Voice's thoughts on Hawks playoff run

(Editor's Note: The Warhawks take on Mary Hardin-Baylor this afternoon. The winner will advance to next week's Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The following is some of my thoughts on the 2013 UW-Whitewater football team and what makes them special)

The farther UW-Whitewater got into its eight consecutive Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl appearances vs. Mount Union, the more you felt Warhawk fans carried a sense of entitlement heading into NCAA III semifinal Saturday.

Following last year’s 7 and 3 season that halted the team’s eight straight years of making the postseason journey on the “Road to Salem” Warhawk head coach Lance Leipold reflected on the disappointment.

”Every year our fans are making hotel reservations out in Salem as the playoffs get underway,” Leipold said. “I don’t think they (fans) understand just how difficult the playoff trail is.”
Whitewater had a entire year to dwell on not playing football in late November and December for the first time in years. Led by 2013 team captains Tyler Huber, Cole Klotz and Matt Berhendt, the focus, starting day-one of training camp, has centered on getting better each practice – each game. While the ultimate goal remains the same, respecting the process has been paramount.

In retrospect, missing the playoffs proved to be a “wake up call” for the program.
Some fans, and even media members, questioned if the Warhawks days as a national championship contender were over. The players and coaches simply talked about staying true to the process and with hard work the team’s goals are attainable.

Whitewater will carry a 35-game, pre-Stagg Bowl playoff win streak into today’s NCAA III semifinal vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The three journalists that make weekly prognostications on the D3football.com Triple Take all picked against the Warhawks vs. Linfield last week and were unanimous again this week in picking Mary Hardin-Baylor over the Hawks in what all say will likely be a must-see matchup.

Nothing against the D3football.com crew, there predictions may well prove true later today.
I certainly do not proclaim myself to be an expert, but I do know that I have spent many hours this year watching the Warhawks practice. What I see is a skilled team and coaching staff that all possess one common attribute: THE HEART OF A CHAMPION. That’s really all that matters to me.

Warhawks are 7-0 in NCAA III semifinal appearances

Friday, December 13, 2013                                                           
By Jeff Seisser, Union sports editor Daily Jefferson County Union    
                              

On Saturday when the No. 5 ranked UW-Whitewater football team faces No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, it will mark the third NCAA Division III semifinal between the perennial powerhouse programs since 2006. The Warhawks (13-0) won both previous meetings, and are 7-0 all time in semifinal games.

The following is a recap of those games played from 2005-2011, four of which led to national championships for UW-Whitewater.

 

Dec. 10, 2005

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 58,

Wesley College (Del.) 6

In their first-ever NCAA semifinal game the Warhawks didn’t let temperatures in the teens and a 10-20 mph wind, nor Wesley College stand in their way to a trip to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
A safety just 11 seconds into the game set the early tone, and the duo of Derek Stanley and Justin Beaver had their way with the Wolverines, running ramped on the ice-covered Perkins Stadium field.
Stanley caught just three passes — all going for touchdowns — as the future St. Louis Ram finished with 135 yards. Beaver added two scores and 185 yards on the ground as UW-W racked up 537 yards of offense.

 

Dec. 9, 2006

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 44,

Wesley College (Del.) 7

Deja vu.
For the second year in a row UW-Whitewater dominated Wesley College on both sides of the football, punching their ticket to a second straight Stagg Bowl appearance.
Once again Derek Stanley and quarterback Justin Jacobs had their way with Wesley, hooking up for touchdowns of 20, 14 and 29 yards, Stanley’s only three catches on the day.
Special teams also played a role in the victory as freshman kicker Jeff Schebler kicked a 49-yard field goal, helping the Warhawks take a 38-0 halftime lead.
The UW-W defense held Wesley to 161 yards of offense.

 

Dec. 8, 2007

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 16,

Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) 7

In a defensive battle Whitewater held off Mary Hardin-Baylor in their first semifinal meeting.
With temperatures in the low teens, the Texas-based team didn’t flinch, holding the Warhawk to just 13 first-half points, but trailed 13-7.
Senior quarterback Danny Jones, a transfer from Cal Lutheran, threw for one touchdown and rushed for another to lead Whitewater to its third consecutive Stagg Bowl. His 62-yard run set up Jeff Schebler’s 39-yard field goal with 3:03 left, accounting for the only points of the second half.
Jones finished with 164 yards passing and 87 yards rushing, both team-highs.
Whitewater earned its first national title a week later defeating Mount Union, 31-21.

 

Dec. 13, 2008

At Tiger Field,

Belton, Texas

UW-Whitewater 39

Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) 13

With winds in the 20-30 mph range, the Warhawks blew by UMHB for a second year in a row to again earn a trip to Salem, Va.
Leading just 12-10 at the half, but scored 24 unanswered points to turn a close game into a route.
Jeff Donovan threw two second-half touchdown passes, one each to tight end Nick Slupski and seldom-used wide receiver Danny Benson, while Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson rushed for TDs.
The game featured one of the strangest plays ever seen in football. As UMHB kicked off to start the second half, a gust of wind blew the ball 6 yards backward. After a discussion by the referees, Whitewater was awarded the ball and on the very next play Donovan hit Benson for a 24-yard score.

 

Dec. 12, 2009

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 27

Linfield College (Ore.) 17

A year after playing their first semifinal on the road the Warhawks returned to Perkins Stadium, and true to form remained unbeaten in home semis following a 27-17 victory.
Two big Level Coppage runs, of 55 and 40 yards, helped pave the Warhawks’ way to 466 yards of total offense.
Coppage’s second TD was the game-clincher. After clinging to a 20-17 advantage, the All-American tailback broke loose for 40 yards with 1:05 left to give UW-W some breathing room.
Jeff Donovan completed 17-of-26 passes for 276 yards, while Jeff Schebler kicked field goals of 34 and 26 yards.
Whitewater would go on to defeat Mount Union, 38-28, to win its second national championship.

 

Dec. 11, 2010

At Scott D. Miller Stadium

Dover, Del.

UW-Whitewater 27

Wesley College (Del.) 7

In their third semifinal meeting in six years, Whitewater again kept Wesley College from reaching its first Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
The No. 1 ranked Warhawks were clinging to a 10-7 halftime advantage, but Levell Coppage scored two touchdowns in a 24-second span late in the third quarter to give UW-W some breathing room.
All-American linebacker Greg Arnold’s 63-yard interception return set up Coppage’s second TD. The Warhawks intercepted Wesley five times, including two by Jared Kiesow.
Whitewater repeated as national champion beating Mount Union, 31-21.

Dec. 10, 2011

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 20

St. Thomas (Minn.) 0

The Warhawks flexed their defensive muscles by shutting out St. Thomas University at Perkins Stadium.
Whitewater held the Tommies to only 64 yards through the air, and just 214 yards of total offense.
Bernie Tamsett’s 3-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter was all the scoring the Warhawks would need, while future NFL quarterback Matt Blanchard added a 5-yard TD run.
Eric Kindler kicked field goals of 32 and 30 yards.
The Warhawks went on to win their third consecutive national championship.

Travel planning tips for Warhawk fans planning to travel to Texas this week

If you are planning on flying down to Saturday's UWW at UMHB NCAA III national semifinal game the following information may help your travel and lodging planning.

Most people fly into Austin, which is about an hour due south of Belton. Lots of hotel, eating and entertainment choices in the capital city.

There will be many more flight options such as flying into DFW. The weather will be conducive to making the trip from the Dallas area, though traffic can get hairy on I-35. The trip from Austin via car is much easier. Probably not too many choices flying into Killeen, but I have found some decent fares in the past. Killeen has a nice, relatively new, terminal.

Not a lot of hotel choices in Belton. Killeen has quite a few and Temple has added some in the past few years. Killeen is about a 20/30 minute drive to the stadium, Temple 10/15. Salado is just 10 minutes south of Belton and has a couple of newer hotels - a Best Western and a Holiday Inn Express. Salado is well known for its arts and antique stores.

Much more info will be blogged as it becomes available.

Warhawk football team will play Saturday's NCAA III semifinal in Belton, Texas

(In the adjacent photo is a look at the brand new $20-million Crusader Stadium, nicknamed the CRUthedral – photo courtesy of Mary Hardin-Baylor Athletics)

The UW-Whitewater football team will be on the road this week for NCAA III semifinal playoff action vs. No. 3 ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor of Belton, Texas.

Belton is located 42 miles southwest of Waco, 60 miles north of Austin and 137 miles south of Dallas.
If you planning on flying, the closest major airport is in Austin, home of the University of Texas. Fares are generally cheaper by flying into Dallas.

Mary Hardin-Baylor received home field advantage of being the 2nd overall seed in this year’s NCAA III playoff bracket. UW—Whitewater is the 3rd overall seed.

This will mark the third time the two schools have met in the playoffs. The Hawks defeated UMHB in the 2008 semifinal round 41-14 on an extremely windy day in Belton.

In 2007, on the road to the national title, Whitewater knocked off the Crusaders 16-7 at Perkins Stadium in a game that was played in sub-zero wind chill.

Whitewater also played UMHB in the 2007 regular season with the 4th ranked Warhawks beating the No. 2 ranked Crusaders’ 41-14 at Perkins Stadium.

The itinerary for this week’s Warhawk business trip to the Lone Star State won’t be released until Monday.

I’ll have much more information on a daily basis all week here on the Warhawkfootball.com Newswire.

LINFIELD at UW-WHITEWATER FAN GUIDE

 

LINFIELD at UW-WHITEWATER PLAYOFF FAN GUIDE 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  KOOL106,5 Radio  CLICK HERE
Linfield Radio  CLICK HERE                                                                                                                                               Live Statistics  CLICK HERE                                                                                                                                         WKOW TV-27 Game Preview  CLICK HERE
Daily Jefferson County Union Game Preview CLICK HERE
Warhawkfootball.com CLICK HERE                                                                                                                             Advantage Catdome Blog CLICK HERE
UW-Whitewater Postseason Football Media Guide  CLICK HERE                                                                           Pack The Perk Video  CLICK HERE

                                                                                                                             

      

 

                                                                             

 

 

 

Warhawks look to continue NCAA III quarterfinal sucess

In the above photo, the 2005 UW-Whitewater football team races onto the field at  the Linfield College (Ore) Catdome. When they left the field following a stunning 44-41 victory, the Warhawks had elevated its program to be among the national elite (Photo courtesy of Jeff Seisser, Daily Jefferson County Union)

The UW-Whitewater football team exploded onto the "national stage" by stunning the 2004 defending national champion and No. 1 Linfield College Wildcats out in McMinnville, Oregon. The '05 quarterfinal win kicked off seven consecutive years of NCAA III 3rd round victories.

The following story by Jeff Seisser, sports editor of the Daily Jefferson County Union details the Warhawks quarterfinal success.                                  

This Saturday the fifth-ranked UW-Whitewater football team will put its perfect 12-0 record on the line as it hosts No. 4 Linfield College, Ore. in an NCAA Division III playoff quarterfinal. Also on the line is UW-W’s 7-0 record in quarterfinal games.
  The following is a recap of those games played from 2005-2011, four of which led to national championships for the Warhawks.

Dec. 3, 2005

At Maxwell Field,

McMinville, Ore.

UW-Whitewater 44,

Linfield College, (Ore.) 41
 

Justin Beaver’s 1-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds left led the Warhawks to a 44-41 shootout win over the defending national champions in McMinnville, Ore.
The game featured over 1,000 yards of total offense, including over 800 yards passing.
Beaver rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns, while UW-W quarterback Justin Jacobs threw for 302 yards and two TDs.
Linfield quarterback Brett Elliott, the Gagliardi Trophy Award winner, passed for 528 yards and five touchdowns, but threw a costly pick-six to linebacker A.J. Raebel as Whitewater earned its first-ever trip to the semifinals.

Dec. 2, 2006

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 17,

St. John’s, (Minn.) 14

In a defensive battle the Warhawks limited St. John’s to 40 yards rushing and forced three turnovers to earn their second straight semifinal berth.
A pair of 3-yard touchdown runs, one each by Brady Pittz and Justin Beaver, and a 23-yard Jeff Schebler field goal was enough offense as UW-W eliminated the Johnnies in retiring coach Bob Berezowitz’s final season.

Dec. 1, 2007

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 47,

Wabash College, (Ind.) 7

While nearly a foot of snow blanketed Perkins Stadium during the game, the Warhawks plowed their way to 523 yards of offense in a 47-7 victory over visiting Wabash College, Ind.
Six different Whitewater players scored touchdowns, while transfer quarterback Danny Jones threw for three touchdowns and ran for one.
Brady Pittz rushed for 156 yards, while Justin Beaver added 145 as Whitewater moved one game closer to its first national championship under first-year head coach Lance Leipold.

Dec. 6, 2008

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 34,

Wartburg College, (Iowa) 17

Whitewater held just a 20-17 lead going into the fourth quarter, but used 14 points to distance itself from visiting Wartburg College.
Jeff Donovan hit Jordan Wells with a 13-yard pass on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Jace Rindahl returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown to give the Warhawks breathing room.
Antwan Anderson rushed for 151 yards and one TD.

Dec. 5, 2009

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 31,

Wittenberg, (Ohio) 13
 

Jeff Donovan passed for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while Levell Coppage added 123 yards on the ground and one score as the Warhawks topped visiting Wittenberg.
Defensive end Anthony White had 3 ½ tackles for a loss as the Warhawks limited Wittenberg to 21 yards rushing.

Dec. 4, 2010

At Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, Naperville, Ill.

UW-Whitewater 20,

North Central College, (Ill.) 10

A pair of Eric Kindler field goals, along with a Lee Brekke run led the Warhawks to a come-from-behind win in Naperville, Ill.
North Central took a 10-7 lead on Nick Dace’s 32-yard field goal with 6:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Sam Overton’s interception with 1:30 left in the 3rd quarter set up Brekke’s 5-yard go-ahead score with 13:46 left in the game. Kindler booted fields of 27 and 19 yards to finalize the scoring.

Dec. 3, 2011

At Perkins Stadium

UW-Whitewater 34,

Salisbury, Md. 14

Levell Coppage’s record-tying four touchdowns and fourth 200-yard rushing game of the season led the Warhawks over Salisbury, Md.
Coppage carried the ball 31 times for 213 yards, his ninth-career 200-yard game, and scored on runs of 10, 1, 80 and 6 yards.
Future Chicago Bears quarterback Matt Blanchard went 11-for-17 for 134 yards.
The win was UW-Whitewater’s 43rd in a row.

Warhawks needed a fourth quarter rally to beat Linfield 27-17 in the '09 NCAA III semifinal

UW-Whitewater and Linfield College have only met twice on the football field.

In 2005 the Warhawks travelled to McMinnville, Oregon and  knocked off the defending NCAA III national champions and prohibitive favorites to repeat in '05 in a pulsating 44-41 final.

In 2009, Linfield travelled to Whitewater just one game away from getting back to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The Warhawks, who had trailed much of the game, put on a furious 4th quarter rally to punch its ticket to Salem with a 27-17 win over the Wildcats.

The atmosphere was electric during that fourth quarter rally which is evident by watching UWW TV's highlight video. (click on link to view)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIowTDGL-g0