Game 8: Junior Blue Dukes GREY 47, Milwaukee Hamilton 24

In a game that was not even as close as the lopsided score would have you believe, the JBD7 Grey dominated the first-year Hamilton Junior Wildcats 47-24 at Hamilton High School field.
Bay received the opening kickoff. After a pass completion from QB Ryan Hummer to WR Matt Bernstein to get the offense started, RB Van Bassindale took a handoff and ran around right end for a 50-plus yard TD. Nick Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. 8-0, Bay.
After Bay held Hamilton and blocked its punt, Hummer rolled right and threw to Higgins, who scampered unscathed into the end zone. Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. 16-0, Bay.
When Bay got the ball back, Hummer dropped back and fired a bomb to open WR Zach Casey, who zoomed to the end zone. This was probably the best pass Ryan has thrown this year. Higgins kicked the conversion. 24-0.
 In it a bit of deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra is alleged to have said, Bassindale ran for another long TD around the right. Higgins kicked another conversion. Hamilton managed on a TD on a nifty, twisting run to make the score 32-6 at halftime. As QB Hummer pointed out, Bay ran 7 offensive plays from scrimmage in the first half, and scored TDs on 4 of them.
Coach Jon Bassindale substituted freely in the second half.
Hamilton went to the air to try to get back into the game. With an effective QB and some tall targets, the Wildcats managed some garbage-time scores against a shifting cast of JBD defenders. However, Bay was not done scoring either.
On defense, Hummer read a Hamilton pass play in the works, jumped up to intercept it and scampered down the left sideline for a defensive TD. Higgins kicked the conversion, his fifth of the game and a personal best for Nick.
Bay closed out its scoring in the fourth quarter when QB Jack Friesch threw a swing pass to Higgins on the right side. This time Nick had to work for the score, breaking a couple of tackles before crossing the goal line and raising the ball high in the air. Nick's grandfather (Karen's dad) died this week in Indiana, and Nick taped his Grandpa's name on his helmet as a tribute before the game.
For the conversion, Friesch threw to WR Jesse Sanford for the point. Final score 47, Hamilton 24.
Our games are finished for the season, but the fun isn't. Several smart and beautiful Moms are working on plans for our post-season players and family party. Stay tuned for more information.

Game 5: Junior Blue Dukes GREY 44, Nicolet 12

Junior Blue Dukes Grey players caught a lot of footballs Saturday: some thrown by our quarterbacks, and some thrown by the Nicolet QBs. The Grey team dominated play in a 44-12 victory at Good Hope School field.
WFB received the opening kickoff. On a third-down play from around the Bay 40, QB Ryan Hummer ran around right end for a long gain. Then Hummer passed to slot receiver Nick Higgins on the left, who sped down the field for another substantial gain. Van Bassindale ran right for the TD, and Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. 8-0, Bay.
On fourth-down deep in its own territory, Nicolet ran from punt formation, but Bassindale and Higgins stuffed the ball carrier. Then Hummer threw a beautiful fade pass to Zach Casey in the right corner of the end zone for a TD. 14-0, Bay.
Near the end of the first quarter, Matt Bernstein returned a Nicolet punt for an apparent TD, but the score was nullified by a penalty. Still, Bay scored again in the first half. On fourth down and goal, Hummer threw a short pass to Higgins on the right. Nick ran untouched into the end zone, and kicked his second two-point conversion of the day. 22-0, Bay.
For the second consecutive game, an opponent has tried to beat Bay by throwing the ball, but Bay defenders have been paying attention. Jesse Sanford started the thievery by picking off a long Nicolet pass. Then, on offense, Coach Jon Bassindale rolled out a sweet gadget play. QB Jack Friesch threw backward to running back Bassindale, who pulled up and fired a long pass down the middle to the wide open Casey. Only an inadvertent stumble prevented Zach from scoring a TD.
Later in the quarter, Nicolet's QB threw to the right side. But cornerback Scott Rojahn was blanketing the receiver, went up in the air with him, and wrestled the ball away for an interception.
On Nicolet's last desperate throw of the half, defensive end Tony Schulz pressured the scrambling Nicolet QB, who heaved the ball over Tony's long arms, and into the grasp of the alert Casey. The half ended with Bay up 22-0.
Bay opened the second-half scoring with Van Bassindale, in wildcat formation, passing to Casey in the right corner of the endzone for a touchdown. Higgins kicked the two-point converstion. 30-0, Bay.
But Nicolet mounted a small rally, scoring a TD after getting outside Bay containment, and then breaking off a kickoff return for a score. (Under the rules of this league, teams trailing by more than 17 points can receive a kickoff after they score.)
Bay asserted itself with a strong defensive play. Nicolet passed short deep in its own end, but Rojahn read the play, interecepted the ball and dragged a Nicolet player on his back to about the 5-yard line. Teddy Weber ran up the middle untouched for a touchdown.
Van Bassindale then finished up the scoring with a long run, knocking the final Nicolet defender onto the ground as he ran into the end zone. Higgins kicked his fourth two-point conversion of the game to make the score 44-12.

Game 4: Junior Blue Dukes GREY 21, Germantown Blue 0

The Junior Blue Dukes controlled all phases of the contest in a 21-0 victory Saturday at Germantown.

Bay received the opening kickoff and consumed most of the first quarter on a steady march downfield, mixing runs by Teddy Weber and Van Bassindale, including a 4th down conversion by Bassindale, who went on to score the game's first TD on a run to the right. WFB 6-0.

After the kickoff, Bay stuffed Germantown deep in their own end, with linebacker Nick Higgins tossing a block aside before dropping a Germantown running back for a big loss on third down. On 4th down, the Germantown punter mishandled a high snap. When he picked it up and tried to kick, Higgins blocked the punt, and Bay took over on downs inside the Germantown 15. Unfortunately, Bay's drive stalled after an incomplete pass, and Germantown resumed possession deep in their own end. 

Realizing they could not run wide on the speedy Bay defense, Germantown began to throw more. On one dropback, defensive end Mason Trussoni knocked the ball out of the QB's hands, and defensive end Jonathan Downs recovered the fumble for the Junior Blue Dukes. On 4th down, Bassindale plowed up the middle for the touchdown. Teddy Weber ran for the extra point. WFB 13-0.

After the kickoff, Germantown gained some yardage on a run left, a few passes and an offside penalty against Bay. But safety Matt Bernstein leaped high in the air to intercept a pass and end the potential threat. The half ended with Whitefish Bay leading 13-0.

Germantown received the second-half kickoff. The Hawks completed a longish pass to cross into Bay territory. But Bay turned up its defensive pressure. Cornerback Scott Rojahn nearly intercepted the Germantown quarterback's pitch to a running back, and Bassindale nearly made a leaping one-handed interception in the middle of the field. Bay took over on downs.

From the wildcat formation, Bassindale threw a long pass to wide receiver Zach Casey, which he was not able to reel in. The Bay coaches, showing faith in both their players and their play call, went right back to the same play, with Casey making the catch for a long gain. Still in the wild cat, Bassindale ran a QB draw up in the middle for first-down yardage. On 2nd and goal, Bassindale ran through a would-be tackler into the end zone for a TD. Higgins kicked the 2-point conversion to make the score WFB 21, Germantown 0.

Neither side would taste the sweetness of the end zone after that, but the fourth quarter nonetheless had its charms. Jesse Sanford made a crisp tackle to stop a short reception right where it was caught. On 4th down in alleged punt formation, the Germantown protector (or up back) threw a pass, but cornerback Ryan Hummer read the play from the beginning and intercepted the ball. With determined effort Friesch eluded a tackler to gain a first down on a QB sneak. 

On Germantown's final possession, Casey intercepted a pass and took it down the right sideline to the end zone, but a holding penalty on the run back pulled the ball back. Still, it was a satisfying ending to game that Whitefish Bay dominated completely.