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.