Game 3: Blue Dukes 27, Cedarburg 6

With stout run defense and power running, the Blue Dukes freshman team won their first road game of the season, defeating the Cedarburg frosh 27-6. The Bay freshman squad is now 3-0.
Cedarburg opened the game by kicking off out of bounds. The Blue Dukes took possession at their own 35, with a Cedarburg encroachment penalty advancing the ball to the 40. Nick Higgins (#43) ran for a first down, Matt Bernstein (#10) ran left for a good gain, Van Bassindale (#40) ran up the middle for more than 10 yards and a first down. Then Bassindale broke through the Cedarburg line and galloped to a first and goal at the 6.
After a couple of short runs and a penalty against Bay, Macklin Kortebein (#23) swept right, spun out of a tackle attempt and crossed the goal line for a TD. Bailey Wieland kicked the extra point. Bay, 7-0.
Following the kickoff, Bay’s run defense forced a 4th and 1 for Cedarburg at its own 29. Cedarburg jumped offside, making it 4th and 6, forcing a punt. Kortebein fielded the punt at the Bay 25, returning to about the 40. On second down, Bassindale broke a long run up the middle to the Cedarburg 41. On third and long, Bernstein ran left for a 1st down at the Cedarburg 31. Jake Fisher (#3) picked up a first down on a QB keeper. Bassindale took an inside handoff for the final yards to score a TD standing. The extra-point attempt was no good. Bay, 13-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, Kortebein, Higgins and Mark Mendoza (#22) crunched the returner deep in the Cedarburg end of the field.

Cedarburg picked up a first down running. But as the second quarter began, on 4th down at their own 36, Cedarburg tried to keep the chains moving with a pass, but it fell incomplete, thanks to vigorous pass defense from Bernstein. Bay took possession of the ball.
On a 4th and medium count, Fisher found Kortebein uncovered and hit him with a TD pass. A Higgins run on the conversion attempt was successful, but it was negated by a penalty against Bay. On the retry, the extra-point attempt from field goal distance was no good. Bay 19-0.
With 6:47 left in the half, Wieland kicked off. Cedarburg returned to its 39, with Wieland and Teddy Weber (#75) making the tackle. Bay forced a punt, and took possession of the ball at its own 43.
Bassindale picked up first downs on a short run and then a long one. Fisher plunged forward for another first down. A penalty on Bay wiped away a 4th and 2 conversion. A pass attempt on the ensuing 4th and 7 fell incomplete. Cedarburg assumed possession at their own 28.
On 3rd and long, Bassindale dumped a runner in the backfield for a loss, and the half ended.
Wieland kicked off to open the second half.  A Bay encroachment penalty gave Cedarburg a 2nd and 1. Cedarburg converted the first down running, then on 3rd and 9 completed a long pass to move deep into Bay territory. On 4th and 10+, the Cedarburg QB hit a receiver running down the sideline for a first down. Jesse Sanford (#59) knocked down a 3rd and 5 pass attempt, but Cedarburg completed a 4th down pass for 1st and goal at the 5. Cedarburg ran for the TD. The extra point attempt failed. Bay 19-6.
Bassindale returned the kickoff to the Bay 38. A Cedarburg encroachment penalty gave Bay 5 bonus yards. But the Cedarburg defense forced Bay to punt.
Higgins’ high, deep punt was enhanced by a friendly roll, pinning Cedarburg back at its own 12 yard line. Justin Fisher (#74) dropped a runner for a loss. The interior defense, led by Weber, stuffed another run attempt. Josiah Erving (#49) stuffed the third-down run attempt, forcing 4th and 13 from the 9.
Kortebein returned the punt to the Cedarburg 24. Fisher converted a 4th down run.  On a clever bit of deception, Kortebein ran for the TD. Fisher faked a handoff and ran for the two-point conversion attempt. Bay 27-6.
The 4th quarter ran out with Cedarburg unable to move the ball effectively and Bay’s reserve offense gaining experience. Weber punctuated the game by dropping a runner for a loss to end the game.
The freshman Blue Dukes next play at home at 4:15 p.m. Thursday Sept. 13 against Milwaukee Lutheran's frosh squad.

Game 2: Blue Dukes 48, Germantown 24

Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin.

The Blue Dukes freshman squad never stopped running Aug. 30 at Lubar Stadium, stomping the freshman Germantown Warhawks 48-24 in a contest that was not as close as the score might indicate.

After Bay forced a 3-and-out on Germantown’s opening possession, the Blue Dukes took over at the Germantown 42.  The Blue Dukes showed the versatility of their running attack immediately. Matt Bernstein (#10) ran for 9 yards, Nick Higgins (#43) ran for 13 yards and Van Bassindale (#40) carried a flock of Warhawks defenders on his back for 8 more yards. Higgins carried to a 1^st and goal at the 2; Bassindale plunged through the middle of the line for the opening touchdown. Bailey Wieland (#25) kicked the extra point. Bay, 7-0.

Germantown mishandled Wieland’s strong kickoff, but regained the ball for a 1^st down at their own 18 yard line. Bay forced another punt, with Macklin Kortebein (#23) returning the ball to the Germantown 46. Bassindale ran to the 35 yard line. After an exchange of 5-yard penalties, Kortebein carried to the 24. Two plays later, Bassindale plowed to the 17. Two plays later, Kortebein carried to a 1^st and goal at the 5. Higgins ran for the touchdown. Wieland kicked the PAT. Bay, 14-0.

Germantown downed the ensuing kickoff at their own 28, and dug themselves a hole with a false-start penalty. On third down, Will Alt (#83) and Teddy Weber (#75) dropped the QB for no gain, forcing another punt, which Kortebein returned to the Bay 44. An explosive run by Kortebein to the Gtown 15 was unfortunately nullified by a Bay penalty.

Bay opened the 2^nd quarter with a 2^nd and long at their own 38. Kortebein ran to the 47. Bernstein glided to the Warhawk 46. Bassindale bulldozed his way to a 1^st down at the Warhawks 39. Twisting and cutting back, Kortebein scampered to a 1^st and goal at the Warhawks 5. Bassindale forced his way through the Warhawks line for the touchdown. The extra point attempt was blocked. Bay, 20-0.

On the kickoff, Patrick Collins (#65) and Paul Wilson (#70) downed the Germantown ball carrier at Gtown’s 21. The Warhawks turned to their short passing game, completing one to their big tight end. But Jonathan Downs (#67) dropped a running back for a loss on the next play. The Warhawks earned a first down and completed another dinky pass, but lost yardage on a false-start penalty. On third and short, bull-rushing linebacker Jesse Sanford (#59) dropped the Warhawks QB for a sack. On 4^th and 6, the pressured Warhawks QB threw a middle screen pass, but d-lineman Dreyel Taylor (#93) dropped the receiver immediately, to turn possession over to Bay at the Warhawks 34.

Unfortunately, on the next play, a Warhawks defender intercepted Bay’s pass and headed for a pick-6. Bassindale, flashing his sprinter speed, caught him behind at the Bay 7, saving a touchdown for the moment. Germantown completed a pass for the TD. On the extra point attempt, the presumed holder passed to the Warhawk receiver in the end zone for the two-point conversion. Bay, 20-8.

Germantown tried an onside kick, but Andrew James (#72) outfought a Warhaw to recover the ball. (A ref had to get prone on the ground where the two boys were hanging on to the ball to parse the possession.)

Bay 1^st down at its own 46. On 3^rd and 9, Higgins gained about 8.5 yards on a bruising run up the middle; a minor facemask penalty against Germantown gave Bay a first down. Three Bassindale carries produced another first down. Higgins carried multiple defenders on his back for another decent gain. Kortebein and Bassindale carried to within hailing distance of the goal line. On second and goal at 1, QB Jake Fisher (#3) plunged over the line for the TD. Wieland kicked the PAT. Bay, 27-8.

Germantown returned the ensuing kick to its 30. Germantown gained a 1^st down on a reverse, but the first half came to an end.

The second half opened with Alt recovering the Germantown kickoff on the Bay 33. Several runs, including a Bernstein scamper, gave Bay a 1^st down at Germantown’s 45. Higgins broke a tackle in the backfield and glided to the 32, with a horse-collar tackling penalty assessed against the Warhawks, taking the ball to the 17. Fisher completed a swing pass to Wieland for 4 yards. Then Higgins ran right 13 yards for a touchdown. Wieland kicked the PAT. Bay, 34-8.

On the kickoff, Kortebein tackled the returner at the Germantown 35. Playing against a Bay defense with many reserves in, Germantown marched down the field for a score on a QB keeper, and completed a pass for a 2-point conversion. Bay, 34-16.

Cole Miller (#9) took the Germantown kickoff at the Bay 41. With second effort, Bassindale gained a 1^st down on a 4^th down run to the Germantown 48. On the second play, Bassindale ran up the middle, saw daylight, and zoomed left for a TD. Wieland converted the extra point. Bay, 41-16.

On the next possession, Cole Miller (#9) intercepted a Warhawk pass, but the turnover was nullified by a Bay penalty. Germantown passed for a score, and passed for the two-point conversion. Bay, 41-24.

Wieland recovered the onside kickoff attempt at Bay’s 48. Bay drove to a 1^st and goal at the 7. Bernstein took a handoff and swept left into the end zone. Wieland kicked the PAT to conclude the game’s scoring. Bay, 48-24.   

Game 1: Blue Dukes 14, Slinger 0

Led by a stifling defense, the Class of 2016 began their Whitefish Bay High School football career by defeating the Slinger freshman team 14-0 at Lubar Stadium.

Nick Higgins (#43) returned Slinger's opening kickoff to the Bay 37. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Van Bassindale (#40) scampered 34 yards to the Slinger 29. After a false-start penalty pushed Bay back 5 yards, wingback Matt Bernstein (#10) recovered those yards on a 5-yard run. Higgins then ran up the middle, cut back to the left and dashed 24 yards to the Slinger 54-yard line. A few plays later, Bassindale punched the ball in for a 1-yard TD run. Higgins kicked the PAT. 7-0, Bay.

Slinger returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 48. The Bay run defense, with tackling by Teddy Weber (#75), Jesse Sanford (#59) and Bailey Wieland (#25) denied Slinger a first down and forced a punt.

Bay took possession of the ball on its own 33. Higgins ran right for a 1st down at the 46. Back-to-back penalties pushed Bay 10 yards back. A Jake Fisher (#3) pass to Higgins gained 7 yards. But Bay was ultimately forced to punt. Slinger took over at its own 39.

Wieland and Bassindale dropped a Slinger receiver for a minimal gain. Slinger gained a first down running up the middle, but Josiah Erving (#49) and Higgins tackled a runner and a receiver, respectively, short of a first down. Slinger punted, and Bay took possession at its own 20.

Fisher completed a pass to tight end Alec Lindfors (#7) for 9 yards. On 4th and 1, the Bay O-line surged forward and QB Fisher crossed the 30 for a 1st down. A subsequent 4th down pass was intercepted, with Slinger taking over on the Bay 48.

Erving and Weber stuffed a Slinger runner on the first carry, and an incomplete pass led to a Slinger punt. Bay took over at its 26. Bassindale alertly recovered a Bay fumble to keep possession of the ball. The offense stalled and Bay was forced to punt.

In a sequence that no doubt raised the resting heart rate of the Bay coaches, the ball was snapped well over punter Higgins' head and rolled into the end zone. Higgins scooted back to pick it up, ran out of the end zone, and just before being clobbered and/or pushed out of bounds by a Slinger defender, launched a low-flying punt to the Bay 30, where Slinger took the ball.

Running between the tackles, Slinger plowed inside the Bay 10, setting up a 1st and goal situation. But when the Sling QB and RB collided on an exchange, the runner fumbled the ball, and Justin Fisher (#74) recovered for Bay at the 5-yard line.

Bassindale gave the Bay offense some breathing room by rambling to the 43. Higgins gained 6 yards to the 49. Unfortunately, Bay could not gain a first down. A Higgins punt pinned Slinger back at its 19.

Slinger gained 5 yards on a Bay penalty, but the half ended without any drama. 7-0, Bay.

Slinger returned the 2nd-half kickoff to its own 31. When the Slinger QB fumbled the snap, Erving sacked him for an 11-yard loss to the 20. Unfortunately, a completed Slinger pass got the ball out to the 39 for a third and short, and Slinger gained the first down running. Bassindale and friends dropped the QB on a planned rollout for a minimal gain. On third and short at the Bay 47, Slinger threw incomplete. On 4th down, the big Slinger QB ran up the middle on a draw, but was stuff short of the first down by a posse that included Weber, Fisher, Sanford and Patrick Collins (#65). Bay took over at its own 48.

A false-start penalty pushed Bay back to its own 43. Bassindale took an inside handoff and powered his way to the Slinger 41. He then took the next handoff and charged left for a touchdown. Higgins kicked the PAT. 14-0, Bay.

Slinger turned the kickoff to its 26. On second and long, in one of the game's defensive highlights, defensive back Bernstein outpositioned and outplayed a receiver for a pass; only heroic effort by the receiver kept Bernie from coming down with an interception. Macklin Kortebein (#23) read the Slinger QB's next pass perfectly, and leapt in front of the receiver for an INT. Bay took possession at its own 45.

On 3rd and 5 at the 50, Kortebein twisted his way through and around the Slinger defenders for a 16-yard gain to the Slinger 34. Higgins ran 12 yards for another first down at the Slinger 12. Unfortunately, a false-start penalty pushed Bay back 5 yards. After a 4th down pass attempt fell incomplete, Slinger took over at its own 20.

Slinger gained a first down running, and with the aid of the Bay encroachment penalty began the 4th quarter on its own 41. Slinger marched as far as the Bay 20, but then an offense which had been enjoying success running threw two straight incomplete passes. An offensive holding call pushed the Owls back further. Bay took over on downs at its own 32.

A Bassindale surge took the ball to the Slinger 43. Kortebein carried to the 38, and Bernstein ran to nearly the 35. Bassindale plowed to the 30. Mark Mendoza (#22) continued the forward momentum, carrying to the 27. Unfortunately, a Bay fumble gave Slinger the ball at the 20 and at least the hope of getting on the scoreboard.

Two Slinger runs netted short gains. On third down, from a spread formation, the Slinger QB threw low and Higgins made a diving interception, sealing the shutout. QB Fisher took a knee twice in victory formation, and Blue Dukes freshmen recorded a 14-0 victory.

The next freshman game kicks off at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30 at Lubar Stadium, with the Blue Dukes hosting Germantown.

Whitefish Bay Now preview of HS season

Says the WFBNow: Whitefish Bay football coach Jim Tietjen is busy tamping down brushfires of excitement as the Blue Dukes go into the 2012 season with anticipation of glory not seen since the early 1990s. "We're dropping passes, putting the ball on the ground (fumbles), we're just not as far as I would like us to be," he said. But that kind of pessimism is just smoke and mirrors to other area coaches and teams, who know that the Blue Dukes have more than 20 returners from a 2011 team that advanced to the third round of the WIAA state playoffs for the first time in school history, including NOW All-Suburban selections Rashadeem Gray (running back) and Jackson Weber (defensive back). Read the article here.