Johnnie/Tommie week is traditionally an exciting week. Fans generally show up in droves to witness the storied rivalry. This rivalry has lacked luster in recent years, though, as the last time the Tommies notched a victory against the Johnnies was 1997. While head coach Don Roney and his staff have been able to put together winning seasons, they have been nothing more than mediocre in recent years. Recent games have been remembered as much for the Stiftungsfestivities, rent-a-cops, and streakers as much as for the games themselves. After two consecutive years at Saint Thomas, the game returns to Collegeville this Saturday, where Roney and his 2-4 Tommies will match up with John Gagliardi and his 8-0 Johnnies.
Perhaps the most interesting fact about this weekend’s game is that the two starting quarterbacks played on the same high school team. Saint Thomas junior quarterback David Sauer and Johnnie senior quarterback Alex Kofoed both lead the ROCORI Spartans prior to their collegiate careers. This has lead to the mildly amusing “KO-FOED’S BACK-UP!” chants when the Tommies have the ball. Sauer has completed 163 of 269 passes for 1564 yards this season. He’s also tucked the ball down to gain 171 yards in 81 attempts on the ground. He’s thrown 10 interceptions, which should have the Johnnie defensive backfield drooling. On the receiving end of his passes are senior receiver P.J. Theisen, junior receiver Tony Margarit, sophomore receiver Sam Moen, and junior tight end Tom Knowles. Theisen leads the bunch with 50 receptions for 667 yards. Margarit and Moen are heavy favorites for the remainder of the receptions. Senior running back Jake Casey handles the rushing duties. He’s rushed 68 times for 343 yards. Casey also has 17 receptions for 151 yards. Almost three-quarters of the Tommies yardage has come through the air—their running game seems fairly weak. The big-boys up front include seniors Mark O’Connell, Pat Cahalan, Graham Gmach, sophomore Josh Ostrue, and freshman Matt Manion. The seniors are the interior linemen with the underclassmen at tackles. The Johnnie’s speed at defensive end should play a factor here.
The Johnnie offensive line will face a young defensive front from the Tommies
Defensively, the Tommies look susceptible to both the run and the pass. Senior free safety Pat Sommerstad leads the team with 58 tackles. He and sophomore cornerback Jeff Hilliard each have an interception, as well. Senior strong safety Matt Anderson and freshman cornerback Matt Griswold join Sommerstad and Hilliard in the backfield. The linebackers are lead by sophomore outside linebackers Ross Petterson and Joe Pyka. Petterson has recorded 45 tackles and 2 sacks while Pyka has recorded 43 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. The inside linebackers are both freshman—Tony Danna and Wyatt Delgado. Danna has two interceptions this season. The Tommie youth continues up front with sophomores Scott Saehr, Jacob Lewis, and freshman David Roe. Saehr leads the defensive linemen with 3 sacks.
On special teams, sophomore kicker Matt Knutson is averaging 52 yards per kickoff. Freshman kicker Sean Barret is 3-5 on field goals and 15-19 on extra points. Sophomore punter A.C. Clouthier averages 36 yards per punt.
As has been the recent trend, I foresee the game atmosphere will be more exciting than this game. Talent-wise, the Tommies don’t have the skill to stay with the Johnnies. That being said, a win would make the 2007 season a success for the Tommies, so I am sure they will come into the game jacked-up. Roney also has to be treading on thin ice with the Saint Thomas administration. A win over the Johnnies could keep his job secure for a few more years. Sauer has a lot of talent, but one guy does not make a team. I think the Johnnies will win this one by a fairly comfortable margin.
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