Story originally printed in the Tomah Journal or online at www.tomahjournal.com
Published - Monday, September 28, 2009
Gridders break through against Onalaska
Can four games worth of frustration be erased in 25 seconds?
Maybe not, but they were 25 seconds that have the potential to transform the Tomah High School football season.
Tomah scored 15 points late in the first half, and they were critical in the Timberwolves’ stunning 43-26 victory over Onalaska Friday at E.J. McKean Field.
It was Tomah’s first win of the season.
“Hats off to our kids,” Tomah coach Brad Plueger said. “I’m so happy for them. We beat a very good football team.”
Like every one of Tomah first four opponents, Onalaska came into the game with a winning record (3-1). The Hilltoppers appeared in good shape when Austin Meier scored on a 4-yard touchdown run 81 seconds before halftime. His score cut Tomah’s lead to 21-13, and Onalaska was prepared to take the kickoff to start the second half.
On the ensuing kickoff, Joel Sweeney gave the Timberwolves good field position by returning the ball to the Tomah 39. Four plays later, quarterback Tyler Von Haden rolled to his right and threw across the field to Sweeney, who slipped out of backfield and had nobody within 10 yards of him at the Onalaska 40-yard line. He sprinted untouched to the end zone, and Clayton Barrix booted the extra point for a 28-13 lead.
“We had a minute and something left, and I said, ‘Let’s get aggressive here -- let’s get after it,’” Plueger said.
The Timberwolves weren’t done. Onalaska returned the kickoff to its own 29, and after an illegal procedure penalty, Hilltoppers quarterback Drew Markworth attempted a slant pass. Tomah linebacker Erik Martens diagnosed the play, intercepted the pass and rumbled 25 yards to the end zone.
“Erik took his pass drop, and being a former tight end, he got a paw on it, tipped the ball to himself and took it to the house,” Plueger said. “It was a great, athletic play.”
Tomah faked the conversion kick attempt. Holder Tyler Von Haden took the snap, drifted to his right and passed to Josh Von Haden in the end zone for a two-point conversion that gave Tomah a 36-13 halftime lead.
The Timberwolves’ flurry of activity at the end of the half was big because Onalaska did score on its opening drive of the second half. The Hilltoppers marched 77 yard in 12 plays, but the drive consumed nearly half of the third quarter. After Phillip Stuhr’s 6-yard touchdown run, Tomah stuffed the two-point conversion to maintain a 36-19 lead.
Onalaska’s chance at a comeback ended on Tomah’s next drive. After a kickoff to the end zone, fullback Ross Lynch barreled up the middle on a 20-yard run, and five plays after that, Sweeney capped the drive with a 42-yard touchdown run. Barrix added the extra point for a 43-19 Tomah lead with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
Tomah’s offense played conservative after that and produced just one first down the rest of the way.
All stories copyright 2006 Tomah Journal and other attributed sources.