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2011 GAME STORIES
Warhawks Start 2011 With Win
9/3/2011
UW-W is approaching 2011 like a junior high math story problem. The Warhawks know the question, and
their season opening 26-7 win at UW-La Crosse Saturday night had them sharpening pencils and
scribbling in the margins, getting closer to their answers.
The Warhawks took the opening drive 51 yards in seven plays, with senior quarterback Matt Blanchard
(Lake Zurich, IL/Lake Zurich) completing two of three passes and running for nine yards. Sophomore Eric
Kindler booted a 38 yard field goal with 10:57 left for the first points of 2011.
After the Whitewater defense forced a three and out, the UW-W offense put another score on the board.
The Warhawks used eight plays to go 83 yards, with Blanchard 2-2 on the drive and senior tailback Levell
Coppage (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park) carrying the ball four times for 24 yards, including a one yard scoring
run to make it 10-0 with 5:41 on the clock.
Late in the second quarter UW-W had La Crosse backed up. Facing a third and eight at their 18,
sophomore QB Mike Butterfield’s pass was picked off at the line by sophomore defensive end Louissaint
Minett. Three plays by the Warhawk offense netted a minus eight yards, but Kindler came through again,
this time from 33 yards to make it 13-0 with 2:07 left in the half.
Whitewater’s defense limited the Eagles to three downs, and gave the ball back to the offense with 1:01
left in the half. Blanchard gained 12 yards on a run and completed a pass to sophomore wideout Luke
Menzel (Sheboygan Falls/Oostburg) for 16, and Kindler connected again, this time from 41 with 18
seconds left in the half, to make it 16-0 at intermission.
UW-W held La Crosse to two first downs in the half and 63 yards of offense, while gaining 150, 97 of
those on the ground. The Warhawks were 3-3 in red zone conversions.
Whitewater’s opening drive of the second half almost mirrored the first half, but it took longer. The
Warhawks controlled the ball for almost eight minutes (7:45), using 15 plays to cover 65 yards. When the
drive stalled it was … Kindler tying the UW-W school record with his fourth field goal of the game, this one
36 yards with 3:21 left in the third. The last time a UW-W placekicker booted four field goals was
November 3, 2007, when Jeff Schebler did it at UW-Stout.
In the fourth quarter, after an exchange of possessions, UW-W started at the UW-L 45. A penalty moved
the Warhawks back, but Blanchard hit senior tight end Jason Ford (Palatine, IL/Fremd) for 32, then back
to Menzel for 11, and back again to Ford for 16. Junior tailback Desmin Ward (Milwaukee/Hamilton) ran
the ball three times to punch it in with 6:47 left and a 26-0 lead.
La Crosse replied with its first scoring drive of the year, covering 67 yards in five plays. All-WIAC tailback
Lee Lauters had a gain of 21 yards, and two personal foul penalties also aided the Eagle drive.
Butterfield ran it in from seven yards out with 4:35 left to make it 26-7.
UW-W gained 421 yards and held La Crosse to 119, 40 of those passing. Whitewater was 7-16 on third
down conversions, UW-L 2-11, and the Warhawks were 5-5 in red zone conversions and the Eagles 1-1.
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