(In the photo above – UWW linebacker Greg Arnold gets a little help from his teammates on a first half tackle of La Crosse running back Ben Hertrampt. Arnold led the Hawks with 10 tackles – photo courtesy of Josh Smith, Daily Jefferson County Union)
The UW-Whitewater defense geared up for its playoff run with an outstanding performance in Saturday’s 17-3 regular season finale victory over UW-La Crosse at Perkins Stadium.
Brian Borland’s defense held the Eagles to 182 yards offensively, including just 69 yards on the ground. UWL tailback Ben Hertrampf was limited to 39 yards on 17 carries.
Back after several weeks on the sideline with an injury, UWW middle linebacker Greg Arnold made his presence felt by leading the Hawks with a 10 tackle afternoon.
“It was good just to be able to practice this week,” Arnold indicated after the game. “It was awesome to be able to be back at it again.”
Following a below-par defensive performance at Eau Claire, Arnold said his unit was “amped up” to enter the playoffs on a role.
“We wanted to set a statement for the league and the rest of the country what our (Warhawk) defense it all about,” Arnold said. “To be able to go into the playoffs off a good performance is encouraging.”
While La Crosse gave Whitewater everything it could handle, Eagle’s head coach Joel Detwiller talked after the game about the learning curve for a young team vs. an experienced team like the Warhawks.
"That's what we talked about heading into the game," Dettwiler told La Crosse Tribune writer Joel Badzinski following Saturday’s game.. "We're going to have opportunities and it's pass or fail. We battled ... but when it came down to it, on the average they're better at their positions. They're more savvy, they've played more games. They're at a point in their program where they expect to make those plays and we try to make those plays."
Saturday’s Wahawk win was the eighth straight over the archrival Eagles.
Next up for the two-time defending Division III national champions will be the playoffs that begin next Saturday. The NCAA Division III playoff field will be announced Sunday (today). Whitewater, as the WIAC champion, has an automatic bid. The selection show is online only, at 5 p.m. on ncaa.com.
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