Building a legacy

After punching their ticket to a fourth straight national championship appearance, it may be hard to imagine when the Warhawks weren't in the title game or even the playoffs.

But UW-Whitewater and the Stagg Bowl were not always so familiar with each other.

In fact, before their first run in 2005, the 'Hawks only managed to reach the postseason four times in their 114-year history.

The tide, however, has changed.

Since their 7-3 finish in the 2004 season, the 'Hawks have only lost four times and have become a constant at the Stagg Bowl, along with their opponent for Saturday - Mount Union, a nine-time Stagg Bowl champion.

"Being able to play Mount Union again for the fourth year in a row is pretty incredible," senior middle linebacker Jace Rindahl said. "Mount Union, they're the dynasty of Division III football."

Lately, though, the 'Hawks, have been just as dominant as the Purple Raiders.

They have compiled 14-1 records in each of the past three seasons. Although they fell to Mount Union in the 2005 and 2006 Stagg Bowls, the 'Hawks rolled through the 2007 playoffs to set up a rematch with the Purple Raiders.

Led by the efforts of All-American running back Justin Beaver and quarterback Danny Jones, the 'Hawks dethroned the Purple Raiders after their 31-21 win.

While evening the score may be a primary motivation for many, Mount Union head coach Larry Kehres didn't want to focus on the past.

"The idea of revenge is just not a healthy one," Kehres said. "You dig your own grave when you go seeking it."

Although the 'Hawks were the defending national champions, many viewed the 2008 team to be in rebuilding mode after it lost 24 seniors.

However, UW-Whitewater refused to suffer from a post-championship hangover, and, at least statistically, had an even better year.

In 2007, an impressive 'Hawks defense allowed 13.4 points per game prior to the Stagg Bowl. This season, the defense has surrendered 12.2 points per contest.

The 'Hawks offense, paced by running backs Levell Coppage and Antwan Anderson, has upped its scoring per game from 32.7 to 35. 1 points.

"We lost a lot of big pieces to that team," junior quarterback Jeff Donovan said regarding last year's departures. "We were still basically a new team. We had to prove it all over again, and I'm glad we have."

As a result of their makeover, the 'Hawks were below Mount Union in the preseason rankings.

"Personally, that's how I like it," Rindahl said. "I like hiding in the weeds, being the underdogs."

While junior transfer Kyle Supianoski, who recorded a team-high 16 tackles in UW-Whitewater's 39-13 victory over Mary Hardin-Baylor last Saturday in the semifinals, felt snubbed, he said it has fueled the team.

"It's funny, how they say that we're the underdog, when we're the defending national champs," Supianoski said. "It keeps us hungry. They're the ones that got more to lose."

But 'Hawks' head coach Lance Leipold took a different approach and said a storied program like Mount Union deserves the credit.

"Our goal as a program, for many years, was that we'd be mentioned in the same conversation as Mount Union," Leipold said.

Added Donovan:

"We haven't completely proven ourselves until we defend our crown, but I think we're going to."

Now, after years of missing the playoffs, and after two title runs that fell just short, the 'Hawks can become the new dynasty - a feat not in sight four years ago.