Tie game, Little Johnnies 6, Little Blugolds 6. I stand at the “line of scrimmage” and yell out “Red 1-Hot Route-Hot Route-Blue Pants-set-hut-set-hut-hike.” I drop back and immediately start scrambling after Blugold yells “BLITZZZ.” Johnnie 1 has broken off the line fast and executes a quick fake to the post. I roll to the outside avoiding the two-hand touch of the blitzer and see Johnnie 1 streaking down the field five feet ahead of his defender. I let loose a throw as high and far as ever. Johnnie 1 sees the ball, adjusts his route, and lets the ball land in his hands softly as he glides into the end zone for the win. Little Johnnies 7, Little Blugolds 6. VICTORY!
Ben Vanderhayden Goin' Playground vs BluGolds in '09
The year was 2002 and I was just starting 8th grade at Our Lady of Grace in Edina. At this point in my life, going to Johnnie football games meant checking the scoreboard off-and-on while playing football on the side. Rarely did I see a play. In fact, the only plays I saw were ones that involved: 1) Blake Elliot returning a punt/kick, 2) a late game comeback, or 3) overtime. Oh, I forgot the plays I watched while my dad fished money for me out of his pocket for concessions.
This Johnnie game was not right from the moment we left the front door. Instead of driving north, we drove east to Eau Claire. Instead of leaving at 10am, we left at 5pm. Normally we would have a car full of CSB/SJU alums (my parents) and soon-to-be-alums (my siblings), but this time we had a car that consisted of my dad and I (Johnnie alum and future Johnnie) along with a Tommie alum and his son, Charlie (our good family friends). This just did not make sense to my little 8th grade mind.
Arriving at the stadium was the same as ever. Dad forks up the cash to get me in the door and then we find a seat with our road-tripping friends. Charlie and I immediately grab my football and run off to the sideline/auxiliary field. We start by tossing the football around and practicing sideline catches like every other kid. In the meantime, Eau Claire rolls up 21 points in the 1st quarter. Charlie starts talking trash because he knows no better than to not like the Johnnies thanks to his dad. As he is trash talking, the Johnnie faithful, outnumbering the home fan base as always, is in dismay wondering what lies ahead in the 2002 season.
The ugly 1st quarter leaves Charlie and I disinterested so we challenge other kids on the field to a pick-up game. Thankfully we have as many Johnnie kids as Blugold kids so there is no crossing of enemy lines. In the background the Johnnie defense is shutting out the Blugolds as the Johnnie offense mounts a comeback. Just like our Johnnie team, my team begins mounting a comeback of our own against the Little Blugolds. Tie game, first one to 7, and my team has the ball. Little Blugolds look like they will be using their blitz. This means my lightning fast teammate, wearing a #1 Johnnie football jersey, has just one kid on him. I cadence, because that is what all kids do at that age, to let Johnnie #1 know to run a deep route on kid in blue shorts. He does so and I throw a bomb into his hands for the victory.
We all celebrate and quickly run to the sideline of the Johnnie/Blugold game because only 30 seconds remain and the Johnnies are down 7. Dejavu is settling in to us Little Johnnies as Keating passes to Denne for 20 yards to the Bluegold 3. Three plays later, Keating dives into the end zone to complete the Johnnie comeback and force Overtime. Our hopes along with the rest of Johnnie faithful are killed when the Blugolds score on their first play from scrimmage and intercept the Johnnies first play from scrimmage in Overtime. Game one was now in the books and it was the unfortunate result of a loss.
Since that night in 2002, the Johnnies have softened the wound with a victory in Eau Claire in 2005. Overall in the time span, the Johnnies are 4-1 against the Blugolds outscoring them by only a combined 31 points in those 5 games. The Johnnies offense looked back to normal racking up 56 points against Northwestern last weekend while allowing only 10 points. Eau Claire beat Bethel (Tenn.) 35-31 while rushing for 220 yards and giving up 203 yards on the ground. More on the upcoming battle against UW-Eau Claire tomorrow from Touchdown Tommy.
Purebred Prediction:
Johnnie O uses the running trio to run strong against the Blugolds. On the other side of the ball, the Johnnie D loads up on the run forcing the Blugolds out of their comfort zone forcing a few key turnovers on the way.
Johnnies 38, Blugolds 21. Matt Melsen – Pure Bred Johnnie - SJU ‘2011 (PB&J)
Go Johnnie!
