookfield East: vs. Marquette (0-1 overall, 0-0 GMC) on Aug. 25
Tosa West: at Sussex Hamilton (1-0, 1-0 GMC) on Aug. 25
