NCAA DIVISION III FOOTBALL QUARTERFINALS Warhawks, Titans on course

WIAC teams to meet again if they advance

UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh are one step away from what would be a huge clash of Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals in the NCAA Division III football semifinals. But it’s a big step. The Warhawks (12-0) and Titans (11-1) advanced to the quarterfinal round of the postseason tournament and, as might be expected, are facing formidable opponents Saturday. Whitewater has a home game against John Carroll and Oshkosh heads to Saint Paul, Minn., to face unbeaten St. Thomas.

Entering the postseason, Whitewater was ranked No. 2 nationally, St. Thomas No. 3, Oshkosh No. 4 and John Carroll No. 6, so these games are not for the faint-hearted. The winners will square off in the semifinals for a berth in the Stagg Bowl on Dec. 16 and a shot at a national championship. Oshkosh would play at Whitewater if those teams advance.

Oshkosh has the tougher task, going on the road to face the Tommies, who obliterated their first two playoff opponents, Northwestern-St. Paul and Coe, by a combined 98-6 score. It is a rematch of the 2012 semifinal clash in which the Titans made early mistakes, fell behind by three touchdowns and bowed, 28-14.

This Oshkosh team is better prepared to knock off St. Thomas, as evidenced by a 31-14 victory last weekend over St. John’s, the runner-up to the Tommies in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. During the regular season, St. Thomas beat St. John’s, 33-21, on the road.

St. Thomas accumulated 605 yards of total offense last Saturday against Coe, but Oshkosh has plenty of firepower as well in running backs Dylan Hecker and Devon Linzenmeyer. Hecker rushed for 198 yards and three TDs on only 21 carries in the victory over St. John’s.

The Tommies, who lost in the Stagg Bowl to Mount Union last year, are 16-1 in home playoff games under coach Glenn Caruso, so the Titans understand the task that lies ahead.

“I feel pretty good about our chances,” said Oshkosh coach Pat Cerroni, whose team’s only loss came at Whitewater, 17-14, on a late touchdown. “Our kids are battle-tested. I think the WIAC was the best it’s ever been this year, top to bottom.

“St. Thomas is a really good team and is very well coached, so it’s a huge challenge. They’ve been unbeatable at home but we’re going to be ready to compete to the wire. Our kids won’t be intimidated. We’re going to practice on their field Friday and be ready to play Saturday. We feel good about it.”

In their first game of the season, the Titans beat John Carroll, 33-14. That proved to be the only loss for the Blue Streaks, who got everyone’s attention a few weeks ago when they won at Mount Union, 31-28, snapping the Purple Raiders’ incredible 112-game regular-season winning streak.

That victory clinched the Ohio Athletic Conference for John Carroll and forced Mount Union to play on the road in the postseason to defend its national title. The Blue Streaks had to work hard to advance to the quarterfinals, slipping past Wesley, 20-17, in two overtimes in a defensive battle that was tied, 7-7, at the end of regulation.

Whitewater had no such issues last weekend, crushing Wittenberg, 37-9, in its best overall game of the season, considering the competition. Several key players returned from injuries in that game, including quarterback Cole Wilber and tailback Drew Patterson, so the Warhawks are in good shape to take on the Blue Streaks.

“John Carroll is a really good football program. They have a great tradition,” Whitewater coach Kevin Bullis said. “They’re always the team in that conference that does threaten Mount Union. There have been some great games between those teams.

“They are very well coached. We’ll anticipate a physical game. That’s our style of play. We’re excited about the opportunity.”