Huh?

To explain we first need a little history lesson.

It isn’t exactly common knowledge that NCAA D-III doesn’t date back to the origins of the NCAA itself. Up until 1973 there really wasn’t any classification of schools in the NCAA—they were either big (or “University”) or small (“College”). Schools like SJU were also members of the NAIA—as most Johnnies are aware given our NAIA football titles in 1963 and 1965.

However, at the 1973 convention, the NCAA divided itself into three classifications: D-I, or major scholarship; D-II, or limited scholarship; and D-III, or nonscholarship. These divisions have survived to date with very minor changes since, such as the creation of DI-A and DI-AA. The founding principle of this structure is that every school has an option as to which division it will compete in by how it structures its athletic program.

To be sure, the NCAA itself has seen a great increase in its membership over the past 30 years. Today, NCAA D-III has become its largest division, in part because of former NAIA members joining, at times, as whole conferences. In 1973, NCAA D-III had all of 273 members. Today, it has 422, with another 25 in provisional and transitioning status. In comparison, D-I is the second largest division with 329 members. However, to manage that number, D-I is divided into three subdivisions.

The problem for D-III is that, since 1990, roughly two-thirds of the schools to join NCAA Div. III left the NAIA. There are a few reasons why: the NAIA’s struggling financial situation, the higher annual dues in the NAIA, and the NCAA pays for participation in its championships, while in the NAIA the schools must foot the bill.

This immigration has caused some real dissention among the traditional D-III members, as the rules and requirements for athletic departments in the NAIA were different than those in the NCAA. For example, the NAIA traditionally allowed redshirting and had lenient spring practice rules, and in one of its subdivisions even, scholarships. With the great influx of members from the NAIA desiring to play under those same rules, there were unfamiliar stresses on the NCAA D-III.

As a result, after a long period of study by a special Reform Committee, in 2003 the NCAA D-III adopted a reform package meant to “purify” the D-III product. This package eliminated the practice of routine redshirts; limited sports playing seasons; and instituted a financial aid review package to ensure there was no-athletic aid being given by member schools.

But all was still not right in D-III. The reform package did not purify the division; rather, it identified dividing lines among the division regarding the role and emphasis upon athletics among D-III members. There has been heated debate since regarding the re-instituting of routine redshirting, and the limitation of recruiting and spring practice for football.

So what does this mean?

The D-III membership requested a committee examine what could be done to deal with the growing diversity of the NCAA membership. It has presented several proposals, including dividing the division based upon size of the school; or upon public/private distinctions; or upon tuition prices. It has finally settled on a proposal that would make the distinction upon number of sports sponsored and degree of rules restriction on athletics programs.

To simplify, let me put it as follows:

Current D-III: Nonscholarship.

Future D-III: Nonscholarship, schools sponsoring fewer sports and favoring less restriction on athletics, such as redshirting and recruiting.

Future D-IV: Nonscholarship, schools that sponsor more sports and favoring shorter seasons, no redshirting, and tighter controls on practices and recruiting.

There are other ideas floated about as well, as perhaps the less athletics emphasis in the future D-IV would mean more limited playoff access, and perhaps only regional championships (instead of national championships).

Why this manner of a split?

First off, though it may not make sense to have UW-Whitewater (enrollment 10,700) having to play regional games against nearby Beloit College (enrollment 1,200), dividing the NCAA up into “big enrollment” and “small enrollment” would effectively limit one of the foundational principles of the NCAA—allowing every school to choose in which division it wishes to participate. Ditto for a split on public/private grounds. Thus, those models were put aside very quickly because of how they offended that notion.

So they were left with an identification of some other means of differentiation. What they came up is what the data indicates as the major philosophical line between the old-guard D-III and the newcomer NAIA schools.

Traditional NCAA D-III schools tend to sponsor more sports than their newcomer NAIA counterparts. While this is not a hard and fast rule, and may be a function of something besides length of NCAA membership, the trend is that the NAIA immigrants tend to have smaller athletic departments. On a local scale, compare Crown College’s 12 sponsored sports to St. Thomas’ 20.

But it doesn’t end there. An analysis of the voting patterns from the D-III reform package a few years ago yields a sharp distinction regarding schools in favor of greater controls on athletic programs and those who were advocating for less NCAA restrictions. This distinction again tended to split down the lines of newcomer NAIA versus old-line D-III. Conferences like the MIAC voted nearly unanimously in favor of the increased restrictions on athletics—fewer off-season practices, no redshirting—while schools that had until recently been in the NAIA voted against those restrictions.

That is not to say that hasn’t produced some apparent anomalies. The WIAC and IIAC appear to have voted very similarly in that reform package with the MIAC and MWC schools. Thus, it is likely that the same big/small issues could still occur. Furthermore, the NWC, with schools such as Linfield, Whitworth and Pacific Lutheran, tended to vote with the other newcomer NAIA conferences requesting redshirts and more off-season practices.

Why can’t we all just get along?

Athletics are currently playing a very big role in the recruitment of students and courting of alumni dollars. This competition is bound to get even more intense as the demographic data indicates a downward trend in the number of college bound males: number one, there are fewer males overall, and number two, the fewer males are proportionally not going to college in the same ratio as they used to. This is a problem for colleges, since males tend to be very supportive of their alma mater, and do so (in general) by donating in higher numbers than their female counterparts.

With fewer males available, the competition for their matriculation is heating up. One need only at the numbers of schools that have football teams versus the schools with football teams. The 2006 revenue of St. Olaf and Carleton was $162.2 and $171.9 million, respectively, while even Augsburg, the worst MIAC performer with a football team, earned $76.5 million. By contrast, the college of St. Scholastica and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, two schools without football teams, earned $69.5 and $57.5 million, respectively, in 2006. And the rate of growth from the previous year, while still positive for all of the above schools, wasn’t likely to make St. Scholastica or St. Mary’s close the gap any time soon. Which is one of the reasons why St. Scholastica has started the process to begin playing football in 2009.

But some of this comes down to athletics—many schools have used athletics as a way of getting students to enroll at their college, as athletics success has meant an increase in enrollment—is it a coincidence that SJU alone has seen record enrollments in the last decade while winning 7 of the past 9 Durenberger MIAC All-Sports Championships?

But what some schools are concerned about—which often tend to be the historical D-III schools—is an overemphasis upon athletics. Do we really want fewer restrictions on coaches recruiting? Do we want students to be able to obtain routine redshirts? While this may improve the team, does it affect the scholastic side of the school?

So where does that leave us?

The operative term here is “us.” The StarTribune’s Jay Weiner speculated that a D-IV could cause the breakup of the MIAC, as it is unclear where its members would go if faced with only the possibility of winning regional championships.

However, more pertinent is the rules under which the MIAC operates—the MIAC has traditionally been one of the more academic-minded conferences in D-III. The MIAC has not allowed scholarships for athletic purposes before the Reform movement outlawed it; the MIAC currently limits its members’ spring practices and recruiting contact, and most MIAC members are among the leaders in numbers of sports sponsored in D-III. In this sense, it would seem that the MIAC would be a lock for the D-IV. By contrast, schools like Northwestern (Roseville) and Crown College would appear to remain D-III, as they sponsor fewer sports.

But such a move is not inevitable. A few months ago, the MIAC commissioner Dan McKane sent a letter to the NCAA D-III membership asking that they proceed with caution, and suggesting that the MIAC wouldn’t necessarily follow suit with the D-IV movement. And of course, there is always the possibility that some MIAC members would prefer to have fewer restrictions on its athletic department.

Ok, so now what?

The hard part is that nothing is certain yet. There are a lot of things up in the air, starting with the current standards for the new division—which, if those aren’t set, there is no clear way of telling what will happen regarding this. Not to mention that nothing will happen until the 2009 NCAA convention a year from now at the earliest, and there still is the matter of discerning who would pay for the new division anyway.

But what appears to be clear is that D-III is getting too big, and something will happen in the next few years to deal with this size. What exactly it will be is anybody’s guess, but be expecting big changes soon.

When a season ends as planned, as the 2003 football season did for St. John’s, it is a rare and sweet occurrence—one team having risen above the field and proven themselves the best. More typical are the seasons that end with a heartbreaking loss, whether it’s a close regular season game against a rival or a hard-fought playoff defeat at the hands of a better team.

Occasionally, however, a season just ends with a resounding thud, the unfortunate fate of the 2007 St. John’s Johnnies. And while Saturday’s loss was an unexpectedly abrupt end to a season that had shown a lot of promise, it’s important to remember that it was also the beginning of the next chapter in St. John’s football history. As we take a look inside the numbers that shaped Central’s big triumph, now is as good a time as any to remind you that we’re only 285 days away from the Johnnies and the Alma Scots kicking off the 2008 season at Clemens Stadium.

Seeing Red: All season long, the Johnnies dominated their opponents in the red zone, both in their ability to move the ball inside the 20-yard line as well as converting once they got there. Through the first round of the playoffs, St. John’s converted 64 red zone possessions into 50 scores, including 42 touchdowns, good for a 78% conversion rate. At the same time, they held their opponents to only 11 touchdowns and 5 field goals on 30 trips into the red zone, a 53% conversion rate.

On Saturday, both teams found the red zone 5 times, but Central was able to convert all 5 of their possessions for 23 points. Meanwhile, the Johnnies came up empty on their first 4 trips inside the Central 20, ending their first drive with a missed field goal and following that effort by turning the ball over on downs on four straight tries. Finally, Alex Kofoed found Brian Weber from 20 yards out with just over two minutes left in the game to break the red zone curse.

End of an Era: As Alex Kofoed’s four-year reign as Johnnie quarterback comes to an end, he takes 100 career touchdown passes and one of his favorite targets, Brian Weber, with him. Over the past two seasons, Kofoed and Weber hooked up on 13 scoring plays. That makes Brian Weber the third most popular Kofoed touchdown target, trailing only Kyle Gearman (an amazing 29 touchdown receptions from Kofoed) and Mike Lofboom (16 touchdowns).

Over his 4 year career, Alex Kofoed had a perfect 60/30/10 touchdown pass split between wide receivers, running backs and tight ends, respectively. In total, he threw touchdown passes to 16 different targets. A list of all of his scoring recipients:

Playing Catch Up: Trailing 20-0 before they even got possession after halftime, the Johnnies were forced to spend the second half passing the ball almost exclusively. They had 33-to-3 pass-to-run ratio over the final two quarters, and even that is somewhat misleading as only one play was a designed run. Mike Patnode gained 4 yards on his only second half carry, while the other two attempts were a sack of Kofoed and another play where Kofoed was able evade pressure and make it back to the line of scrimmage.

Patnode was the main beneficiary of all that passing; he entered the game with only 31 catches on the season but added 13 receptions and 115 receiving yards on Saturday. In the second half alone, he caught 8 of the 9 passes thrown his way for 80 yards.

Hit the Road, Johnnie Nation: St. John’s fans are used to seeing smaller crowds show up at Clemens Stadium for playoff games than regular season contests. Between NCAA-mandated ticket prices for students, cold weather, holiday travel and unfamiliar foes, many regular Johnnie fans find a way to stay away from playoff home games. At Central, however, the exact opposite seems to be true: only 1 of the team’s 6 previous home games outdrew the announced attendance of 2,000 that took in the Johnnie/Dutch battle on Saturday.

Much of the credit for the strong attendance has to go to the strong showing by St. John’s fans, who had no difficulty filling the bleachers on the visitors’ side of the field. Though it was a apparent that the Dutch had a few more fans than the Johnnies, the St. John’s fans still came close to turning a road game into a de facto home game.

Quick Hits: Alex Kofoed established a career-high with 57 pass attempts… The 89-yard Tim Connell to Cody Huisman touchdown pass at the end of the 1st quarter was the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Johnnies on the season… Even though the Johnnies ran more plays from scrimmage than the Dutch for the game (73 to 70), there was one stretch of the second half that saw Central run 17 consecutive plays and 20 of 21… Central became the second team on the season to outgain St. John’s both rushing and passing (St. Thomas was the other), while the Johnnies turned the trick against 5 opponents (Marietta, Augsburg, Gustavus, Hamline, and Redlands)… The graduating seniors, who started their careers with a disappointing 7-3 record in 2004, only lost 5 games over the next 3 years to end their time at St. John’s with a very respectable 38-8 record… Congratulation to Alex Kofoed, who has been selected to represent the United States in the Aztec Bowl as they take on a team of Mexican college all-stars. The game will be held December 8 at 6:00 p.m. in Chihuahua, Mexico, and can be viewed live online at www.afca.com or www.aztecbowl.com…

Finding renewed life after a first round victory over the Redlands Bulldogs The Johnnie Footballers were now set to continue their victory march down I35 to Pella, Iowa.  As a post Thanksgiving Day treat the Central College Dutch were next on the schedule. The Dutch themselves were fresh off an undefeated season and a first round victory over Olivet College of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Not only had the Johnnie’s found new existence in the second round of The 2007 NCAA playoffs, fans of St. John’s University were intent on pushing this year’s team even further.  To begin preparation for the Dutch, activity on a popular division III message board was buzzing all week with fans of both teams exchanging barbs immediately after first round victories.

Fan writers for this website, parents of players from both teams and even members of each broadcast team engaged in a border battle cyber war that made Saturday’s match-up all the more engaging.  The outrageous banter even drew comments from the Dutch Radio Team during their post-game victory analysis.  More proof the new media has arrived at the small college level.

Throughout 2007 the scene for Johnnie Tailgating gained increased popularity and exposure as a result of support from The St. John’s Alumni Association, fans like Dave Verkuilen and Chris Ditton ’86 cooking up wild rice brats and gourmet level polish sausage, Mike Fahey’s burgers, Mark Bingham ’87 and his audio Outcast, and publicity through the JFC website.

Saturday morning in Pella was another example of the excitement around this year’s team and Johnnie Tailgating as folks began showing up in the Central parking lot at 8:00am.  At 10:00am the entire east side of the lot was lined with Johnnie fans enjoying the sunshine and anticipation of a second round victory and defeat of the Central Dutch.

As the game got underway the inspiration that appeared renewed the weekend before disappeared rapidly amidst 30 degree temperatures and 20 mile an hour winds.  A quick 14 point lead by the Dutch reminded observers this year’s Johnnies were an extreme tale of two teams.  The final score of 37 – 7 will be a permanent reminder of the suddenly ended 2007 season.

Evident on Saturday was a lack of execution and performance that is not typical of the Johnnies when playing in the highly energized surroundings of Clemens Stadium.
 
Not to be overlooked were notable performances by outgoing Johnnie running back Mike Patnode and Junior kick return man Derek Stifter.  Both played with the type of angst and energy required to move onto the West Region Championship.

Clemens Stadium is small college’s greatest venue and may be the J’s greatest enemy. One fan at least is hoping an added level of emotion is evident on next year’s sideline both on the road and at home.

Thanks to everyone for making 2007 another fun and memorable season.

You know it’s a big game when the Original Rat, Frank Berres ‘57, is in the house (Photo by Ryan Ward)

And it was a great day in Pella. Good company, good food, good drink and great kids playing their hearts out. Disappointment in the outcome of the final game can’t take away the joy of 12 weeks of Johnnie football.

Thanks to all the seniors for their contributions to Johnnie football.

Click on the link below to view pregame, game, and post game photos. Please add comments to the photos, including names and other information about the photos.

All of these photos and more are posted at d3football.com. Visit Pictureprints.net to view more photos and purchase high quality prints.

I have more photos. If you are looking for photos of a player and don’t see them here or at Pictureprints.net send me email me at ror@johnniefootball.com and I’ll see what I can find.

St. John’s University versus Central of Iowa Photo Gallery
Photos by Tim Ward and Ryan Ward

We arrived in Pella at 9:00AM and made our way to the campus of Central College, in anticipation of meeting other Johnnie fans for the Stiftungfestivities, the unofficial tailgate party of St. John’s football.

As game time approached we made our way inside the stadium and claimed our seats near the 50-yard line. I really like to attend road games, because you not only get to see your regular group of friends and family that you normally attend home games with, but you also are seated among other Johnnies fans that you have never met before. Many times these new fans that you meet are family members of a player on the current team and you get their perspective of the events that transpire on the field. The family I sat near for the Central game was the family of Johnnie linebacker, Josh Rose. The family chatter was reminiscent of the days when I had nephews who wore the cardinal and blue.

The captains met at midfield for the coin toss and the Johnnies would be receiving the opening kick-off. The crowd yelled encouragement to the Johnnies bench. What transpired on the field over the next 57 minutes and 41 seconds of game time left the Johnnie Nation little to cheer about. There certainly were flashes of greatness by the offense as they were within the Dutch 25-yard line or closer seven times, yet were only able to score on a 20-yard TD pass from Alex Kofoed to Brian Weber with 2:19 remaining in the game. The TD pass was a milestone for both players, as it was the 100th TD pass in Kofoed’s career and the pass completion also put Weber over 1,000 receiving yards for the season. Weber became the first Johnnie to go over 1,000 yards receiving on a season since 2003 when Blake Elliott exceeded the 1,000 yard receiving milestone.

The Johnnie defense also looked to be confused and out of position through much of the first quarter as Central’s QB, Tim Connell sliced and diced the defense in a fashion that I have not witnessed in many years. A pair of 1st. quarter TD passes to Cody Huisman set the tone for the day. The second TD from Connell to Huisman was an 89-yard catch and run when the Johnnie defense had the Dutch pinned on 3rd down and 10 to go from the Dutch 11-yard line.

The Johnnie defense did stiffen in the 2nd quarter only yielding a FG when they certainly could of given up a TD, by stopping the Dutch three times inside the 2-yardline. This was the point in the game I thought that a fire would be lit under the Johnnies and the offense would feed off this defensive stop. I was wrong. A missed FG attempt prior to halftime would have cut the deficit to 14 points. Momentum never shifted in the Johnnies favor and a series of drive stopping miscues signaled an end to the Johnnies season.

For the seniors this is a bittersweet end to a career. Football has finality to it, especially play-off football. Nobody wants their season to end with a loss, but the cruel reality is that only one team each year will win their final game. After a few days, the sting of the defeat will subside and life will go on as usual. The life lessons learned from a wise elderly gentleman named John Gagliardi are something these young men will look back on with fondness in the coming days, weeks and years.
 
This group of young men will now pass from the role of player to the role of fan. The journey they are about to begin is one, which thousands of young men have made over the years, the path is well worn. This is Johnnie Football; we welcome you to the Johnnie Nation.

DuffMan:  The Johnnies have their work cut out for them this weekend.  Not only do they have to travel to Pella, but they are also up against an undefeated top-seed in the bracket.  That being said, I think this has the makings of a great game. It is excellent that Central has a turf field, not only because of the weather, but the Johnnies have flat-out performed better on turf this season.  I think that both teams will come out and play well.  I honestly don’t know how to pick this game.  I think it could go either way.  I’m going to give the nod to the Johnnies, but it would not surprise me to see Central win.  Either way, I think we’ll see a close game. St. John’s 21, Central 17.

DustySJU:  A well placed tirade in last weekend’s win over the Redlands Bulldogs was enough to enrage an already fired up Johnnie Football team and help them roll to a decisive opening round victory.  Just as it appeared this year’s second place finisher in the MIAC was ready to call it a day, “Johnnie Football” reappeared and with considerably more vigor than was witnessed throughout the regular season are now keenly positioned for more “victory swagger” this weekend.  IIAC continues its struggles vs. the MIAC.  St. John’s 28, Central 17.

Mr.Shoes: So I’m sitting in the Mountain Time Zone right now on dialup internet trying to get caught up on the game this weekend. I saw that D3football.com doesn’t think we’re going to win. Knowing John’s habits, he was equating Central with Mount Union by dinner time on Sunday. Central hasn’t lost since we beat them almost exactly a year ago. TC’s comparisons of Kofoed’s home and away splits paints a dire picture for this game. Add all that up and I’m more than sufficiently nervous about a contest that I am going to have to listen to over the internet—hopefully (remember, dialup). Not fun. Yet, my brother says we win by half a touchdown. St. John’s 17, Central 13

SjuSection105:  The Johnnies and the Dutch are becoming a nice playoff pairing. The drive to Pella is not too far and many Johnnie fans take a road trip for this somewhat recurring match-up. The Dutch are a very good team, as their undefeated record and top seeding in the West Region indicates. They have won several close games this season, so the longer they keep the score close the greater the chances are that the Dutch win this game.  The final 2 minutes of the 1st half last week against Redlands showcased a fireworks display missing from several Johnnie games this season, the Bethel game included. I hope the Johnnies remember what the spark was that ignited that scoring outburst and can recreate it again this weekend in Iowa. Both teams are capable of winning this game and earning a spot in the West Region final, it’s simply a matter of who can create turnovers and eliminate the big play from their opponent’s bag of tricks.  St. John’s 24, Central 14.

TC:  There has been a lot of talk about history this week.  Looking back at the recent history of these two teams, there are 3 irrefutable truths:  Win or lose, the Dutch find a way to keep things interesting; Central’s season comes to an end when the schedule reads “St. John’s”; and the same can be said of the Johnnies’ inability to get past the UW-Whitewater Warhawks. Taking the first truth to heart, I think this game will be a close one, decided by one score either way.  Even though they have been denying it all week, the Dutch can’t help but have some doubt in the back of their mind about whether their chance will ever come to beat the Johnnies.  Similarly, when the playoff brackets were released earlier this month, showing the Warhawks relocated to a bracket of their own, the Johnnies knew their path to the West Region title was a little easier.  That smoother road means nothing if they can’t topple the Dutch this weekend.

I think the Johnnies come out playing conservative but effective football.  The weather should be nice and the artificial track will be dry and fast, the perfect conditions for
St. John’s to play their kind of football.  St. John’s 23, Central 16.

Touchdown Tommy:  Amazing how history has a way of repeating itself.  The Johnnies seem to make an annual trip to Pella, IA to face off with the undefeated Central Dutch.  The Dutch have 3 of the last 4 IIAC MVP winners in QB Tim Connell and RB Vance Schuring, so they aren’t bringing knives to a gunfight.  Both teams have played lots of close games all season and found ways to win.  The game will be decided by the quarterback play and who controls the line of scrimmage.  St. John’s 28, Central 17.

This will be one of the toughest games of the year for SJU and, hopefully, Alex Kofoed will be hotter than Dutch love, and leave the Central squad crying in their snert for the fifth straight time. No snert for me, thanks, but those Dutch letters…man they’re tasty!

As I reflect on what’s important to me, as we all do on this holiday, it’s family most importantly, and friends that I have met along the way, the the inspiration and guidance I received (and continue to receive) from St. John’s. Those that I have met through St. John’s football, at our Johnnie tailgates, on the d3football.com posting patterns message board, and through this website, truly have become great friends and a special part of my life. So thanks to all of you. My sincere wish to all of you is for a Happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by those dear to you, and filled with warm and loving thoughts and memories of those who aren’t here. Safe travels.

* * *

Thanksgiving Humor
A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

“Pop, what are you talking about?” the son screams. “We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,” the father says. “We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her.”

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Like heck they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this,”

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, “You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Okay,” he says, “they’re coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way.”

finsleft@johnniefootball.com

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.

Links
Central Roster
Previous Game Story
Schedule and Results
Central Game Notes

Alex Kofoed scores the first touchdown against Redlands

The Johnnies go as 4th year starting senior quarterback Alex Kofoed goes.  It is that cut and dry at these crucial junctures in the playoff dance.  The cream is starting to rise to the top of the heap and I believe that Alex’s legacy in Johnnie football lore will be determined by how deep of a run he can lead this Cardinal and Blue machine on this postseason.  If he fails to lead the Johnnies out of the West Region for the 4th year in a row as the starting QB, he’ll leave SJU with a gawdy resume of records and unbelievable statistics, but without the ultimate prize of the Walnut and Bronze.

Many longtime Johnnie backers had dreams on that fateful day 4 years ago at Clemens Stadium against Wisconsin-Eau Claire when Alex took the reins and led the Johnnies back to a near miraculous win that he could follow in the steps of Keating and Linnemann bringing the J’s back to Salem again.  So far that promise has been left largely unfilled as a juggernaut of Wisconsin-Whitewater has stood in the way the past 2 years.  The time is now to make an imprint on Johnnie football history.  Carpe Diem Alex!

Notes:

• Don’t forget to stop by Jaarsma Bakery in the downtown Pella square for some of the world famous Dutch letters on the way to the game.  These delicious pastries with an Almond filling and a light sugary topping are not to be missed.
• The Johnnie’s tailgate party will be traveling to Pella for the game on Saturday.  Things should get rolling around 8am so if you are driving from the Twin Cities on Saturday morning you better heed my buddy DustySJU’s advice “we either leave at 5am or we get home at 5am, it’s just how we roll”.