Tom Pattison (aka Voice on the D3football.com Post Patterns) has been the “radio voice” of UW-Whitewater football and basketball since 1988. Warhawk football games are broadcast live on WKCH (KOOL 106.5) and streamed online.
Five years ago, Pattison developed Warhawkfootball.com, a website that features Warhawk football on a daily basis, 365 days a year. The site includes the News Wire that features newspaper-style stories that “puts a face” on the players and program.
Pattison’s other job is being the marketing and promotions coordinator for UW-Whitewater football. The promotion this week: KOOL 106.5 2008 Playoff Rally Rags to be handed out to fans as they enter Perkins Stadium on Saturday.
In other words – all Warhawks, all the time!
Tom Pattison (L) and Gary Douglas
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team heads into the NCAA Division III Playoffs four a fourth consecutive season. After national runner-up finishes to perennial powerhouse Mount Union College in 2005 and 2006, the Warhawks finally “knocked the door down” with a 31-21 win over the Purple Raiders in 2007 for UW-W’s first national football championship.
The Warhawks enter the 2008 playoffs following a three-year run to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The St. Johns Johnnies have been a familiar playoff foe for Whitewater on the playoff trail. The Hawks beat the Johnnies 34-7 in 2005 second round action, and 17-14 in third round 2006 action. Both games were played at UW-Whitewater’s Perkins Stadium.
After being moved to the North Region in 2007, the Warhawks are back in the West this year. For the third time in the past four years, it is the Johnnies and Warhawks in Whitewater at Perkins Stadium… Here we go again!
St. John’s fans know all about having great atmosphere on gameday at Clemens Stadium. The atmosphere at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater is also incredible. Visiting fans from across the country consider the pregame tailgating outstanding. Fans have the opportunity to enjoy adult beverages in the Perk’s parking lot without police interference (assuming laws and ordinances are being observed).
Inside Perkins Stadium, Johnnie fans will notice a new scoreboard with video board equal in size to the video boards at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Great job last weekend Gophers! Perkins Stadium also had a FieldTurf surface installed prior to the season. My marketing motto for Warhawk football is: Saturdays at Perkins Stadium are much more than JUST a football game.
One change to Perkins Stadium on Saturday will be all seating in the large grandstands (10,000) on the home side of the field. The move has been made following a complaint by an Eau Claire fan last month about the condition of the visiting bleachers. Following consultation with UW-Whitewater officials, it has been decided that the entire section behind the St. John’s bench (1000 seats) will be closed off to the public due to safety concerns for Saturday’s game.
Another aspect of Saturday’s SJU at UW-Whitewater matchup is the rivalry between the two conferences. When the Warhawks and Johnnies met back in 2005, Whitewater was just arriving on the national scene. Johnnie posters on the D3football.com message board were brutal towards Whitewater and the WIAC. Warhawk fans didn’t know what to make of the posts. Many thought it was the “big, bad, bully” trying to intimidate the fledgling Warhawks. 2005 result: Johnnie meltdown and a 34-7 loss at Perkins Stadium.
With the loss came a begrudging amount of Johnnie fan support for Warhawk fans.
2006, more respect on the message boards and another Warhawk win, 17-14.
This season, Warhawk and other WIAC fans are finally getting it. Johnnie fans enjoy posting on message boards, be it about football or not. Maybe it’s because of the lack of excitement in Central Minnesota. (just kidding)
Actually most Warhawk message board posters finally got it. They discovered that Johnnie football fans are among the best in the nation and we look forward to a Perkins Stadium parking lot full of purple and red clad fans for a morning of pregame tailgating.
For SJU fans heading to Whitewater for the game, tune in WFAW (AM 940) for Saturday morning Sports Line which will be broadcast live from Perkins Stadium. Hopefully a couple Johnnie fans will be available to join us on the air.
Also for the Johnnie “road warrior fans”, join Gary Douglas and me for the broadcast of Saturday’s game on WKCH (KOOL 106.5).
The 2008 Warhawks are back in the playoffs despite losing 24 seniors from the 2007 national championship squad, including 17 starters. Headlining the ’07 seniors was Justin Beaver. The three-time All-American running back finished his career as the second-leading rusher in NCAA Division III history.
Many wondered who would “replace” Beaver at running back this season. Levell Coppage (5-foot-8, 180 – Oak Park, Ill) made it clear early-on in 2008 that he was capable of being UW-Whitewater’s primary tailback. Coppage burst onto the scene in week two in a road game against nationally-ranked UW-Eau Claire. The former Illinois All-State running back gained 220 yards on 42 carries including two touchdowns in his second game in Warhawk purple, a 16-14 Whitewater win.
Coppage enters the Saturday’s game vs. St. Johns with 1276 yards rushing and scoring a team- and conference-high 20 touchdowns. The touchdowns rank second in Warhawk football history, trailing only Justin Beaver’s 24 TDs in 2005. The 20 TD’s does break the team’s regular season touchdown record. Beaver scored 18 touchdowns during the 2005 regular season. Coppage’s 1,276 yards also broke Chad Wurth’s freshman rushing record of 1,207 yards in 2000.
This season’s starting quarterback, Jeff Donovan (6-foot-5, 187 –Wauwatosa/East) was scheduled to be the Warhawks’ starting quarterback in 2007. Enter Danny Jones who transferred to UW-Whitewater from California Lutheran in late summer. Jones was a key cog in leading UW-W to the national title both with his arm and his legs.
Donovan enters Saturday’s game with an extremely efficient 1,712 yards passing and nine touchdowns, including a solid 63.2 percent completion rate. Injury forced him to miss the Hawks’ week nine win over Stout.
Donovan entered last week’s game listed as questionable. Jeff responded with one of his best games of the season statistically… 12-16 for 231 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The mark for Donovan has been his consistency.
Defensively, the ’08 Warhawks are the best of the past four teams in the most important statistic. Whitewater ranks No. 2 in the nation giving up just 10.7 points per game. With SJU ranked No. 4 in the nation, Saturday’s game could be a low-scoring affair.
Whitewater’s ’08 defense is in the same mold as the past three years: physical and with the ability to run to the ball. The Hawks defense gives up just 75 yards rushing per game. They have given up just two rushing touchdowns during the regular season.
Junior placekicker, Jeff Schebler, became NCAA Division III’s all-time leading field goal kicker last week by kicking his 53rd field goal.
Is the 2008 edition of UW-Whitewater football capable of repeating as NCAA Division III champions? The difference between this year and the previous three years is the youth on the team. This year’s team only has only six seniors. With youth has come some inconsistency this season. The Warhawks have the talent to beat any team in the country, but at times have shown inconsistency that could prove troubling in the playoffs.
A playoff game against SJU is what playoff football is all about. The Johnnies, under legendary coach John Gagliardi, are making their 23rd postseason appearance. They won Division III titles in 1976 and 2003.
Second year UW-W head coach Lance Leipold calls it ‘a privilege to compete against a school with such a rich tradition and a coaching legend.
Look for the Johnnies to enter Perkins Stadium on Saturday well prepared, and very capable of beating the Warhawks. It will be imperative for Whitewater to play at a high level to advance to the second round of the playoffs. I believe they will!
Final Score Projection: UW-Whitewater 28, St. John’s 10.
