Michael Crees Demonstrates Hidden Ball Trick
Michael Crees entered Saturday’s game as the SJU starter after beginning the season third in line behind junior Jordan Hansel and fan favorite Joe Boyle. Crees not only took advantage of last week’s opportunity to audition for the starting QB position but also grabbed last year’s starter Alex Kofoed’s jersey. Number eleven and his magical rise to the top of the quarterback competition is the kind of sleight handed imagination required to leap over this season’s probable starters.
Evident last week was Crees’s ability to fool defenders with well executed play fakes to running backs Jacob Redding, Jeff Schnobrich and Kellen Blaser. The Johnnie coaching staff has obviously noticed the trickery of Michael Crees after calling a naked bootleg late in the game Saturday with the Johnnies leading 15 – 6.
Crees beautifully faked right to his running back then spun left pocketing the ball on his left hip. Starring down two River Falls defenders from the 10 yard line Crees nonchalantly walked into the end zone for a six yard score and a 22 – 6 lead. The River Falls coaching staff looked as though Crees was indeed carrying a black hat and rabbit!
Displaying a slight of hand seldom seen in Collegeville, Michael Crees fluked his way up and down the field all day against the Falcons. Having gone last year without playing, Michael Crees this year has fooled Johnnie experts and executed his well developed magic show. In his first extended play after briefly taking over in 2006 for an injured Alex Koefed, Cress is showing the skill demonstrated during his senior season at Wayzata High School where he lead his team to the 2005 state championship vs. Cretin Durham Hall.
Taking a few of those play fakes was sophomore Jakob Redding. Redding throughout the game posed as a worthy assistant to Crees and an even more astute runner. With fellow Eden Prairie teammate and offensive lineman Erik Kottum, Redding is emerging as a star in the Johnnie running game. Kottum along with the rest of his offensive line improved their play from the prior weekend. Kottum was so successful he nearly lost his pants chasing Redding down the field to the south end zone. Kottum could be seen throughout the game tugging at his belt and adjusting his pants.
Doing his own disappearing act was the football sage John Gagliardi who spent at least part of the game peering down from the Clemens Stadium press box. Passing legend Eddie Robinson for the most college football games ever coached is sure to bring Gagliardi to the sideline next Saturday rain or shine.
Let’s all pray this week that Michael Crees doesn’t do the disappearing act from The Johnnies starting lineup.
- Food For Thought – After a particularly fast Johnnie victory (elapsed time – two hours and 17 minutes) John Forsyth, owner of Bo Diddley’s Deli, was seen on campus at 3:30pm delivering 80 subs to the awaiting River Falls player bus for the ride home. Extra cheese anyone?
- Tailgate Tension – Following last week’s Stiftungsfestivities “dust-up” with Life Safety, this weekend’s pregame gathering in near Diluvian conditions persisted without controversy despite lively participation from family, friends and Alumni Association Board Members.
The non-stop rain did nothing to dampen Julio Steele’s interest in Stiftungsfestivities and seeing the upcoming game with Bennie mom Nikki Steele
