Healthy, wealthy and winning
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Just how bad was 2005 for the Pioneers? In the homecoming game against UW-Oshkosh, Joe Danielson caught a 15-yard touchdown from Mike Schmidt to give the Pioneers a 28-21 lead. On the way to the sidelines, he was jumping up to celebrate with an offensive lineman. He came down on the lineman’s ankle and sprained his own missing the remainder of that game, a 30-28 loss, and the following two weeks.
It was so bad that running back Damian Droessler broke his arm against UW-Whitewater, and then played the last three games at linebacker with a club because the Pioneers were so thin at that position.
"It was a strange year in many ways," admitted Emendorfer, who’d just as soon forget last season.
The golden lining in this predicament was the opportunity to start other players and give them invaluable game experience in the ultra-competitive WIAC. Forty players started at least one game for the Pioneers in 2005. Freshmen Mike Genslinger and Tyson Droessler were forced into action when starter Mike Haynes went down and are now the two leading rushers on this year’s team.
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The 2005 season was especially discouraging following a breakout 2004 season. Emendorfer won WIAC Coach of the Year and the Pioneers finished 6-4 knocking off top 20 teams in Augustana, UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire. It was the first winning season at UW-Platteville since 1992.
"We were coming into 2005 with a great deal of excitement," said Emendorfer.
Fast forward to 2006 and the Pioneers have put the injuries and winless 2005 WIAC record far behind them. Currently in a second place tie with UW-La Crosse, the Pioneers have knocked of Augustana, UW-Stout and UW-Oshkosh.
"We’re confident this year but we realize we’re only as good as the last game we play," said Emendorfer.
If that’s the case, the Pioneers are pretty good. They knocked off UW-Oshkosh on Saturday 21-14 -- a team WIAC coaches picked to finish fourth in the conference. Two weeks before that they dropped UW-Stout who was picked to finish third. Where was Platteville picked? Dead last. That’s what an injury-riddled, winless season will get you.
"We’re night and day compared to last year in terms of injuries," said Emendorfer about his 2006 team and its fast 4-2 start.
Now for the irony; UW-Platteville has Stagg Bowl runner-up UW-Whitewater for homecoming this Saturday. Whitewater just experienced a huge injury in their program with the loss of running back Justin Beaver to a broken collarbone.
"You’re always concerned with other players stepping it up when a star player goes down," said Emendorfer about a situation he’s all too familiar with. "I hope they (Whitewater) do that; I just hope it’s not this Saturday."
Wins help a football team forget about injuries better than any ice bag, stimulation treatment or pool workout.
UW-Platteville is back to their winning ways and has no plans to look back.
Elliott who?
Linfield has bounced back strong from their 0-2 start and one big reason for the turn around is quarterback Trevor Scharer. The junior stepped in for the injured Tim Benzel and has been sensational through three games. He has completed 73 of 103 passes (69.9%) for 1051 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception. That’s an efficiency rating of 188.92. Above all these numbers is the stat all Linfield fans really care about -- the Wildcats are 3-0 since he took over. While Linfield fans are far from forgetting Brett Elliott they are enjoying the resurgence under Scharer. His performance of 443 yards and five touchdowns on Saturday brought back glimmers of a pretty standard Saturday in the life of Elliott.
Both ends of the spectrum
Justin Jacobs threw three touchdowns in UW-Whitewater’s 45-10 drubbing of UW-La Crosse. The difference between the two of the players he connected with in the second half is worth noting. Leading 24-10 in the third quarter Jacobs connected with wide receiver Derek Stanley for a 29-yard touchdown. The score was Stanley’s 25th touchdown reception moving him into a share of the UW-Whitewater career lead with former teammate Jim Leszczynski (25, 2002-2005). Leading 31-10, Jacobs next touchdown strike was six yards to Nick Slupski -- the first touchdown of his career. Both touchdowns were key in a second half where UW-Whitewater outscored the Eagles 28-7.
Shades of 1960
On a day when the 1960 football team was inducted into the Whitworth Hall of Fame, it was the 2006 team that highlighted even closer ties to the 9-0 regular season squad from 46 years ago. Quarterback Joel Clark completed 11 of 15 passes for 186 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and also ran 20 yards for a TD on his only carry. He broke the record for career touchdown passes of 57, originally set by Denny Spurlock, a member of the 1960 team. Similarly, tight end Michael Allan caught three passes for 53 yards and one touchdown, tying Sam Adams for career touchdown receptions with 24. Adams was head coach of the 1960 squad. And with the 70-3 win the Pirates pushed their record to 6-0 for only the second time since 1960. The 1960 team was inducted into the hall of fame in the morning and introduced to the crowd during halftime.
A quick 14
Central is averaging 22.8 points per game but for 14 seconds on Saturday they were averaging a point a second, en route to a 40-14 victory over Dubuque. After jumping to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter, Central scored on a Vance Schuring 2-yard touchdown. Brandon O’Neall boomed the following Central kickoff to the 2-yard line where Walner Belleus muffed the kick. Central’s Marc Badeaux recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. O’Neall’s extra point capped the 14 points in 14 seconds feat.
Three can play this game
Three different players threw touchdowns for St. Olaf in their 49-14 victory over Concordia-Moorhead. Quarterback Matt Penz threw two touchdowns, as expected, but it was the first two touchdown passes from tight end Brandon Joyce and wide receiver Andrew Schmiesing that had Concordia scratching their heads. Schmeising finished the day with four catches for 117 yards including one pass from Penz for a 95-yard touchdown. He was also 1-for-1 for 7 yards and a touchdown.
And the kicker is …
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps kicker Zach Mallove hasn’t exactly had a great season. He entered Saturday’s game with a kicking resume that would keep him off most Pop Warner teams. He missed a 23-yard field goal against Puget Sound, had a 23-yard and 42-yard attempt blocked against Occidental, missed one from 48 yards against Chapman and had his attempted game winner of 31 yards blocked versus Cal Lutheran on Saturday. However, in overtime he put those five futile attempts behind him and kicked a 42-yard game winner and sent Cal Lutheran to its first loss in their last 11 games.
"It was a real big chance to pull through in the clutch, and I feel a lot better now," Mallove told the Ventura County Star. "That was just a huge weight off my back."
One-liners
-> UW-Whitewater played Saturday in front of a school-record crowd of 9,750 fans.
-> Hamline and Carleton combined for three safeties in the Pipers 16-11 victory.
-> Whitworth quarterback broke the record for career touchdown passes of 57, originally set by Denny Spurlock in 1960.
-> St. Olaf coach Chris Meidt is now 1-4 against the Cobbers.
-> St. Thomas head coach Don Roney won his 50th career game.
-> After losing three games by a combined seven points, UW-Stout notched a victory by eight points against UW-Eau Claire.
-> Buena Vista kicker Chris Kemmerer won his second consecutive game for the Beavers booming a 47-yard field goal in overtime for the 30-27 victory.
-> UW-Platteville notched its first WIAC road win since 2001.
Games to Watch
Loras at Buena Vista, 1 p.m., Storm Lake, Iowa: Loras head coach Steve Osterberger returns to Buena Vista to face his former team. Upstart Loras was a contender for the league title before losing to Wartburg on Saturday. They will need to stop a hot Buena Vista team that has won three straight and are riding the leg of kicker Chris Kemmerer who has kicked game winners in the last two games.
St. Olaf at Bethel, 1 p.m., Arden Hills: Another homecoming as Chris Meidt returns to Bethel where he was offensive coordinator before taking the reins at St. Olaf. Meidt won Assistant Coach of the Year while at Bethel and led their high flying offense. His Oles are coming off a49-14 drubbing of Concordia in Moorhead. The Oles won 27-25 on a late score last season in Northfield.
No. 2 UW-Whitewater at UW-Platteville, 1 p.m., Platteville, Wis.: A resurgent Platteville team gets the first shot at UW-Whitewater with Justin Beaver on the sidelines. The Warhawks still have a very potent passing attack and several players should vie for filling the hole left by Beaver with his broken collarbone. Platteville, who has three more wins than last season already could send some shock waves through the WIAC with the win. UW-Whitewater won 63-28 in 2005.