Massive storm hammers Stagg Bowl site

Wisconsin-Whitewater's football team wasn't the only expected visitor to arrive this week in Salem, Va.

The Warhawks, who will play in today's Stagg Bowl against Ohio's Mount Union College, were joined Friday in the area by a massive snowstorm that is certain to have an impact on the NCAA Division III national championship game. The contest airs live at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.

The Warhawks and Raiders, who are playing for the D-III title for the fifth consecutive year, will compete today among nearly two feet of snow that is blanketing the region.

According to the National Weather Service, the forecast calls for 16-21 inches of snow to fall by the end of Saturday. As of late Friday night, nearby Roanoke reported 12 inches already had fallen.

"Visibility is awful," Sherry Rogers, a spokeswoman for Roanoke Regional Airport, told Roanoke.com.

Virginia governor Tim Kaine declared a state of emergency Friday for much of the state, which included the National Guard being called upon for storm assistance. More than 21,000 local residents, according to Roanoke.com, had reported power outages as of 10:15 p.m. local time Friday.

Richmond-Burton grad Jon Baldwin, a junior defensive end for No. 2 Whitewater, will try to help the Warhawks end top-ranked Mount Union's 29-game winning streak.

Whitewater was the last team to beat Mount Union, a 10-time national champion. That victory came in the 2007 Stagg Bowl.

Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.