McDermit’s efforts not enough for Falcons
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
Entering a Sept. 16 Southern Lakes Conference contest, two teams hungry for a win came head to head, with hopes of turning the tides on their trying seasons.
For Burlington High School, they were reeling from three straight losses, while Westosha Central High School continued their frustrating pursuit of garnering their first SLC win in more than two years.
In the tight contest, the Demons overcame a 6-0 deficit and a 14-14 deadlock to come out ahead on a 43-yard haul by senior wide receiver Jake Leonard with 2:42 left in regulation to defeat the Falcons, 21-14.
The verdict was redemption, according to Demons coach Steve Tenhagen, whose team stands at 2-3 (1-2 SLC).
“We are just fortunate to come out and win,” Tenhagen said. “We had a number of turnovers that we have to clean up a bit.”
Of the Demons’ three turnovers, two were on kickoff and punt returns.
In the scoreless first quarter, the Demons pounded the middle of Central’s defense with senior running back Jack Miller, who finished with 61 yards on 20 carries.
Westosha Central posted the first points, courtesy of senior quarterback Josiah McDermit.
McDermit, who completed four of 15 passes for 123 yards, found senior receiver Austin Kurylo on a 72-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 6-0 edge with 6:43 left in the second quarter.
After the Falcons recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, they were forced to punt, giving the Demons the ball at their own 48-yard line.
From there, junior quarterback Nick Klug answered McDermit’s touchdown, connecting with junior speedster Grant Tully on a 52-yard strike to pull the Demons ahead 7-6 entering halftime.
Klug, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 179 and touchdowns, contributed on the ground entering the second half, scrambling in for a 5-yard score to widen the margin to 14-6.
McDermit, however, opted to make adjustments of his own in the fourth quarter, when he took the game into his own hands.
In the opening drive, McDermit rolled out to the right and made an 11-yard dash toward the end zone, where he dove in for a touchdown followed by a successful 2-point conversion on a sneak.
McDermit finished with a team-leading 57 yards rushing on 16 attempts.
Carrying the load did not surprise Falcons coach Tyson Mengel, noting McDermit continually receives encouragement to take control of the offense.
“Joe knows that this is his offense, and throughout conversations with him, we’ve told him multiple times that it is time for him to put the team on his shoulders and carry them.” Mengel said.
McDermit, who came down with a rolled ankle, the third Falcons’ injury of the game, did not leave the field.
But Klug had the last word Friday, when he completed a pass to Leonard for the game-winning touchdown.
For the Falcons, they are still seeking their first SLC win since 2014, but Mengel reported his team continues to fight.
“We just haven’t figured out how to put it all together, unfortunately, and the fact that we are still fighting – that was the most exciting football game I have ever been a part of,” Mengel said.
Tenhagen stated the Falcons have demonstrated improvement since last year, when the Demons won 49-10.
“As far as Central as a team tonight, they really came out ready to play,” Tenhagen said. “They took advantage of some turnovers we had.”
Despite the loss, the team is still drawing support from the student section, noting the students continued to cheer for them following the game.
“Our guys are doing everything they are supposed to be doing, and I am very proud of them,” said Mengel.
Westosha Central dropped to 1-4 (0-3 SLC) after the loss.