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.
