Dukes Kennel the Bulldogs
- Updated: October 3, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Tom Spector / Spector Sports & Portraits
The Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes used a strong second half to dispose of the Cedarburg Bulldogs on Friday night, winning 38-12 at Lubar Stadium. The Dukes are now 4-1 in the North Shore Conference, putting them in a three-way tie with Hartford and Homestead atop the standings. With their 4th conference victory, the Blue Dukes have secured a spot in the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season.
Sean Callahan set the tone by returning the opening kickoff 49 yards to the Bulldogs’ 46-yard line. It took the Dukes all of one play to jump out to an early 7-0 lead as Callahan took his first handoff of the night to the house. The junior running back had an outstanding encore performance, rushing 14 times for 123 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Cedarburg would get on the board with 6:53 remaining in the 2nd quarter to make the score 7-6 but allowed Nigel Cheeks to return the ensuing kickoff 57 yards, giving the Blue Dukes excellent field position at the Bulldogs’ 42-yard line. Five plays later, Callahan scored his 2nd touchdown of the night, this time from 2-yards out, to make it 14-6. Senior signal-caller Luke Wells connected with Kamarion Ivory for a 32-yard pass on a crucial 3rd and 10 to keep the drive alive.
The Bulldogs would score again on the next drive, however, leaving Bay with a 14-12 lead at the half. The Cedarburg touchdown, which came with 1:02 left in the 1st half, would be their last of the night and it was all Blue Dukes the rest of the way.
The Bulldog offense, which came into the game with a dangerous rushing attack that was averaging 287.3 yards per game, was held to just 139 rushing yards on 35 carries by a stout Dukes D. 94 of those yards would come in the first half, as a swarming Dukes defense would allow just 45 rushing yards the rest of the game. With the Cedarburg offense struggling to stay on the field, the Dukes took control and scored 21 unanswered points in a dominating 3rd quarter that extended their lead to 35-12.
After a quick Cedarburg three and out to open the 2nd half, the Dukes handed it off to senior running back Nigel Cheeks on their first play and he took it 57-yards all the way to the endzone. Linebacker Nick Jorndt would force a fumble on the ensuing kickoff with a vicious hit, and two plays later Callahan found himself in the endzone for the 3rd time. Cedarburg would miss a field goal on their next possession, and then two plays later would surrender another long touchdown run to Cheeks, this time for 71-yards. Cheeks finished the night with a career-high 198 yards rushing on only 16 carries. Anchored by a strong offensive line consisting of Joe Morello, Joe Stockwell, Caleb Bowers, Nick Bakken, Joe Brunner, and Jorndt, the Blue Dukes offense rushed for a season-high 388 yards on 39 attempts. Kicker Alek Sauer-Milli added a 31-yard field goal in the 4th quarter, his third of the season, to cap off a high-scoring night for the Dukes.
Box Score
Next Up…
The Blue Dukes travel to Hartford to take on the Orioles for a clash of first-place teams. Kickoff is at 7pm on Thursday, October 7th.
