Red Raiders rally to beat Tosa West

The Wauwatosa East defense kept cross-town rival Tosa West's offense off the board all night but still trailed 13-0 with 9:40 left in the third quarter. But then East running back Mike Mead took over and the Red Raiders rallied for a thrilling 21-13 win.

West coach Matt Good spoke about his team speed last week and sophomore Mickey Morgan proved his coach right as he scored on a 65-yard interception return right before the half and then opened the second half with an amazing 87-yard punt return that saw him keep his balance after being hit and tightroped down the left side line.

East's Kyle Vnuk completed 9-of-17 passes for 134 yards and shook off three Trojan interceptions to get the Raiders on the board in the third quarter when he hit Shaquille Redding with a beautiful 12-yard TD score and Redding made a great catch despite good coverage.

But the difference in the game was when East coach Jake Wolter gave the ball to the 5-9, 155 pound Mead in the second half. After not touching the ball in the first half, the gutsy senior rushed for 120 yards on 15 carries and sparked the Red Raiders with scoring runs of 13 and a 25-yards.

The win gave East a 21-17 edge in the career series, which was resumed after a 15-year absence. What was almost overlook in the hoopla was the fact that Tosa East snapped a 20-game overall losing streak and Wolter earned his first win as a head coach.

One serious note was a head injury to West quarterback Josh Stoeckmann in the final minute. He was taken to a hospital in an ambulance after the game.

Offensive performers for the Trojans were tight end Sam Clough who had three catches for 40 yards and all-star defensive back Reggie Cole, who averaged 5.6 yards per carry (7-for-39) as a running back/wide receiver.