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Lake Bachar
  • undeclared
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Wheaton Native Bachar Named All-Conference for UW-Whitewater Football

2014 Nov 20

Lake Bachar, a undeclared major and member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team, was one of 19 Warhawks to earn All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as the league announced its award winners and all-conference teams Thursday, Nov. 20.

Senior quarterback Matt Behrendt was named WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the program's eighth conference player of the year in the last 10 years.

Head coach Lance Leipold, who is in his eighth season with the team, was selected George Chryst WIAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.

The Warhawks, who enter the NCAA Division III Playoffs with a 10-0 record and a 27-game winning streak, garnered nine first team, nine second team and two honorable mention All-WIAC accolades.

UW-Whitewater clinched its ninth WIAC championship in the last 10 years last Saturday with a 28-25 victory at UW-River Falls. The team hosts Macalester (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs this Saturday at 12 p.m. at Perkins Stadium.

Behrendt was joined on the first team offense by senior wide receivers Justin Howard, Jake Kumerow and junior offensive lineman Conner Peters. First team defensive selections included senior defensive backs Brady Grayvold, Marcus McLin, junior linebacker Justin Dischler and junior defensive lineman Zach Franz.

McLin also earned first team honors as a return specialist.

Senior tight end Derric Junakin, junior running back Jordan Ratliffe, sophomore offensive linemen Tony Koepnick and Spencer Shier were tabbed second team offense. Senior defensive lineman Mykaell Bratchett and sophomore linebacker Paul Foster were second team selections on defense, while junior defensive back Dylan Morang, sophomore punter Lake Bachar and freshman kicker Will Meyer garnered second team merits for their performance on special teams.

Senior defensive back Zach Nellis and junior wide receiver Joe Worth earned honorable mention.

Behrendt currently leads the conference and ranks among national leaders in completion percentage (68.4 percent), pass efficiency (170.4) and passing touchdowns (25). Behrendt, who also enters the postseason with 2,259 passing yards, took home second team honors in 2013.

Howard and Kumerow, who were first team selections last season (Howard as a return specialist), lead the Warhawks' receiving corps. Howard leads the team and ranks third in the league in receptions (54) and yards (741), while Kumerow leads the conference in receiving touchdowns (10) to go along with his 44 receptions for 707 yards.

Worth, a second team honoree in 2013, continues his strong play in 2014 with 30 receptions for 334 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Ratliffe fought through an injury at the start of the season to earn his second straight second team accolade. He currently ranks second on the team with 486 rushing yards and six touchdowns, and averages 5.9 yards per carry.

Peters, Shier and Koepnick, who are all-conference picks for the first time in their careers, helped anchor an offensive line for the WIAC's No. 1 team in scoring offense, rushing offense, passing offense and total offense. UW-Whitewater also leads the conference in first downs and ranks No. 1 in the nation in turnover lost, a testament to the strength of the offensive line.

Junakin, also a big part of the group up front, earned his second straight second team selection. He enters Saturday's game with 13 receptions for 97 yards and three touchdowns.

Dischler has emerged as a leader at linebacker, an area of concern for the Warhawks after losing their top four tacklers at the position from last season. Dischler leads the team with 60 tackles (40 solo) and is tied for second in the conference with four fumbles forced. Foster ranks third on the team with 46 stops as a first-year starter.

Grayvold, McLin and Nellis lead a talented, experienced defensive backfield. A second team pick in 2013, Grayvold is currently tied for the league lead with six interceptions and is fifth on the team with 38 tackles. Nellis has 38 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery, which he returned 40 yards for a touchdown.

McLin is the team's lone three-time All-WIAC selection after being named honorable mention in 2012 and first team in 2013. He enters Saturday with 29 tackles and a pair of fumbles recovered.

Franz and Bratchett lead a strong contingent at the line of scrimmage. The two are tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks apiece, and have combined for 51 tackles. Franz has 7.5 total tackles for a loss, while Bratchett has 6.5 for a loss of a team-best 42 yards.

McLin, a first time all-league pick as a return specialist, leads the team with 144 punt return yards (14.4 yards per return) and is second with 186 kick return yards (31.0 ypr). His 48-yard kickoff with just over a minute to go last Saturday at UW-River falls helped set up UW-Whitewater's game-winning drive.

Morang, recognized for his ability as a tackler and blocker on special teams, has appeared in nine games this season and has 20 tackles.

Bachar and Meyer have helped solidify the Warhawks' kicking game.

Bachar has helped the team lead the nation in net punting with 38.9 net yards per punt. Bachar, who also handles kickoffs, has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 11 times on punts and kicked 27 touchbacks on 69 attempts in kicking.

Meyer has knocked through 7-of-10 field goal attempts, including a 5-of-6 mark from between 20-29 yards. He is also a perfect 31-for-31 in extra points and ranks second on the team in scoring with 52 points for the year.

Senior running back Ryan Givens is the Warhawks' representative on the All-Sportsmanship Team. Givens has 312 rushing yards and three touchdowns entering play this Saturday.