UW-Whitewater defeated St. Xavier 49-14 on Saturday. The Warhawks scored 28 unanswered points across four scoring drives from late in the second quarter into the fourth.
A third-down fumble set up the Warhawks’ first score, with Noah Moris (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove) forcing the ball loose and Carson Clausen (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) recovering at the St. Xavier 27 before Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) ran for a 27-yard touchdown on the next play. Hunter Liszka’s (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) PAT made it 7-0, and the Warhawks’ defense added a sack by EJ Gritzner (Lake Geneva, Wis./Badger) and Jayden Fowler (Morton Grove, Ill./Niles Township West) while holding St. Xavier to minus-12 rushing yards in the first quarter. The Warhawks finished the quarter ahead 7-0 with possession at the St. Xavier 28.
In the second quarter, the Warhawks created separation with two rushing touchdowns, first on Tommy Novotny’s (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette) 61-yard run at 11:53 and later on Justin Klinkner’s (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) 3-yard keeper with 40 seconds left. After St. Xavier cut the score to 14-7, the Warhawks kept it there when the defense held St. Xavier to a missed 40-yard field goal, then Klinkner led a 76-yard scoring drive. Karsten Libby (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) added an interception in the closing seconds, and the Warhawks finished the quarter ahead 21-7.
The Warhawks scored on their first and last possessions of the third quarter, starting with Tyler Vasey’s (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) 2-yard touchdown run and ending with Klinkner’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Vasey as time expired. The defense held St. Xavier scoreless in the quarter and came away with two interceptions, including Ashton Maney’s (Three Lakes, Wis./Three Lakes) pick with seven seconds left that preceded the final touchdown. Liszka made both extra points, and the Warhawks finished the quarter ahead 35-7.
In the fourth quarter, the Warhawks turned two takeaways into touchdowns, first when Drew Kortz (Freedom, Wis./Freedom) intercepted Dominic D’Ambrosio and Klinkner hit Luke Roeder (Collierville, Tenn./Collierville) for a 65-yard touchdown on the next snap to make it 42-7 after Liszka’s kick. After St. Xavier answered with a 9-yard touchdown pass, Andrew Dawson (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) forced a fumble that Jayden Daniel (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) recovered at the SXU24, and Cole Warren (Roscoe, Ill./Hononegah) found Kade Sainz (Goshen, Ind./North Ridge) for an 8-yard touchdown two plays later. Grant Urban’s (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) extra point supplied the final score in a 49-14 Warhawks win.
Klinkner completed 13 of 24 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns and added 24 rushing yards with two rushing scores. Novotny rushed 15 times for 120 yards and a touchdown and added a 14-yard reception. Vasey caught three passes for 66 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 19 yards and a score. Libby recorded seven tackles and added an interception with an 18-yard return.
Editor’s note: The box score and other stats may be found here.
