Waunakee fans made the short trip to Madison and packed Camp Randall Stadium Friday, and the Warriors gave them plenty to cheer about.
The Warriors (13-1) laid claim to the program's first Division 2 championship with a 34-21 victory over two-time defending champion Kimberly (12-2).
Despite getting doused with a bath of ice water, Waunakee coach Pat Rice was all smiles.
"To knock off a state power like that, the two-time defending champ, it doesn't get much better," Rice said.
Early on neither team could get a drive going against stout defense from the opposition. Waunakee finally broke through into opposition territory as a pair of big runs from Kyle Acker put the Warriors at the Kimberly 30. But on the next player Leo Musso coughed the ball up after a nice run, and Kimberly took over at their own 15.
A couple drives later, Waunakee threatened again as junior fullback Derek Straus slipped into the right flat uncovered, and Trent Cummings hit him for a 55-yard catch and run to the Kimberly 18. But the Papermakers held strong, and after a poor snap and placement resulted in a 34-yard miss from senior kicker Kassy McCarthy, it looked like momentum would swing Kimberly's way.
However, on the next snap Kimberly's Colten Heagle fumbled the ball and Mitch Vandenbrook recovered at the 19-yard line.
Waunakee capitalized quickly scoring on the second play after the turnover, as Musso hit junior Jared Staege on a halfback pass to put Waunakee on top with 7:42 left in the second quarter.
But the defending champions weren't rattled as they responded with a 15-play, 59-yard touchdown drive of their own to knot the score at 7 with just over a minute remaining until the half.
The Papermakers took advantage of that momentum, coming out hot in the second half. On the third play of the half, Heagle got to the corner on the Waunakee defense and raced 53 yards to put Kimberly on top.
But Waunakee, as it turned out, had all the answers. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Cummings floated a pass just over the coverage to Straus down the left sideline, and the junior made a magnificent fingertip grab and outran the defense 72 yards to pull Waunakee back to even at 14-14.
Rice said he told his defense to get the ball back and everything would be fine.
"We felt really good where we were at offensively, if we could get them out and control the clock," he said.
And defense responded. A sack by senior defensive end Mitch Severson and a false start penalty, followed by an incomplete pass put the Papermakers in difficult position, facing a third-and-19. Junior linebacker Zak Hougland made sure the defense got off the field, blowing up a screen pass for a loss and forcing a Kimberly punt.
Then it was the Acker show, as the senior racked up 49 yards on two carries to get the Warriors in the end zone. On the first, he went right, broke a tackle, spin threw another and galloped 37 yards to the Kimberly 12. Then the back raced left, stiff-armed a defender and got the end zone from 12-yards out to put Waunakee on top for good at 21-14 with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
In total, Acker toted the rock 21 times for 190 yards, running with reckless abandon and refusing to go to the ground.
"It's what he does. He just has so much pride," Rice said. "It's hard to articulate how much he gets behind his pads. He's a very, very physical kid."
But the back gave all the credit to his friends paving his way.
"It was the Hogs," Acker said. "It all started up front."
And Waunakee poured on the gas as senior defensive tackle Mike Harman got into the backfield and turned Kimberly toward a three-and-out with a tackle behind the line.
Rice praised the work of his big boys on both sides of the ball.
"The defensive line played real stout and got up the field and got penetration. The offensive line - what can you say - they've been doing that all year," the coach said.
After that three-and-out, the Warriors went back to Acker's well as the senior busted through a big hole to the Kimberly 19. Cummings then found senior wide receiver Kyle Newhouse for 14 yards to set up a first-and-goal from the 8.
Two plays later, Acker opened up the fourth quarter with a tackle-busting 6-yard scoring jaunt to put Waunakee up 27-14. The conversion attempt was no good as holder Derek Lyght to tossed a desperation pass incomplete after an errant snap.
Kimberly began a drive with hopes to pull back in the game, but after picking up a couple of first downs, quarterback Austin Rogers was intercepted on a diving pick by junior defensive back Ross Maly.
Waunakee quickly gave it back to Kimberly, but then came maybe the play of the day, as Wisconsin recruit Jake Irwin came heavy on Rogers, jarred the ball free then scooped it up and rumbled in from 36 yards out.
The score gave Waunakee a commanding 34-14 lead with just 5:40 remaining.
Kimberly didn't give in as Heagle finished a drive with a 4-yard touchdown run with a minute to play, but it wasn't enough as Waunakee claimed a 34-21 victory.
The win marks Waunakee's third state title. In 1999 and 2002 the Warriors captured the crown in Division 3.
