DeForest football beats Sun Prairie West 27–8

DeForest earned its second straight Badger-Large football victory with a 27–8 Senior Night win over Sun Prairie West on Oct. 9.

DeForest lost a trio of consecutive Badger - Large conference games through September. Their fate flipped in the opener of October with a 33-22 home win over Watertown.

Home field in October proved advantageous a week later against Sun Prairie West. DeForest celebrated Senior Night on Friday, Oct. 9 and controlled the game throughout. The Wolves scored late, but DeForest still enjoyed a 27-8 triumph.

DeForest and Sun Prairie West clashed at DMB Community Bank Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9.

It could be argued this was DeForest's most complete team performance of the season. The 27-point scoring outburst was DeForest's second-highest this year, trailing only the previous week's 33-point explosion against Watertown.

Game highlights

This was also the third game this year the DeForest defense has held its opponent to just one touchdown.

DeForest was first to strike late in the first quarter. After forcing a punt, they settled into a long drive orchestrated by senior quarterback Tru Killerlain. The dual-threat weapon used both his legs and arm to march up the field, including a key fourth down conversion which moved his squad to the West 12 yard line.

Killerlain was rewarded for his hard work with the touchdown to cap the drive. He kept it himself on a shotgun snap and sprinted three yards untouched to the left. DeForest punched in the extra point kick, too, to go ahead 7-0.

DeForest senior quarterback Tru Killerlain rushed in two touchdowns in a home win over Sun Prairie West on Friday, Oct. 9.

Senior defensive end Brayden Courtier kept the momentum in favor of DeForest on West's ensuing possession. He seemed to be wrapping up a simple tackle on a quarterback keeper but ripped the ball free before they fell to the ground. The officals pointed North, signifying the turnover at the Wolves' 44.

As the first quarter bled into the second, neither team could find much offensive juice. DeForest punted away following the Courtier fumble. West followed with a drive into Norski territory, only for senior defensive lineman Brody Schmidt to end the possession with a vital sack on fourth down.

West senior Lou Swingen followed with a record-breaking five minutes before the break. DeForest got loose with its passing game as it attempted to score before halftime. This led Swingen to snag three interceptions on three consecutive possessions.

This, quite obviously, broke the Sun Prairie West school record for interceptions in a game.

Alas, the Wolves could not take advantage of these turnovers. West punted twice and ran out of clock on the third possession despite passing up to the DeForest 20. DeForest headed to the locker room still leading 7-0.

Sun Prairie West senior defensive back Lou Swingen set a new school record for single game interceptions with three in a road game at DeForest on Friday, Oct. 9.

The DeForest coaching staff drew up an immaculate play script out of the break. The Norski offense worked quickly to start the third quarter. They again rode Killerlain's arm and legs up the field, again punctuated by a nine-yard scoring scamper.

West saved a bit of face on special teams, though, as sophomore Reid Rustler blocked the extra point. Still, DeForest now led 13-0.

DeForest kept pounding, too, as an interception from senior Gabe Wahl gave them the ball back at their own 44. One play later, Killerlain scrambled all the way to the West two yard line.

Unfortunately, the price of this big play was losing Killerlain. He appeared to injure his non-throwing shoulder when West forced him out of bounds. He did not return to the game.

Additional details

Even so, DeForest was still able to take advantage of the good field position he earned. Senior backup quarterback Colin Flaherty hit senior tight end Owen Taylor on a pass to the flats, producing a touchdown.

Taylor was flagged for spiking the ball in celebration, though, which pushed the extra point kick attempt back 10 yards. DeForest's kick came up short, which left the game at 19-0.

The DeForest defense forced an immediate punt and went back to work on offense. This time, senior running back Dalton Lee was the focal point. He worked hard between the tackles, including a key conversion run on fourth and short and the eventual seven-yard touchdown run.

Fellow senior Cooper Brown ran in the ensuing two-point conversion attempt to put DeForest ahead, 27-0.

The DeForest defense swarms to a tackle in a home win over Sun Prairie West on Friday, Oct. 9.

Now on to the fourth quarter, the DeForest faithful could rest easy as DeForest forced a turnover on downs on West's next offensive series. The Wolves didn't take too kindly to the DeForest dominance as they were whistled for four unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the fourth quarter alone.

Sun Prairie West did score with about two minutes to go, which was a notable achievement. Junior quarterback Greysen Rowe flipped the field with a pass to Swingen, who sprinted to the DeForest 10. Sophomore running back Terrence Jackson took the very next snap in to the end zone.

This score snapped a three-week scoreless streak for Sun Prairie West. The Wolves also converted on the two-point conversion, a beautiful catch by junior KJ Fitzgerald, to narrow the DeForest lead to 27-8. That deficit would get no closer.

The victory bumps DeForest up to 3-5 this year, including an even 3-3 mark in Badger - Large conference play. Sun Prairie West drops to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in conference.

Friday, Oct. 16 marks the final week of the 2026 regular season. DeForest will hit the road to face Monona Grove while Sun Prairie West will travel to Oregon.