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Dukes Drop Vikings

By Blue Dukes Media Team
Updated: August 28, 2022

Photo Courtesy of Rod Brower

The Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes got into the win column Friday night with a 28-12 victory over the Wisconsin Lutheran Vikings at Raabe Stadium. The win moves the Dukes to 1-1 on the young season as they begin North Shore Conference play next Friday.

The Boys in Blue jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after a nearly 7-minute drive to start the game. With 1st and Goal from the 10-yard line after converting three 3rd down conversions, QB1 Ben Volpe outran the Vikings defense for his first of four touchdowns on the night.

The Vikings would respond quickly after a long kickoff return gave them a short field, and their tough-to-defend Veer option attack made it a 7-6 ballgame with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.

After both teams would fumble on the first plays of their next possessions, Volpe put the Dukes up 14-6 after rushing in from 3-yards out with 16 seconds left in the opening quarter. A 9-yard pitch-and-catch from Volpe to Ryan Scarlett on 4th and 3 helped keep the drive alive.

Both teams would keep each other out of the endzone in the second quarter and Bay took a 14-6 lead into the half.

The Vikings would come out firing on all cylinders to start the second half with an 8-play, three and a half minute drive to cut it to 14-12. That would be the last time they saw the endzone as the tough and physical Dukes D stood tall to force a punt and turnover on downs on the next two possessions.

The Dukes answered on their next drive when Volpe found Ben Beckmann over the middle from 19-yards out to take a 21-12 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Getting the ball back with just under 9 minutes left in the game and facing a critical 3rd and 6 from midfield, Bay caught the Vikings defense sleeping as Volpe hit a wide open Johnny Guo on play-action for a 45-yard touchdown to put the nail in the coffin.

Scarlett led the Dukes defensively with 12 tackles while also breaking up a pass and forcing a fumble. Linebacker Carter Smith added 9 tackles and sack. Beckmann and Brodie Gann-Dudgeon each tallied a sack as well.

Volpe paced the Blue Dukes offensively, finishing with 242 all-purpose yards and 4 touchdowns. He went 12-of-16 through the air for 191 yards and two touchdowns and added 51 yards on 9 carries with two touchdowns on the ground. Beckmann led the team with 66 receiving yards on 4 catches with Scarlett right behind him with 5 catches for 58 yards.