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#11 Warhawk Football Picks Up Thrilling Win at #19 John Carroll

No. 11 Warhawk Football Picks Up Thrilling Win at No. 19 John Carroll

Nick Wind hauls in the game winning touchdown catch for the Warhawks. Photo courtesy of John Reid III.

Box Score

Editor’s note: This was Jace Rindahl’s first game as UW-W’s head coach.

By Angela Kelm
UW-W Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

The No. 11 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team opened the 2023 campaign with a thrilling 27-23 comeback win over No. 19 John Carroll in University Heights, Ohio Saturday afternoon. 

The Warhawks started the opening drive from their own 25 after a touchback and moved the ball to the John Carroll 38 over the next eight plays. That’s where the drive stalled and UWW turned the ball over on downs. 

The Blue Streaks capitalized marching down the field and capping a seven-play drive with a 32-yard passing touchdown to take the early lead. After a missed extra point, JCU led 6-0 at the 9:15 mark. That score held well into the second quarter. 

Parker Breunig jumped a passing lane for the interception midway through the second to give the ball back to Alec Ogden and the Warhawk offense. He found Tommy Coates for seven yards on the first play before UWW went to the ground game. The tandem of AlijahMaher-Parr and Tamir Thomas from the backfield drove the Warhawks down to the JCU 11. A 42-yard scamper by Maher-Parr bolstered the drive and helped set up a 28-yard field goal from Jeff Isotalo-McGuire to make it 6-3. 

John Carroll responded, using a 50-yard run to open the next drive to set up a touchdown to take a 13-3 lead into the intermission. On the other side of the break, the offenses were on display. 

The Warhawks pulled closer with their first drive of the second half. Ogden spread the ball around hitting Drake Martin twice for 13 yards, then Coates for 12, then Nick Wind for 12 before dropping a perfect pass into the hands of Steven Hein for the 37-yard score. Isotalo-McGuire hit the extra point to pull UWW within three, 13-10. 

The Blue Streaks pushed the lead back to six, 16-10 with a field goal in the ensuing drive, but the Warhawk offense was clicking and took their first lead in the game in their next possession. 

The big play of the drive was a 46-yard rush on 3rd-and-1 from Ogden as he crossed the goal line for the touchdown. Isotalo-McGuire’s extra point gave UWW the lead 17-16 with 6:19 on the clock in the third. 

The fourth quarter saw the offenses continue to surge as Isotalo-McGuire hit another field goal, this one from 24 yards out just two plays into the final period to make it 20-16 UWW. 

John Carroll put together an extended 10-play scoring drive in their next possession. A short four-yard pass was the one that hit paydirt for the Blue Streaks as JCU reclaimed the lead 23-20 with 8:47 remaining. 

The John Carroll defense stiffened and forced a punt after just 1:47 ticked off the clock. The Warhawk defense responded in kind forcing a three-and-out to give the ball back to the offense. The JCU punt went out of bounds at the UWW 15 as the Warhawk offense took over with 4:45 left. 

UW-Whitewater put together one of their best drives of the day in their next possession. Ogden found Hein for nine yards to open the drive before Thomas went off the right side of the line for six more and a first down. Coates hauled in an 18-yard catch from Ogden to take the Warhawks near midfield. On 3rd-and-10, the Ogden-Coates connection was clutch again to keep the drive going with a 14-yard strike. 

Thomas took the next two carries up the middle for 15 yards. After no gain on the next play, Ogden hit Hein for 11-yards and another first down at the JCU12. Maher-Parr picked up one more yard before Ogden went back to the air. 

The first-year Warhawk took the snap out of the shotgun, surveyed and picked Wind as his target drifting deep into the left side of the endzone. The high-arced pass narrowly made it over the outstretched arms of the Blue Streak defensive back as he leapt in an attempt to tip the ball away. Wind had to make an acrobatic catch as he nearly laid out to get his right hand on the ball, tipping it up as he gained footing before hauling in the catch with both hands just inside the pylon at the back of the endzone. The 11-yard strike and extra point gave UWW the 27-23 lead with just 39 seconds remaining. 

John Carroll tried to manage the clock after gaining a first down, but Thomas Wojnowski sealed the game for UW-Whitewater with an interception at the JCU 46 with just five ticks of the clock left. 

Staying true to the rich tradition of Warhawk football – UWW pounded the rock with 232 rushing yards compared to 175 for JCU. UWW gained 276 through the air for a total of 508 yards of offense. 

Maher-Parr was the leading rusher for the Warhawks with 94 yards on 13 attempts. Thomas gained 80 on 15 carries in the game. Ogden was 23-41 for 230 yards and two passing touchdowns without tossing an interception. On the ground, he added 55 yards and a rushing touchdown. 

Coates was Ogden’s favorite target with 9 receptions for 77 yards. Hein hauled in six catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. 

Defensively, Hawk Heffner led the Warhawks with eight total tackles. Lucas Sadler, Trey Castella and Roy Panthier all got into the backfield to record tackles for loss while Wojnowski and Breunig led the secondary with a pair of interceptions. 

Garbage Collection Delayed till Friday

Due to the Labor Day holiday, John’s Disposal will not be picking up garbage/recycling in the city until Friday this week.

Whitewater Community Foundation Board Seeks Program Coordinator for 20 Hours Per Week

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by the Whitewater Community Foundation.

The Whitewater Community Foundation Board is seeking a Program Coordinator to help plan and organize the programs and activities of the Whitewater Community Foundation.

Title:  Program Coordinator for the Whitewater Community Foundation

Reports to:  Foundation President

Hours: 20 hours per week at $18.00 to $20.00 per hour

Starting date:  ASAP

Position Summary:  This position is responsible for planning and organizing the programs and activities of the Whitewater Community Foundation under the direction of the Foundation Board of Directors.  This includes the responsibility of developing, interpreting and recommending program goals and objectives, policies, procedures, and courses of action according to the established guidelines of the Board and sound administrative practices. 

The Whitewater Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving Whitewater, Wisconsin.

Essential duties and responsibilities:  Includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Serves as the Foundation’s chief point of community contact for Foundation programs and activities.
  • Communicates with community stakeholders on Foundation programs and activities.
  • Develops and distributes press releases, the Foundation annual report and other public information materials as approved and directed by the Board.
  • Maintains the Foundation website and social media platforms.
  • Administers the Foundation Scholarship Program, the Community Action Grants, and the Conduit Accounts and Agreements.
  • Prepares and coordinates monthly reports for Board meetings and coordinates special projects and follow-ups as required.
  • Demonstrates a commitment to the Foundation mission and vision.

Application deadline:  Until position is filled.

Interested candidates should submit a letter of application and resume to Chairperson@Whitewatercommunityfoundation.org Direct questions to Chairperson@Whitewatercommunityfoundation.org

More information about the Whitewater Community Foundation can be found at  whitewatercommunityfoundation.org and on Facebook.

The Whitewater Community Foundation’s mission is to “enhance quality of life in the Whitewater area via educational, cultural, charitable or benevolent expenditures.”

Fort HealthCare Works to Prevent Falls; Screening Available October 12 in Whitewater

Editor’s Note: The following was provided by Fort HealthCare.

Each year, thousands of educators, caregivers, health and aging professionals, and older adults across the country focus their efforts on one goal: preventing falls. That is why Fort HealthCare is collaborating with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Falls Free® Initiative to observe Falls Prevention Awareness Day on September 23, and throughout the entire month of September and October.

Falls are a leading cause of injury for people aged 65 and older, but they are not an inevitable part of aging. There are proven ways to prevent them. Fort HealthCare’s fall prevention screening community events will empower older adults to stay active, independent, and safe in their homes and communities.

Bringa Johnson, Physical Therapist at Fort HealthCare, has an interest in fall prevention, and is helping to coordinate the efforts this year with multiple locations, dates, and times for community members to participate. Bringa describes these screenings as “providing a brief assessment on a person’s risk to have a fall based on questions and physical tests. Based on the initial screenings, less or more further testing can be completed and should not take longer than 10 minutes. Recommendations for further fall prevention can be made based on the screenings.”

These free balance assessments appointments will be offered at various locations starting Wednesday September 13th at Club 55 in Lake Mills and will be offered at four other locations in Fort HealthCare’s service area through October 27th.  The schedule of events, addresses, and contact information to make an appointment is below:

  • Club 55 (Lake Mills): Wednesday September 13th from 9a-12p – 920-728-2176
  • Jefferson Senior Center: Wednesday September 20th from 9a-12p – 920-674-7728
  • Cambridge Community Outreach: Wednesday October 11th from 11a-1p – 608-423-8142
  • Whitewater Senior Center: Thursday October 12th from 12p-3p – 262-473-0535
  • Fort Atkinson Senior Center: Friday October 27th from 8:30a-10a – 920-397-9913

Wisconsin leads the country in the highest rate of deadly falls. Bringa notes, “Wisconsin has the deadliest rate from a fall in the country and I’ve seen the significant physical, emotional and financial effects from falls; all of these have played a role in why I’m passionate on falls screenings and prevention.”

To find out more about Falls Prevention Awareness Day, go to www.ncoa.org/FPAD. For questions about the fall prevention screenings at Fort HealthCare, please contact Bringa by calling 920-563-9357 or by emailing Bringa.Johnson@forthc.com.

About NCOA
The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is the national voice for every person’s right to age well. NCOA empowers individuals with trusted solutions to improve their own health and economic security—and protects and strengthens federal programs that people depend on as they age. Working with a nationwide network of partners, NCOA’s goal is to improve the lives of 40 million older adults by 2030. Learn more at ncoa.org and @NCOAging.

About the Falls Free® Initiative
Led by the National Council on Aging, the Falls Free® Initiative includes 43 states and 70 national organizations, professional associations, and federal agencies working collaboratively to bring education, awareness, and evidence-based solutions to local communities. Falls Free® seeks to provide hundreds of thousands of older Americans with the resources and education needed to reduce their risk of injury. For more information, visit: www.ncoa.org/FallsFreeInitiative.

About Fort HealthCare
Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life, while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long-term basis. For more information, visit FortHealthCare.com.

#FlashbackFriday with the Historical Society: Whitewater Condensery

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society.

In honor of Labor Day on Monday, this week’s image shows two men working in the Whitewater Condensery, later known as the Hawthorn Mellody Milk Plant, in Whitewater. This image is probably from the mid-20th century and is a rare look inside an industrial plant in Whitewater.

The historical society wishes everyone a great Labor Day holiday.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(#2514P Whitewater Historical Society)

Informational Meeting for the Friends of Whitewater Effigy Mounds Preserve

Join us for an informational meeting and brainstorming session on Monday, September 11th at 6 PM in the Community Room of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library. The event is open to anyone in the community who is interested in learning more about the Whitewater Effigy Mounds Preserve and would like to help conserve it for future generations.

Compost Hours Changing on Wednesdays Only


NOTICE: Effective Wednesday, September 13, 2023 the hours of operation for the compost site will change from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. to 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. This will remain in effect until the site closes for the season on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. However, the site will still remain open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. through November 11, 2023.

For additional questions or concerns contact the Streets Department at (262) 473-0560.

Council & School Board Reach Agreement on New WAFC Contract

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

After nearly six months of discussion and sometimes tense negotiation, the City of Whitewater Common Council (“Council”) and the Whitewater Unified School District School Board (“Board”) have agreed on the terms for a new six year agreement to operate the Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center. At the conclusion of the most recent joint meeting of the two bodies on August 21 the Council voted unanimously to approve the terms that had been nailed out in that evening’s discussion. The Board’s agenda, however, did not call for action, choosing instead to discuss the matter in closed session at their regular meeting on August 28. Later in open session the Board voted unanimously to approve the same terms that the Council had approved a week previously.

The agreement, which will be effective on January 1, 2024, provides for the following:

The city will pay $258,000 towards operating expenses in 2024, and will be responsible for any shortfalls. This payment will escalate by 3% per year.

WUSD will contribute a fixed $178,000 towards operating expenses in 2024, with future annual payments increasing by 3%.

Both the city and the district will pay a $100,000 annual capital expense contribution. This payment will remain unchanged for the first three years, after which a determination will be made as to whether it needs to be increased.

An advisory board which is anticipated to include a representative from both bodies plus three community members with relevant experience will provide oversight of WAFC. Previously this has been the responsibility of the city Parks & Recreation Board.

The Council and Board will meet again in joint session on September 11 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building to discuss various remaining issues, including the disposition of the estimated nearly $222,000 in deficits that the city estimates that the district will owe for the period from July, 2021 through the end of 2023.

A proposed written agreement will be drafted by legal counsel, possibly necessitating one more meeting before it is ready to be signed.

The Library Presents “Seed Saving 101”

Master Gardener, Ruth Flescher, will be at the Irvin L Young Memorial Library on Tuesday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m. to present “Seed Saving 101.” The public is invited to attend and learn why it’s important to have open-pollinated varieties to save from, ways to isolate the blooms to ensure you get the genetics you want, the difference between market maturity and seed maturity, both wet and dry seed processing, seed storage, and average seed life.   

The presentation will be held in the library’s Community Room located at 431 W. Center Street in Whitewater. There is no cost or registration. For additional information, visit the library’s website at www.whitewaterlibrary.org or call 262-473-0530.  

Whitewater Resident Authors “The Mythmaker”; Presents to the Book Babes

Whitewater resident Tom Stanley has had such an interesting life that his next book is going to be a a biography. Tom and his wife, Sue, both taught for the Department of Defense in countries such as Japan, the Philippines, Germany, and on Okinawa, but his first book focused on a football coach from his hometown of Ashland, Wisconsin. The Mythmaker was co-authored by this coach’s son Tim McGuire.

Former Whitewater resident Marcia James hosted her book club – the Book Babes – at her Whitewater Lake rental this week. Tom joined nine ladies who have been meeting since 2002 and have often had authors join them. Tom not only discussed his book, but previewed the book that he is working on now about his and Sue‘s life. Then seven of the ladies and Tom got on a pontoon boat in triple digit heat and toured Whitewater Lake. Cold bottles of water and squirt guns were prolific!

Whitewater residents Jane Johns, Barb Pennington, and Dee Simon; Janesville residents Nancy Johnson, Donna Reinardy, and Jean Schollmeier; Pardeeville resident Lila Waldman; and Johnson Creek resident Ann Riall enjoyed lunch and custard before boarding the boat. The group has met in Baraboo, at a park in Janesville, and restaurants. The pandemic introduced Zoom as their frequent medium.

Linda Godfrey, Suzanne Popke, Marshall Cook, John Durand, and Richard Haney are other authors who have joined the group. Former Whitewater resident, Carrie Simon, who co-authored the Pudgie Pie cookbook, made pies for the group in Marcia’s backyard. The group meets once a month and have a teaching background in common.

Editor’s note: The above article and photos were provided by Marcia James.