In a similar fashion to 2006, the Saint John’s Johnnies are set to travel to Pella, Iowa this Saturday to face off with the top-seeded Central Dutch. The 11-0 Dutch of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defeated Olivet 38-17 in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Head coach Jeff McMartin, in his 4th season, has coached his team to a perfect season thus far, but the Dutch have been pushed on several occasions. Of their 11 wins, 5 have been by a margin of 7 points or less. An intense game will surely ensue when these two storied teams take to the field.
Control of the Dutch offense rests on the shoulders of senior quarterback Tim Connell, who was recently named the IIAC’s MVP for 2007. Connell has completed 194 of 339 passes for a respectable 2639 yards. He’s thrown 30 touchdowns, yet only 9 interceptions. He’s also rushed the ball 109 times for 231 yards. Connell’s favorite targets are senior receivers Josh Smith and Cody Huisman, both of whom were named to the 2007 all-IIAC team. Smith has excellent size at 6-5, 205 pounds and has caught 38 passes for 719 yards. Huisman has made 46 receptions for 658 yards. Also on the receiving end of a number of passes are senior tight end Jon Haugen, who’s caught 15 passes for 228 yards, and senior receiver Cody Wille, who’s caught 21 passes for 183 yards. Senior running back Vance Schuring gets the bulk of the carries, carrying the ball 135 times for 519 yards and catching another 15 passes. Schuring was named the IIAC MVP for the past two seasons. Junior Dustin Veldhuizen and sophomores David Zachary and Nathan Craft also get a number of carries. Zachary and Veldhuizen each have over 60 carries for 256 and 232 yards, respectively. Craft has 22 carries for 41 yards and 18 receptions for 195 yards. The offensive line for the Dutch averages 6’4”, 271 pounds. Three of their starters are at least 6’5”. Senior Keith Bowers, juniors Owen Haberman and Spenser Remick, sophomore Andy Kneib, and freshman Lee Schroeder lead a Dutch offensive charge that has scored 32 points per game. Both Remick and Bowers were named to the 2007 all-IIAC team.
Central’s Nick Mulder brings down Olivet’s Calvin McNamara
Photo courtesy of Central College Sports Information Department
The Central defense is lead by 2007 all-IIAC selections Nick Mulder, Andrew Lehn, Guy Dierikx, and Brett Doud. Mulder, a senior, leads a defensive line that has recorded 33 sacks this season. He is credited with 12.5 tackles for loss with 8 sacks. Also playing on the defensive line are senior Chris Willis and juniors J.J. Owens and Garrett Hill. Lehn heads up a talented group of senior linebackers including himself, Greg Altmaier, and Scott Paja. Altmaier is the team’s leading tackler with 116, but Lehn is not far behind with 102 tackles. Lehn has recorded 2 interceptions, and Paja has 1 to his credit. Seniors Dustyn Baethke, Trenton Blythe, Doud, and Marc Badeaux all see time as safeties in a seasoned Dutch backfield. Along with senior Dierikx and junior Chad Eisenman at cornerbacks, the Dutch have snagged 21 interceptions this season. Dierikx leads the team with 7 interceptions, and Doud has added 5 of his own.
The Dutch kicking game is young. Freshman Jake Viggers is 10 of 12 on field goals, with 37 yards being his farthest success. He’s also made 33 of 35 extra points. Fellow freshman Jason Goulden kicks off for the Dutch, where he’s averaged 54 yards per kickoff. Yet another freshman, Kurtis Brondyke, has averaged 38 yards per punt as the Central punter. Brondyke was named to the 2007 all-IIAC team.
Obviously, Connell is Central’s biggest weapon. He’s completed 57% of his passes, and he is not afraid to tuck the ball away and run, which will keep our defensive line honest. Schuring is a talented back who’s receiving some NFL interest. I assume he’s been hampered by injury this year because I expected gaudier number out of him. He carried the ball 17 times for 91 yards versus Olivet, so it looks like he is back to full-strength. The height of the Dutch receivers scares me a bit, as I still have nightmares from the Saint Thomas game. The Dutch defense is good-sized, quick, and aggressive. Kofoed has not been known for his mistake-free play this season, so I am sure that the Dutch will make at least 1 or 2 interceptions. The key will be limiting those mistakes and making every play count. The Johnnies will need to score touchdowns instead of field goals. Central has an artificial turf field similar to Clemens Stadium, so hopefully, the boys will feel at home.
It’s in Central’s favor to keep this game a close, low-scoring battle. I think if the Johnnies can score early and keep the Dutch in check, they’ve got an excellent chance to knock off the Dutch and play again on December 1st.
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