It’s Friday and my bags aren’t packed.  There’s no need to check in online, to download a coupon for the off-site airport parking or to confirm reservations with Hertz or the St. Cloud Homewood Suites.  I sit in my office wondering what on earth I am to do this weekend. 

Last weekend we stayed an extra day so we could spend some extra time, see people and say thanks and good-bye.  We had a nice chat after Sunday Mass with Fr. Don Talfous and spoke to Jake Redding and his little brother.  We walked around campus and saw the beauty that the storm had left in the now ghosted trees.  And then we walked down to the field, which lay undisturbed under its new blanket of snow.  Peaceful, yet empty – an emptiness that is not to change this season.

Unique to soccer perhaps, they use the term “unlucky” to explain situations in which the result does not match the effort given.  By that term, this year’s Johnnies were indeed unlucky; they gave great effort  but received only good, not great, results.  In the end, they were a much better team than their record, and no one in the playoffs would have wanted to find themselves paired up against them.  At season’s end, the Johnnie offense was rolling and the defense was holding.  Watch the highlights of the Hamline game at GoJohnnies.com or below. and you’ll get a sense of the utter ease with which the team was playing.  No doubt every member of that team aches that they cannot keep playing. 

So we wait for next season.  For some of us, though, the experience of next season will be dramatically different.  As parents of an indispensible Johnnie senior, next year will bring newly indispensible players to replace him.  Noel and I will still come to games – though not every week! – and we’ll still be at the Stiftungfestivities and in the stands cheering for the Jays.  We just won’t have the same connection (and dare I say joy) that we’ve had watching our son wear the red and white.  Who knows, maybe it will be easier and less taxing; Noel won’t worry about injury and I won’t worry about missed tackles.  But it sure will be different.  (Damn, if it’s this hard for a parent, how on earth do the players cope?)

Thanks to everyone who made us and our son so welcome (you know who you are).  We’re proud to be Johnnies.

A somewhat fitting finale to a five year long distance relationship…. The Stantons from NorCal

With that said die hard Johnnie fans interested in tailgating can partake in Chef Fahey’s grilled delights at the following location in Northfield:

The Stiftungsfestivities will be held at the Odd Fellows Park in Northfield this Saturday for the St. Olaf game. After you exit off of 35 onto MN-19 going east to Northfield, look for Orchard St. Take a left on Orchard and then take another left on Forest Avenue and head to the park. We will be starting the tailgate party at 10:00 a.m. Bring a culinary delight to share.

For those of you looking for something to do indoors prior to game time our resident Iron Chef Max Stein recommends J. Grundy’s Rueb ‘n’ Stein located at 503 Division St. in Northfield.  Official open time is 11:00am however if you have a group and want to dive in a bit early just give them a call at 507-645-6691.  

You gotta love that small town hospitality.

JohnnieUpEverybody!

After the loss to Bethel, a Johnnie alum proclaimed on a D3football.com message board that the Johnnies’ remaining games were “meaningless.”  When challenged on this, he would concede only that the remaining games were not meaningless to the players, their families and the coaches – a concession that ceded to Johnnie football the significance of Little League and youth soccer.  That following Sunday, over 9,000 people braved poor weather to show up at Clemens Stadium to watch the Johnnies hammer out a methodical victory over Gustavus on Family Weekend.

The Johnnies have lost three games this year – three games by a total of seven points, with two decided only in overtime.  As a result, the Jays will not be MIAC champions this year, or even runners-up, for the first time since 1997, and they will fail to make the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2004.  So it certainly must be conceded that the Jays’ remaining games have no impact on the conference title, much less on the playoffs.  That’s truly disappointing for the team and its fans.  But is playing out the season “meaningless”?  No way. 

Winning or losing, Johnnie football is meaningful to far more than the players, families and coaches. 

• Every Johnnie home game brings together thousands of students, alumni, SJU staff, subway alumni, and others who choose to spend an afternoon watching, or listening (Johnnie alums and fans across Minnesota and the country, and even abroad, listen in over the radio or the internet), as the Johnnies go for another victory.  SJU traditionally leads the nation in attendance for D-III, besting even some D-II and D-1AA schools.  The tailgating is great, but when the game starts everyone is in the stadium.  At games away from home, Johnnie fans typically outnumber the fans supporting the home team.

• Every Johnnie game is another game in the legendary record of the winningest coach in the history of college football.  Having had the ever growing record hammered at them every time John Gagliardi’s name is mentioned in the media, including virtually every article in the St. Cloud Times, Johnnie fans have probably grown nearly immune to its significance.  But it is an astonishing record that likely never will be bested and to which each game adds.

• Every Johnnie game is a chance for players to get better – for the next game and, for the underclassmen, for the next season.  This year the underclassmen will look to the seniors, to measure their commitment to playing winning Johnnie football even when playoffs and conference championships are no longer at stake.  Johnnies have won in the past and will win in the future due to the annual passing down of this commitment to winning.

Johnnie football carries on a tradition that each year connects with thousands of people – students and staff, alumni, subway alumni, and many more.  I continue to be amazed at the people I meet at games who have no direct connection to SJU yet attend games regularly.  All of these people certainly share in the wins and the championships.  So far as I can see, they’re still putting their chips “all in” on red when the Johnnies lose – even when the team falls short of a championship or the playoffs.  Meaningless games?  Not to them. 

The Johnnies played hard against Gustavus and Carleton, and they’ll play hard against the Oles and Hamlin in the games to come.  They’re naturally disappointed with their results this year but they still have a tradition of winning to carry on and to leave for those who follow.

The game was not meaningless to the 9000+ fans who showed up for Gustavus, and it won’t be meaningless for those who show up this week in Northfield or for the last game of the season in Collegeville the following week.  There is a season to complete and a tradition to carry on; there are games to play that players want to play – and win – and that people want to see.  Meaningless games?  Bah.

Clark Stanton, “Tmerton”, has been traveling cross country for the better part of 5 years to watch his son play small college football.  His days watching Johnnie Football at least this season are coming to an end.  We’re hoping Clark and his family make annual trips back to Collegeville to share in our fall time passion.

Whoahh!

Operation Order No. 0001

Code Name: Operation Overrated

Time Zone: Central Standard Time

Forecast: High 57F, Low 44F; winds S at 9 mph; sunrise at 0717, sunset at 1856.

1. 1.       SITUATION
   1. a.      Enemy Forces
      1. Composition, disposition and strength:

Approximately 6,000 Tommies of the 18^th Tom Cat Brigade (18^th Tom Cat BDE) have a long established camp at the corner of Cretin Avenue South and Summit Avenue (code name: Camp UST) in St. Paul, Minnesota. At the heart of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE is a company-sized element, the 99^th Tommie Football Company (99^th Tommie Football CO) that fights neighbors as a recruiting tool.

1. Recent Activities:

99^th Tommie Football CO has been the current operational arm of Camp UST and has been amassing strength. Recent engagements include successful assaults at De Pere, Wisconsin; River Falls, Wisconsin; and a successfully defended combat out post (COP) at O’Shaughnessy Stadium on two separate occasions.

1. Known Locations:

Signal intelligence (SIGINT) has pinpointed 99^th Tommie Football CO current location to Camp UST.

1. Most likely/dangerous course of action:

Human intelligence (HUMINT) has confirmed that the 18^th Tom Cat BDE is planning an assault on COP Clemens Stadium; planned mission time is set for 1300 on 2 October 2010. Support elements within the 18^th Tom Cat BDE will begin to attempt to infiltrate enemy lines no later than (NLT) 1900 on 1 October 2010. HUMINT suggests that that the first phase of this operation will be made primarily by the 102^nd Drunk Tommie Student Support Battalion (102^nd DTSS BN) on St. Joseph, Minnesota. Past assaults on Fort Collegeville have used bars and numerous St. Joseph party houses as patrol bases and assembly areas for the operation. HUMINT has also discovered that at approximately 0730 on 2 October 99^th Tommie Football CO will embark from Camp UST in a convoy of 2-3 unarmored personnel carrier busses. By 0930 on 2 October, the 99^th Tommie Football CO will be preparing for the primary assault on COP Clemens Stadium by occupying a nearby objective rally point (ORP). By 1000 on 2 October, the 401^st Drunk Tommie Alumni Support Battalion (401^st DTAS BN) will have initiated its supporting operation on Fort Collegeville.

        Supporting operations are expected to begin at 1000 on 2 October with the 401^st DTAS BN and 102^nd DTSS BN drinking copious amounts of Zima, Hard Lemonade and cheap    beer and opening a support-by-trash-talking operation by painting each others faces          purple and spewing unintelligible insults and rhetoric at members of the 1^st Johnnie                Nation Division (1^st Johnnie Nation DIV).

        The 99^th Tommie Football CO will attempt to seize COP Clemens Stadium with the use of              ground and air offensive assets, deceptive defensive schemes, and sound special teams              support.

1. b.      Friendly Forces

        The 2^nd College of Saint Benedict Support Battalion (2^nd CSBS BN) will remain attached    and will assist with supporting operations.

        Elements of the 3^rd MIAC Corps will be performing independent shaping operations at various locations across Zone Minnesota to prevent further generations from being captured and indoctrinated by the 18^th Tom Cat BDE and becoming subjects thereof.

        A referee squad from Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) of 3^rd MIAC        Corps will also be present at COP Clemens Stadium to ensure that all rules of battle are             followed pursuant to NCAA rules and, at times, function as a scapegoat to cover up poor         tactical decisions made by the 10^th Johnnie Football BN Commander or the 99^th Tommie                Football CO Commander.

1. 2.       MISSION

Elements of the 1^st Johnnie Nation DIV will defend and defeat the 2 October 2010 planned attack on Fort Collegeville by 18^th Tom Cat BDE in order to (IOT) secure freedom of movement (FOM) for planned future operations by the 10^th Johnnie Football Battalion (10^th Johnnie Football BN) to secure its 32^nd Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, and to send all elements of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE away from Fort Collegeville with an unshakable feeling of disappointment.

1. 3.       EXECUTION
   1. a.      Concept of the Operation

The 1^st Johnnie Nation DIV will accomplish this mission by amassing its combat power at Fort Collegeville. The 2^nd CSBS BN, 3^rd Johnnie Student Nation Support Battalion (3^rd JSNS BN), and 4^th Saint John’s University Alumni Support Brigade (4^th SJUAS BDE) will occupy various critical points within Fort Collegeville, suppress enemy support operations by hosting the best tailgate gathering and fill COP Clemens Stadium with thunderous noise to disrupt the signal calling capabilities of the 99^th Tommie Football CO.

The 10^th Johnnie Football BN will conduct the primary defensive effort, using advanced tactics to exploit communication disruption provided by the supporting units.

1. b.      Tasks to Maneuver Units

10^th Johnnie Football BN will occupy COP Clemens Stadium no later than (NLT) 1200 on 2 October 2010 and conduct a successful defense through the use of ground and air offensive assets, deceptive defensive schemes, and supportive special teams, IOT defeat the primary assault by 99^th Tommie Football CO.

After victory, 10^th Johnnie Football BN will exfiltrate to the assembly area at Warner Palestra, report status of personnel and equipment to media outlets and wait for follow-on mission.

1. c.       Tasks to Combat Support Units

The supporting operation will be conducted in three (3) phases: 1) Occupation, 2) Tailgating and 3) Assault Operations.

1. Phase I—Occupation Ops, 2 October 2010:

3^rd JSNS BN will continue its occupation of Fort Collegeville and link up with the remaining support elements as they move to occupy Fort Collegeville.

        4^th SJUAS BDE will move to occupy Fort Collegeville between 0800 and 1100.

        2^nd CSBS BN will use LINK Bus service to move to occupy Fort Collegeville between 0800                and 1100.

1. Phase II—Tailgating Ops:

Supporting elements will link up at Stiftungsfestivities, located in Science Lot #1 south of COP Clemens Stadium, for food, beverage, and small-unit tactics rehearsals between 0800 and 1230.

1. Phase III—Assault Ops:

Supporting elements will conduct a mass movement into COP Clemens Stadium in preparation for the primary assault at 1300.

3^rd JSNS BN and 2^nd CSBS BN will occupy the student section in the north end zone as early as possible to prevent seizure by the enemy. Upon occupation, student support units will establish noise superiority over the enemy. Specific cheer and chant tactics will be the decision of the unit commander of Rat Pak Platoon (Rat Pak PLT).

4^th SJUAS BDE will occupy COP Clemens Stadium, sections 100-110 and the surrounding hillsides, then follow and support Rat Pak PLT cheer and chant orders.

1^st Men’s Chorus Platoon (1^st Men’s Chorus PLT) will initiate primary assault operations NLT 1255 and enhance Esprit de Johnnies with renditions of the Johnnie Fight Song and Star Spangled Banner.

After victory, support elements will secure the perimeter of COP Clemens Stadium, conduct a sweep of the interior for any drunk, crying, slobbering belligerents of the 18^th Tom Cat BDE and escort them out of the perimeter to wallow in shame for the 13^th consecutive year. Once clear, support elements will wait for follow-on celebratory mission.

1. d.      Coordinating Instructions

Support element commanders are to instruct individual units to enter COP Clemens Stadium as soon as gates open at 1000 to save general admission seats with blankets.

Support element commanders are instructed to exhaust all cheer and chant resources to defeat the Tommie threat.

Standing rules of engagement (ROE): All personnel will engage hostile Tommie threats immediately with reminders of “Tommies Suck.” All passed out drunk Tommie Students and/or crying Tommie fans are not considered threats and Johnnie personnel are not authorized to engage these targets under ROE and the Geneva Convention.

The referee squad from HHC/3^rd MIAC Corps is a non-belligerent party in this conflict and is not authorized to be engaged under current ROE.

All support elements will withhold chants of “O-VER-RA-TED” until the 10^th Johnnie Football CO has confirmed a victory by activating the fifth-string reserve quarterback in the assault.

1. 4.       SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Class I (Rations): JohnnieRed will be cooking burgers at Stiftungsfestivities in Science Lot #1, other personnel are encouraged to bring their own culinary delights to share NLT 1000 on 2 October 2010.

Class II (Clothing, Uniforms): Clothing and Uniforms will be distributed by the SJU Bookstore at Sexton Commons and inside COP Clemens Stadium.

Class VI (Alcohol, tobacco): Any alcohol and tobacco will need to be purchased prior to execution of mission by individual personnel. Open consumption of alcohol on Fort Collegeville is prohibited; however, discrete, responsible consumption is highly encouraged.

1. 5.       COMMAND AND SIGNAL
   1. a.      Command

Commander of 10^th Johnnie Football BN, legendary coach John Gagliardi, will be located on the west sideline or, if weather dictates, in the press box.

1. b.      Signal

Primary instruction, description and orders will come from Fr. Tim Backous via the public address channel.

Secondary instruction and description of the battle will come from Johnnie Football Network host Mark Lewandowski on AM-600 WBHR (Local).

As always… JohnnieUpEverybody!

Eeyore was an optimist

“Good morning, Eeyore,” said Pooh.
“Good morning, Pooh Bear,” said Eeyore gloomily. “If it is a good morning, which I doubt,” said he.
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing, Pooh Bear, nothing. We can’t all, and some of us don’t. That’s all there is to it.”
“Can’t all what?” said Pooh, rubbing his nose.
“Gaiety. Song-and-dance. Here we go round the mulberry bush.”

Over on the d3football message boards a poster asked if any Johnnie fans were even a little worried or curious about this week’s game with the Auggies.  “Not even a little bit,” responded the former Johnnie player who posts there as Duffman.  “Me!” I blurted. 

 Like Joe Btfsplk from Li’l Abner, I walk around with impending doom hanging over my head.  Like John Gagliardi, I fear every team may beat us.  Heck, two weeks ago some team from Wisconsin did just that.  This week it’s the Auggies and jiminy criminy they look to have an offense that could run us out of their little stadium almost before the team gets off the bus and I get off my plane.  Even Touchdown Tommy predicts a Johnnie blowout (wait for his prediction next week!), but I’m still under my raincloud, fearing that I’ll show up without any sleep and have to watch a massacre. 

 It’s the way I’m wired and it goes way back.  Interestingly, there’s a Minnesota gloss to the story.  I grew up in Oklahoma when the Sooners were coached by one of Minnesota’s own, Charles “Bud” Wilkinson.  I was Sooner born and Sooner bred, and so from birth I was a devoted Sooner football fan.  There weren’t many games on television at that time, so each Saturday I was glued to the Sooner radio broadcast, listening as they demolished yet another foe.  With the exception of the annual Red River Classic game against Texas, the Sooners inevitably had little trouble with the rest of their schedule (from that very period, they still hold the Division I record for longest winning streak – 47 games).  Oklahoma played at that time in the Big 8 conference, which was sometimes referred to as Oklahoma and the Seven Dwarves.  But you would never know it to listen to Bud.

While we couldn’t always watch the Sooners’ games on television, every week we could watch The Bud Wilkinson Show in which Bud would review the previous week’s game and preview the upcoming opponent.  Each week we heard how surprisingly well the Sooners had played in the previous week’s game and how “fortunate” they were to win, say, 42-6.  Then Bud, who always was impeccably dressed in a suit and tie, would talk about the next week’s opponent.  He would describe the very good players they had (Bud typically referred to players as “people” – as in “their people played very well” and “our people need to play better”), the difficult offensive and defensive schemes the other team ran, the excellent coaching they had, the numerous problems the opponent would present for the Sooners in the upcoming game, and how the Sooners were going to have to play their very best if they expected to be competitive.  By the time the show was finished, I had no idea how an undefeated Oklahoma team was going to escape with a win against a Kansas State or Iowa State team with a losing record.  Minnesota Bud was absolutely the master of poor-mouthing his own team and building up the opponent. 

 Looking back, and having read Jim Dent’s The Undefeated: The Oklahoma Sooners and the Greatest Winning Streak in College Football, I’ve learned a bit about Bud and don’t believe he ever feared many if any of his conference opponents.  Even so, he sure made me fear them – a fear that carries over to this day.  Winning doesn’t bring me joy; it brings me relief.

 Come on, Johnnies – beat the Auggies and put me out of my misery!

Our guest poster this week is no ordinary Johnnie Football parent.  Clark Stanton and his wife Noel travel into Minneapolis on a weekly basis to share in the pageantry, tradition and of course tailgating in Collegeville and around the MIAC.  Still fresh in my mind is the time “tmerton”, as he’s know in D3 chat circles, called early one Saturday morning to savage me about The Tommies foiling our tailgate efforts for Johnnie pregaming.  Needless to say our party on and off the field that day was hand delivered from the Johnnie Football gods themselves!  From weary eyes fresh from a red eye flight, to the worn asphalt above the south endzone and the green grass of Clemens Stadium, Clark, Noel and the bone crusher #13 have been a great addition to the extended Johnnie Family…. enjoy Clark’s article and as always – JohnnyUpEverybody!

I don’t stay home from work often but this past Monday was the exception.  Certainly there was the sore throat and the tiredness from the whirlwind turnaround plane trip and late night up driving back to Minneapolis after the game.  But the game itself added the cherry to it all.  We expected a tough game; we didn’t expect to lose.  I sensed something was amiss when, as they introduced the referees, they proudly named the Wisconsin communities from which they hailed.  State pride is great when you’re playing another WIAC team but I’ve been around long enough to get an idea of how folks from the Badger state view Minnesota.  I’m thinking the folks at UWEC might consider displaying at least a semblance of even-handedness in the future.

Ooops, I guess I skipped the introduction.  Just call me a Johnnie subway alum.  I’m a football parent, and proud father of OLB #13, who has fallen for the whole Saint John’s package – cigar smoking monks, Johnnie bread and all.  (Well, except for the pizza ads during the games – I would payto do without those.)  Noel and I have found game days at Saint John’s to be pretty much without equal – and they need to be to draw us into becoming Delta frequent fliers from San Francisco.  Johnnie football and the Stiftungfestivities are pretty much an irresistible combination; these last two years alone, at least one of us will have made it to every game but one (Moorheadwe never knew you).  You combine that with two “Mom Proms,” two Minnesota summer vacations, a Saint John’s Day at the Science Museum in St. Paul, and a kick-off luncheon at St. Ben’s, and you can give us our honorary subway alum degrees any time now, thank you very much.

The question I am asked most is how #13 ended up at Saint John’s in the first place, all the way from California and there being no Johnnies or Bennies in our family.  There’s no quick answer and I usually say “Just lucky I guess.” 

#13 knew he wanted to play football in college, but as a high school senior he was closer to his weight as a 165 lb sophomore middle linebacker than he was to the 215 lbs he carries now.  Then, as we went through the recruiting process and school visits, the “student first” concept behind Division III schools stood out.  About that time, I ran into another Bay Area guy who happened to have found his way to Collegeville to play Johnnie football back in the 90s (Joe Tocchini, class of ’97 – an offensive lineman and roommate of then QB Kurt Ramler).  Joe had good memories of his experience and of playing for John Gagliardi.  This triggered my own memory of watching a televised D-III game involving a school in Minnesota and its iconic coach, which turned out to have been the 2003 championship game with Mt. Union.  As a result of all this, we included the Johnnies on the list of schools receiving a DVD of #13’s high school highlights.  Say what you will about John Gagliardi, but he obviously watches a lot of video.  Only days after sending off the highlights DVD to Saint John’s, I heard back from John himself.  He had just one question about our son – “Could he survive our winters?” 

 A visit to Collegeville for the SJU ‘Fly-In’ weekend followed.  The weather that early April weekend wasn’t great but fellow out-of-stater Brett Saladin was a perfect host.  With #13 safely tucked on campus with Brett, we met up with d3football poster and current JohnnieFootball contributor, Finsleft, for some Hamm’s and eelpout ale in his gee-rage.  A two hour Sunday afternoon sit-down with Gags and Gary Fasching was our introduction to John – and to some of his most well-known lines (many of which have been heard many times since).  The weekend sealed the deal.

 Four years and one medical redshirt season later it’s last call for a championship.  The MIAC seems much improved and there are several games that seem assured to have Touchdown Tommy picking against us.  Well, my own alma mater has a fight song that includes something about “what though the odds be great or small” and I think that fits here.  Bring it on Cobbers, Tommies, Royals and the rest.  Game on! 

See you at the tailgate.

Ron Tomczik and C.J. Lyngen at Homecoming in 2008

As the September calender clicks forward to October that wonderful time of year is upon us as the fall colors burst, SJU class reunions are readied and the highpoint of University activity and Johnnie 2009 Homecoming is launched.

If you’re looking for a spot to grab a bite before the Johnnie vs Royal football game, swing into the Science Center Parking Lot above the south endzone for one of Johnnie Red’s tantilizing burgers(ground round is raging throughout the metro restaurant scene and the Stiftungsfest Burger is one not to miss!)or one of Veek’s wild rice brats – a specialty from Thielen Meats in Little Falls! 

If you care to hang out with friends bring a tasty treat to share  and also consider contributing to support the family of the late Jim Goodman ’84, a Johnnie wrestler, Alumni Board member and chapter volunteer who left a wife and three daughters when he suddenly passed away last year. 

Start your morning with a swing through our beautiful campus, stop by the Homecoming Stiftungsfestivities for some cheer and get your hands on one of the lovely “Feed The Rat” T-shirts  available at our Johnnie Pregaming event.

Remember to look for our blue-clad “Game Day Hosts” who’ll have useful tips when “toasting” with friends and please be discreet while observing campus rules regarding open containers.

Grills open at 10:00am with activity beginning at 9:00am!

 The SJU Alumni Association is selling T-Shirts for Homecoming. Find out how to get yours!

From the SJUUUN #2:

• $10/ea. – cash sales preferred! Personal checks made payable to the order of (name of Board Member) will also work! No credit card sales at this time. Did I mention cash sales preferred?
• Available through Board Members who will be selling them at the Game on the 12th, at Stiftungsfestivities prior to the game, and at McKeown Center Grand Opening. (”Visit the Alumni Association tent on the track at the Palaestra end of Clemens Stadium“)
• Also available for order through Board Members who can arrange on per-order basis to rendezvous to deliver the shirts personally to them prior to or at the game on the 12th or at Homecoming.
• Assuming we sell out this first bunch (”quantities are limited – get them while you can!!”) we’ll get more for sales up to and at Homecoming
• We will have them for sale at our Alumni Association tent on the Tundra at Homecoming
• If you need custom shirts created for your own family/business usage, contact David Forster (Junior at SJU) for more info on the T-Spot: DRFORSTER@CSBSJU.EDU or 612-618-3983

Some more (and redundant) information from Aaron Smith via email:

Shirts are $10 – available:

• At Sfistungsfestivities prior to the game Saturday (Science Lot)
• At the Alumni/JClub tent throughout the game
• From handsome salesmen around campus throughout the day Saturday
• At our Alumni Association tent on the Tundra

Other locations may be identified prior to Oct. 3, but these are the basics.

We will have XXL sizes available by Homecoming. (S/M/L/XL/XXL)

And finally, the shirts in action:

Five years ago, Pattison developed Warhawkfootball.com, a website that features Warhawk football on a daily basis, 365 days a year. The site includes the News Wire that features newspaper-style stories that “puts a face” on the players and program.

Pattison’s other job is being the marketing and promotions coordinator for UW-Whitewater football. The promotion this week: KOOL 106.5 2008 Playoff Rally Rags to be handed out to fans as they enter Perkins Stadium on Saturday.

In other words – all Warhawks, all the time!

Tom Pattison (L) and Gary Douglas

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater football team heads into the NCAA Division III Playoffs four a fourth consecutive season. After national runner-up finishes to perennial powerhouse Mount Union College in 2005 and 2006, the Warhawks finally “knocked the door down” with a 31-21 win over the Purple Raiders in 2007 for UW-W’s first national football championship.

The Warhawks enter the 2008 playoffs following a three-year run to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. The St. Johns Johnnies have been a familiar playoff foe for Whitewater on the playoff trail. The Hawks beat the Johnnies 34-7 in 2005 second round action, and 17-14 in third round 2006 action. Both games were played at UW-Whitewater’s Perkins Stadium. 

After being moved to the North Region in 2007, the Warhawks are back in the West this year. For the third time in the past four years, it is the Johnnies and Warhawks in Whitewater at Perkins Stadium… Here we go again!

St. John’s fans know all about having great atmosphere on gameday at Clemens Stadium. The atmosphere at Perkins Stadium in Whitewater is also incredible. Visiting fans from across the country consider the pregame tailgating outstanding. Fans have the opportunity to enjoy adult beverages in the Perk’s parking lot without police interference (assuming laws and ordinances are being observed).

Inside Perkins Stadium, Johnnie fans will notice a new scoreboard with video board equal in size to the video boards at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Great job last weekend Gophers! Perkins Stadium also had a FieldTurf surface installed prior to the season. My marketing motto for Warhawk football is: Saturdays at Perkins Stadium are much more than JUST a football game.

One change to Perkins Stadium on Saturday will be all seating in the large grandstands (10,000) on the home side of the field. The move has been made following a complaint by an Eau Claire fan last month about the condition of the visiting bleachers. Following consultation with UW-Whitewater officials, it has been decided that the entire section behind the St. John’s bench (1000 seats) will be closed off to the public due to safety concerns for Saturday’s game. 

Another aspect of Saturday’s SJU at UW-Whitewater matchup is the rivalry between the two conferences. When the Warhawks and Johnnies met back in 2005, Whitewater was just arriving on the national scene. Johnnie posters on the D3football.com message board were brutal towards Whitewater and the WIAC. Warhawk fans didn’t know what to make of the posts. Many thought it was the “big, bad, bully” trying to intimidate the fledgling Warhawks. 2005 result: Johnnie meltdown and a 34-7 loss at Perkins Stadium.

With the loss came a begrudging amount of Johnnie fan support for Warhawk fans.

2006, more respect on the message boards and another Warhawk win, 17-14.

This season, Warhawk and other WIAC fans are finally getting it. Johnnie fans enjoy posting on message boards, be it about football or not. Maybe it’s because of the lack of excitement in Central Minnesota. (just kidding)

Actually most Warhawk message board posters finally got it. They discovered that Johnnie football fans are among the best in the nation and we look forward to a Perkins Stadium parking lot full of purple and red clad fans for a morning of pregame tailgating.

For SJU fans heading to Whitewater for the game, tune in WFAW (AM 940) for Saturday morning Sports Line which will be broadcast live from Perkins Stadium. Hopefully a couple Johnnie fans will be available to join us on the air.

Also for the Johnnie “road warrior fans”, join Gary Douglas and me for the broadcast of Saturday’s game on WKCH (KOOL 106.5).

The 2008 Warhawks are back in the playoffs despite losing 24 seniors from the 2007 national championship squad, including 17 starters. Headlining the ’07 seniors was Justin Beaver. The three-time All-American running back finished his career as the second-leading rusher in NCAA Division III history.

Many wondered who would “replace” Beaver at running back this season. Levell Coppage (5-foot-8, 180 – Oak Park, Ill) made it clear early-on in 2008 that he was capable of being UW-Whitewater’s primary tailback. Coppage burst onto the scene in week two in a road game against nationally-ranked UW-Eau Claire. The former Illinois All-State running back gained 220 yards on 42 carries including two touchdowns in his second game in Warhawk purple, a 16-14 Whitewater win.

Coppage enters the Saturday’s game vs. St. Johns with 1276 yards rushing and scoring a team- and conference-high 20 touchdowns. The touchdowns rank second in Warhawk football history, trailing only Justin Beaver’s 24 TDs in 2005. The 20 TD’s does break the team’s regular season touchdown record. Beaver scored 18 touchdowns during the 2005 regular season. Coppage’s 1,276 yards also broke Chad Wurth’s freshman rushing record of 1,207 yards in 2000.

This season’s starting quarterback, Jeff Donovan (6-foot-5, 187 –Wauwatosa/East) was scheduled to be the Warhawks’ starting quarterback in 2007. Enter Danny Jones who transferred to UW-Whitewater from California Lutheran in late summer. Jones was a key cog in leading UW-W to the national title both with his arm and his legs.

Donovan enters Saturday’s game with an extremely efficient 1,712 yards passing and nine touchdowns, including a solid 63.2 percent completion rate. Injury forced him to miss the Hawks’ week nine win over Stout.

Donovan entered last week’s game listed as questionable. Jeff responded with one of his best games of the season statistically… 12-16 for 231 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. The mark for Donovan has been his consistency.

Defensively, the ’08 Warhawks are the best of the past four teams in the most important statistic. Whitewater ranks No. 2 in the nation giving up just 10.7 points per game. With SJU ranked No. 4 in the nation, Saturday’s game could be a low-scoring affair.

Whitewater’s ’08 defense is in the same mold as the past three years: physical and with the ability to run to the ball. The Hawks defense gives up just 75 yards rushing per game. They have given up just two rushing touchdowns during the regular season.

Junior placekicker, Jeff Schebler, became NCAA Division III’s all-time leading field goal kicker last week by kicking his 53^rd field goal.

Is the 2008 edition of UW-Whitewater football capable of repeating as NCAA Division III champions? The difference between this year and the previous three years is the youth on the team. This year’s team only has only six seniors. With youth has come some inconsistency this season. The Warhawks have the talent to beat any team in the country, but at times have shown inconsistency that could prove troubling in the playoffs.

A playoff game against SJU is what playoff football is all about. The Johnnies, under legendary coach John Gagliardi, are making their 23rd postseason appearance. They won Division III titles in 1976 and 2003.

Second year UW-W head coach Lance Leipold calls it ‘a privilege to compete against a school with such a rich tradition and a coaching legend. 

Look for the Johnnies to enter Perkins Stadium on Saturday well prepared, and very capable of beating the Warhawks. It will be imperative for Whitewater to play at a high level to advance to the second round of the playoffs. I believe they will!

Final Score Projection: UW-Whitewater 28, St. John’s 10.

But enough rambling (Ramlering?). Our special guest was kind enough to write for us again this year after his excellent piece a season ago predicting a game every bit as close as the outcome. Erik is not including a score prediction this year, but he does have a lot of fantastically exciting things to say about one of the biggest games in Carleton history. Take it away, Erik.

Erik Fisher:

Wow!!! If someone had told me before this season started that Carleton’s final game of the season against St. John’s would be to decide the conference championship I probably would have laughed and said maybe, but not have taken it very seriously. I knew the Knights had some extremely talented upper classmen and would be able to compete with everyone, but they were only 3-7 last season.

What has transpired this year has been nothing short of amazing for us Knight fans and alums. Playing for a conference championship has become something that is almost expected at St. John’s, which is a great situation to be in, but for those of us who root for the boys in Maize & Blue from Northfield it has been a long time coming, 16 years to be exact.

I was eleven then and didn’t have a clue what or where Carleton College was. While Carleton does have winning football traditions from the past, my experiences playing for and watching Carleton football were when we were at the bottom and rebuilding into the team gunning for the top on Saturday.

Part of me thinks that experience makes this all the more satisfying. The bad times make the good times that much better thing. The seniors that will be playing in their last home game for the knights this Saturday have seen it all as well, and their perseverance and belief in themselves and their team are a huge reason why they are in the position they are in. Their senior year in high school the Knights were 2-8 and 6-44 over their last five years, but yet they decided to come to Carleton for the educational challenge as well as the challenge of rebuilding a football team. Their first three years were spent laying the groundwork by winning some games against top of the conference teams and instilling in themselves the belief that that they truly can beat anyone.

This year all that work has come to fruition with the best season since the Knight’s last conference championship in 1992. Regardless of the outcome this weekend, when they graduate this spring they’ll have succeeded in both challenges.

As far as challenges go the Knights face their biggest one of the season this Saturday in the battle for the MIAC title and the automatic qualifier for the playoffs. The Knights have finally broken some long losing streaks to opponents this year including over a decade long streaks to the Oles and Cobbers, but there is one team that they have yet to beat in their entire history…St. John’s. So if the Knights are going to truly make this an unforgettable season and win the conference they are going to have to do something that no Carleton football team has ever done, beat the Johnnies. They came up a minute short last year as St. John’s scored the game-winning touchdown with under a minute left in the game, and played a close game the previous year as well. Coach Ramler seems to always have excellent game plans versus the Johnnies, an advantage in hiring a former Johnnie as a coach. Will this year’s be the one that finally puts the Knight’s over the top?

The game matches up the explosive Carleton offense against the always stingy Johnnie defense as the main event. Having watched most of the Knight’s games this year, I think that they will be able to move the ball and score even against the Johnnies. The key will be turnovers, if the Knights don’t turn the ball over they will put up points. On the other side of the ball, the Johnnies improving offense takes on a Knights defense that has been giving up a lot of yards on the ground recently, but has come up with big plays when needed. The Johnnies will probably move the ball, but can they score enough to keep up with the Knights?

I’m predicting a shoot-out type game where a late possession/big play will decide the game. That being said, with the way the MIAC has been this year the opposite is just as possible. That is why they play the game. If you’re making the trip have a safe journey, and may the best team win. Go Knights!!!