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Brazill gains 167, Cards rap IndiansBy BILL CARY(Reporter Sporls Editor)■ Since Fond du Lac High School football teams started a drive in 1967 which brought the Cardinals to a position of pre-eminence in stale high school football, Fond du Lac has been blessed with a succession of skilled, hard-numing, talented tailbacks.First there was the immortal Jim Bond in 1967 and 1968, who gained 1,432 yards as a senior. Then came Jerry Kosterman and Mickey McEssy in 1969, and McEssy again and John Galles, then a sophomore, in 1970, After Galles was injured in the first game of the 1972 season, Mark Mohr took his place. Then, in 1973 and 1974, Phil Johnson,the leading rusher in Fond dulac history, held forth.Last season, John Haniseh succeeded Johnson.To this list you can add Tom (Bobo) Brazill. a slashing, hard-running, 6-foot-l, 195-pound senior who showed Friday night that he is ready to accept the responsibilities handed to Fond du Lac tailbacks.With an opening game crowd of some 3,500 fans looking on at Fruth Field, here is what Brazill did:1. Gain 167 yards in 18 carries, a average’gain of 9.3 yards per carry.2. Score two touchdowns, Including a masterful run of 65 yards.3. Catch two passes for 15 vards each, receptions which helped set up Fond du Lac’s first touchdown.4. Return a punt 19 yards.5. Make seven tackles from his outside linebacker position on defense.Brazill’s heroics were the high point of a game which saw the Cardinals dominate Oshkosh West and hand the Indians a 20-0 beating in the season opener for both teams.Fond du Lac coach George Trtan, starting his second season as head man of the Cardinals, was a very happy man. And, he admitted the obvious wisdom of a decision which led the Fond du Lac coaching staff to switch Brazill from swingback to tailback this week.“Yes, definitely, Pm glad we did that,” the hulking Trtan said smilingly as he walked off Fruth Field. “Brazill, what can you say about him?” He added, a tone of wondermentTOM BRAZILLTODD CRUCIANISTEVE STUMBRASSHAWN STUMBRASinhis voice. He’s a big,strong, gutty kid who is looked up to by the other kids.”'Trtan also praised the work of two juniors, fullback Steve Miller and swingback Wayne Heisler, plus his offensive line, particularlv senior tackles Steve Wilhelms and Jay Pierce.“Heisler did a heck of a job blocking for Brazill, and so did Miller,” Trtan explained. “Those backs-blocking for Brazill was the thing that had us worried. The line looked good, and those tackles (Wilhelms and Pierce) did a super job. Our offense was definitely much improved (over the Neenah scrimmage) but T think we can do better.”Brazil! made a good shareof his yardage, including the 65-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, on quick pitches off the right side of his line.“We felt Oshkosh West would jam us inside, so we blocked down. That’s what made It go. We felt we could get outside,” Trtan said.Fond du Lac’s offense, led by Brazil!, picked up 195 yards on the ground, and with senior quarterback Todd Crucian! letter perfect with five completions in eight attempts, Fond du Lac added 88 yards passing. Cruciani’s 41-yard, across-field throw to Rick Zielinski in the third quarter was a thing of beauty.“Crucian! did a super job throwing the bali,” Trtan enthused. And his quarterback added, “I had to show peoplethat I could throw the ball.While Fond du Lac gained 283 yards, the defense, led by the Unebacking Stumbras brothers, Steve and Shawn, limited Oshkosh West to 134 yards, and just 60 in the first half.Steve Stumbras, a 5-11, 205-pound junior, led Fond du Lac with 19 tackles — one solo and 18 gang tackles. BrotherShawn, a 5-10, 165-pound senior, was next with 13 tackles from the inside IineT backer position he and his brother patrol In the Cards’ 44-3 defense.Rick Zabel, an ail-Valley end last season, was third with 12 tackles. Pierce had 11, Bob Evans 10 and Pat Webb, Crucian!, Zielinski and Wilhelms 8.RtoddnLocReporter“Our kids did a good job on defense,” Trtan allowed. “The Stumbras boys did well, as did the men on the outside (Brazill, Steve Miller and Rick Pflum) and the front four. But we can be better than we were tonight. We cart do better,” he added, giving emphasis to his point.Fond du' Lac scored the second time it had the ball. The drive covered 59 yards in seven plays and featured two 15-yard completions from Cruciaui to Brazil!, a 26-yard gallop by Brazill to the Oshkosh West three and histhree-yard scoring run fromthere off right tackle on thenext play.Evans kicked the first of two conversions, and Fond du Lacled, 7-0, with 2:32 remaining in the first quarter.Late in the first half, Cruciani blasted four yards up the middle on a sneak to give Fond du Lac a 14-0 lead with 3:33 remaining in the first half. Counting a 15-yard holding penalty on the first play, the drive actually covered 53 yards and required seven plays.Miller, a 5*11, 180-pound fullback-who carried six times for 25 yards, sparked this advance with a 16-yard burst up the middle and a 17-yard reception of a Cruciani pass on which a block by Brazill sprung him for additional yardage. Brazill also ripped off a 15-yard run off right tackle which carried to the four-yard line and set up the score by Cruciani.Brazill, who carried only six times for 20 yards last season, then put the finishing touches on a night he won’t soon forget when he weaved his way 65 yards for his second touchdown with 5:31 left in the third quarter.Brazill took a pitchout from Cruciani, cut back at the line of scrimmage and was off down the east sideline in front of the Oshkosh West bench. He slipped out of a final tackle attempt by Craig Fredrich at the 15 and was home free. x Oshkosh West never threatened. The Indians marched to the Fond du Ale34 late in the third quarter,but two passes failed. Thatman Brazill quashed this mildthreat when he blitzed EdNichols, the Oshkosh Westquarterback, and made him throw in desperation on a fourth-down play.The only Indian back who bothered Fond dd Lac was Kapp Scbwebke, a tough 5-8, 160-pound senior tailback who gained 96 yards in 17 attempts.With this impressive opening-game victory now history, Fond du Lac will-start Fox River Valley Conference play next Friday, when the Car* dinals host Sheboygan North.The North coaches were on hand Friday night, and you can rest assured that Brazill and Co. gave them plenty of evidence that these Cardinals are not to betaken lightly.Oshkosh Pond du Lee westFirst downs ...... 9 6Rushing ........ 5 5Passing ....... 4 OPenalty ........ 0 1Total yards gained 233 134Rushing ......1*5 124Passing ....... fift Passes* attempted .,8 5Passes completed .... 5 1Passes had intercepted 0 1Fumbles ...... 1 1Fumbtes lost ...... 0 0Punts/average ... .5/43.4 d/31.3Pena I ties/distance 6/60 4/20Total offensive plays 44 ^Score By Quarters Oshkosh West .... 0 0 0 •— •Fond du Lac ........ 7 7 4 0-28SCORING Fond du Lac: Brazil 2 (3- and yard runs), Cruciani {4-yard run}? extra points—£vans 2 (placement). RUSHINGFond du Lac Brazill 7B/167, Cruciani 5/-11, Kfna 1/-7, Schulze 1/3, Miller 4/25, Rose fl/T, Ritchie 3/12, Heisler 3H.Oshkosh West Sdrwefcke 17/94, Nichols VAr Meyer I/O, Brewer 4/16, Brady 7/Z3, Fred-rich 4/*.PASSING *•Art, Comp. Int. Yds. TDCruciani ...... 6 5 0 « 0Nichols .... 5 1 1 i •RECEIVINGFond du LacBrazil! 2/30, Zielinski 1/41, Miller VI7, Heisler 1/0.OthfcMh WaifBrewer 1/SWarrior back gains 198 yards/ scores 3 timesTenpas ignites Waupun;Kewaskum stays unbeatenCardinals ready to strikeFond du Lac quarterback Todd Cruciani, right, calls slg- yards in 18 carries and scored twice on runs of 3 and 65Is as the Cardinals set read? to ran another nlzv aamst vards. is in the background. Food du Lac whipped the Tn-naJs as the Cardinals get ready to run another play Oshkosh West here Friday night at Fruth Field. Steve S hr*S Is the center. Tailback Tom Brazill, who gai *167dians, 20-0, before 3,500 fans in the season opener for both teams. (Photo by, Richard Zielinski)Brian Tenpas, a Moot-6, 165-pound lightning bug, streaked for three touchdowns and 198yards rushing to lead Waupunto its second straight nonconference win a 26-18 decision over Mukwonago Friday night.With Waupun (484 yards) and Mukwonago N (521 yards) combining for 1,005 yards, Tenpas was the star of the offensive show at Mukwonago. The senior scatback reeied off., scoring runs of 22, 90 and 14 yards and carried 16 times for 198 yards.“He can turn it-on In about 10 different gears. He’s just so quick out there,” Warrior coach Greg Wright said today of Tenpas.Bruce Vanderbush hit Randy Amiga, with a 5 0-yard touchdown pass on thehalfback GDtion. while BrianWaddell for a touchdown with two seconds left as Columbus handed Mayville a heartBreaking 16-10 defeat a tMayviile. The winningtouchdown was set up when a Mayvilie punt was blocked.Bruce Muehe accounted for all of Mayvilie’s. scoring with a three-yard run; — he added the extra point conversion on a kick — and 25-yard field goal. Mike Feucftt led the Cardinals with 87 yards in 22 carries.Kewaskum used the running of Ron. Reindl and Wayne Eodlich to record its tnird straight nonconference victory, a 20-8 decision over University School of Milwaukee.Reindl had scoring runs of three and one yard, while Endlich scored on a four-yardname fmm At T-nnrmt*Laper clicked twice for touchdowns to lead Markesan past Princeton, 12-6 in a mild upset.Prochnow, who completed 14out of 24 passes for 140 yards, hit Laper with touchdown passes of 26 and 10 yards. Mark Murphy scored for Princeton on a two-yard run.Luxemburg -Casco out-muscled New Holstein, 17-0, in a Packerland Conference game. The winners held New Holstein to a minus nine yards rushing and the Huskies managed only 14 plays in the first half.I n contrast, Luxemburg-Casco showed a fine stable of backs, with four rushing for 40 yards or more. Quarterback Mike Fica, who had a 34-yard touchdown run, led the way with 53 yards in eight carries.added a 20-yard field goal and Dennis Mader ran five yards for a.touchdown for Chilton. The Tigers are 2-9 in the Packerland.First downs Rushing Passing Penalty Total yarcta flushing PossFng Passes1 m - » ■ v If «... 21 1*5 . 0Mt 348 ...136•---- r - • ■ r * * • # - w « - ,7*9Passes had intercepted \Fumbles test ......... iScot* By Quarters W»pun .............. f|4 § iMMukwanakO ......... 4 4 1 6-1-1;Waupun Mukwanago 13 ♦40521 78233?5-131 3First tfewn*RushingPassing .......Penalty ............Total yard* ........Rushtng ........Passing ........Passes ..........Passes had interceptedFumble* te*t .........Penalties .. .....KewaskumUniversitySchool* 116. TO4. •a020030-.786-TO7440-2-43*02O1/51/50 (University School ...... o+ IaA- TTn7^n:. 1cftnim
Newspaper Details
Fond Du Lac Reporter
Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, US
Sat, Sep 11, 1976
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 31 Mar 2022
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