The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team will compete in the NCAA Division III Championship for the 13th time in the last 15 years and 16th time in program history starting this Saturday, Nov. 23, as it hosts Monmouth (Ill.) in the first round at Perkins Stadium.
 
Saturday’s game will kick off at 12 p.m.
 
The Warhawks (9-1 overall) earned one of five Pool C, or at-large, spots in the 32-team national tournament. The team claimed a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, the program’s league-leading 37th conference title.
 
UW-Whitewater was ranked first in the NCAA West Region and third in the nation by both D3football.com and the American Football Coaches Association last week.
 
Monmouth (7-2) was named a Pool A, or automatic, qualifier after winning the Midwest Conference championship with a 10-7 victory over St. Norbert on Saturday. The Fighting Scots are making their third appearance in the NCAA Playoffs in the last five years.

The No. 3 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team suffered its only loss of the regular season Saturday night, suffering a 27-20 defeat at UW-Oshkosh in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh.

The Warhawks (9-1 overall, 6-1 WIAC), who now share the WIAC championship with the Titans, seek a Pool C, or at-large, bid to the NCAA Playoffs during Sunday’s Selection Show, which airs at 4:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. UW-W was ranked first in the NCAA West Regional rankings entering Saturday’s game. The NCAA Playoffs begin next Saturday. (UPDATE: The Warhawks will host Monmouth (IL) (7-2) on Sat., 11/23 at noon.

UW-Whitewater out-gained UW-Oshkosh (8-2, 6-1) 328-236 in total yards, held a 19-12 advantage on first downs and possessed the ball for more than 33 minutes, but committed five turnovers, the most by a Warhawk team since Oct. 21, 2006, in a win against UW-Platteville.

Junior running back Alex Peete rushed 20 times for 80 yards and one touchdown, and senior running back Jarrod Ware posted 11 carries for 72 yards. Junior wide receiver JT Parish caught five passes for 64 yards to lead the receiving corps.

Senior linebacker Jacob Erbs totaled a game-high 13 tackles to lead the defense. Senior linebacker Matt Anderson was one of four UW-W players who registered four stops, including one sack.

After turning the Titans over on downs to start the game, the Warhawks posted a 13-play, 61-yard drive capped by a 28-yard field goal by junior kicker Wojciech Gasienica to take a 3-0 lead with 6:25 left in the first quarter.

After a 15-play, 71-yard drive that ended with a UW-Oshkosh touchdown, UW-Whitewater responded with a four-play, 62-yard touchdown drive. Junior quarterback Zach Oles hit Parish for 29 yards, and Ware carried on the next play for 34 yards. Two plays later, Oles hit junior tight end Michael Berentes for a 3-yard score to make it 10-7 with 13:23 to play in the second quarter.

Later in the quarter, the Titans capitalized on a Warhawk turnover, driving 75 yards in eight plays for a 14-10 advantage at the 6:00 mark of the period.

UW-Whitewater forced another turnover on downs later in the quarter, and turned good field position into three more points as Gasienica nailed a 29-yard field goal to bring the Warhawks within 14-13 just before the half.

UW-Whitewater held the ball for more than 12 minutes in the third quarter, taking a 20-14 lead with 38 seconds left in the frame on Peete’s 3-yard touchdown run, his 11th of the season.

The Warhawks forced a three-and-out early in the fourth quarter, but a 67-yard punt by the Titans flipped the field, and the momentum turned to UW-O’s favor.

The Titans took the lead for good at the 9:14 mark of the fourth on a touchdown on fourth down. They added two more field goals and ended each of UW-Whitewater’s last four drives with turnovers.

Final Stats: https://uwwsports.com/documents/2019/11/16/UWOUWW.pdf

Contact:
Chris Lindeke
Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications and Branding
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
262-472-1147
uwwsports.com

The No. 3 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team scored 24 second-half points Saturday to turn a one-possession game early in the fourth quarter into a 37-17 victory over UW-Stout at Perkins Stadium to clinch at least a share of the program’s 37th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.

Photos provided by Robert Mischka

Saturday’s win, coupled with UW-Oshkosh’s win, sets up a winner-take-all game for the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship next Saturday, Nov. 16, in Oshkosh.

The Warhawks (9-0 overall, 6-0 WIAC) performed superbly on special teams, leading to their average starting field position of their 46-yard line, compared to the 24-yard line for the Blue Devils (3-6, 2-4).

Junior Andy Cooper averaged 45.8 yards per punt and pinned UW-Stout inside its own 20-yard line four times.

Junior kicker Wojciech Gasienica knocked through three field goals, including a season-long 41-yarder, and converted all four of his extra points in the contest.

Junior wide receiver Ryan Wisniewski led the offense with 11 receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Junior quarterback Max Meylor posted 167 yards passing for two scores and rushed for 25 yards and one touchdown.

Junior defensive lineman Mackenzie Balanganayi tallied a team-high eight tackles, including 3.0 for a loss and 2.5 of the team’s seven sacks. Senior defensive lineman Jordan Brand contributed seven stops, including 1.5 sacks.

The two teams exchanged punts to start the game before UW-Whitewater took advantage of a short field for a 28-yard field goal by Gasienica with 8:32 left in the quarter.

UW-Stout tied the affair on a field goal just over seven minutes later before the Warhawks took the lead for good on a five-yard run by junior quarterback Zach Oles nine seconds into the second quarter.

Gasienica made it a 10-point game with a 41-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Following a defensive stop to start the half that gave UW-Whitewater field position inside Blue Devil territory, Gasienica knocked a 38-yard field goal through the uprights to make it 16-3 with 12:28 remaining in the third quarter.

UW-Stout posted a 15-play, 96-yard drive to draw within 16-10 with 1:25 to go in the third. The Warhawks responded quickly as Meylor found Wisniewski for a 39-yard pass before completing the three-play drive with an 18-yard touchdown run up the middle for a 23-10 lead with 10 seconds left in the period.

The Blue Devils started the fourth with another touchdown to make it 23-17 with 13:27 to play.

After a UW-W turnover and a UW-Stout punt, Meylor completed four passes in five plays to move the Warhawks 54 yards, capping the drive with a 7-yard pass to Wisniewski for a 30-17 advantage at the 8:04 mark.

UW-Whitewater came up with a defensive stop on fourth-and-1 near midfield, and following a punt, tallied another fourth-down stop.

Meylor’s 14-yard pass to Wisniewski capped the scoring with 2:25 on the clock.

Next Saturday’s game at UW-Oshkosh will kick off at 6 p.m. and air live on television on My24.

State Bound after 6th place finish at Sectionals! The Whippets will be sending 2 relays and 4 individual events to the State meet on Friday, November 15th at the UW-Madison Natatorium. The State meet will start at 6:30 p.m.

Starting the meet off right was our 200 Medley relay team of Grace Foucault, Ella Houwers, Brianna Zimdars and Amber Krebs. These girls qualified for the State meet by racing incredibly hard finishing just out of 1st place by .04 seconds with a 1:52.10.

Our 200 Freestyle swimmers went three for three on best times. Hailey Murphy swam a lifetime best dropping 5 seconds. Elle Treder dropped 4 seconds and finished with a best time in 16th place, while Grace Foucault finished in 7th place with a lifetime best time, putting her 5th all-time on the Top 10 Times list for Whitewater High School.

Amber Krebs and Ella Houwers both raced well in the 200 Individual Medley. Amber finished in 16th place earning points for the team. Ella Houwers won the event by 5 seconds and dropped 4.5 seconds to swim a lifetime best going into the State meet next week.

Brooke Bazeley and Caroline Crowley raced hard in the 50 Freestyle; Brooke was able to drop another half second off her lifetime best time.

Our 100 Butterfly swimmers, Sophia Fanshaw and Brianna Zimdars, both dropped a second off the time. Sophia is now fourth all-time on the Top 10 Times list. Brianna set a new School Record with her lifetime best time and will be competing in this event at the State meet this coming Friday.

Caroline Crowley was our lone 100 Freestyler and she put in a strong race, right on her best time.

Our 500 Freestyle swimmers were very aggressive and all four were able to earn best times. Brooke Bazeley dropped 11 seconds, Ellie Treder dropped 12 seconds, Amber Krebs dropped 7 seconds and Brianna Zimdars dropped 7 seconds. Brianna earned a trip to the State meet in this event also and bettered her time on the Top 10 times list.

Our 200 Freestyle relay (Ella Houwers, Grace Foucault, Amber Krebs, Brianna Zimdars) made history becoming the first Whitewater relay to WIN at Sectionals. When you win an event, you are an automatic qualifier! The team set a new School Record time of 1:40.96. These girls swam amazing! Grace Foucault split a 24.69!

In the 100 Backstroke, Sophia Fanshaw had an outstanding race. Sophia won her heat and posted the 3rd fastest time on the Top 10 list with a 2 second drop. Grace Foucault dropped another half second and is now 2nd all-time on the Top 10 times list with her strong performance.

Hailey Murphy raced to a best time in the 100 Breaststroke and dropped 2 more seconds off her time. Hailey is now 5th all-time in the 100 Breaststroke. Ella Houwers continued to dominate with a win in the 100 Breaststroke and another season best time. Ella was able to beat the field by 3 seconds and earned her fourth swim at the upcoming State meet.

Our 400 Freestyle relay (Sophia Fanshaw, Hailey Murphy, Brooke Bazeley, Ellie Treder) clocked a best time with outstanding splits to finish out the meet. It was a great group effort!

Congratulations Whippets and good luck at State!