QUICK NEWS

Dukes Win Regional Conference Championship!

By Blue Dukes Media Team
Updated: November 22, 2020

The Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes capped off a truly magical season on Friday night with a 19-7 victory over the Catholic Memorial Crusaders, winning their respective Division 2 Pod for a Regional Championship for a perfect 7-0 season.

Ruthless D

Joe Brunner delivers a massive tackle against the Crusaders.

The Blue Dukes Defense flew around all night and made yet another case for being the best in the state. The Crusaders offense came into night averaging nearly 300 yards per game and were held to just 220 yards of total offense in the loss. Forcing two fumbles and holding the Crusaders to just 78 yards on the ground, the Dukes D kept Catholic Memorial in check all night and made them work for every yard. With a 13-0 lead and 2:24 left in the first half, Cornerback Nick Lewis forced a fumble at the goal line to hold the Crusaders scoreless in the first two quarters.

On the season, the Blue Dukes Defense only allowed a total of 3 points in the first half, and a whopping 43 points total all year for an average of 6.14 per game. The Crusaders loss was their third of the year.

By Ground and Air

Grover Bortolotti racked up a TD and 24yds on the night.

For the 7th straight game, the Blue Dukes Offense controlled the ball and outgained their opponent. Possessing the ball for 29 minutes, the Dukes kicked things off with a methodical scoring drive that took 10:32 off the clock and spanned two quarters. The Crusaders were forced to punt on their first drive after a three-and-out and their offense wouldn’t see the field again for the rest of the first quarter. Starting at their own 24-yard line, the Blues Dukes converted six 3rd down conversions and one 4th down conversion to jump out to a 6-0 lead.

To cap off the scoring drive, QB Jack Stecker threw a 6-yard dart to a wide-open Wingback Jack Nau on the first play of the second quarter. Following a Catholic Memorial turnover on the ensuing possession, Running Back Grover Bortolotti found the end zone for a team-high 13th time on a sweep to give the Blue Dukes a 13-0 lead.

Saving his best game for last, three-year starter Jack Stecker put the nail in the coffin when the Senior Quarterback scrambled 63-yards for a touchdown to put the Blue Dukes up 19-7 with 2:12 left in the game. Stecker finished with 188 yards of total offense, throwing for 95 yards on 9 of 10 attempts and rushing for 93 yards on 9 carries.

Stecker, the Dukes senior leader, finished the year with one of the highest quarterback ratings in the state and commanded an offense that wore down opponents all year.