(Editor's note: The following is the first in a series of preview articles on returning veterans to the 2008 UW-Whitewater football program)

UW-Whitewater's Jeff Schebler returns for his junior season as the Warhawk place kicker. The Davenport, Iowa native is coming off a record-breaking season on the way to the 2007 NCAA Division III Title.

He led the nation in field goals last season and was rewarded as a D3football.com 1st Team All-American after gaining 3rd Team All-American status following his freshman season.

Schebler established a new single-season Division III field goal record by hitting 21 of 27 field attempts last year. The 21 field goals broke the national record of 20 set by Mount Union's Ken Edelman in 1990.

With two years of eligibility remaining, the Iowa native is already closing in on the D3 career field goal record. Schebler has hit 39 of 48 field goal attempts in his first two seasons at UW-Whitewater. The national Division III career record is 52 set by Edelman (1987-90).

Schebler was an All-State kicker playing for Davenport Assumption in high school and was considered one of the top kickers in the Midwest. The strong-legged kicker received invitations to walk on at Division I programs like Nebraska, Memphis and Central Florida, he opted to join a Division III team that was coming off an unbeaten regular season and berth in the 2005 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Schebler's first two seasons saw his holder and long-snapper consistant. Nick Croak, the Warhawks' all-time leading punter served as Schebler's holder while Luke Nelson spent the past two year's as the Warhawks' long snapper.

The Hawks must find replacements for both Croak and Nelson during preseason practice.

Jeff Schebler is on his record pace despite having to kick in poor field conditions during the Warhawks' late November and December playoff runs his first two years. That will change beginning this fall when Schebler will have the luxury to kick on state-of-the-art Field Turf being installed this summer at Perkins Stadium

Jeff Schebler's kicking prowess will have a huge impact on UW-Whitewater making a run at a fourth consecutive WIAC title.

The bible of NCAA Division III football, D3football.com, released its 2008 preseason All-America team on Tuesday.

2007 1st team selection, Jeff Schebler, along with senior linebacker Jace Rindahl, have been selected to the preseason 1st team.

The story, on the D3football.com homepage shows a photo of Rindahl and poses the question, is Rindahl the next standout in a line of great linebackers?

View the story and click onto the D3football.com preseason All-American list by clicking onto D3football.com home page

The Warhawks report to preseason practice on August 16. The 2008 season opener is set for Friday night, September 5 vs. St. Xavier University (Ill) on the brand new sythetic Field Turf at Perkins Stadium.

For the second time in less than a year Pete Schmitt has been released by the Washington Redskins.

Schmitt was released on Friday when the Redskins signed wide receiver Devin Thomas, their top draft pick, to a four-year, $4.83 million contract that included a $2.735 million signing bonus.

The former All-American UW-Whitewater tight end was resigned by the Redskins earlier this year after being released by Washington late in the Redskins' 2007 training camp.

The Mount Horeb native appeared on his way to making the club during last year's training camp. A shoulder injury late in camp resulted in Schmitt being released after signing an injury settlement with the club.

Schmitt,seemingly out of the NFL, was substitute teaching, when he got a call from his agent this spring saying the Redskins were interested in having me work out for them. I Following the workout he was resigned.

I just am thankful that the front office wanted to give me another chance," Schmitt said. "It's not very often that an undrafted rookie gets a second opportunity after a coaching staff change, but I was lucky enough to get that break and now I can give it everything I got one more time."

Schmitt was originally signed by Washington to an undrafted free agent contract after inviting him for a tryout in the team's 2007 rookie minicamp.

Fans were treated to an extremely entertaining 32nd Annual WFCA High School All-Star Game on Saturday night at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh.

The South squad took an early 6-0 lead with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. The North responded on the next possession by taking a 7-6 advantage with 1:11 left in the first quarter.

The North went on to score 28 unanswered points to take a 28-6 lead with 9:05 left in third quarter.

It was a that point that the South All-Stars turned the momentum 180 degrees tallying 20 straight points to cut deficit to 28-26 with 4:42 to play.

"It came down to a two-point (conversion) play late in the fourth quarter, and that's not bad considering where things were in the third quarter," said South coach Jim Meckstroth of Cuba City. "We came back and made it a very exciting finish."

The game was certainly exciting for the fans with 728 yards of offense and 40 first downs.

Six UW-Whitewater recruits participated in Saturday night's All-Star Game.

Former Milwaukee Riverside cornerback Sam Overton finished with three-and-a-half tackles and a game-high three pass break-ups. The 2007 Associated Press First Team All-State selection also returned the only North punt of the evening for two yards.

(In the adjacent photo, UW-Whitewater recruit, Sam Overton, makes one of his three pass break-ups in Saturday night's WFCA High School All-Star Game)

Three more Warhawk recruits, Taylor Goodman of Blackhawk High School,Joe Bauer of Johnson Creek and Aaron Laskowski of Edgerton figured in the final statistics.

Goodman, a safety, finished with three tackles including a half-tackle for a loss.

Bauer averaged 41 yards on three punts including a game-high 51 yarder.

Laskowski finished with one tackle.

Two offensive lineman heading to UW-Whitewater also played major roles in the South's offense. Luke Allemand of Kenosha Tremper rotated series at center, while Tyler Cory of Verona did likewise at right tackle.

Despite capturing the 2007 NCAA Division III National Championship, Lance Leipold's UW-Whitewater football team will enter 2008 preseason practice with the same goal as it does every year -- to win the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and gain another berth in the Division III playoffs.

Whitewater will be minus 15 starters and 23 seniors from last year's D3 Championship team. The Warhawks return a large number of players that have seen plenty of action against quality teams over the past several years. Whitewater will be in search of a school-record fourth consecutive WIAC title in '08. The Warhawks will enter the season on a 21-game conference winning streak.

Three of the four major preseason national polls have been published with Mount Union ranked No. 1 in all three polls. Whitewater is ranked second in the Sporting News, and Lindy's Preason College Football publication. USA Today has the Hawks ranked a preseason No. 3 behind Mount Union and Wesley (Del).

UW-Whitewater opens the 2008 season on Friday night, Sept. 5 at Perkins Stadium vs. St. Xavier (Ill). SXU ended its 2007 season with a 10-3 overall record. It was the third straight season the Cougars have qualified for the 16-team NAIA Championships Series and the second straight year it has earned a berth to at least the quarterfinals. SXU finished with a No. 8 national ranking in the 2007 NAIA Football Top 25 Postseason Coaches’ Poll.

T-minus 30 days and counting until players return to campus for 2008 preseason football practice. Despite being mid-July, visitors to the Student Athletic Center and Perkins Stadium Complex get a definite feel that another season is just around the corner.

The countdown to the season can be equated to the progress on this summer's addition of synthetic turf. If the project remains on schedule, the turf installation will be completed at the same time as preseason practice opens on August 16.

Mann Brother's Construction workers are in the final stage of preparing the base for the Field Turf installation.

As can be seen the adjacent photo, the first of a three-level rock base is being put down prior to the actual installation of the state-of-the-art Field Turf which will begin next week.

Special ceremonies in connection with the Perkins Stadium renovation will take place at UW-Whitewater's season-opening game on Friday evening, Sept 5, vs. St. Xavier (Ill.)

The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association will hold the 32nd annual All-Star North-South charity football game on Saturday evening, July 19, at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh. The game, traditionally the kickoff to a football season, features some of the top high school senior football players from around the state. UW-Whitewater will be well represented in the 2008 WFCA All-Star Game with six 2008 recruits participating in the week-long training camp.

UW-Whitewater is again the hosting the South All-Stars for their week-long training prior to Saturday night’s game. Five Warhawk football recruits that have been selected to the South squad roster.

The incoming UW-Whitewater freshman recruits include:

Luke Allemand (6-3, 285), offensive lineman, Kenosha Tremper

Joe Bauer, (6-foot-2, 194), quarterback/punter, Johnson Creek

Tyler Cory (6-2, 240), offensive lineman, Verona

Taylor Goodman (6’1 210), running back/linebacker, Black Hawk

Aaron Laskowski (5-10, 165), running back/defensive back, Edgerton

Sam Overton, (5-10, 165), defensive back, Milwaukee Riverside

Playing for the North Squad is UW-Whitewater recruit, Zach Jaro, a wide receiver//punt return specialist from Bay Port High School in Green Bay.

Field Turf installation nears for the Perkins Stadium construction project. Mann Bros. Construction is currently in the final stages of edge pouring (see adjacent photo).

On completion of concrete work, the process of actually installing the state-of-the-art Field Turf playing surface will get underway. Plans call for the turf installation to be completed by Aug. 10.

Along with the turf installation work, construction of new wrought iron fencing will take place creating a definite new look to the entrance to the Perkins Stadium complex.

The project is scheduled to be completed by mid-August.

"Grand opening" ceremonies will take place during the Warhawks' season opener on Friday, Sept. 5 vs. St. Xavier University (Ill).

The National W-Club Golf Outing is on Thursday, July 17th at Kettle Moraine Golf Club. Cost is $75.00 and all proceeds go toward student-athlete awards. UW-Whitewater Athletics had a big year in 2007-08 and need your help to keep this moving forward.

Registration will begin at noon, and a shotgun start set for 1 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to attend as support is always needed for the continual success of the UW-Whitewater athletics' program.

We will have numerous prizes and everyone will walk away with Warhawk gear.

Work continues on preparation of Perkins Stadium for its new synthetic Field Turf. Despite a round of heavy thunderstorms earlier in the week, the project remains on schedule.

As can be seen in the adjacent photo, work continues on preparing for the installation of the sythetic surface.

The required retaining walls have been erected, concrete "curbing" has been laid, and heavy equipment continue the process of leveling the dirt "floor" prior to laying a mesh covering. That will be the final step prior to laying the sub-surface followed by the sythetic turf.

Another key component of the off-season Perkins Stadium renovation is installation of a new brick and wrought iron gate and fence as fans enter the stadium from the adjacent parking lot.

The Perkins Stadium project is scheduled for completion on August 16.