By Troy Sparks
Correspondent
Whitewater’s defense gave up 68 points at East Troy last year. This year, however, the Whippets would have none of that on their home field.
The Whippets locked in and held the Trojans to their lowest point total of the season in their Sept. 15 against East Troy, which had averaged 45 points a game entering the Week 5 contest.
“The kids are starting to understand what we are doing (on defense),” Whitewater coach Jim Pease said. “When we came in (as new coaches), we had a whole new system and a whole new scheme. We changed that up a little bit and I think they are starting to understand it and trust it and do well. So, I think defensively and I think offensively as well. If we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot like that and make some mistakes (in the game), I think we put a few more points on the board.”
The Whitewater defense kept the East Troy offense under control early in the game. They didn’t give up any first quarter points. That was the second straight week that the Trojans were shut out in the opening quarter. Clinton also held them scoreless in the first quarter.
Whitewater had a good rhythm on their first drive until a block in the back penalty pushed the Whippets from their own 47-yard line back to the 31 and they were forced to punt. An interception by senior defensive back Dylan Hansen gave Whitewater the ball back at their 4-yard line but the drive stalled at the 41.
East Troy couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-7 at the Whippets’ 48 early in the second quarter. Whitewater put together an impressive 5-minute drive, which began at the East Troy 48 with 8 minutes, 27 seconds left in the half.
On the first play, Whitewater received an illegal procedure penalty and another one two plays later. They picked up three first downs along the way. A 14-yard run from Daniel Fuller to make up for a five-yard false start penalty on a second-and-15 left the Whippets with a third-and-1 at the East Troy 20.
Fuller took a hard hit and limped to the sideline. He returned and gave senior Jimmy DuVal the ball on the next play for two yards. It gave Whitewater a first down.
The senior quarterback shook off the pain and kept the ball on the next play on a tough 18-yard run. Fuller ran through the East Troy defense and refused to go down. He ran over some defenders in the end zone. Tyler Sheffield’s kick made it 7-0, Whitewater, with 3:31 left in the half.
“My dad has this saying, ‘Be wise of any obstacle but focus on the goal,’” Fuller said. “So, you see on that touchdown, I wanted it so bad and I wasn’t going to go down.”
East Troy ran their no-huddle offense and went 87 yards in 10 plays in just 2:37. A 13-yard pass from junior quarterback Jacob Dessart to junior receiver Jacob Price and the extra point kick with 44 seconds left in the half made it 7-7. It was tied at the half.
Whitewater began a drive at their own 2 with 1:40 left in the third quarter and it ended early in the fourth quarter at the 18 after the ball was knocked out of Fuller’s hands and the East Troy defense recovered the fumble.
The Whippets’ defense held the Trojans to a 23-yard field goal by Brett Wojiechowski on their next possession for a 10-0 East Troy lead with 10:09 left in the game.
Whitewater began the next drive at their 35. A reception by junior Julio Espinoza went for 22 yards. An illegal procedure penalty two plays later and a fumble recovery resulted in a fourth-and 4 at the East Troy 35. Whitewater was stopped about an inch from the first down marker at the 30.
“I thought we put some good long drives together,” Pease said. “I’ll have to look back at it. I thought we were driving the ball and using the clock and doing everything we wanted to do really well and have a penalty or a turnover and that would put us back. We even overcame some penalties and got some first downs. We just had too many mistakes. We got to clean that up.”
East Troy took advantage of the Whitewater turnover and scored again. Dessart’s 13-yard TD run extended the Trojans’ lead to 17-7 with 3:49 left in regulation. The Whippets’ last possession ended at the East Troy 43 on an interception by East Troy sophomore defensive back Zachary Burke to make the 17-7 score a final in East Troy’s favor.
Game Summary
East Troy 0 7 0 10 – 17
Whitewater 0 7 0 0 – 7
Scoring
Second Quarter: WW – Daniel Fuller 18 run (Tyler Sheffield kick), 7-0, 3:31. ET – Jacob Dessart 13 pass to Jacob Price (Brett Wojiechowski kick), 7-7, 44 seconds.
Fourth Quarter: ET – Brett Wojiechowski 23-yard FG, 10-7, 10:09. ET – Jacob Dessart 13 run (Brett Wojiechowski kick), 17-7, 3:49.
