For the Johnnie faithful who have read Austin Murphy’s The Sweet Season, the name Seth Olson may sound familiar. He was the kicker who tallied 3 extra points and a late field goal which provide the final margin in Bethel’s 24-20 win over St. John’s in 1999, the Royals’ first win over the Johnnies in school history. While Seth is currently stationed in Korea as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force and will miss this weekend’s game, he was kind enough to share his memories of the rivalry from his playing days (1997-2000), tell us what lead him to become a fan of the Johnnies (most of the time), and take a stab at the final score:
“Johnnie Week” has always been special to anybody who has ever played football at Bethel, but it has taken on a new life since the series has not been so one-sided in recent years. Few teams have the opportunity the Royals have to play a perennial National Title contender every year, so Bethel definitely gets up for St. John’s. The history between the two schools is always re-hashed, Bethel fans come out of the woodwork to post on the D3 Football message board, and Johnnie fans make fun of all that makes Bethel a little different. Almost all of it is in good fun, and the games have often lived up to the hype.
This rivalry has come to remind me of a Big Brother-Little Brother feud. Big Brother expects to win the fight, and when he does it’s no big deal. Little Brother finally got tired of getting pounded for 20+ years, and when he wins it’s cause for major celebration. Brothers may mock each other and pound the snot out of each other, but under all of that there is a certain mutual respect.
You may be wondering, “Who in their right mind would ever go to Bethel?!” Who would want to live with all those lifestyle restrictions and get clobbered by St. John’s every year, right? Well, both my parents and one of my grandfathers went there, and when I was born my folks were still living at Bethel while my Dad waited to graduate from seminary in 1979. Dad and I started going to Bethel football games when I was in Junior High, but it wasn’t until my Senior year of high school that I saw my first St. John’s-Bethel game.
Watching a very good Bethel team go down 52-8 with the MIAC title on the line that day made my decision about where I was going to school very easy. I knew then that I wanted to be part of changing what had happened in Collegeville, and as it turned out there were many other gifted football players who would make the same choice then and in the following years. We were incredibly blessed to have many gifted athletes during my playing years and that has continued to the present day. The Bethel record book is now full of guys who I was blessed to call my teammates, and we were fortunate enough to get Bethel’s first two wins against St. John’s during that time.
The sting of the previous year’s loss to St. John’s was still very evident when I arrived at Bethel, and no love was wasted on anybody associated with the Cardinal and Blue. I think most Bethel folks would agree that disdain for St. John’s in the 1990s has been replaced by at least some admiration. Several circumstances have changed the way I view St John’s football to one of complete respect. The first was the only time I played behind the Pine Curtain. It was late in the 1998 game that St. John’s would win 19-3, and in spite of the disappointing result one of my teammates was moved to comment on the beauty of the whole setting. An early October day in Clemens with 8,000+ in attendance really is a must-experience, and I can imagine no greater game day experience in college football.
The second occasion was meeting a couple Johnnie players in the immediate aftermath of the 2000 game that Bethel won 43-36. I ran down to the east end of the field after the final play to help Aaron Krych and a young Blake Elliott up off the ground, and was impressed by how genuinely congratulatory they were after losing such a tough game. A short time later, several of my teammates and I were stunned to see John Gagliardi come into our locker room to congratulate us on winning that day. Most unexpected, but totally classy! In recent years, it has been a real pleasure to meet some of SJU’s most die-hard football fans over Stiftungfest burgers in San Antonio as well as Minnesota, and an even greater privilege to count some of them as my friends. I would have never imagined this during my playing career, but I’m a St. John’s Football fan…for 51 weeks every year, anyway!
Watching the Bethel program progress over the last ten years has been a joy. The next step is, of course, to win a playoff game. I really hope this year’s Royals can get into the show since this team runs the ball so well and has such good balance on both sides of the ball. Before that, though, the Royals must find a way to win against St. John’s. It will take Bethel’s best game of the year to get it done, no doubt about that. Best wishes to all fans of both teams going to the game this weekend. Here’s to adding another memorable chapter to an ever-growing rivalry! Bethel 31, St. John’s 28, on a 30-yard field goal as time expires.
