MADISON - Big dreams, small town.
That could be the bumper sticker on cars after Black Hawk steamrolled its way to a 44-22 win in a WIAA Division 7 state championship Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. It's the first gold ball in the history of Black Hawk's program, and the team will go down as the best at the southwest Wisconsin school after finishing a perfect 14-0.
"It couldn't get any better going undefeated, winning a state championship and a gold ball," said Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney, who rushed for 146 yards and scored two touchdowns to earn Gatorade Player of the Game honors. "We have had a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I can't believe it went by in the blink of an eye."
Black Hawk junior Heath Butler racked up 222 total yards and scored three touchdowns. He was 6 of 7 passing for 126 yards with two touchdowns and had 96 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries.
"It's just unbelievable," Butler said. "No one expected us to do it. It's awesome. I'm just so proud of our team. I have to give everyone on my team credit. We have a heck of a team."
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was ecstatic to win the title.
"I can finally smile," Milz said. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's not often a team or even a state championship team goes 14-0. It's been a magical season."
With the game tied at 14, a game-breaking play that turned the tide was Butler hooking up with senior Tyler Peterson on a 24-yard TD pass with 21 seconds to go in the second quarter. Peterson had to make an adjustment and made an acrobatic diving catch by getting his hands under the ball to cradle it in. Butler ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a 22-14 lead at the half.
"It's a play we work on in practice," Peterson said. "Sometimes it's right there and sometimes I have to go get it. He just threw the ball up and I made a play."
Black Hawk entered the state title game as the highest scoring team in the state at 47.4 points per game. Peterson's touchdown catch sparked the Warriors who rolled scoring 30 consecutive points.
"We talked all week that we could be the first one to win a gold ball in the history of Black Hawk," Peterson said of the Warriors' football program, which made its only other state appearance in 1998. "We were fired up from the get-go."
Early on, the Warriors made some big plays. But Butler had the ball stripped by Glenwood City's Nick Mrdu after a 53-yard run on the first drive. It didn't take the Warriors long to answer after the turnover. Black Hawk senior Jayden Rufenacht, who was playing with a pulled hamstring, came through late in the first quarter. The Warriors seven-play, 52-yard drive, culminated with Rufenacht racing in for a 17-yard TD run on the option to give the Warriors a 6-0 lead with 3 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
Black Hawk senior Dakota Meier recovered a fumble by Glenwood City's Isaac Tuttle. Black Hawk cashed in on the turnover with Sweeney ramming his way in for a 5-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead. The Warriors' defense forced five turnovers - one fumble along with four interceptions including two by Peterson, one by Brett Lovelace and one by Rufenacht. Tuttle, who entered the game with 2,081 rushing yards, ran for 152 yards on 18 carries, but most of it came on a 68-yard TD run in the first quarter. The Warriors bottled up the two-time 100-meter dash state qualifier after that.
It only took two plays from scrimmage in the third quarter for the Warriors' split back veer attack to explode for 16 points. Sweeney ripped off a 65-yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter. Butler ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a commanding 30-14 lead. On the Warriors' second drive of the third quarter they again showed their quick-strike ability. Butler then hooked up with Lovelace on a 65-yard TD pass to give the Warriors an insurmountable 38-14 lead.
"I knew if we kept with the inside runs one of those times we were going to break one for a touchdown," Sweeney said.
The Warriors capped a 10-play, 63-yard drive with Butler scoring on a 16-yard run. Milz was impressed by the way Butler played in the biggest game and on the biggest stage in his football career.
"Our goal is 60 percent passing every game," Milz said. "He (Butler) has done that all year. He has just got better and better. We didn't pass much in the playoffs because we didn't need to."
Defensively, Black Hawk senior safety Seth Butler had a game-high 14 tackles followed by junior middle linebacker Shawn Woodruff and Heath Butler with six each.
"Every time our defense needed a stop they stepped up," Heath Butler said.
With the win, Sweeney eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark this season. He set a record for rushing yards in a single season and the Warriors set a record for wins in a season.
"The first thing I wanted was the win," he said. "I have a great line blocking in front of me. Getting more than 2,000 yards was really special."
Milz credited Sweeney for his ability to break tackles and make plays.
"A lot of times he would break a tackle and get to the second level," Milz said. "You don't get to this level and to a state championship without a running back like that."
That could be the bumper sticker on cars after Black Hawk steamrolled its way to a 44-22 win in a WIAA Division 7 state championship Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. It's the first gold ball in the history of Black Hawk's program, and the team will go down as the best at the southwest Wisconsin school after finishing a perfect 14-0.
"It couldn't get any better going undefeated, winning a state championship and a gold ball," said Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney, who rushed for 146 yards and scored two touchdowns to earn Gatorade Player of the Game honors. "We have had a lot of blood, sweat and tears. I can't believe it went by in the blink of an eye."
Black Hawk junior Heath Butler racked up 222 total yards and scored three touchdowns. He was 6 of 7 passing for 126 yards with two touchdowns and had 96 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries.
"It's just unbelievable," Butler said. "No one expected us to do it. It's awesome. I'm just so proud of our team. I have to give everyone on my team credit. We have a heck of a team."
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was ecstatic to win the title.
"I can finally smile," Milz said. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's not often a team or even a state championship team goes 14-0. It's been a magical season."
With the game tied at 14, a game-breaking play that turned the tide was Butler hooking up with senior Tyler Peterson on a 24-yard TD pass with 21 seconds to go in the second quarter. Peterson had to make an adjustment and made an acrobatic diving catch by getting his hands under the ball to cradle it in. Butler ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a 22-14 lead at the half.
"It's a play we work on in practice," Peterson said. "Sometimes it's right there and sometimes I have to go get it. He just threw the ball up and I made a play."
Black Hawk entered the state title game as the highest scoring team in the state at 47.4 points per game. Peterson's touchdown catch sparked the Warriors who rolled scoring 30 consecutive points.
"We talked all week that we could be the first one to win a gold ball in the history of Black Hawk," Peterson said of the Warriors' football program, which made its only other state appearance in 1998. "We were fired up from the get-go."
Early on, the Warriors made some big plays. But Butler had the ball stripped by Glenwood City's Nick Mrdu after a 53-yard run on the first drive. It didn't take the Warriors long to answer after the turnover. Black Hawk senior Jayden Rufenacht, who was playing with a pulled hamstring, came through late in the first quarter. The Warriors seven-play, 52-yard drive, culminated with Rufenacht racing in for a 17-yard TD run on the option to give the Warriors a 6-0 lead with 3 minutes, 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
Black Hawk senior Dakota Meier recovered a fumble by Glenwood City's Isaac Tuttle. Black Hawk cashed in on the turnover with Sweeney ramming his way in for a 5-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead. The Warriors' defense forced five turnovers - one fumble along with four interceptions including two by Peterson, one by Brett Lovelace and one by Rufenacht. Tuttle, who entered the game with 2,081 rushing yards, ran for 152 yards on 18 carries, but most of it came on a 68-yard TD run in the first quarter. The Warriors bottled up the two-time 100-meter dash state qualifier after that.
It only took two plays from scrimmage in the third quarter for the Warriors' split back veer attack to explode for 16 points. Sweeney ripped off a 65-yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter. Butler ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a commanding 30-14 lead. On the Warriors' second drive of the third quarter they again showed their quick-strike ability. Butler then hooked up with Lovelace on a 65-yard TD pass to give the Warriors an insurmountable 38-14 lead.
"I knew if we kept with the inside runs one of those times we were going to break one for a touchdown," Sweeney said.
The Warriors capped a 10-play, 63-yard drive with Butler scoring on a 16-yard run. Milz was impressed by the way Butler played in the biggest game and on the biggest stage in his football career.
"Our goal is 60 percent passing every game," Milz said. "He (Butler) has done that all year. He has just got better and better. We didn't pass much in the playoffs because we didn't need to."
Defensively, Black Hawk senior safety Seth Butler had a game-high 14 tackles followed by junior middle linebacker Shawn Woodruff and Heath Butler with six each.
"Every time our defense needed a stop they stepped up," Heath Butler said.
With the win, Sweeney eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark this season. He set a record for rushing yards in a single season and the Warriors set a record for wins in a season.
"The first thing I wanted was the win," he said. "I have a great line blocking in front of me. Getting more than 2,000 yards was really special."
Milz credited Sweeney for his ability to break tackles and make plays.
"A lot of times he would break a tackle and get to the second level," Milz said. "You don't get to this level and to a state championship without a running back like that."
