The Sleeping Bear

Ah, Tommies v. Johnnies. One of the best rivalries in D3 sports. The city kids vs. the country hicksters. RIch white kids vs. well, rich white kids. So you’re guaranteed some rich white kids go home sad. What’s not to like about that proposition?

And this Tommies/Johnnies game actually meant a lot in terms of playoff positioning for both teams. Let’s face it, Tommie fans, your team hasn’t been a playoff contender for years. But entering this game 6-0 and with really only one more challenging opponent on the schedule (Bethel), a win in this game would put your plucky squad in the driver’s seat for a MIAC crown and playoff berth, something you haven’t sniffed since, what, Ronald Reagan was telling the Ruski’s to tear down walls and Miami Vice was a hit?’

Like the 15th ranked Tommies, the Johnnies entered the game as they usually did – undefeated. But this wasn’t your typical Johnnies team. This was a team that had become hooked on last second wins. It was their heroin. Their crack. Their meth. Instead of blowing out their opponents and pulling their starters in the third quarter, this was a team that instead was used to pulling off miraculous wins and moshing with the student body afterward.

Don’t believe? Against Wisconsin Eau Claire in their home opener, the Johnnies seemingly had the game wrapped up, only to have the cheesers score what appeared to be a game-tying TD with a couple minutes left. But a blocked extra point kept the J’s with a one-point lead. Game over, right? Nope, after a failed on-side kick, Eau Claire (smartly) played dead and the Johnnies (dumbly) took the bait, scoring a TD that only gave them an 8 point lead. Eau Claire then promptly drove inside the 10, where, on the last play of the game, a pass was just a tad high in the back of the end zone, and the Johnnies had a heart-stopping win.

A couple weeks later, the Johnnies trailed Bethel by 14 in the fourth. A couple gritty drives later and the Johnnies were an extra point away from tieing it up. OT, right? Nope, XP missed, Johnnies apparently a one-loss team. But not so fast, with three timeouts, the Johnnies managed to stop Bethel, get the ball back with a little time left, drove to the 32, and setup Russell Gliadon for what turned out to be “The Kick.” Johnnies win, crowd rushes field, pandemonium is in order. Get the paddles. Yell clear. Jump start your heart.

Flash forward to this Saturday and a clash of unbeaten rivals on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Clemens Stadium. In front of a crowd of nearly 13,000 (many who arrived late thanks to a traffic jam on I94 – not something you see everyday in Stearns County), the Johnnies and Tommies were ready to square off in the most important game in this storied rivalry in decades. Like the last time both teams were undefeated this deep in the season, Hitler and his ’stache were hanging out in Berlin.

And what a clash it was. To call it a bruising defensive battle would be an understatement. The first quarter featured 4 punts and less than 70 yards of total offense. University of Minnesota transfer Tommy Becker, all 6′2″, 250 pounds of NFL-sized linebacker, was popping Johnnies all over the field. But the Johnnies bruising running back tandem of Kellen Blaser and Jakob Reding were returning the favor, pounding the Tommies interior.

The Johnnies struck first, putting together an impressive 13 play, 69 yard drive that chewed up more than 6 minutes and put them up 7-0 early in the second quarter. The Tommies fumbled the ensuing kickoff and it looked like the Johnnies may open up the game early. But the Tommies D held strong and turned the Johnnies over on downs. A turnover on fourth down stopped the T-bags’ ensuing drive, but the Johnnies were again unable to muster much of an offense and punted three plays later.

The Tommies then put together their best drive of the game, going nearly 60 yards, before missing a 31 yard FG on the last play of the half. Battered and bruised, both teams went into the lockerroom to regroup.

The Tommies started the third quarter with a bang, as little speedster Fritz Waldvogel scampered down the visitor’s sideline on a 59 yard kickoff return. With momentum on their side, it looked like the Tommies may rally to tie the game. But the Johnnies defense yielded just two yards and the Tommies were stopped on fourth down.

A couple of punts and a stalled drive, and the Tommies were facing another fourth down near their 40. In a move that may be second-guessed all over Tommie-country, the T’s tried a fake that was thwarted by the Johnnies. As usually happens after great special teams plays, the Johnnies capitalized on the momentum swing, driving 39 yards in 11 plays for a score to take a 14-0 lead with about 2 minutes left in the third. Given the Tommies inability to throw the ball, it seemed like an insurmountable lead.

And a couple plays later, when the Tommies rangy sophomore QB Greg Morse threw his second interception of the game to set the Johnnies up inside Tommie territory, it looked like the rout was on. But not so fast – again the Johnnies failed to capitalize and again they were forced to punt. The Tommies couldn’t move the ball and punter AJ Clouthier unloaded a 60 yard punt while running to his right that set the Johnnies back at their 10. They could only muster a single first down and lined up to punt themselves. The usually sure-footed Gliadon got off an ugly 11-yard punt and St. Thomas was deep inside Johnnie territory at the 32. The Tommies reached into their bag of tricks, faking a draw and going deep to WR Tony Margarit, who had the Johnnies defense beat by 5 yards and scored an easy 32-yard TD to cut the lead in half.

Suddenly, a game that seemed sewed up was now a one TD game with nine and a half minutes to play. The tension grew and the crowd quieted. The teams traded punts, and the Johnnies took over at their own 31 with about 6 minutes to play. Time to pound the Tommies into submission and put the game away, right? It certainly looked that way, as the Johnnies  Jakob Reding rumbled into the line 5 straight times, netting 16 yards and leaving a manageable third and four with just 2:59 to play. Another first down and the Johnnies could essentially seal the game.

And oh how close they came. Kellen Blaser took the ball to midfield, about 2 feet short of a first down. What to do, what do do? Go for it and seal the win, but possibly give St. Thomas great field possession with plenty of time left? Or play it safe, punt it, and rely on your defense to thwart St. Thomas yet again?

Sadly, St. John’s did neither. After the game, we found out that the Johnnies had called a fake punt that was to be audibled should the Tommies line up to defend it correctly. Well, the Tommies lined up correctly, the fake was called off, only no one told the center, who snapped the ball to an unprepared upback. The ball squirted around, eventually coming to a halt at the Johnnies 21 yard line, where the Tommies were in position to tie it up. Cue crazy Tommie crowd and stunned Johnnie faithful.

I’d love to say the Johnnies defense made a rousing defensive stand to win the game and the student body tumbled onto the field in celebratory flesh pressing. They came close, as the Tommies faced third and goal at the four with less than 10 seconds left. Only, the Tommies snuck a TE out the backside of the defense, Morse lofted a beautiful pass across the field and the Tommies fans and sidelines erupted. There were no extra point shenanigans to save the Johnnies and the game headed to OT tied at 14.

And momentum was surely on the Tommies side. They’d overcome a 14 point deficit. They’d overcome a raucous crowd. They’d overcome an inferiority complex borne from 11 straight defeats at the hands of St. John’s. They’d even overcome the feeling of inadequacy instilled in them when they realized that, once graduated, they’d be working for intellectually superior Johnnies for the rest of their lives. You could almost hear them thinking “Can’t we beat the Johnnies just this once before a life of servitude?”

But fate, lady-luck, Jesus, whatever you want to call it, was on the Johnnies side. They won the toss. They elected to take the ball last. The Tommies smartly decided to go into the endzone opposite the Johnnies rabid student section. The Tommies went to their star running back, Ben Wartman, who finished the day with 80 yards on 24 carries, nearly half the YPC he’d averaged in his previous 6 games, giving him a couple carries on which he picked up 10 yards and moved the ball to the 15. But the Johnnies defense once again stiffened (new team nickname: Ron Jeremy), forcing the Tommies into a 4th and 8 at the 11 and making their only choice a 28 yard FG which split the uprights giving the Tommies a 17-14 lead.

So this was it. The ball at the 25. A TD wins it. A FG forces a second OT. Anything less and you have to scratch and claw and pray for a playoff berth.

And as they have done all season, the Johnnies rose to the occasion. Jakob Reding blasted for 8 on first down, 7 on second, and the Johnnies were first and goal at the 10. Reding again plied the middle for two yards. Second and goal from the 8. The Johnnies then went to the play they use when they need a play – option. Boyle held the defensive end, pitched to Blaser, who went 8 yards for the score, diving for the pylon and scoring to sew up 12 straight over the hated Tommies. The crowd erupted, the students stormed the field and the Johnnies were 7-0 and three wins away from yet another MIAC crown, another playoff berth, and probably another first round game at venerable Clemens Stadium.

So how’d the Johnnies do it? The old fashioned way – three yards and a cloud of dust. Eschewing their smaller backs like Steven Johnson, Harry Awe and Jimmy Loonan, the Johnnies relied almost exclusively on their bruisers, 6′2, 220 pound Kellen Blaser and 6′1, 225 pound Jakob Reding. Reding finished with 34 carries for 122 yards and a score while Blaser went for 74 yards on 15 carries. It was old-school football perhaps inspired by offensive line coach Jim Mader’s work at Albany. Run. Run. Run some more. As the old Albany T-shirts used to say: Smashmouth Football.

But they also did it by stopping the Tommies stars. Fritz Waldvogel, who came into the game with 30+ catches, finished with 4 for just 24 yards. RB Ben Wartman had just 80 yards on 24 carries and the Tommies, who entered the game averaging over 250 yards on the ground per game, netted just 107. In typically Johnnie fashion, they imposed their will on their opponent, forced them out of their element and took home yet another win.

What started as a cold, overcast day turned into a cloudless, sunny day at Royal Stadium in Arden Hills. Though the weather changed from kickoff to final horn, the product on the field didn’t: Lots of handoffs (99 combined), lots of big hits and lots of small gains.

You could tell it was a Division III West Region football game from the start. Eau Claire entered the game 9-2 after a second place finish in one of DIII’s toughest conferences, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. And like most WIAC squads, Eau Claire is big. They beat you by pounding you into submission, running the ball and passing just enough to keep you off balance.

Bethel, 10-1 and champions of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, may lack Eau Claire’s size, but they also beat you with a three yards and a could of dust philosophy. They run. And run. And run some more. If it’s not freshman Logan Flannery picking up chunks of yards on the edges, it’s sophomore Dusty Wahl pounding it through the middle of the defense. Oh, and let’s not forget senior QB Ben Wetzell, all 6′3″ and 215 pounds dashing around the edge for big yards.

But the unsung heroes on the Bethel team are the small, fast defense. Don’t let their base 3-3-3 defense that seemingly taunts you to run the ball inside fool you – they stop the run as good as anyone in DIII. They’re quick, they fly to the ball and they make you beat them slowly, by grinding out small chunks of yards.

Two plays after the opening kickoff, the Royals were in business. An Eau Claire fumble was pounced on by the Royals inside the 20 and they quickly turned it into a Dusty Wahl 3 yard TD run to take an early 7-0 lead.

Eau Claire was down, but not out, rallying to tie the score at 7 on a 1 yard Cory Sartorelli run 1:55 before the end of the first quarter. A second quarter 22 yard field goal gave Eau Claire their first (and last) lead of the game at 10-7, but their failure to complete a third and goal from the two cost them four points.

On a day when neither offense could get anything going, the Royals relied on their special teams to make a big play. Tim Cornish burst through the middle and then cut outside, returning the ensuing kick 46 yards. A 15 yard late hit put the ball at the 25, and five plays later Ben Wetzell plunged in from the one to give Bethel a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The punters got a a workout in the third quarter as both teams struggled to move the ball and mount a drive. Not surprising, since neither team could throw the ball, combining for a numbing 9-33 for 61 passing yards. Yeah, that’s ugly. 5 punts and a turnover on downs ensued with neither team moving inside their opponents 30. A 6th punt was planned early in the fourth quarter, but Bethel punter Kevin Ness dropped the snap, attempted to punt and had the kick blocked. It rolled into and out of the endzone, cutting the Royal lead to 14-12. Momentum was back in Eau Claire’s corner.

And it stayed there all of one play – the ensuing free kick took a Bethel roll and instead of starting in great field position following the safety, Eau Claire found themselves inside their own 20. They moved it as far as their own 36 before punting. A Royal drive and punt and Eau Claire drive and punt later and there was 7:53 left and Bethel was starting at their own 26 clinging to a 2 point lead.

The drive began. And 12 rushes and five and a half minutes later Bethel had driven 74 yards for the back-breaking TD. On the drive, Logan Flannery, who had been bottled up most of the game, carried 5 times for 27 yards. Wetzell carried 3 times for 22 yards and Dusty Wahl carried 4 times for 27 yards, including the 11-yard TD.

Eau Claire valiantly moved the ball down to the Bethel 27, but their season ended when they turned the ball over on downs. A few kneeldowns later and Bethel had doubled their total number of playoff wins. One more and they’ll be facing the juggernaut that is Mount Union in the semifinals. But first up is Central, fresh off a 37-7 dismantling the the St. John’s University Johnnies, a team Bethel needed fourth quarter heroics to beat a few weeks back.

Random Thoughts

• Man, what a grind-it-out game. Bethel totalled 248 yards, Eau Claire 208. Eau Claire averaged just 2.9 yards per play. There were 33 pass attempts and 99 rush attempts in the game. Both teams were content to grind it out, shorten the game and hope to make the big play at the end. In the end, Bethel was able to sustain a drive and pull out the win.
• Eau Claire was a big team – huge offensive line and big WRs, but they were unable to run or throw the ball effectively. They were missing their starting QB, Mitch Schaeuble, who apparently got injured early in the game. Must have been the first play, because Tony Hull replaced him and fumbled on the second play.
• Bethel’s defense plays fast and is great at stopping the run. When I watched them play St. John’s, SJU was unable to get anything in the way of a rushing attack. Same with Eau Claire. They are small, but fast. They run to the ball and make plays.
• This might be bulletin board material, but Bethel will not win it all. They are just too one-dimensional on offense to win a title. You have to be able to complete a pass if you want to beat teams like Mount Union and Whitewater. If Central plays as well next week as this week, Bethel may find themselves at the bad end of a similar score. That said, I like watching them play. They make plays when they have to and they know how to win: Shorten the game and play big in the fourth quarter.
• I was a little surprised to hear Bethel fans cheering against St. John’s. Not smart. Now you have to travel to Pella instead of playing a team you beat at home. I know I was rooting for Bethel today and will be next week – the farther MIAC teams advance the more chance they have in the future of getting two teams in the playoffs.

In football, momentum is everything. A long TD, an interception, a big hit can all swing momentum from one team to another and change the course of the game. In yesterday’s 41-13 Johnnie win at a cold and overcast Clemens Stadium, a couple of plays both large and small helped the Johnnies turn a lethargic performance into a rout.

The Johnnies opened the game in style – intercepting Redlands QB
Dan Selway’s first pass and returning it for a TD. An illegal block in the back by junior lineman Nick Gunderson took 7 points off the board, but the Johnnies still had great field position. A four yard run by Kofoed a few plays later and it was 7-0 Johnnies.

It stayed that way until midway through the second quarter. The Johnnies, pinned back inside their 10, decided to try a little razzle dazzle. A pitch to RB Mike Patnode turned into a halfback pass, and not a bad one at that. But both the corner and safety failed to bite and the ball was picked off near the 40. Redlands drove down the field, scoring a TD with just under 7 minutes left (with George Foreman’s kid, George, laying out a Johnnie defender on the lead block, a knockdown that would have made his dad proud) to cut the lead to 7-6.

And then, either because of poor blocking or a poor call, Redlands faked the extra point, throwing an incompletion among heavy traffic. This seemingly miniscule play shifted the game. Instead of a tie, Redlands was still playing from behind.

Yet, Alex Kofoed tried his hardest to give the Bulldogs the lead. On the next series, he threw an interception near midfield that again gave the Bulldogs a shot to quiet the restless Johnnie faithful. But the Johnnie defense stiffened and the Johnnies took over at their own 17.

And then came the second big play. After a couple completions moved the ball to the 39, Redlands inexplicably changed their coverage, leaving no deep safety in the middle. Kofoed alertly spotted the chink in the armor, lofting a beautiful 61 yard TD to a wide open Adam Weber, who ran a post pattern and caught the ball precisely where the deep safety should have been. Instead, the man covering Weber lost his footing and by the time he got off the turf, the Johnnies had awakened.

Fitting for a day where flurries amused the Californians, it snowballed from there. Another turnover, this time a fumble, set up a a 14-yard Kofoed to Patnode TD. An interception led to a final FG as the Johnnies waltzed into halftime with a 24-6 lead.

The second half proved mostly uneventful as the Johnnies controlled the ball in the third quarter, extending the lead to 34-6. Redlands had turned to their backup QB in the second half and, though he played well, they really had no shot of digging themselves out of such a deep hole. Though George Foreman’s son did throw another key block in the Bulldogs second TD run, the Johnnies closed it out on a Kofoed to Pollock TD with about 5 minutes left.

Mike Patnode had an outstanding all-around game, finishing with 170 total yards and a couple of scores. Kofoed shook off some early rust to finish 17-34 for 244 yards, 4 passing TDs and a rushing TD. He now has 99 passing TDs on his career, needing just one more to join a small group of QBs who have thrown for 100 TDs in a career.

But the real stars of the game were the Johnnies defense. They limited Redlands, a team that averaged 38 points per game, to just 13 points and held them under 300 yards while forcing 4 turnovers.

It’s playoff time in D3 football and that must mean another Johnnie first round win – I believe Gagliardi and crew last lost a first round game when Reagan was president. It also means it’s time to go on the road to Central, the third time since 2000 the two squads have met in the playoffs. And hopefully the Johnnies can uphold their tradition of beating Central, something they’ve done the last two meetings. And then maybe we can look forward to a rematch with the Bethel Royals or another home game at Clemens against Eau Claire.

Random Thoughts

• As disappointed as I was in the officiating of this game, I was even more disappointed by the Gagliardi’s conduct. Following an apparent Johnnie TD that was called an incomplete pass, both Jim and John threw tirades, with John going so far as to push (as well as an aging man can) a referee. Sure, he was just trying to get his attention, but it’s not something you want to be doing.
• Redlands was an interesting team – they seemed smaller on the lines, but had some big, bruising RBs. Yet for their size, they just weren’t shifty or fast enough to get to the running lanes, which is why the Johnnies were able to limit them to 59 rushing yards.
• The Johnnies special teams played one of their better games of the year. Chase Pollock had a nice return, Derek Stifter almost took a punt to the house and the kick coverage was excellent all game. And Gliadon didn’t miss any XPs and kicked two FGs, punted well, and, despite not kicking the ball real deep, pinned Redlands inside the 30 almost every time.
• By the way, I love watching Stifter return punts. He could have 6 guys within 5 yards of him and he’s not going to throw his arm up for a fair catch. He’s back there to return the ball. Plus, he consistently makes the first man miss and has great speed. He’s got the same mindset as Blake Elliott had.
• Holy crap is Drew Percival huge. The Johnnies backup tackle is listed at 6′9″, 300 pounds and that height is not an exaggeration. It’s hard to imagine 300 bills looking thin, and he does.
• Alright, so I’m talking about the backups again, but Billy Ryan had a nice closing drive. The 5′9″ 175lb junior from Park Rapids picked up 39 yards on 7 garbage time carries.
• John Cloeter, who finished with two interceptions, is a great safety. He’s big, rangy and has great hands. All year he’s played well. A senior, he’s going to be missed next year.
• It’s nice to have Ryan Wimmer back. He finished with a team high 11 tackles.
• Gagliardi must be feeling well – the last two games have been 40 degrees and cold and he’s been on the field the entire time for both. Sure, he’s got the big red parka and stocking cap, but there were some games last year that he finished up in the booth.
• Kofoed struggled early in this one, throwing low and behind receivers. Possibly it was the weather, but after his second INT of the first half, he started warming up on the sidelines in between possessions. It seemed to help, as the next possession was a beautifully thrown pass to Adam Weber.
• It was a relatively small crowd – I arrived about 15 minutes early and found plenty of parking on campus and no wait to buy tickets. Even the student section was only half full.

When two evenly matched teams collide, as the undefeated #4 St John’s University Johnnies and #18 St. Olaf Oles did on Saturday, the game is usually decided by special teams. Near the end of the third quarter, with the Oles seemingly on their way to a big win, the Oles special teams play had been a big part of their lead. Trailing 14-9 in the second quarter, the Oles Andrew Schmiesing fielded a punt at his 25 and cruised down the left sideline for a 75-yard TD that gave the Oles a 16-14 lead with just a 1:20 to go until halftime.

And in the third quarter, after the Oles had just driven 57 yards to kick a 27 yard field goal and regain the lead, 19-17, Josh Rose fumbled the Oles’ kickoff, setting them up inside the 35. They used the momentum gained from that fumble recovery to score on an 8-yard run by bulldog Coty Watkins to run up a 26-17 lead.

And then God intervened, seemingly favoring the Catholic university. With the Johnnies near midfield, Alex Kofoed, who bounced back from a poor showing against Carleton to go 28-43 for 318 yards and three TDs, went back to pass, got hit and winged a rainbow inside the 10. Brian Weber came out of nowhere to pluck the ball out of the air, avoid the congestion and waltz into the right corner of the endzone in front of a rabid Clemens Stadium homecoming crowd estimated at over 12,000.

Momentum had swung back in the home team’s favor. The Johnnies held the Oles on a fourth and 8 from inside their 40 and another Kofoed to Weber miracle brought the Johnnies inside their five. Weber slipped past the Ole safety, who had fallen down and had nothing between him and the goal line when Kofoed uncorked a pass that seemed destined for the ground 5 yards beyond #5. But with a burst and a full layout, Weber popped up with a remarkable catch, the Johnnies were first and goal and the Oles were on their heels. Mike Patnode finished the drive off with a three yard run, the Johnnies try for two was stopped, but the Johnnies had a four point lead.

The Oles drove for a FG to get within 1 with 5 minutes left, but the Johnnies pounded the ball from there, getting a key third down grab from Brett Saladin and a facemask penalty to continue the drive and end the game. It was another fourth quarter comeback and another 6-0 start for the Johnnies.

And yet, in the end special teams did play a key role: Two botched Oles long snaps, one on a 30+ FG and one on an extra point, proved to be the difference in the contest.

The Oles proved their mettle in defeat, however. If they run the table the rest of the way they should earn a playoff berth because that is one solid squad. Their defensive and offensive lines dominated for most of the game, they’ve got some excellent Florida talent at WR (Gant, 6 catches for 101 yards and a score) and CB (Hutchins limited Weber to 1 catch for 4 yards before going out with an injury late in the third quarter) and their running game is explosive. They were very reminiscent of some of the early 2000s Bethel squads that Meidt helped lead to playoff berths.

For the Johnnies, Mike Patnode quietly had another solid performance. Though he didn’t gain 230 yards like the previous week against Carleton, he did manage to gain 135 combined rushing and receiving yards. Aaron Blackmore also returned to the lineup after a two-week absence, notching 74 combined rushing and receiving yards.

On defense, the Johnnies rotated in two additional defensive backs on obvious passing downs, a tactic that limited their pass rush but shutdown the Oles deep out passing attack. In typical Johnnies style, they bent, but didn’t break, limiting the big plays that led the Oles to average 550+ yards and 50+ points through the first give games of the season.

With the win, the Johnnies inch closer to yet another MIAC title. They still close with three of their final four on the road – Gustavus, Hamline, and Bethel, with Bethel matching the Johnnies undefeated MIAC start. And then there’s the always tough Tommie game to contend with. But it’s been a promising start so far, with the Johnnies finding ways to win close contests.

Since the early 90s, the Johnnies have been blessed with great QBs: Mayew, Seiler, Ramler, Linneman, Keating, Denne even Stanger took over for an injured Linneman and led them deep into the playoffs. Yesterday, Alex Kofoed took another step toward SJU QB immortality with one of his best performances in his four-year career, leading the St. John’s University Johnnies to an impressive 52-21 win over the Concordia Cobbers in a Division III football game Saturday at a cloudless Clemens Stadium.

To put that score in perspective, the last three games in the series have been decided by a combined 7 points. The Johnnies needed a 70+ yard TD pass a couple years ago with 13 seconds left to eke out a victory. No such heroics were needed in this one: After tying the score at 7 in the first quarter, the Cobbers started to self-destruct, repeatedly turning the ball over while the Big Red Machine that is the Johnnies offense rolled up passing yards and points at will.Part of the reason: Kofoed. Showing pinpoint accuracy and pocket presence forged over the last four years, Kofoed patiently picked apart a Cobbers D intent on crowding the line and disrupting the running game, finishing the game 26-32 for 303 yards and four scores without an INT.The Johnnies running game showed little ill effects from the absence of RB Aaron Blackmore, out with what has been diagnosed as a sprained knee, as Mike Patnode fought for 62 yards on 15 carries, while leading the team in receptions with 6 for 53. Patnode finished with 3 TDs on the day. Jeff Schnobrich, the unsung member of the backfield known for his devastating blocking, also got into the act, scoring on a beautiful 16 yard run where he appeared bottled up in the middle of the line, only to burst out, break a couple half-hearted arm tackles, and plunge into the endzone for another Johnnies TD. Schnobrich finished with 31 yards rushing on 6 carries and also caught 4 passes for 33 yards and a score.With Kofoed patiently spreading the ball short, the Johnnies WRs didn’t receive a lot of downfield looks, but the trio of Brian Weber, Ben Vanderheyden and TE Brett Saladan all caught for more than 50 yards, with Weber adding a TD.The Johnnies dominated on defense, limiting the Cobbers to 8 first downs, 3-12 passing and three INTs while also notching 2 sacks and recovering a fumble. The Cobbers finished with just 242 yards of offense, 88 coming on a run by diminutive RB Cory Johnson when the game was well out of reach.

With Kofoed in his final season, it appears likely he’s well on his way toward being immortalized with the great Johnnies QBs of the past two decades. In the fourth quarter, Johnnies fans got a chance to see the man who may ultimately replace him next year: Joe Boyle, a 6′0″ 180 lb freshman QB from Holy Angels who is number 3 on the depth chart. In limited action, he showed a live arm and good poise as he commanded the Johnnies offense.

But that’s the future. This year, the Johnnies will go as far as their experienced QB and Gagliardi Trophy candidate can take them. On this day, he led them to the most points they’ve ever scored against the Cobbers and their biggest margin of victory over the Cobbers since a 49-0 trouncing in 1976.

If early indications are accurate, Johnnies fans may want to book an early December trip to Salem.