Tanner Behnke and the Warriors have their sights set on the program's first playoff berth. Photo by Steve Frommell, d3photography.com

Wisconsin Lutheran has never been to the Division III playoffs, even though the Warriors shared the NACC title with Benedictine and Lakeland last season by going 7-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

And in his second year after returning to the sidelines for the Warriors, Dennis Miller said he does not regret a bit wearing the headset again to lead a team he hopes will have a legitimate shot at making the big dance in Division III football.

"It has been tremendous to be back coaching our football team," said Miller, the school's first football coach who led the program for 13 years before briefly retiring.

"When I returned last season after being away for a year it felt like returning home," Miller continued. "This season has really been a 'business as usual' approach. Though I will say, I have been coaching many years and the excitement and thrill of starting new each year never gets old."

The Warriors enter NACC play 1-2, but they could have been undefeated as close as the contests were. Wisconsin Lutheran lost to Trinity International and Trine by a total of 12 points. Miller said, though, he believe his players will bounce back after those tough losses.

"Our players are very geared up and focused on the NACC," Miller said. "We have played good competition in our non-conference portion of the schedule and the team realizes those games will only prepare us better when we step into the conference.

"We work very hard in putting forth the idea that success in a football season is a process. We have learned some valuable things with our non-conference season and hope to apply them moving forward. Now it is all about NACC football."

Wisconsin Lutheran is led by a senior class that includes starting quarterback Gino DeGeorge, leading receiver Mitch Skarban and leading tackler linebacker Tanner Behnke.

"We have a veteran football team with 27 seniors, so they know how to work and get things done," Miller said. "They have a great attitude, and realize the effort it takes to be successful."

Miller said the biggest challenge for the Warriors right now to get that first ever playoff bid is to focus on what they have to do to become a better football team. That's where he said he hopes the early contests will pay off in emphasizing the little things that need to be done to win games.

"There is no particular aspect that concerns me," Miller said. "Our mantra every day is to get better today. Our season theme is 'We/Better.' It is about all of us together improving. Our players are workers.

"Every game we have played this season has literally come down to and beyond the wire. I know our guys will battle every time they get on the field. They also realize nothing is going to come easy and so we have very healthy competition every day in practice."

In the end, the Warriors don't want to share another NACC title without the chance to represent the

conference in the playoffs. The only way they can assure that is running the table, starting Saturday with one of teams they shared the title with a year ago in Lakeland.

The Muskies humbled the Warriors 47-7 last year in Sheboygan. This year, the game will be home on familiar turf in Milwaukee and Miller said the team stated its goal firmly.

"We have a very competitive conference race," Miller said. "Clearly our goal is to win the championship. I'm certain other teams have that same goal. To win it will require a consistent level of play for the next several weeks.

"I like the makeup of our team, I like our experience, and I like our attitude. We shared the conference title a year ago and this group wants more this year. It will be fun to see it develop."

Putting the past behind

Looking to put an 8-13 nonconference record behind it, the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference kicks off league competition with a full slate of games on Saturday. League favorite and defending champion Benedictine (1-2) will wait another week before starting conference play as it takes on Kalamazoo in its last nonconference tilt. Rockford and Concordia-Chicago start NACC play with the only winning records at 2-1. Lakeland's quarterback Michael Whitley leads the conference in total offense, averaging 351.7 yards per game, good enough for 15th in the country. Rockford, which opens NACC play at Aurora, has limited opponent's offenses to 212.7 yards per game, which ranks as the ninth-best total defense in the country.

Tale of three CCIW teams

North Central continued to hold on to its national ranking, No. 21 this week, after a heartbreaking, final-second to No. 5 Wesley at home on Saturday. It was the Cardinals' second straight loss, after losing to No. 14 UW-Platteville after leading by three touchdowns in the second half in that contest. The problem for the Cardinals seemed to be defense late, surrendering 672 yards in total offense against Wesley while allowing them to score 22 fourth quarter points. UW-Platteville scored three touchdowns against North Central in the fourth quarter while collecting 400 yards in total offense. Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst, while neither are ranked, have quietly compiled 3-0 records on the dawn of CCIW play along with No. 7 Wheaton. Neither has played the level of competition that North Central has, with Illinois Wesleyan opponents compiling a 5-5 record so far while Elmhurst's foes are 3-6 this season. But Illinois Wesleyan has a win over Franklin, the favorite to win another HCAC title and consistent Top 25 vote-getter. Elmhurst is powered by one of the best running backs in the country in Josh Williams (183.0 yards per game), who added another 100-yard game to his total (122 yards) in a victory over Simpson.

Game of the week

Manchester (2-1, 2-0 in HCAC) at Franklin (2-2, 2-0), 1:30 p.m. – The perennial HCAC kingpin Franklin has righted the ship after two nonconference losses to handily win its first two conference games at home. Manchester, though, is coming off of an upset of one of the conference favorites, Mount

St. Joseph, 44-31 at home while churning out 562 yards in total offense. Manchester's Hunter Hardee has put together a string of 100-yard rushing games, including 161 against Mount St. Joseph.