Warhawks win big at first home game
UW-Whitewater 46 – 7 Carthage
University of Wisconsin Whitewater Senior Quarterback Max Meylor (7) slams on the ground in the end zone as he scores during the game against Carthage in Perkins Stadium Sept. 4, 2021.
September 5, 2021
The UW-Whitewater’s conference champs football team had their first big game of the season Saturday, Sept. 4 against the Carthage Athletics, pulling off an astonishing win. The team hasn’t been able to play for the past two years, but quickly racked up points on the field, winning 46-7 at the non-conference match.
Students, faculty, family, and friends were beyond excited to attend a football game for the first time in what seems like forever. The stadium was packed with purple and white. Fans were cheering and chanting, which created an inspiring atmosphere for the Warhawks.
“It was so cool I can’t explain that. It was exciting, “ said Head football coach, Kevin Bullis. “We could feel the excitement. At 11 o’ clock in the morning I looked and saw in the parking lot – it was full and people were tailgating and enjoying the day. It was just really cool considering last year not having games. That was really neat for our kids to play the game they love playing in front of a really great crowd.”
In the first quarter the Warhawks were up 14-0 and were already ahead of the game. At 10:50 running back Alex Peete ran 35 yards and kicker Kacper Lupa kicked off the ball. At this point in the game there were a total of three plays and the Warhawks were at 41 yards which totaled in the Warhawks leading, 7-0. At 8:12 wide receiver Tyler Holte made a 47 yard pass from quarterback Max Meylor and once again Lupa was up for the kick off. During this time there were a total of two plays, 47 yards, and the Warhawks were ahead 14-0.
The excitement didn’t stop in the second quarter. At 11:12 Pete made a 1 yard run with Lupa up for the kick off. At this time there were a total of 5 plays, 59 yards and the Warhawks were up 21-0. At 8:35 Peete made another one yard run and kick- off Lupa. There were a total of four plays, 44 yards, and the Warhawks kept their winning streak going with a score of 28-0. At 2:08 Peete made one more 1 yard run, there were a total of 10 plays, 41 yards, and the Warhawks were up 34-0. To end the second quarter, at 1:05 tight end Michael Berentes made a 45 yard pass from Meylor leading to Lupa making another kickoff. To end the game before halftime. The Warhawks had two plays, 45 yards, and were now up 41-0.
“I was really excited about how we came out of the gate really fast and gained some control right off the bat and we are able to play the game at our tempo,” said Bullis. “You know when you can do that it’s hard for opponents to regain the momentum on their own. So we came out with great energy and really got a hold of that game. Second half was kind of a tale of two halves…we turned over the ball and ended up turning the ball over 4 times in that game.”
The halftime show was the first show the Warhawks had seen since 2019. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Marching Band played while the color guard performed. The cheerleaders and palmers danced for an ecstatic crowd.
Once the halftime show ended, the Warhawks came running back onto the field to start off the third quarter. At 11:15 linebacker Shane McGrail made a 0 yard safety and the Warhawks were up 43-0 at this time. With only 42 seconds left of the quarter, kicker/punter Matt Maldonado made a 30 yard field goal. There were a total of 5 plays, 17 yards, and the Warhawks were up 46-0.
The Warhawks already knew they had this game in the bag, but during the fourth quarter Carthage snuck up on them. The Athletics scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left, but the Warhawks still had them beat by more than 39 points.
This was an exciting day for fans and especially for the team. They got to play as a team on the field once again, and now anxiously prepare for their first away game Sept. 11 at 11 a.m. against Salisbury.
