At the football team’s annual media day session in August, Troney Shumpert had one main objective for his defensive unit in 2009. “Our goal is to be better than we were last year,” the senior defensive back said. More than three months later, as Shumpert and the Warhawks (12-0) head into Saturday’s NCAA home quarterfinal game against Wittenberg (12-0), that goal is a reality.

The UW-Whitewater football team just won its fifth straight conference championship. Sports Editor Chris Kuhagen notes his top five reasons on how Lance Leipold's team accomplished this feat once again.

Jordan Wells did not waver when he made this statement: “I guarantee they will know when we come off the football field that we’re the better football team,” the senior wide receiver said. Wells is, of course, referring to Saturday’s 1 p.m. showdown at UW-Stevens Point (5-2, 4-0 WIAC) – who is tied with UW-Whitewater (7-0, 4-0) atop the conference standings with only three weeks left in the regular season.

No one saw it coming. It was almost one year ago to the date, when the unexpected happened on Homecoming. The previously undefeated Warhawks fell to UW-Stevens Point, 17-16, and shocked a packed Perkins Stadium crowd. UW-Whitewater was flying high up until that point and had just completed a blowout win on the road. And it’s a similar characteristic to this year as the ’Hawks have the same record, 6-0, and just demolished UW-Stout, 38-3, after a four-hour bus drive to Menomonie.

It was all a matter of seizing the opportunity. For Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson, this was the motto both played with throughout the 2008 football season. And when each had their chance to start, Coppage and Anderson grabbed it with full confidence and kept UW-Whitewater’s running back tradition alive.