Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes Football

Dukes Run Over Knights

The Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes rewrote the record books on Thursday night in Glendale en route to a 42-21 victory over the Nicolet Knights. The Blue Dukes, led by offensive linemen Liam Gann-Dudgeon, Kaben Ziegler, Carter House, Robert Grano, Kellen Busalacchi, and John Dorsey, ran 56 times for a program record 471 yards to move to 3-3 in North Shore Conference play to put themselves on the playoff bubble. A win next week clinches a playoff bid, while a loss leaves them on the bubble needing tiebreakers to fall in their favor.

A stingy Dukes defense forced a Nicolet 3-and-out to start the game and then the flood gates opened quickly. Bay used an 8-play drive to overcome a 1st-and-25 to go 71 yards down the field which ended with Harry Bortolotti punching it in from 8 yards out.

The Dukes kept the Knights out of the endzone on their next possession and kept a 7-0 lead as the first quarter came to a close. A few plays into the second, Joseph Lee took a sweep around the left edge and went untouched into the endzone from the 10. Lee rushed for 91 yards on 7 carries.

Nicolet would then turn it over on downs near midfield and the Dukes marched right down the field again for a 21-0 halftime lead on another Bortolotti rushing touchdown.

The Knights would get on the board in the third quarter after a Blue Dukes turnover to start the second half. It was a quick response, however, as Bortolotti took a handoff up the middle a short time later for a 57-yard touchdown run to make it 28-7. Bortolotti would add a 5-yard touchdown run on the next possession for a 35-7 lead. Nicolet would return that kickoff for a touchdown and at the end of 3 Bay had a 35-14 lead.

Bay’s scoring came to a close early in the closing quarter when Bortolotti capped off a drive with his 5th rushing touchdown of the night to make it 42-14. The senior running back carried the ball 33 times for 269 yards.

Grano led the way on defense with 8 total tackles (4 solo) and Mace Miskel hauled in his first interception. Dorsey added 5 tackles (2 solo) to bring his team-leading season total to 42.

Box Score

Next Up…

It’s Homecoming in The Bay has the Hartford Orioles (4-4, 3-3) come down on Friday, October 18th at 7pm.