PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — The No. 4 UW-Whitewater football team maintained possession of the Miner’s Axe with a 24-21 win over No. 2 UW-Platteville at Pioneer Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Per the tradition of the annual George Chryst Memorial Bowl, Tommy Novotny (Milwaukee, Wis./Marquette) and Carter Sessa (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) were named the offensive and defensive players of the game respectively for UWW as chosen by the media in attendance. Novotny was a workhorse Saturday, battling for 87 yards on 22 carries including a rushing touchdown. He added four receptions for 29 yards and another score. Sessa capped the first half with a pick-6 — the first time a team has registered a pick-6 on Platteville’s quarterback this season.
The Pioneers needed just three plays to drive 48 yards and score in their first possession of the contest. The Warhawks responded late in the first quarter to tie the game. Novotny put the finishing touches on a 12-play, 99-yard UWW with a powerful 12-yard scoring run. Grant Urban’s (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) kick made it 7-7.
UW-Whitewater dominated the second quarter — or at least the final minute before the intermission. Justin Klinkner (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) found Novotny wide open on UWW’s near side for a touchdown with 53 seconds left. On the ensuing drive, Sessa intercepted Nathan Uselding’s pass at the Pioneer 40 and returned it to the house with 28 seconds on the clock. Urban hit both points after to push the lead to 21-7.
On the other side of the break, UW-Platteville made it a one-score game with a touchdown on their first drive of the half.
The defenses took over holding the opposing offenses scoreless until late in the fourth quarter. The Warhawks used 13 plays to get into field goal position and Urban capitalized, splitting the uprights from 19 yards out to extend the gap to 24-14 with 4:19 on the clock.
The Pioneers scored quickly, needing just 1:30 to find the endzone, in a drive bolstered by a two 20+ yard passing plays to make it 24-21 with 2:44 to go.
The Warhawks would need a first down on their final drive in order to kneel out the clock and UWW was up to the challenge. Novotny took the first handoff up the middle for four yards. UW-Platteville called their final timeout of the game with 2:34 on the clock. The second down handoff went right back to Novotny who fought for five yards up the middle. Klinkner took it himself on third down, blasting through the line for four yards and a UW-Whitewater first down. From there, the Warhawks went into victory formation.
Klinkner was 19-25 for 22 yards with a passing touchdown and an interception. Tyler Vasey (Crystal Lake, Ill/Prairie Ridge) was the top target on the day with five catches for 48 yards.
Defensively, Karsten Libby (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) was stellar in his first game back with nine tackles – all solo – including a tackle for a loss.
The Warhawks will close out the 2026 regular season at UW-Eau Claire next Saturday.
