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Vote Grayvold for the Gagliardi Trophy
 
The No. 1 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team continues its quest for a sixth national championship this Saturday at 12 p.m. against fifth-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) in an NCAA Division III Playoffs quarterfinal contest at Perkins Stadium.
 
The Warhawks (12-0 overall), winners of 29 consecutive games, the longest streak in college football regardless of division, will host their third NCAA quarterfinal in the last four years.
 
The Knights (12-0) are making their third appearance in the final eight and are one of six teams, along with the Warhawks, left in Division III with an unbeaten record.
 
In the only other meeting all time between the two teams, UW-Whitewater downed Wartburg 34-17 in a quarterfinal game on Dec. 6, 2008, or six years ago to the day of this Saturday's match-up.
 
The Knights enter the third round of the playoffs after a pair of wins over teams from Minnesota. Playing at home in each of the first two rounds, Wartburg knocked off No. 20 St. Thomas 37-31 before eliminating 13th-ranked St. John's with a 21-10 triumph.
 
The Warhawks enter Saturday's game following a 38-14 triumph over Wabash (Ind.) in the second round last week at Perkins Stadium. UW-Whitewater tallied 28 second-half points behind three touchdown passes in the period by senior quarterback Matt Behrendt (Westchester, IL/Nazareth Academy) and a 34-yard interception return for a touchdown by senior defensive back Brady Grayvold (Norway, MI/Norway).
 
Senior wide receiver Justin Howard (West Bend/Homestead) caught a career-high three touchdowns and finished with six receptions for 126 yards. Junior running back Dennis Moore (Elgin, IL/Elgin) tallied career highs in carries (22) and yards (107) to lead the team's ground attack.
 
Junior linebacker Justin Dischler (Milwaukee/Pius XI) posted a team-high 13 tackles and forced a pair of fumbles. Senior defensive back Zach Nellis (Waupaca/Waupaca) registered seven tackles, one forced fumble and a pass breakup.
 
Behrendt, the 2014 WIAC Offensive Player of the Year, leads the offense. He has completed 216-of-314 passing for 2,771 yards and 32 touchdowns against just four interceptions.
 
Moore paces the Warhawks' running game with 799 yards. Second team all-conference selection and junior Jordan Ratliffe (Milwaukee/Milwaukee Vincent) is second with 654 yards and a team-best nine touchdowns. Senior Ryan Givens (Milwaukee/Milwaukee Riverside) and junior Nick Patterson (Sussex/Hamilton) have combined for over 900 yards and 12 scores.
 
Seniors Justin Howard (West Bend/Homestead) and Jake Kumerow (Bartlett, IL/South Elgin) provide the 1-2 punch in the receiving corps. Howard enters Saturday with team highs of 66 receptions and 951 yards to go along with nine touchdowns. Kumerow has 47 receptions for 782 yards and a team-best 11 scores.
 
First team All-WIAC pick and junior offensive lineman Conner Peters (Springfield, IL/Sacred Heart Griffin) leads a strong group at the line of scrimmage. Sophomores Tony Koepnick (Sussex/Hamilton) and Spencer Shier (Pardeeville/Portage) are also all-league honorees up front. Senior tight end Derric Junakin (Cudahy/Cudahy), whose role is primarily as a blocker, was also second team all-conference.
 
Dischler, a first team all-league linebacker, leads the defense with 79 tackles and six forced fumbles, the highest number in NCAA Division III. Sophomore linebacker Paul Foster (Janesville/Craig) is second on the team with 58 tackles, while junior defensive back Ryan Winske (Omro/Omro) is close behind with 57 stops.
 
Senior defensive backs Brady Grayvold (Norway, MI/Norway) and Marcus McLin (Delavan/Delavan-Darien) lead the secondary. Grayvold enters the quarterfinals with a conference-best seven interceptions to go along with 13 passes defended. McLin has 35 tackles, including three for a loss, five passes defended and a pair of fumble recoveries.
 
Junior and first team All-WIAC selection Zach Franz (DeForest/DeForest Area) leads the defensive line. Franz has recorded 27 tackles, including 8.0 for a loss and 5.0 sacks. Senior Mykaell Bratchett (Milwaukee /Hope School) paces the team in sacks (5.5) and is tied for the team lead with 8.5 tackles for a loss, and sophomore Brandon Tamsett (Waterford/Waterford-Union) leads the unit with 32 stops, including 8.5 tackles for a loss.
 
On special teams, sophomore punter Lake Bachar (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton North) and freshman kicker Will Meyer (Sheboygan Falls, Wis./Sheboygan Falls) lead the kicking game. Bachar averages over 40 yards per punt and UW-Whitewater tops the nation with a net punting average of 38.48. Meyer is 8-for-12 on field goals and 43-of-44 on extra points to lead the team in scoring with 67 points.
 
McLin and Howard lead the Warhawks' return game. McLin, a first team All-WIAC pick as a returner, leads the team with 159 punt return yards (14.5 ypr), and Howard leads UW-Whitewater with 307 kick return yards (20.5 ypr).
 
For more information, see this week's game notes.