First and foremost Congrats to Lane...Unbelievable numbers!! Training at NX level with Brad Arnett has paid divedends for numerous UWW athletes!! Justin Beaver, Pete Schmitt, and now Lane are all got or are getting the opportunity to see some time at the next level because of their great workout numbers and obviously super athletic talent.  Lets also keep in mind that the "Official combine" in Indianapolis is ALL electronic timing, where as university sanctioned combines are all hand times. Regardless unreal numbers for Lane. Shorts, without a doubt, regardless of times and workouts has the speed, field awareness, hands, and moxy to play in the leaugue and it would be a crime if he didn't get a shot. Lane who is switching positions is going to have a tougher time at cracking a roster, but Lane was and will be a Freak on Special teams, is as tough as anyone ive played with, and is a great hitter and tackler regardless the level of competition. the next couple months should be a great time for them and the D3 nation...Best of luck to both!

Quote from: Goal Line Stand on December 21, 2010, 09:22:32 AM

Quote from: 02 Warhawk on December 21, 2010, 09:16:03 AM

Quote from: skunks_sidekick on December 21, 2010, 09:08:00 AM
WOW....I remember when LL was chosen as the HC.  There was MUTINY afoot on this board.  I could go back and post all the CRAZY talk that was posted, but I will save many of you the embarassment.  

I have an idea......let's erase the last four years with LL, and REPLAY those games with the "other guy" at the helm.  I gotta believe Mount's chances would be better.  

No disrespect to Zweifel, but LL was the best thing that happened to UWW.  

hard to argue with that...3 titles in 4 years.

To be fair, UWW is the best thing that happened to LL as well.  Let's not forget, the table was set when he arrived.   

Lets get this straight...Stan had a HUGE  hand in getting to the Stagg the first two years! But had absolutely nothing to do with anything after that.  AND...Dinkel, Borland, & Nelly have been there through it all, Huge Kudos to them!! Lance definately helped the program take the next step. And let's not forget the balls it took Plinske to hire the RIGHT coach for the job!

Quote from: Sakman 1111 on December 20, 2010, 01:58:07 PM
Actually after seeing North Central this year....Coppage,Stanley,and Anderson I believe could start for the NC.....Taking nothing away from their team which was way better than many of us in the crowd expected.....NC's defense in my opinion was as good as MU but their offense has a way to go. Have to agree with Champs that not real interested who is ranked 2 or 3.....wasn't when we were runner-up and still not......My son's team was runner up twice and that was real neat but can't imagine what it feels like to win three times....Pound the Rock ! BOOM!!!!.......Cudos the Oak PARK connection which will be back in full force next year......BOOM AGAIN......

There is a TE from Oak Park on the Roster who will be a household name a year from now...mark it down!

One more thing...food for thought going into the off-season...

-Is it possible that the starting QB for the 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS is 5-0 in the play-offs, never started a regular season game, wins a title as a Soph, and never takes a snap as the starting QB for the 'Hawks again???

-Answer: Blanchard is clearly still the starting QB next yr, and the transfer scene is looking pretty good....

Move over Mount...there is a NEW dynasty is D3!! While it was overwhelmingly clear that UWW is the top of its class, I would also like to add; just below UWW is MUC....North Central doesn't belong in the same book!! No one gives a Sh$t about who is number two/three in the country!!  If you aren't the champs...it doesn't matter!! That being said this UWW senior class is 57-3, 19-1 (play-offs), and THREE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! WOW!! The memories these guys have just made will be carried with them for the rest of their lives!! A great group of '07-'08 guys in whitewater Saturday watched and celebrated as if we were on the field with them. This group of Seniors was the first of the Liepold regime and without a doubt the best four year run in school history.  Rusch, Brandes, Hicks, Olson, Gawronski, Hibner, Novak, Baldwin are justvsome of the big names to replace but UWW is at the point where we don't rebuild anymore we just RELOAD! And believe me, the guys that are not on the 2010 travel squad, who watched their teammates celebrate another title in Salem will be more than motivated this off-season to get THEIR chance to be in the spotlight.  And remember....I can say this now (and truly believe it), the BEST PLAYER to ever put on a Warhawk jersey is coming back. COPPAGE and his new SR class are right where they want to be....On pace to break even more records and possibly be one of the best classes in the history of cfball!! With the Nations current longest winning streak on the line "The NEW PURPLE DYNASTY" is far from over....

Paul Plinske is one of the final candidates for UWM job....talk about the backbone of Warhawk Athletics over the past 6 years!! Great AD and even better man! sad to see this, but saw it coming: Too young and too talented to be at UWW forever!

Semi-Finals...SIX YEARS RUNNING!!! I like to start off by saying what a GREAT turnout of Warhawk fans in Napperville.  The 'Hawks really fed off the energy of the fans and it was awesome seeing the sea of Purple at North Central. As far as the North Central fans I thought they were awful...they were arrogant (for what), the stuff the NCC students were yelling at the 'Hawks coming out a half was unbelievable, and then after the game a local establishment the classless and disrespect they gave us was rediculous!!  That being sad I thought it was a great hard fought game with two good football teams.  UWW didn't play its best game but even down 10-7 in the third i felt had COMPLETE control of the game.  If Whitewater scores on our last drive in the first half the game might have gotten a little lopsided, but to NCC's credit they picked off a severly underthrown ball and hung with the Warhawks until the fourth quarter. Coppage is as tough as they come and really put the team on his back again (along with the LEFT side of the line).  Brandes ability to play the ball in the air and make big catch after big catch has been incredible his entire career, he might be the most underrated WR to ever play at UWW. I'd put him as top 5 to ever play there.  UWW's ability to wear down the other teams O-line and D-line as the game goes on was overwhelmingly appararent on Saturday.  The push the hogs got and the D-lines control of the line of scrimmage in the fourth quarter was dominant from the big fellas in purple.  Sidenote...NCC's #40 was the best LB I've seen in the D3 level! (and I've played with and against some great ones; Raebel, Rhindal, Freeman, LAX had some good ones in 2004, St. John's 05, and Wabash LB in '07) His ability to shoot the gap, cover the flats, get off blocks, and just straight up tackle was VERY impressive! Best of luck to him in the future. Now on to Wesley...See everyone in Salem! Lot of traveling the next two weeks for the Warhwks family and friends

Heading down to the Big City tonight to start my pre-gaming activities!! I can't remember being this excited for a game (excluding Stagg Bowls) since I played.  Talking to many of the guys this week and i definitely get the feeling they are playing with a chip on their shoulder.  Turns out those first two Qb's weren't so bad afterall huh?? I know the Gags isn't necessarily the BEST player in the country every year but either way the top four players are Damn good ones and it showed the first two games.  All the first two teams could do was pass the ball, and that they did whether it worked or not.  NC (NO CHANCE) College has a "balanced" attack, which means when they aren't able to run the ball at all; they will HAVE to pass. When you make a team that is very balanced one demensional it becomes very difficult on the coordinators, and in this case NCC's QB.  Prediction UWW 45 - ncc 21.  Coppage runs for 185, Booker cracks the Century mark for the first time in awhile and the 3000 + UWW fans in Napperville celebrate the weekend like we started it!! Football in December...Not too many things in this world better!!!

Just got back on here today... matter of fact #26 fits the Franklin QB great!! Thanks for the info and best of luck to him in whatever he does. May his father R.I.P.
P.S. Just b/c I can... Is there any chance we can just simulate the TRINE game?? Really just want to go down and pound NC in Napperville with a HUGE following of Warhawk fans in attendance!! Who's in?? And I don't need a bunch of "Coach" like comments that we shouldn't overlook Trine...They are who we thought they were.  ehhh Good not Great and DON'T have a chance:)

Thoughts on Saturday...
a.) A game isn't won in the first quarter.  UWW didn't come out conservative; they played smart.  First time starter who needed to adjust and feel comfortable with the speed of the game.
b.) UWW did a good job of sticking with the run, even when at times Franklin had the right Defensive stunts up to stop the run.  UWW kept plugging away, broke a couple long runs, and helped open up the pass game.
c.) Brekke looked like a proven back-up QB.  The coaching staff does a great job of developing players throughout the year (in practice) and making sure that players 1-99 are ready to go whenever called upon...Brekke answered the call!! Clearly not as athletic as Blanchard and can't make as many plays with his feet. However, he throws a GREAT ball and did a good job of managing the team and staying calm throughout the game. Very impressed with his first ever start as the QB of the #1 team in the country
d.) Games ARE won in the 3rd Quarter: UWW made ALL the adjustments, came out and dominated the third quarter Offensively and Defensively. That's what GREAT teams do.
e.) Franklin...good team, deserving of a play-off bid, and QB was definitely respectful... but why was he #26?? Never seen a good Qb where #26 lol.
f.) Attendance....AWFUL. Worst Ive seen in UWW in 5 years!

Quote from: warhawkguard on November 15, 2010, 01:59:15 PM
Nobody here from the WIAC had better be knocking the MIAC. There is a very long history of them beating UWW and any other WIAC/WSUC in the playoffs. Today the Hawks are on top, until they lose....How many times did Gagliardi come over here and throw a beat down on our conference over the decades???

I must reiterate that the difference between these top notch teams from conference to conference isn't that much. Many of the games between them will be pretty close. Except maybe for Wesley.....

St. Johns never came and threw down a beat down on UWW.  And HS coach I did mean right now.  No question mt. union has done and is still doing something remarkable.  But Augustana....hmmmmmm!

Still Can't believe UW-Whitewtater is a #2!!! I really can't get over it...#1 team in the country, longest winning streak in college fball, have absolutely dominated every team they played this year, Top 5 Offensive and Defensively (statistic wise) in most major catagories in the country, and have EARNED the right to play at home throughout the play-offs!!  That being said; it doesn't matter where we play.  Anybody remember '05?? Went up to Linnfield the #1 team in the country (who's starting Qb at the time previously started over Alex Smith former #1 draft pick in the NFL for Utah) and WON! Anybody remember '07?? Played arguably the best D3 football team of all in the Stagg Bowl (Not in the friendly confines of the Perk) and dominated and WON!! Anybody remember 08'?? Traveled all over in the play-offs, most noteably went down to Texas and dominated a very good UMHB at their place in the Semi's and WON!! Doesn't matter where we play....UWW's product is flat out BETTER than everyone else's home or away!! Last time we even lost a game...Lebron was in Cleveland, Tebow was the starting QB for the Gators, Favre was retired or was he?, Coppage was a Freshman, Rusch only a Sophmore, and the Ipad invention wasn't even heard of!!  So NCAA go ahead an try and knock us down but the bottom line is we play the school of the blind rds 1 and 2.  Rd three we will play a team who thinks they are good in NCC; in reality they are slow, small, cocky (for what??), and the result will be exactly the same as the last time they tried to pretend they were on our level. Rd 4 we will play a decent UMHB or Wesley team which will just get us back on track with some decent competition before we will face a very good mt union team and beat them as well! Our streak will reach 30 games and UWW will have won 3 out of the last 4 national titles and be the unprecidented best program in D3!!

First live game of the year at the Perk this Saturday...what an atmosphere!! After hanging out with the fellas and some of the coaching staff Saturday night, they were all very pleased with the win. I heard MULTIPLE times that they beat a very physical, tough, good football team on Saturday.  Stout IMO is easily the second best team in the WIAC. 

P.S. the picture on Warhawk football with a view of the crowd....not of the Stout game. In the words of the MNF crew "COME ON MAN!!!" There wasn't any buddy on the other side, not what I saw on Saturday!

Another great season for the Hawks and all who followed.  2008 Senior class...REMARKABLE 55-5 record with four conference titles and four straight trips to the Stagg Bowl!! Doesn't get much better than that.  Know for all you MUC fans trashing number three...be careful he just set the UWW all time catches for a season and believe me that isn't a fluke!  By the way he is back next year along with every WR for the Hawks, on a team I personally thought was better than MUC this year, just ran out of time. 10 more minutes in that game and we have a different outcome, but we didn't have 10 more minutes and I am not making excuses. Anyways #15 for MUC, who was suspect at best, ran his mouth more than anyone in the title game...and comparing UWW#3's skills to #15 for MUC is like comparing Jordan to Paxson (not comparable)! So if 3 wants to talk a little bit and add some spice to his already great ability let him, I wouldn't trash him...You will have to play him one more time!! As for #15 talking trash you might want to hit the weight room this year and try to work on your change of direction a little bit otherwise some Soph. from MUC will be playing in your spot next year!

What a great win for the Hawks yesterday!! Jace secured his 1st TEAM ALL AMERICAN status.  Hawks and UMHB should be a great game.  UMHB is a classy program and has great talent on both sides of the ball.  That being said its hard to beat the Warhawks this time of the year, and its even harder to run the ball against them!!  Early week prediction...HAWKS 27 UMHB 17!!