The Whalen Era of Wesleyan football is finally in full effect: the Cardinals are the Little Three Champions for the first time since 1970, Head Coach Mike Whalen’s freshman year at Wes. Such a historic milestone could not have been more perfectly timed, as generations of Cardinal faithful bore witness to the Homecoming battle against Williams that ended with the Birds on top, 16-14.

No one will argue that this was the Cardinals’ best-executed game of the season, but despite their struggles, they emerged from this defensive slugfest with their unbeaten streak intact and their 13-year winless streak against the Ephs snapped. If there were any doubts about the now 7-0 Cardinals’ ability to execute during crucial moments, Saturday’s matchup put them all to rest.

From the onset of the match, it was clear that despite sporting a lowly 2-4 record, Williams still had a strong defensive unit that stifled the Cards more than any other team this season. Despite Williams’ efforts, however, the Cardinal offense was able to score in each of its four red-zone appearances.

The first Wesleyan drive concluded with a 35-yard field goal from the ever-reliable Sebastian Aguirre ’14. The Cardinals would not deliver the ball into Williams’ territory again until the beginning of the second quarter when LaDarius Drew ’15 chugged his way into the end zone for his 10th rushing score of the season. For the first time all season, though, the Cards could not manage more than a single touchdown. Although the team dealt with a bit more frustration than it has grown accustomed to in this regard, Whalen emphasized that getting points on the board is the only thing that matters in the end.

“We talk to our guys all the time about how games can come down to an extra point,” the fourth-year coach said. “The two things we know is that in games like this, you’re going to have to play the full 60 minutes. You don’t look at the scoreboard; you just focus on playing as hard as you can. The second thing is, when you have opportunities to put points on the board, you have to convert it. Obviously Sebastian’s three kicks were huge for us; he’s worked extremely hard and I couldn’t be happier that he’s having the type of season he’s having.”

Although Williams did not allow many opportunities for the Cardinals’ offense, the Birds were too determined to capture a title to let the few opportunities they had go to waste.

Running back Kyle Gibson ’15 returned to the Cardinals’ offense at full strength to provide an extra boost of depth. After seeing limited action through the past two weeks, Gibson roared back to lead all rushers with 74 yards on 15 carries. For Whalen, implementing Gibson back in his offensive scheme was a matter of patience.

“Kyle’s a really competitive kid,” he said. “He wanted to be in there so badly these last couple of weeks and I knew that. But when we put him out there, he wasn’t himself. He didn’t want to let the team down and wanted to be out there but I limited his carries purposely the last two weeks to try and get him to a position yesterday. He went out there yesterday and he was 100 percent. He was fresh in the fourth quarter and we took advantage of that.”

Holding a 10-0 lead into the third quarter, the Cardinals hardly felt secure about their chances to clinch the Little Three. After Aguirre connected on two more field goals in the second half, Williams surged back with two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns, eventually bringing the match to 16-14 with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

The Ephs had plenty of time to march downfield with their final possession and only needed a field goal to yet again snatch victory away from the Cardinals, but Jake Bussani ’14 wasn’t about to let that happen on his home field.

On Williams’ last offensive drive, pressure from the Cardinals’ defensive ends forced the Ephs’ quarterback Mark Pomella to rush his pass down the right sideline. The high-arcing throw was short and Bussani was running side by side with the intended receiver. Wes’ captain hauled in the clutch interception, giving the Cards the ball back to run out the clock. One first down and three kneels were all it took for the Wesleyan offense to lock it away. Being able to hold onto the ball was just what the Cardinals needed, allowing them to bask in those final seconds before being declared champions.

With the victory, the Cardinals now focus on becoming the undisputed NESCAC Champions for the first time in program history. Going up against a Trinity team that has not lost a match in its last 50 home games will make that an arduous task.

“Everything we’re doing this week is to prepare for Trinity,” Whalen said. “Trinity is the measuring stick. They’re the program in the league that everyone measures themselves to. Fifty home wins a row, you almost can’t imagine doing that on your own field. Obviously they’ve got a strong and proud tradition, they’re looking at this as an opportunity to knock us off. If we’re going to win this game on their field we’re going to have to play a perfect game.”

For this unprecedented Cardinals team, a perfect game doesn’t seem like an unreasonable expectation.