Box Score The Falcons football team hosted the best team in the land on Saturday, falling to No. 1 Whitewater 42-10. Ramer Field was packed with over 3,600 fans for the annual Homecoming Game, the largest turnout at Ramer Field since Oct 13. 2007, when the Falcons upset No. 16 Eau Claire.
The Warhawks extended their winning streak to 35 games, including two consecutive national championships. The winning streak is the longest in the nation, at every level, as the Warhawks have averaged winning by a score of 41-10 during the streak.
On the other sidelines, the Falcons fell to 0-5 overall as they lose for the 16
th time in their last 17 games. The Falcons offense compiled just 163 total yards, including only six on the ground. This marks just the second time in this century the Falcons have failed to gain more than 200 yards in a game. The six yards rushing is the fewest in a single game in the last 10 years.
John Wahlstrom (Hastings, MN, Hastings) accounted for nearly half of the Falcons offense, catching 12 passes for 77 yards, both career highs for Wahlstrom. It is the second time this year that Wahlstrom has caught more than 10 passes in a game this season, as he has grabbed 30 passes in 2011.
The Falcons special teams unit struggled early in the season, but came up big for the second consecutive game. Trailing 14-0 early in the second quarter,
Will Jensen (Brillion, WI, Brillion) sent a put to the six-yard line which was fumbled by Whitewater's Sean Covington and recovered by
Nate Brandt (Lakefield, MN, Jackson County Central) at the Whitewater three.
Two plays later,
Taylor Edwards (Janesville, WI, Parker) rushed in his third touchdown of the season to cut the lead in half to 14-7.
The Warhawks answered the call by scoring 21 points in the next six minutes. Matt Blanchard threw a touchdown pass on consecutive drives to end the first half, including finding Tyler Huber on a 45-yard strike. On the first play of the second half, Blanchard found Huber again for a 60-yard score, giving the Warhawks a decisive 35-7 lead.
B.J. Letourneau (Falcon Heights, MN, Roseville) helped the Falcons get on the board one final time in the third quarter as he marched the Falcons down field by completing five consecutive passes to three different receivers. The drive ended with
Chad Blair (Oakdale, MN, Tartan) nailing a career-long 46-yard field goal which hit the cross bar before going through the upright. It was the first time a Falcon has made a field goal of over 40 yards since Drake Klatt hit a 46-yarder against La Crosse in 2009.
Matt Ainsworth (Maple Grove, MN, Osseo) picked off his fourth pass of the season in the loss. No Falcon has intercepted four passes in a season since 2008. Ainsworth also made nine stops on the day, while
Lincoln Bjorklund (New Sweden, MN, Sibley East) and
Nate Smits (Hudson, WI, Hudson) each had 10.
The Falcons defense had six stops behind the line, including two by
David Scaro (Elkhorn, WI, Elkhorn) who picked up the first sack of his career in the second half.
Whitewater stays perfect on the season at 5-0 and 2-0 in the WIAC. While the Falcons remain winless, falling to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in the WIAC.
Up next the Falcons travel to Stevens Point next Saturday to face the only other winless team in the WIAC. The Pointers lost to both La Crosse and Stout by a field goal as they sit at 0-2 in conference play. Kickoff is at 1 p.m., in Stevens Point.
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