BM
Benjamin McFall
  • Physical Education
  • Rewey, WI

Rewey Native McFall to compete for UW-Whitewater Football in 2016

2016 Sep 8

Ben McFall, a native of Rewey, WI, and graduate of Iowa-Grant High School, will play for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team during the 2016 season.

McFall, a junior at UW-Whitewater, is majoring in Physical Education.

The Warhawks kicked off the 2016 season last Saturday with a 51-3 victory over The College of New Jersey. The team continues play this Saturday against Belhaven (Miss.) at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater.

See below for a complete preview of the 2016 Warhawks.

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team, which has won six national championships in the last nine years, began play last week with the single goal of claiming its 35th Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and 10th in the last 12 years.

The Warhawks reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Playoffs for the 10th time in the last 11 years, and finished 12-2 overall, including a 6-1 mark in the WIAC, in 2015.

Second-year head coach Kevin Bullis said the team looks to move back atop the conference after finishing as runner-up last season.

"In our (preseason) meetings, that's the first thing we talk about," Bullis said. "We have one large goal that we talk about as a team. After that, everything we talk about is focused on achieving that goal, which is to win the WIAC."

UW-Whitewater, which returns 14 starters in 2016, is the preseason favorite to win the WIAC according to the league's preseason poll, and is ranked among the top three in three separate national preseason rankings.

The Warhawks return 22 seniors, including captains John Flood (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton Community), Paul Foster (Janesville/Craig) and Austin Jones (Madison, Wis./Memorial).

"It's one thing to have a large group of seniors, but, to me, it's when you sit back and look at who those seniors are as individuals," Bullis said. "It's a super group of young men. If I was working for a company, these are young men I would want to hire for their sense of leadership, integrity and commitment to the greater good of the program."

UW-Whitewater, which is currently on a 25-game home winning streak, continues its non-conference slate Saturday against Belhaven (Miss.) and wraps it up with a showdown against NAIA powerhouse Morningside (Iowa) on Sept. 24, which is set for Hall of Fame and Alumni Day at Perkins Stadium.

The Warhawks scored in the final minute last year for a thrilling 33-30 victory at Morningside and anticipate a highly intense rematch this season.

"I can tell you right now, fans are going to have some fun at that game," Bullis said.

UW-Whitewater opens conference play Oct. 1 at UW-Platteville, which is ranked No. 12 in the D3football.com Preseason Top 25.

The team hosts defending league champion and sixth-ranked UW-Oshkosh on Oct. 8 at Perkins Stadium during UW-Whitewater's Family Fest. The Warhawks downed the Titans 31-29 on the road in last season's NCAA quarterfinals.

After visiting UW-La Crosse on Oct. 15, UW-Whitewater returns home Oct. 22 for a contest against UW-Stevens Point on Homecoming Saturday.

The Warhawks visit UW-Eau Claire on Oct. 29, host UW-River Falls on Shriners' and Senior Day on Nov. 5 and close the regular season at UW-Stout on Nov. 12.

See below for a breakdown of the 2016 UW-Whitewater football team on each side of the ball.

OFFENSE

Despite the loss of All-American running back Jordan Ratliffe (Milwaukee/Milwaukee Vincent), the Warhawks return eight offensive starters in 2016, including three D3football.com Preseason All-Americans.

Last season, UW-Whitewater averaged more than 38 points per game and ranked second in the WIAC with 222.9 rushing yards per contest.

Seniors Tony Koepnick (Sussex/Hamilton) and Spencer Shier (Pardeeville/Portage) are first and second team selections, respectively, to D3football.com's Preseason All-America teams. The duo leads an experienced, deep offensive line, which also brings back its three other starters from last fall - seniorAustin Jones (Madison, Wis./Memorial), juniors Jordan Mueller (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) and Mitchell Schauer (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk).

Senior quarterback Chris Nelson (Twin Lakes/Wilmot Union) returns for his second year as a starter under center. He threw for 2,528 yards and 20 touchdowns against only four interceptions a season ago.

Senior wide receiver Marcus Hudson (Delavan, Wis./Delavan-Darien) and junior tight end Tony Gumina(Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) round out the offense's returning starters. Hudson was tabbed a first team Preseason All-American by D3football.com after tallying 54 receptions for 942 yards and nine touchdowns last season to earn first team All-WIAC and third team All-West Region honors. Gumina was selected second team All-WIAC in 2015 after totaling 35 receptions for 410 yards and four touchdowns.

Other returning pass-catchers with significant experience include senior tight end Brent Campbell(Rockford, IL/Winnebago), who caught eight passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns last season, and senior wide receiver Ryan Storto (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North), who played in 13 games and totaled 87 receiving yards.

Sophomore Jarrod Ware (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) is the team's top returning rusher. He posted 440 yards and four touchdowns on the ground last season.

DEFENSE

Three of the six returning starters on UW-Whitewater's defense are on the defensive line, including senior Preseason All-American Brandon Tamsett (Waterford/Waterford-Union). The Warhawks ranked 14th in the nation last season, allowing only 14.1 points per game, and were seventh in the country in interceptions.

Tamsett garnered first team All-WIAC and second team All-Region accolades in 2015 after posting 48 tackles, including a team-high tying 8.0 for a loss. He is joined up front by seniors John Flood (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond-Burton Community) and Tim Regan (Algonquin, IL/HD Jacobs). Flood led the team with 5.0 sacks, while Regan collected 40 tackles and tied Tamsett for the team lead with 8.0 TFLs.

Returning starters Paul Foster (Janesville/Craig) and Matt Seitz (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) lead the linebacker corps. Foster, a senior, led the team with 88 tackles last season, while Seitz, a junior, registered 55 stops, including 7.5 for a loss. Seniors Jordan Strasburg (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson) and Kyle Schiedemeyer (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) and also return as significant contributors from a season ago, recording 32 and 23 tackles, respectively.

Senior Vince Mason (Green Bay, Wis./Green Bay Southwest) is the lone returning starter in the secondary. He tied for the team lead with five interceptions and added 65 tackles last fall. Seniors Colin Buck(Greendale, Wis./Franklin), Mickey Morgan (Wauwatosa/Wauwatosa West), Bennett Young(Madison/Edgewood) and junior Jake Gierlak (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) also return with significant playing experience.

SPECIAL TEAMS

With the loss of two-time all-conference kicker/punter Lake Bachar (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton North), who was taken by the San Diego Padres in June's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, the Warhawks look to junior Will Meyer (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) and sophomore Ben Franzen(Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) to lead the position group.

Meyer, a 2014 All-WIAC honoree, made 40-of-40 extra points and three field goals, and Franzen converted four field goals and 11-of-12 extra points last season. The two combined to take six kickoffs. Neither attempted a punt last fall.

UW-Whitewater also looks to replace three-year starting long-snapper Zach Koch (Fort Atkinson/Fort Atkinson).