They received a standing ovation at a Wisconsin Badger basketball game. They have been recognized by the Whitewater Common Council. They even mingled and shared a few laughs with Gov. Jim Doyle at his mansion in Madison. It’s been quite the ride for the football team since defeating Mount Union College (Alliance, Ohio), 38-28, on Dec. 19 to win the program’s second national championship in three years. However, with the first of 15 spring practices beginning today, senior wide receiver Aaron Rusch already has his eye on the 2010 season.

The 2009 season will not be forgotten anytime soon. It was a season the UW-Whitewater football team dominated for much of the year. It was a season where numerous team and individual records were broken. And it was a season that ended in the most dramatic fashion on Division III’s grandest stage.

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.

More than likely the football team will have home field advantage throughout the postseason. The Warhawks have not clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament yet, but there is little doubt they will roll to the national championship game – especially after the drubbing the ’Hawks put on UW-Stevens Point last Saturday. So technically, the regular season finale against UW-Oshkosh will not be the last time the 17 seniors suit up for a game at Perkins Stadium.

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.