Meet 'The Basement Bunch' on Blue Dukes' Offensive Line

The five guys who block for Whitefish Bay's high-scoring offense aren't used to getting recognition, but that doesn't mean linemen aren't people, too.

Rashadeem Gray of Whitefish Bay has 1,359 rushing yards, 22 touchdowns and a really cool nickname, “Rah-Rah.” The five offensive linemen who block for him don’t get the stats, but they have given themselves a nickname — “The Basement Bunch,” according to right guard Bobby Linneman, because they are the foundation for the offense. Gray, Linneman and the Blue Dukes (9-1) visit Brookfield East (10-0) on Friday in a WIAA Division 2, Level 3 playoff contest. The five players who toil on the offensive line for haven’t gotten the recognition that skill players such as Gray and Grant Menard do, but that changes today. Introducing: Best thing about being on the offensive line: Knowing that the points are yours, even though you don’t get your name …

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WIAA Playoffs: Bay Visits Brookfield East at 7 p.m. Friday

The once-beaten Blue Dukes go on the road for a rematch of last year's Level 2 contest, won 40-21 by Whitefish Bay

Whitefish Bay visits Brookfield East at 7 p.m. Friday in a WIAA Division 2, Level 3 football playoff game. The Blue Dukes (9-1) routed Brookfield Central 28-3 on Saturday afternoon. Brookfield East (10-0) dispatched Greendale 28-21 on Friday. These teams met in Level 2 a year ago, with Whitefish Bay going on the road and claiming a 40-21 triumph. Gates open for ticket sales at 5:30 p.m. No pre-sales are planned at this time. Tickets are $4. Brookfield East High School is on Lilly Road, just north of Burleigh Road. ESPN Radio in Milwaukee will broadcast the game live on 540 AM. Read all of Patch’s coverage of the Spartans. Highlights from numerous games this season can be found on YouTube: Sussex Hamilton, Marquette, West Allis Hale, …

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Blue Dukes Trounce Brookfield Central to Advance in Playoffs

With a win over the Lancers Saturday, the Blue Dukes now turn their focus to Brookfield East in the third round of the playoffs.

What started out as a tight 4-point lead at halftime soon led to a Whitefish Bay offensive onslaught that ended in a 28-3 victory over Brookfield Central in the second round of the WIAA Divsion 2 football playoffs. Scoring was slow in the first half of the Saturday afternoon game, with a field goal by Brookfield Central on their first possession and a 19-yard touchdown run by Rashadeem Gray in the second quarter. Then in the third quarter, momentum really swung in the Blue Dukes favor, when Whitefish Bay quarterback Grant Menard connected with backup receiver Ian Buchanan for a 40-yard pass on third and 8 that brought them within 10 yards of the goal line. Jeremiah Holt ran the ball in on the following play. "That was a game changer," …

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Blue Dukes Prepare for Second Round of Playoffs

Whitefish Bay will play Brookfield Central in the second round of the Division 2 WIAA playoffs at 4 p.m. Saturday at Lubar Stadium in Whitefish Bay.

Ten Milwaukee Patch-area high school football teams are hoping to extend their 2012 seasons with second-round WIAA postseason match-ups. Here are all matchups involving Patch teams, and at least one thing we think you should know about each game. (3) Hamilton (7-2) at (2) Verona (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday How Hamilton got here: The Chargers defeated Middleton, 44-9, last weekend. Fast fact: Hamilton’s Drew Patterson needs 203 rushing yards to reach the elusive 2,000-yard plateau this fall, something only Crandon’s Hayden Krueger (2,006) has done so far this season. (4) Kenosha Bradford (6-3) at (1) Oak Creek (9-0) 7 p.m., Friday How Oak Creek got here: The Knights remained undefeated by beating Milwaukee Hamilton, 63-0, in the first round. Fast …

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Return of The Glory Cup: Football, Pranks and a Neighborly Rivalry

The series between the Shorewood and Whitefish Bay football teams dates back to the 1930s and was notorious for student pranks.

Friday night, in the WIAA Division 2 playoffs, Whitefish Bay and Shorewood will play football against each other for the first time in 11 years. The programs have had little in common recently, playing in dramatically different leagues and experiencing different levels of success. Even Shorewood’s name has changed after forming a co-op with Messmer. So it’s easy to forget these two neighboring schools played 67 consecutive years for The Glory Cup, a rivalry marked by pranks so rampant that schools took to leaving stadium lights on overnight during the week and stationing police officers on rooftops. “I think a lot of the Shorewood kids thought Whitefish Bay was snobby and was full of rich kids, and a few of the Whitefish Bay kids had it in…

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Blue Dukes Claim Conference Crown

With a 44-0 win over Nicolet Friday night, the Blue Dukes move into the playoffs as the North Shore Conference champions for the first time since 1993.

For the first time in nearly two decades, the Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes can call themselves North Shore Conference champs. With a 44-0 victory over Nicolet Friday night, the Blue Dukes were named conference co-champions – tying with Homestead, which the Blue Dukes beat last week. Now, the Blue Dukes advance to the playoffs. Although Whitefish Bay and Homestead are technically tied as far as the North Shore Conference is concerned, the Blue Dukes' win over the Highlanders will be factored into the playoff bracket, which has not yet been drafted. Whitefish Bay's quarterback, senior Grant Menard, said most of the players on the team have been playing together since 5th grade, and the conference championship embodies all of the hard work they …

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Blue Dukes Upset Rival Homestead for First Time in 12 Years

Homecoming night was made even more exciting by a 14-7 Whitefish Bay win over Homestead, the Blue Dukes' undefeated conference rival.

For the first time in 12 years, Whitefish Bay finally got the better of its North Shore rival. In an energized Lubar Stadium, the Blue Dukes toppled the undefeated Homestead Highlanders 14-7, bringing the team one win away from its first conference title since 1993. After the game, the Blue Dukes players doused coach Jim Tietjen with Gatorade for the first time in his 36 years as coach, which says something about the charged atmosphere for the big homecoming game. An all-blue student section  was allowed to come down to the field and celebrate with players after the game. The Blue Dukes took it to Homestead right off the bat, scoring a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Homestead later countered with a touchdown with 3:52 remaining …

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Homecoming Parade, Football Game are Friday

The parade will begin at 5:45 p.m., traveling down Marlborough Drive until reaching Lubar Field, where the Blue Dukes will face Homestead at 7 p.m.

Blue Dukes Clinch Playoff Berth

With a win over Grafton Friday night, the Whitefish Bay football team secures its place in the playoffs.

Hey, high school football fans, want to know if your favorite team will be playing in this year’s WIAA postseason? Want to know what they need to get in? Well, welcome to Patch’s Postseason Possibilities, where we take a look at each high school team in the Milwaukee Patch area and break down its postseason chances. Records and scenarios are updated as of 11 a.m. Sept. 28. Look for an update to include this weekend’s game by noon Oct. 1. (to get in, a team needs four or more league wins) In for sure Whitefish Bay (5-1, 4-1): With a 35-0 win over Grafton Friday night, the Blue Dukes secured its spot in the playoffs. Led by Rashadeem Gray and his 967 rushing yards, the Blue Dukes clinched its spot in the playoffs for the sixth straight year…

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Dentist Protects Teeth in Toughest of Circumstances

The free mouthguards Paul Sandvick provides to local athletes constitute just one aspect of his commitment to boost Whitefish Bay athletics.

About three years ago, Paul Sandvick decided coaching his kids and going to their sports games wasn't enough. The local dentist decided to start WFB Hoops, the high school basketball program's first booster club, and he also volunteered to make free mouthguards for the boys and girls basketball teams. He has since opened the doors to his office on Port Washington Road to all of the school's football players, rugby players and hockey players. While other dentists might charge $50 for mouthguards, Sandvick doesn't seem too concerned by the cost. As a dentist who cares about Whitefish Bay athletics, he says he's just doing what he can to give back to the community. "For me, sports has been such a huge part of my life — I still play basketball…

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