|
| Jhe’Quay Chretin found himself atop the Aurora running back record book after his team's first-round win at UW-Whitewater. Photo by Doug Sasse, d3photography.com |
By Joe Sager
D3sports.com
Believe.
That’s been a staple of Aurora’s program ever since Don Beebe took over as head coach before the 2019 season.
The former NFL receiver, whose signature play with the Buffalo Bills was hustling to knock the football out of Leon Lett’s hands before the Cowboys defensive tackle scored a touchdown in a Super Bowl XXVII blowout win, epitomized grit, determination and never giving up.
The Spartans have woven those traits into their DNA, too. So, when they drew a visit to UW-Whitewater to open the playoffs, they actually cheered.
“When it popped up on the selection board who we were going to play, the team erupted because it was a perfect fit for us,” he said. “Why do I say that? I don’t say that in disrespect toward Whitewater. I say it with all due respect. Whitewater and Mount Union are the pinnacle and that’s who we want to be.”
Undaunted, Aurora hit the road and stunned the Warhawks, 33-28, on their own turf.
“If we would have played another team and won, it would have been great for us. But, when you beat the best, that’s like D-III history. We just preached one word all week – belief. If you don’t believe, then it’s not going to happen,” he said. “Our players weren’t scared. They knew what was at stake. I always believed, as a player and as a coach. If you don’t start with belief, then you might as well get on the bus and go home. Belief has to come first and then hard work and talent are secondary.”
The playoff triumph was the first in program history and the first for any Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference school.
“It was huge for the program. All of our dreams are playing against one of the best teams in the nation and we went out and set the tone right away and showed we are not some small-town team from Aurora; we can play with the big dogs,” Aurora senior receiver Trey Madsen said. “We wanted to go in there with nothing to lose and leave it all on the field. We wanted to pound the rock and throw it whenever we needed to. It was nice to go through that with my teammates.”
The Spartans scored on the game’s opening possession and did not trail all afternoon.
“Going into the game, I wanted to take ball first and score first. That’s what we did,” Aurora senior running back Jhe’Quay Chretin said. “We needed to keep making plays and go one by one. That’s what we did and we got the job done.”
Though Aurora entered the game unranked against the No. 8 Warhawks thanks to an early-season loss to Hope, the team built an impressive resume. The Spartans rank second in the nation in scoring (48.5 points per game) and 13th in total offense (483.9 yards per game). They are 20th in scoring defense (13.2 ppg) and fifth in turnover margin.
“As an offense, even if we go three-and-out, we’re not worried. We know we can go right back out there and score,” Madsen said. “We have a lot of playmakers in our receivers, linemen, running backs and quarterback that can make things happen in an instant.”
Madsen is one of them. He finished with seven catches for 81 yards and a score against Whitewater. He became the program’s all-time leader in receptions (140), too.
“I had no idea about the record until after the game,” he said. “I was worried about the game and doing whatever I needed to do to help the team win, like blocking and catching and all the stuff receivers have to do.”
Chretin, who rushed for 121 yards on 28 carries, established Aurora’s single-season rushing mark (1,305 yards) in the win.
“I want to thank my coaches and offensive line. Without them, I wouldn’t have got that. I just focus on contributing to a win however I can,” he said. “Getting the record is huge, but not as huge as winning a first-round playoff game and having a chance at winning a national championship. Our primary focus is on winning it all. We’re not finished yet.”
The Spartans are eager to prove they can continue to be a postseason force when they visit Alma (11-0) on Saturday.
“They are 11-0 for a reason. They play hard. They are a well-coached team We’ll have to go into their backyard and that is an advantage for them,” Beebe said. “We know what’s at stake here. These guys are not overlooking anybody. These guys aren’t in position to overlook anybody.”
Aurora went right back to work once the team arrived home from Whitewater.
“Our confidence is probably through the roof, but we’re still humble about what we just accomplished,” Madsen said. “We know we have the opportunity to get better throughout the week. We’re just staying humble and hungry at all times. We have to take it day by day. We have to watch film and do the little things our coaches are always talking about.”
“We’re watching plenty of hours of film and preparing every day,” Chretin added. “We’re doing the small things right and maintaining our focus, as a whole. We know anybody can beat us and we can beat anybody, too. We’ll keep working and pushing.”