WEST ALLIS, Wis. — The first Friday of football season in West Allis brought the annual Battle of the Dogs, as West Allis Hale and West Allis Central faced off in a rivalry game that showcased both competition and community spirit.
In recent weeks, players from both teams witnessed the impact of historic flooding in their community, choosing to drop their pads and pick up debris to help neighbors in need.
“So going out, helping all the family members, making sure they’re OK, it really meant a lot to me,” said Toby Jessie, a senior linebacker at Central.
Luke Schaning, a senior linebacker at Hale, echoed that sentiment.
“Everyone on the team just wants to help out and make an impact and help everyone throughout the flood,” Schaning said.
But once the whistle blew Friday night, it was all about football.
The first half was dominated by defense, with both teams stacking up tackles for loss. The biggest play of the opening half came when Julian Multhen loaded up a deep ball to Diez Deberry, who tracked it over his shoulder and knocked over the pylon but was ruled out at the 1-yard line.
Hale forced a field goal attempt, but the kick was no good, leaving the score tied 0-0 at halftime.
Watch: Hale beats Central 28-7 in the Battle of the Dogs rivalry game
The third quarter brought a quick turnaround as Jeremiah Morris took it up the middle for the first score of the game. A few drives later, Coleton Cohen fooled everyone on a reverse, handing it off to Brandon Turner, who took it to the sideline and crossed into the end zone for a 14-0 Hale lead.
Both teams added more points before the final whistle, but Hale secured the victory 28-7.
"This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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