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

Matt Behrendt a major key to UW-Whitewater's 11 & 0 start

(In the adjacent photo – Matt Behrendt cheers on the UWW defense in the Hawks Homecoming win over UW-Platteville – Photo courtesy of UWW Marketing and Media Relations

The UW-Whitewater football team will take an unbeaten record into Saturday’s round-two NCAA Division III playoff game vs. Franklin College (IN) at Perkins Stadium
.
If you are looking for reasons for Whitewater’s renaissance after missing the playoffs last year the first place to look at is the play of quarterback Matt Behrendt.

The junior out of Nazareth Academy in Westchester, Illinois gave Warhawk fans a preview late last year by starting the final three games of a 7 & 3 season. Behrendt played the second half of UWW’s loss to eventual conference champion UW-Oshkosh. The following week the Hawks dropped a 17-14 decision at Stevens Point to take the team out of playoff contention.

Behrendt was the first to admit that he was too inconsistent during his sophomore year.

“I came in and made more mistakes than I should have,” Behrendt indicated back in August at the team’s preseason media day. “My big focus in the off-season was dealing with things like working on my check downs and all that. Correcting my mistakes will help us win more games.”

Hawk head coach Lance Leipold had full confidence in Behrendt’s abilities entering the season.

“I’m excited about what Matt brings to the table,” Leipold told reporters. “Matt is a leader and that was borne out when his teammates elected him one of our team captains during spring practice. “What fans saw last year, Matt possesses a strong arm the ability to make something happen with his legs when things break down.”

Fast forward four months and Coach Leipold was “spot on” with his preseason comments as Behrendt guided the Hawks to a 10 & 0 regular season and the program’s record-tying 33rd conference title.  Included in those 10 wins were back-to-back, late season wins over Top 10 ranked Oshkosh and Platteville.

Some Warhawk fans have used social media to question if Behrendt makes enough “big plays.” Lets take a look.

Matt’s stat line entering Saturday’s playoff game vs. Franklin College reads: 215 of 336 for 2,355 yards – just one interception and 29 touchdowns.

To put Behrendt’s season statistics in clearer context, all you need to do is take a gander at the Warhawk football record book.

His 215 completions ranks 5th all-time.

His 64% completion percentage ranks 5th all-time.

Matt’s 29 touchdowns is 3rd all-time behind only Justin Jacobs in 2005 and 2006
.
Behrendt’s 1 interception is tied with Matt Blanchard for first place in the UWW single season record book.

What is even more remarkable is Behrendt’s numbers are through 11 games. Most of the other player’s stats were garnered in Stagg Bowl ending 15 game seasons.

Can Behrendt improve? Of course, but he is still the quarterback of one of the 16 teams still in the hunt for a berth in the 2013 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. He is putting together one heck of a season!

December weather at Perkins Stadium can be rather finicky

(In the adjacent photo – a look at the field covered with hot air blown under the tarp in an effort to keep the turf from freezing – Tom Pattison photo)

I’ll be the first to admit that the weather conditions at Perkins Stadium Saturday weren’t as severe as they were at the iconic “Ice Bowl” NFL Championship Game between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers on the “frozen tundra of Lambeau Field,” but it was definitely really cold.

Saturday’s NCAA Division III playoff game at Perkins Stadium had game-time weather conditions of 19 degrees with winds out of the northwest at 22 mph with a wind chill recorded at -11 degrees. By the start of the second half the temperature had fallen to 18 degrees and a wind chill of -15.

Unofficially, it was the coldest game (wind chill wise) in Perkins Stadium history.

Prior to Saturday's game, the coldest game is believed to be the legendary “shoes game,” - the NCAA semifinal game between Wesley (DE) and the Warhawks at Perkins Stadium on December 10, 2005.
The game was played just two days after 8 inches of snow fell on Thursday night followed by frigid temperatures froze the then grass turf at the Perk.

The game time temperature on December 10, 2005 was 22 degrees with winds gusting to 25 mph.
Despite the intense, three day effort by dozens of workers to keep the field surface unfrozen, the Perk could have been called “the big ice cube” for Wesley and Whitewater with the winner to advance to the 2006 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

The Warhawk players back in '05 relished the idea of playing in the challenging elements. Wesley was, shall we say, less than thrilled.

UWW wore cleatless shoes on the frozen turf, Wesley did not and still talk about UWW having an unfair advantage.

The Warhawks took the lead by way of a Wesley safety on the first play of the game and the rout was on. Whitewater rolled to a 58-6 win to advance to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl for the first of seven consecutive seasons.

Despite weather elements that included sub-zero wind chill temperatures and snow, a still UWW playoff record crowd of 5,480 were at Perkins Stadium that afternoon in what is believed to be the coldest day in Perkins Stadium history.

Note to NCAA: Free Mike “Cannon Man” Lesko and his tradition-laden cannon

One of the travesties of UW-Whitewater playoff football is the NCAA’s ban on Mike “Cannon Man” Lesko’s tradition-laden cannon at the Perkins Stadium. Take a note NCAA – SHAME ON YOU!!!!

Over the past three year’s of watching NCAA playoff football on network TV I have personally witnessed four occasions where the host school shot off a cannon following a home team touchdown.

The NCAA, which blankets itself in college football’s close relationship with traditions, prohibits the use of “noisemakers” at its sanctioned events. Just wondering out loud here… if ESPN or ABC TV officials wanted those school’s that have that traditional cannon fire (ie: Army/Navy game) or West Virginia mascot gun fire (ie: West Virginia home football games) as part of its televised game package, would the NCAA say no?

In this day and age, my guess is the NCAA would say yes to Mike Lesko’s highly popular and highly traditional cannon adjacent to the south end zone IF AND ONLY IF it would hold the exclusive merchandising rights to the “tradition.”

This memo to the NCAA – how about allowing the Cannon Man to set up his cannon in its normal location during the Warhawks’ upcoming playoff games in Perkins Stadium? Instead of having the cannon go off, the Hawk fans will simply yell BOOM but not loud enough to be classified as a “noisemaker.” We promise, you can have the merchandising rights!  

Warhawks look to FINISH an unbeaten regular season

A large sign that hangs over the UW-Whitewater football practice fields reminds players and coaches to FINISH. That will be the goal for the Warhawks when the host UW-River Falls Saturday afternoon at Perkins Stadium.

15 seniors will be playing their final regular season game at Perkins Stadium with a chance to finish a season 10-0 for only a seventh time in school history and sixth in the last seven years.

It’s a class group of guys and they all have a story,” UW-Whitewater head coach Lance Leipold told Gary Douglas on 940 WFAW Friday morning. “They have set a great example for our younger players of setting the tone on a weekly basis,. It’s great for these seniors and our whole football team,” Leipold said last following last week’s 17-7 win at UW-Stevens Point to clinch at least a share of a conference championship.  “Where we’re at in some areas — in our youth and inexperience — for us to come together and put ourselves in this position is truly a credit to our players and assistant coaches. They’ve done an outstanding job.

The seniors have been practicing all week in their old high school jerseys as part of a long-standing tradition. They will be walked out onto the field with their parents in a special pregame ceremony prior to Saturday’s regular season finale.

”A win Saturday will result in an outright conference title and likely No. 1 seed when NCAA D3 playoff pairings are announced at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Kickoff on Saturday is set for 2:05 p.m. at the Perk with St. Johns (MN) and Whitewater in a virtual deadlock for the lead in NCAA Division 3 attendance. heading into Saturday’s regular season finales. SJU is averaging 7,620 per game at Clemens Stadium. UW-Whitewater is averaging 7,559 to the Perk. Whitewater has finished in the top three in regular season attendance for the past five years including No. 1 in 2011.

UW-Whitewater remains No. 1 in the West Regional football rankings

 

The second 2013 NCAA regional rankings was released Wednesday afternoon. UW-Whitewater remains No. 1 in the West.

The Warhawks clinched a berth in this year’s Playoff field on the basis of last Saturday’s win at UW-Stevens Point.

A win over UW-River Falls on Saturday at Perkins Stadium will likely result in the Warhawks securing one of the four No. 1 seeds.

The 2013 Division III playoff field will be announced on Sunday.

To view today’s NCAA regional rankings CLICK HERE

 

Platteville at Whitewater WIAC showdown set for Saturday

Saturday’s first place showdown at Perkins Stadium pits UW-Platteville’s high-powered offense against UW-Whitewater’s punishing defense. The game shapes up to be a classic, at least on paper.

The Pioneers average 46.3 points and 529.6 yards of total offense per game. The Warhawks have only allowed seven touchdowns this season and hold their opponents to 217.3 of total offense per game.

Whitewater opened the season needing a fourth quarter rally to defeat Washington University 17-7. The Warhawks then rolled off five consecutive, lopsided wins. Last week the unbeaten Hawks knocked off fellow unbeaten UW-Oshkosh 17-14 in a defensive gem at Titan Stadium.
Platteville has run roughshod over its opponents this season with the exception of one game. Two weeks ago the Pioneers needed a touchdown in the final minute to squeeze pull out a 24-23 win at UW-Stevens Point.

The Pointers held the Pioneers high-octane offense in check for the most part. UW-Platteville entered the game averaging over 48 points and over 550 yards per game but UW-Stevens Point held them to 378 yards, while gaining 338 yards themselves.

Entering the game, UW-Platteville had not allowed a sack all season but the Pointers got to Pioneer quarterback John Kelly three times. They also picked off two of Kelly’s passes.

"For us to win on Saturday we are going to have to control the football and limit their (Platteville) possessions,” Leipold indicated on the KOOL 106.5 “Warhawk Weekly” radio show. “I would imagine that their will be quite a few more points put on the board on Saturday. They (Platteville) are not a team you are going to shut down, but we must be able to slow them down. It is going to be a big test.”

It is Homecoming and Hall of Fame Day at Perkins Stadium. It will also be the 21st renewal of the George Chryst Memorial Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Looking for Warhawk fans to be loud at the Perk on Saturday

UW-Whitewater football fans are some of the best in the country. Perhaps that is the reason Warhawk fans and Perkins Stadium was one of ten schools in the country competing for the “Best Under the Radar Football Atmosphere (all divisions).

Whitewater has averaged an incredible 11,358 fans to the Perk the past three years for Homecoming/Hall of Fame Day.

With the weather forecast calling for partly cloudy skies and a high of 46 degrees all signs are pointing to a potential record crowd for Saturday’s 1st place showdown against unbeaten UW-Platteville.

”Big” games at Perkins Stadium are nothing new for Warhawk fans. When you get 10-thousand plus at the Perk the energy level is amazing.

Hawk players have often talked about the incredible boost they get when the rumble of the crowd increases multiple decibels on critical third down situations.

You don’t think the players appreciate a “loud and crazy” Warhawk crowd? One UWW player tweeted this morning better see everyone there! Cheering every 3rd down too. Let's go!

Plan on getting to the Perk early on Saturday. Do some Homecoming/Hall of Fame Day tailgating and being loud and proud when you get into the stadium! Do your part in helping your Warhawks take a major step on the road to this year’s WIAC title.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Derrick LeVake was a man among boys on Warhawk football team

                                    (Adjacent photo courtesy of UW-Whitewater Athletics)

Brad Arnett and Derrick LeVake will represent UW-Whitewater football when the duo joins seven others to be inducted as the class of 2013 into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2013 induction ceremony will take place on Saturday evening in the Hamilton Room at the James R. Connor. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the Whitewater and UW-Platteville football game Saturday afternoon, with kickoff at 1:00.

I did a profile on Arnett yesterday – today I feature LeVake.

LeVake was a cornerstone for two UW-W teams, excelling on the football field and on the mat. He played, and started, all four years in the Warhawk offensive line, earning second team all-conference honors as a freshman, and first team recognition his final three years including conference player of the year honors his senior season. In 1996, as a junior, he was named to four All-America teams, including the American Football Coaches Association Division III First Team. His senior year he was tabbed a first team All-American by all four organizations that followed Division III football. In 1997 he became the first offensive lineman named WIAC Player of the Year. That same year he was a finalist for the Melberger Award, given to the top Division III player in the country, the first offensive lineman ever, and a finalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, given to an outstanding Division III player that represents the student-athlete ideal. LeVake helped UW-W win WIAC football championships in 1994 and 1997, with the '97 team advancing to the NCAA III playoffs. Though he wrestled just two years for UW-W, LeVake also made his mark there, placing second in the WIAC championship and then seventh in the NCAA III tournament to earn All-America honors. He came back for his junior season, went 23-5, again finished second in the WIAC and repeated his All-America recognition with a fifth place finish. He did not wrestle his senior year, preparing for professional football, where signed a free agent contract with Cincinnati in 1998 and Miami in 1999.

LeVake, a West Allis/Central product, graduated from UW-W with a business management major in 1998. He is the chief executive officer, president and owner of Investigative Risk Management in Englewood, Colorado and lives in Aurora.

There is an often used phrase in men’s sports, “he’s a man playing among boys.” LeVake is the “poster child” of that saying.

Prior to attending UW-Whitewater the West Allis native served as a member of the U.S. Army Rangers who execute special operations and light infantry missions requiring a mature, competent, highly disciplined, and lethal force to ensure the precise application of combat power in politically sensitive environments.

Gary D’Amoto of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel wrote a fascinating profile on LeVake back in May of 1998. To read the article CLICK HERE

Warhawkfootball.com passes the 1 million :"hit" mark

It was a big day for Warhawkfootball.com on Tuesday. Just after 4:30 p.m. my Website passed the one million “hit” mark.

Former UW-Whitewater football coach Bob Berezowitz and I came up with the idea of the site following the Warhawk football team’s 2003’s regular season game at Mount Union. We had noticed that Ric Brienza Mount Union football fan Website was extremely popular with the Purple Raider fan base. It allowed fans the opportunity to click onto a football only Website 365 days a year.

It took me a little over a year to develop my “fan” Website.

Most of you know me as the predessor to Gary Douglas as the “radio voice” of UW-Whitewater football, along with men’s and women’s basketball and baseball on WFAW and later KOOL 106.5 Radio. But I have also been a journalist including being news director at WFAW and KOOL 106.5 along with a couple other stations during my 40 year media career.

There are several excellent Division 3 level fan Websites around the country. While some, like Linfield’s Catdome Alumni site, excel in both video and stories, I made the decision to “stay close to home” and focus exclusively on newspaper style stories and photos. I envisioned Warhawkfootball.com as a daily online “newspaper” devoted exclusively to Warhawk football and its fans.

I’ve been a longtime advocate for Division 3 athletics around the state to get better media exposure, primarily from the larger city newspapers. I’m happy to say the WIAC’s visability has greatly increased. Saturday’s WIAC first place showdown game between Platteville and Whitewater will be telecast live on Fox Sports Wisconsin and Fox Sports North and will be available to 4 1//2 million households in the upper Midwest.

Thank you to Pat Coleman's D3football.com Website that inspires me daily by letting me realize that there is a huge market out there of fans that have a passion for Division 3 football.

Having survived a moderate stroke and won my battle with colon cancer, all in the past seven years, my life has sort of spun out of control. Being able to see that “hit clicker” continue to rise on a daily basis allows me to understand that my “passion” has been worth it.

Thank you for your interest in Warhawk foorball!

Matt Blanchard signed to Carolina Panthers practice squad

Matt Blanchard has found a new home in the National Football League. The former Chicago Bear quarterback tweeted late Tuesday afternoon…"Want to thank @ThrowItDeepQBs for helping me get back n ready for the workouts I've had! Blessed to join the Carolina Panthers!"
As of 9:00 p.m. the signing had not been published however the Carolina Panther Website has Blanchard listed on its practice roster.

The Panthers currently have two quarterbacks on its active roster. The starter is former 1st round draft pick Cam Newton. His backup is nine year journeyman Derek Anderson.

The former UW-Whitewater quarterback fractured a knuckle on his left non-throwing hand in the second preseason game against the San Diego Chargers.

Blanchard would have been expected to play all or most of Thursday’s game against the Browns at Soldier Field if he was healthy.

“Getting injured at all it’s always frustrating,” Blanchard told the Chicago Tribune. “You just have to handle it with as much poise as possible. You have to keep your head up and move forward.”
Blanchard was released after signing an injury settlement with the Bears on August 26. Blanchard was not be eligible to re-sign with the Bears until after Week 10. It also precluded him from joining the team’s practice squad. Blanchard was able to sign with another organization after the length of the injury settlement had expired.

Hall of Famer Brad Arnett committed to training athletes of all levels

Brad Arnett and Derrick LeVake will represent UW-Whitewater football when the duo joins seven others to be inducted as the class of 2013 into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame. The 2013 induction ceremony will take place on Saturday evening in the Hamilton Room at the James R. Connor. The inductees will also be honored at halftime of the Whitewater and UW-Platteville football game Saturday afternoon, with kickoff at 1:00.

In today’s story – a profile of Brad Arnett.

Arnett graduated in 1994 with a degree in physical education with an emphasis in corporate, community fitness and health. He lettered four years for the UW-W football team, and was a member of the Whitewater team that went undefeated in conference play, and through the regular season, in 1990 when the Warhawks earned a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs. As a senior in 1993 Arnett earned All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Second Team honors. In 1993 he was named an All-American by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Arnett graduated from Fort Atkinson High School. After working in the strength and conditioning area of collegiate athletics for seven years, Arnett owns and operates NX Level Sports Performance Center in Waukesha, and developed a working relationship with a wide ranging clientele that includes Olympians and professional athletes.

former University of Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt has become a megastar in the NFL with the Houston Texans. Watt has trained for years at Arnett’s NX Level Sports Performance Center in Waukesha. Watt’s work ethic and desire to succeed have been there ever since trainer Brad Arnett met Watt when Watt was sophomore at Pewaukee High School.

Fox Sports Wisconsin published a story back on June 19, 2011 detailing the relationship with Watt and who he calls as his mentor Brad Arnett.

To read the story written by Bradon Cruz CLICK HERE

Friday Night Lights at Perkins Stadium to feature a BLACKOUT for U-Dub-Dub fans

Friday night’s UW-Whitewater vs. UW-Eau Claire football game at Perkins Stadium has been designated Friday Night Lights and UWW students are holding a BLACKOUT asking everyone at the Perk to be wearing black.
A huge pregame tailgate is set for students around the Coulthart Family Pavilion located immediately adjacent to Perkins Stadium.

UW-Whitewater Dining Services will be offering free food to U-Dub-Dub students (with ID) starting at 5 p.m. The UW-Whitewater Student Entertainment Awareness League (SEAL) is sponsoring a special pregame appearance by Tony Lucca as part of the pregame tailgate from 5:45 to 6:45 at the pavillion.
Lucca captured American’s hearts earler this year as the Team Adam finalist on NBC's hit TV show "The Voice". Lucca's cover of Hugo's version of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" reacted strongly, propelling Lucca to the No. 3 spot on ITunes Rock singles chart. His songs have been featured on TVs Friday Night Lights, Brothers and Sisters, Felicity and Kevin Costner's Open Range. He has been seen on E! Entertainment.

The first 300 U-Dub-Dub students to the pregame “blowout” will receive a pair of Warhawk sunglasses courtesy of UWW Res Life.

Perkins Stadium is in the running for the Best Under the Radar Atmosphere in NCAA Football (voting ends Monday). Here’s a shout out to UWW students to make Friday night’s atmosphere at the Perk electric!

Check out the pregame atmosphere at the Perk last Saturday

UW-Whitewater's Perkins Stadium is challenging for the Enterprise Rental Car Best Under the Radar NCAA Football Atmosphere national contest.

I spent a couple of hours prior to Saturday's Family Fest game vs. Stout taking photos of the "tailgate scene" at the Perk.

You want atmosphere? Take a look at these photos

Vote for Warhawk Football and Perkins Stadium as "Best Under-the-Radar NCAA Football Atmosphere" in the USA

 

To vote for UW-Whitewater and Perkins Stadium as the best "under the radar" atmosphere in NCAA Football (all Divisions) CLICK HERE

** Please Note: You may only vote once per day. The final day of voting is Oct. 21, 2013

 

GAMEDAY CENTRAL - UW-Whitewater @ UW-La Crosse

KOOL 106.5 Radio (UW-W Broadcast)  CLICK HERE

WKTY AM-580 Radio (UW-L Game Broadcast)  CLICK HERE

Live Video Stream  CLICK HERE

UW-W @ UW-L Live Stats  CLICK HERE

Game Notes (from UW-W)  CLICK HERE

Game Notes (from UW-L  CLICK HERE

WIAC Weekly Release  CLICK HERE

Media Stories Previewing UW-Whitewater at UW-La Crosse Game...

Warhawks ready for WIAC (Daily Jefferson County Union)  CLICK HERE

UW-L prepares for powerhouse UW-Whitewater (WKBT TV-8)  CLICK HERE

Eagles try to get running game moving (La Crosse Tribune)  CLICK HERE

D3football.com National Scoreboard  CLICK HERE

Tom "Voice" Pattison's Warhawk Football This Week Podcast gets you ready for WIAC opener

 

On Tom Pattison’s Warhawk Football This Week you’ll get a look back at last week’s win over Waldorf College with Hawk head coach Lance Leipold… Veteran defensive line coach Kevin Bullis takes you inside the Hawks D-L… Tom Pattison has a feature on UWW punter and place kicker who has had scouts from several NFL teams come calling to UWW practice this season… and “Voice” will get you all set up for U-Dub-Dub’s WIAC opener on Saturday (1 p.m.) at rival UW-La Crosse.

The Podast was uploaded Thursday afternoon. To listen CLICK HERE

 

UW-Whitewater Football Alumni Weekend

A huge thank you to all the former UW-Whitewater Football players who returned to campus over the weekend to participate in the inaugural UW-Whitewater Alumni Football Weekend.  Your participation brought into crystal clear focus the motto: Once a Warhawk, Always a Warhawk

Halftime Warhawk Football Alumni Salute



1978 WIAC Conference Champions

1988 WIAC Conference Champions

1998 WIAC Conference Champions

2008 WIAC Conference Champions

 

   32 WIAC/WSUC Championships

                                         10 Postseason Playoff Berths                                         2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 NCAA Division III National Champions

1966 NAIA National Runner-up

2005, 2006, 2008 NCAA III National Runner-up

Forest Perkins - Ranks second in WIAC/WSUC Wins

Bob Berezowitz - Ranks third in WSUC/WIAC Wins

Lance Leipold - Four National Championsip Wins

 

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