Kaboom!
The man in charge of igniting the UW-Whitewater cannon seemingly waited until UW-La Crosse's 63-year-old coach was directly in line with the antique weapon, then lit it.
Harring, obviously startled, flinched. It was the only time all day someone wearing UW-L colors did so.
UW-L, in a power vs. power battle, used a key fake punt in the first half and a critical Whitewater penalty in the second to sting the Warhawks 28-16 before a crowd of 4,846 at Perkins Stadium.
``I was thinking about quitting after last year when I was finished with school,'' UW-L receiver Troy Harcey said. ``If I would have, I would have never forgiven myself. This is beautiful. It's a magical feeling.''
There is something special about the 1996 Eagles. The 9-0, soon-to-be-playoff-bound Eagles.
Not only did UW-L claim the WSUC championship outright with a 7-0 record ð their fifth conference title in the last six years ð but the Eagles locked up a NCAA Division III playoff berth in the process. First, UW-L must play the University of Minnesota-Duluth next Sunday night in the Metrodome in its regular season finale.
UW-L also extended the nation's longest winning streak ð any division ð to 23 games. Whitewater finishes the season at 5-2, 8-2.
``Here we are with an 8-2 season, and we feel terrible,'' Whitewater coach Bob Berezowitz said. ``An 8-2 season is not a great season. We had expectations of a conference championship and it didn't happen.''
It did for UW-L, thanks to yet another stellar defensive effort and an offense that got -- and stayed -- untracked.
``I think I was more ready for this game than I have ever been for before,'' said UW-L linebacker Mike Maslowski, who played a key role in the outcome. ``We knew what they were going to do.''
Whitewater didn't.
One of the biggest plays in the game came at well, it was around the end of the first quarter. It was difficult to tell how much time was left in any quarter because the scoreboard clock did not work the entire game.
Facing a fourth-and-2 at the Whitewater 47-yard line, UW-L lined up in punt formation. Instead of punting the ball away as most everyone expected, UW-L snapped it to Maslowski, who was lined up as a blocker. Maslowski, a former all-state quarterback, rambled 19 yards for a first down at the Warhawks' 28-yard line.
Thanks to UW-L's first fake punt of the season, the drive was still alive.
``I felt that was something we had to do to get the momentum back on our side,'' Harring said. ``We've worked on that play, but have never run it.''
And yes, Maslowski has asked many times.
``It's been close, but he's never let me do it before,'' said Maslowski, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior. ``We've practiced it for weeks, even years.''
Five plays after the fake punt, Mike Bechtel scored on a 5-yard run on the second play of the second quarter. Thad Dugan's PAT kick made it 7-0, but it could have easily been 7-6. Whitewater's Bryan Mader missed field goals of 43 and 42 yards on the Warhawks' first two possessions.
``It was a great call. It was a gutsy call. At that time I didn't even say, `Watch the fake,' '' Berezowitz said of the fake punt. ``At that time they were not moving the ball. I thought they would punt the ball.''
Maslowski would come up with two more big plays, this time on defense.
The two-time first-team All-WSUC linebacker intercepted a Ty Grovesteen at the Eagles' 41-yard line with around 7 minutes left in the first half. It was one of three interceptions Grovesteen would throw on the day, which was surprising considering he had thrown just one all season.
``Not bad. We'll take it,'' UW-L defensive coordinator Roland Christensen said of his unit's performance. ``They didn't do a lot of new things. We gave up a few yards early, but the kids ð and the coaches ð adjusted.''
UW-L took a 14-0 lead when Jeff Baker sidestepped a would-be tackler, then found a wide-open Toby Krause for a 28-yard scoring strike on third down. The toss came just three plays after Whitewater's John Damato fumbled, and Dan Kloepping recovered.
Whitewater would claw back to within 14-3 just before halftime, thanks to a 26-yard field goal by Mader. The Warhawks then capitalized on a Baker interception -- one of three Eagle turnovers ð to make it it 14-10 early in the third quarter. The Warhawks' TD came on a 39-yard pass from Grovesteen to Anthony Wooden.
One series later, the Warhawks then appeared to have UW-L pinned down at its own 5-yard line. Instead of a third-and-5 from its own 5, UW-L received a first down at the 20-yard line after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Whitewater's Andre Bennett. Bennett stuffed Krause on a running play, then showed nominal excitement as he jumped up.
The official thought otherwise.
Four plays later, Baker fired a 40-yard scoring strike to Brandon Hall to put the Eagles up 21-10.
``That was the killer,'' Berezowitz said. ``If you can't get excited in the game, then we're missing the boat.''
WHITEWATER, Wis. -- They gathered near the end zone, formed their customary post-game huddle, then shouted: ``Our house. Our house.''
Moments later, there were 48 Eagles helmets held high.
This is how the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football team celebrated its undisputed WSUC football title -- the 28th in its storied history, and the 14th in coach Roger Harring's 28-year reign.
``They say its harder the second time around, and I think it is,'' UW-L receiver Troy Harcey said. ``That's what makes this so special.''
UW-L (9-0), on the verge of back-to-back undefeated regular seasons, has secured a spot in the 16-team NCAA Division III playoff field. The pairings for first round games will be announced next Sunday, Nov. 17, hours before the Eagles face off against the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the Metrodome.
UW-L, the top-ranked team in the West Region, will likely be at home for at least its first-round game on Saturday, Nov. 23, and could remain at home -- if it continues to win -- though the semifinals.
``It's hard to talk about that right now,'' UW-L coach Roger Harring said. ``We still have to play next weekend. And we'll play to win next weekend.''
XX BAKER COMES UP BIG: He's been up-and-down this season, but Eagles quarterback Jeff Baker came up with his biggest performance of the season Saturday. Not his numbers, but his impact.
On UW-L's first scoring drive, the junior quarterback scrambled for 20 yards on a third-and-10 play to keep the Eagles moving. On the Eagles second scoring drive, Baker side-stepped a would-be tackler, then threw a perfect 28-yard scoring passing to Toby Krause.
After spending much of the season in the pocket and running some play-action passes, Baker is proving to be a double threat. Now, he's proven he can run, and run effectively.
``I told you at the beginning of the season, I'll do whatever it takes to win,'' Baker said. ``If I take a hit while running, so be it. I felt really loose today. I had never been to Whitewater before. I like it here.''
Baker completed 12 of 28 passes for 204 yards with two touchdown tosses. He was intercepted once. He also ran 10 times for 25 yards. Last week, Baker led the Eagles in rushing with 37 yards ð the first quarterback to lead the Eagles in rushing since Steve Althaus did it in 1989.
XX BEREZOWITZ PEEVED: Whitewater coach Bob Berezowitz said he doesn't usually like to question or berate officials, but he couldn't help himself Saturday after a highly questionable unsportsmanlike conduct call.
Whitewater defensive lineman Andre Bennett stuffed Eagle running back Toby Krause, then sprang to his feet in excitement. Too much excitement, according to the official, who tossed a flag that kept a key UW-L drive alive.
``I don't know what he did. He didn't taunt anybody. He didn't point at anybody. He didn't do anything the La Crosse players didn't do,'' Berezowitz said. ``The official said, in his mind he was taunting. If you can't get excited in this game, we are missing the boat.''
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