Will The Rats Ever Return to The Main Bleachers? Call me!
You can thank the CSB/SJU student cheer section for helping kill a 4th quarter comeback attempt by the ETBU Tigers Saturday in The Johnnies season opener. It looked as though SJU was serious about allowing the southerners from Marshall, TX to foil the extremely sunny day in Collegeville and send home the near 8,000 fans in a daze like coma. Or had the Collegeville fans seated on the western slope of Clemens Stadium ever really awoken from their Friday night forage at the all you can eat Chinese buffet?
Thank goodness for the spirited roar echoing from the north end zone in the fourth quarter which resulted in the Tigers committing consecutive penalties inside the Johnnies 35 yard line. Throughout the game thunderous chants from the student section blasted loudly over the offensive signals barked by quarterback Stephen Oehlschlaeger. With an SJU lead of 22 – 15 and 1:32 left on the clock this game was well within reach for ETBU. Save for the spirited actions by the combined Johnnie/Bennie bleachers, this one was fast approaching the status of non-conference sleeper and opening season loss.
With an obvious lack of vocal support from the majority of Clemens Stadium I want to take this opportunity to formally apologize to the Johnnie Footballers for accusing them of playing without the utmost enthusiasm. In retrospect, gazing up from field level at 6500 dazed residents of Stearns County and the west metro is enough to put anyone to sleep. I should also thank the Bennie dance line for nudging us slightly during their halftime show however please consider updating your music selection. Jon Bon Jovi and ACDC? I know you ladies are definitely listening to something else while traveling on The Link to Collegeville.
Could I be overstating the lack of enthusiasm demonstrated year in and year out by the folks who religiously follow The Football Sage John Gagliardi? Making the trek from deep in cowboy country perhaps it was the lack of familiarity with the American Southwest Conference representative which drew blank stares and long faces.
Another indicator of the lack of interest was the obvious inactivity in the D3Football chat room. One mere post from a single Johnnie supporter nearly twenty hours after the game was the only registered critique. After most games, D3’s most rabid fans race home following a stop at Brother Willy’s Pub or Bo Did’s to register their opinion with the rest of the small college football world.
In the end a marginally maligned Johnnie secondary proved to be worthy opponents and game savers. With ETBU sporting three premier split ends and the Tigers driving once again for the game tying touchdown, defensive back Derek Stifter sliced in front of one of those 6’-5” wideouts and scored from 70 yards to close Saturday’s action 29 – 15.
After one game it appears this will be the standard Johnnie season: attendance figures of 50,000, alumni and fans showing up to enjoy the Collegeville atmosphere and pregame tailgating but not the special magic needed to advance deep into the DIII playoffs. A magic that could be ignited by a few thousand season ticket holders getting off their arses to cheer.
We’ll be entertained, we’ll enjoy the fall season but we’ll be left wondering when the next Blake Elliott will show up in Collegeville… that is unless Johnnie Alumni and fans decide to get off their chairs to inspire these college lads to play with a level of intensity reminiscent of the boys in Alliance, Whitewater or even Arden Hills.
Make no doubt about it, had the north end zone kept quiet like the rest of Clemens Stadium this game could surely have ended with Johnnie fans screaming after the game.
Pass the wine and gimee ‘nother slice of cheese.
