Warhawks headed back to sixth Stagg Bowl

(Editor's note: The following story is courtesy of Jeff Seisser, Daily Jefferson County Union)
A repeat national championship is now a possibility for the UW-Whitewater football team, after the Warhawks punched their sixth straight ticket to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl following a 27-7 win over host Wesley College in the NCAA Division III semifinals Saturday at Scott D. Miller Stadium.

For the second week in a row the top-ranked Warhawks (14-0) forced key turnovers and held the No. 3 Wolverines (12-1) to minus-7 yards rushing.

And for the sixth straight year UW-Whitewater will face Mount Union College, Ohio (14-0) in the 38th Stagg Bowl, to be played this Saturday, Dec. 18, in Salem, Va. Mount Union defeated Bethel, Minn., 34-14, in the other NCAA III semifinal.

The Warhawks intercepted Wesley quarterback Justin Sottilare five times, including two inside the Whitewater 30-yard line and four times in all in the second half, with three leading to UW-W scores.

(In the adjacent photo, The Warhawks intercepted five passes, including Jared Kiesow's pick and held No. 3 Wesley College (12-1) to minus-7 yards rushing - Rebecca Pennington photo

Following a close first half that saw UW-W take a 10-7 lead, the Warhawks turned things up defensively.

After former Fort Atkinson High standout Jake Keeser sacked Sottilare, the Wesley quarterback threw his second interception of the afternoon after being hurried by Lou Minett, a former Whitewater High star. Steve McCollom picked off and returned Sottilare's pass to the Wolverines' 44 with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter.

The Warhawks continued to make turnovers their postseason friend. After being pinned deep in its own territor when Whitewater punter Kris Rosholt's kick bounced out at the Wolverines' 10, Sottilare's third-down pass sailed over Ellis Krout's head and into the arms of Matt McCulloch.

McCulloch's team-leading sixth interception of the season gave UW-W great field position, at the Wesley 24-yard line with 7:18 to go in the third quarter.

Whitewater capitalized eight plays later, with Levell Coppage crashing in from 1-yard out. Eric Kindler's PAT pushed Whitewater's lead to 17-7 with 3:25 left.

Another interception led to another Coppage 1-yard scoring run, and a 24-7 Whitewater lead.

Only two plays after Coppage's first score, UW-W linebacker Greg Arnold made a leaping interception and returned it 63 yards to the Wesley 1-yard line.

Kindler added a 28-yard field goal to cap off Whitewater's sixth consecutive semifinal win.

The Whitewater/Mount Union game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CST and will be televised live on ESPNU.