UUN asks: Are you ready for the Quarterfinal? (UUN #15-19)
Dear Ever-Hopeful, Always Red Readers —
Our contest with Chapman University sure didn’t start out very pretty — alarmingly a regular part of our game lately — at mild, lovely Orange, CA last Saturday. In fact, if our Defense hadn’t come to the Offense’s rescue, SJU could have been down by two or three TDs in the first quarter due to offensive miscues. All the Chapman Panthers got, however, were a couple of field goals.
But when we got going — Man-O-Man — what a performance! SJU (#8) rolled to 646 yards of offense in a 55-26 win over the Panthers (#12) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs in front of a smallish group of 1,724 onlookers of which, I’m suggesting from photos I’ve seen, between 25-30% were Johnnie fans. Guess the balmy weather in the 50s and their undefeated team wasn’t enough to get their large, very-St. Thomas-like student body out to support their team.
Jeff Norman ’78 wrote. “Go Johnnies! Flagged raised in California. Just took this pic in Long Beach. Staying with friend and classmate Joe Minarovic ’78.”
(Editor’s Comment: Obviously a sign from John Gagliardi telling us that all would be well against Chapman University. Wonder if John’s got a similar sign for our game against Wheaton?)
It’s not that Chapman was not very good, giving up over 50 points; they were quite a strong team, well-coached and hard-playing. But there were two, no, make that three things that happened to really change the complexion of the game. The first — although their defensive schemes were quite effective at the onset until we could make adjustments — the Panthers failed to capitalize on three occasions where they could have buried us after our early mistakes. Second, they turned over the ball themselves at horrible times, losing two fumbles on their own accord, with another one caused by our defense. And finally, they had no answer for two-time All-American QB Jackson Erdmann and our sophomore super-dudes, T.J. Hodge,Ravi Alston, and Henry Trost.
In the post-game NCAA press conference (linked below somewhere) the players and coach suggest that they matched up well physically and mentally with the Johnnies for the game, but that uncharacteristic mistakes were the difference. Yeah, maybe. But what I saw also led me to believe that if we hadn’t removed Mr. Erdmann and a number of first-stringers both on Offense and Defense in the fourth quarter, SJU could have easily added a couple of more TDs plus disallowed the final two scores that Chapman made to save a little face. Easily the final score then would have been something like 69-13.
Make no doubt about it: we can put up the points, often in a real hurry. In the last three games, we’ve put up 47, 51, and 55 respectively. And doing that against no-slouch teams. Jackson now has four games of 400 passing yards or more this season, including each of SJU's first two NCAA playoff games (939 passing yards and nine touchdowns).
T.J. Hodge turns on the after-burners after grabbing one of his nine catches for the afternoon.
Wide receivers T.J. Hodge and Ravi Alston each pulled in over 100 yards against Chapman — T.J. with nine catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns, and Ravi with seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. They have been remarkably similar in their production this season: T.J. now has 68 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns so far; Ravi’s ledger to date reads 71 catches for 1,210 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Henry Trost now has 15 touchdowns on the season, 11 rushing and four receiving, which is two shy of Blake Elliott's sophomore record of 17 set in 2001. Henry’s great highlight was a short screen pass that beat an all-out blitz, going quickly for 70 yards, scoring just 10 seconds after Chapman’s first TD had narrowed the score a bit.
A few words about our Defense: The Johnnies registered five sacks and recovered three fumbles in the win. We held the Panthers in check allowing only two field goals until our offense got on track. Senior defensive back Ryan LaCasse had a monumental game, making 14 tackles, nine of them solo.
This was a statement win — on both sides of the ball and special teams. Congrats to the players, coaches, and Minnesota fans that made the trek out west for the game, as well as local alums who came out in support of the Johnnies. Adam Herbst ’99 sent me two photos of the pregame event and David Van Landschoot ‘72 of Denver, CO, and Palm Desert, CA sent me some additional shots from the stands:
The class of 1964 was well-represented at our pre-game gathering in Orange, California on Nov. 30. L-R, Dio Rockers '64, Paul Brinkman '64, Maureen Brinkman, Paul Judge '64, John McCormick '64, and Olivia McCormick.
Here‘s the entire group at the pre-game gathering. It was well-attended and even more of our folks were at the game. It was a great turnout by our fans.
Part of the crowd group-watching the Johnnie victory at Jax Northeast, another SJU alum-owned establishment. The photo comes compliments of John Sipe ’61/’65.
Nice stadium, disappointing home crowd. This and the next two photos of Johnnie supporters are compliments of David Van Landschoot '72 who drove over from Palm Desert, CA with his wife Terri Ann.
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On to Wheaton! —
It doesn’t get easier, that’s for sure. #8 SJU has earned the opportunity to play very tough #3 Wheaton College at their home next Saturday. This is an impressive team with a defense that leads Division III in total defense (195.2 YPG) and in scoring defense (6.8 PPG). They back that up with a smashingly swift-running game and a passing attack much like ours: throwing and connecting bombs often. Could it be another Aurora-like shootout? Or will their defense prevail and severely limit Jackson and Company? Stay tuned to find out.
The winner of this Saturday's Wheaton-St. John's game will advance to face the winner of another quarterfinal round game between Mary Hardin-Baylor and UW-Whitewater Saturday in Belton, Texas. The Football Whisperer thinks that if we win and Whitewater upsets UMHB, we most likely would host the semi-final at St. John’s. That’s a big “if”, of course. I would say that both SJU and UWW are not favored in either contest. But, then again, North Central was not favored in their game against Mount Union.
For those going to Wheaton: Admission for Saturday's game is $8 for adults, $4 for students; and children under three are admitted for free. As an NCAA Championship event, no free passes will be accepted. Only cash will be accepted for tickets being purchased at the game on Saturday. However, fans that wish to purchase tickets with a credit card can do so online. Fans using this link should bring a printed copy of the ticket to the ticket gate or show the ticket on their phones for admission. (Here’s the link: https://tickets.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=6a12a4c7a4ec3c5b33b4b33b2db81ca8&vqitq=6533480a-a013-40df-ba82-f7656aa0a6e2&vqitp=75895a79-9599-4d8f-b968-98999598edd6&vqitts=1575573845&vqitc=vendini&vqite=itl&vqitrt=Safetynet&vqith=69b5017cb68134b91c6463e29b13c90b )
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PC Police at Wheaton —
Two members of the Wheaton football team were walking to practice last week. One of the lads was really worked up over something and was mumbling to himself.
“What’s the matter? asked his friend, “You’re usually in a pretty good mood.”
“Oh, I'm just sick of these P.C. liberals telling me I can't say ‘Happy Honda Days’ because I might offend [said with air quotation marks] someone who celebrates 'Toyotathon.' So I guess I'm supposed to just wish everyone a ‘Happy Winter Car Sale?’"
(Compliments of Dan McDermott ’84)
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All About Wheaton —
Wheaton, IL, home of the Wheaton College “Thunder”, is yet another leafy suburb west of Chicago, such as nearby North Central College of Naperville, Aurora University of Aurora, and Benedictine University of Lisle. They all play pretty good football down there, under all those leaves.
Wheaton College is a private, nonprofit, exceedingly Christian (a la Bethel), coeducational, residential liberal arts college and graduate school in Wheaton, Illinois. Both the college and graduate school are on an 80-acre campus in Wheaton, a 45-minute train ride straight west of downtown Chicago. The college has about 2,800 students including nearly 2,400 undergraduates. (Colors are Blue and Orange, and their nickname is Thunder, as in Wheaton Thunder.)
The Protestant college was founded by evangelical abolitionists in 1860. Wheaton College was a stop on the Underground Railroad and graduated one of Illinois' first African-American college graduates. Wheaton is noted for its "twin traditions of quality academics and deep faith," according to Time magazine and is ranked 20th among all national liberal arts colleges in the number of alumni who go on to earn PhDs. Undoubtedly, the school’s most famous alumnus was the late Dr. Billy Graham. In 1943, Graham graduated from Wheaton with a degree in anthropology. During his time at Wheaton, Graham decided to accept the Bible as the infallible word of God. On August 13, 1943, Graham married Wheaton classmate Ruth Bell, whose parents were Presbyterian missionaries in China. Her father was a general surgeon.
His memory is kept central in the college by giving his name to the Billy Graham Center, sort of a “presidential library” of Dr. Graham’s corporate records, home for many of Wheaton College's Bible and theology classes, as well as the graduate school’s main headquarters, and host to multiple museums and auditoriums.
The building housing the Billy Graham Center (BGC), named after one of the college's most well-known graduates, opened in September 1980. The Center itself, as the repository of the evangelist's corporate records, had existed since 1974.
Being Evangelically Pure Sure Ain’t Easy —
Wheaton appeared in the news when Joshua Hochschild, assistant professor of philosophy, was dismissed in 2004 for becoming Roman Catholic (can’t have any of that!) Wheaton's president said his "personal desire" to retain Hochschild, "a gifted brother in Christ", was outweighed by his duty to employ "faculty who embody the institution's Protestant convictions". In 2008, English professor Kent Gramm resigned after declining to give the college administration details of his pending divorce from his wife of 30 years. In December 2015 Wheaton College suspended tenured professor of political science Larycia Hawkins, who wrote "I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God". In explaining the decision to place Dr. Hawkins on administrative leave the college referred to "significant questions regarding the theological implications" of her comments. The two officially parted ways in February 2016.
In March 2018 Charles Nagy, a former Wheaton College football player, sued the college and seven former teammates citing the school had attempted to cover up a hazing incident by his former teammates. In 2016, Nagy was kidnapped, and beaten by his former teammates, before being left on the baseball field in the middle of the night half-naked. Nagy was admitted into a nearby hospital and had been diagnosed with two labrum tears requiring surgery. Despite the controversy, three of the players identified were allowed to compete in the next football game. Nagy cited in his complaints the college administration was aware of the tradition of hazing on the team but took no action. An additional controversy began when the college issued a public statement condemning hazing, but hiring a third-party investigator to discredit Nagy's account of the incident. Four of the five players have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The student, Charles Nagy, reached a confidential settlement with the college and former teammates within a year of his suit.
The handsome Wheaton College campus within its "leafy" suburban environment.
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You might be a Wheaton undergrad if…
- You believe you are supposed to take a covered dish to heaven when you die.
- You clapped in church last Sunday and felt guilty about it all week.
- You think someone who says "amen" while the Pastor is preaching might be a charismatic.
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Wheaton Athletics —
Wheaton College teams participate as a member of the NCAA’s Division III. The Thunder is a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). [To see other CCIW school members, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Conference_of_Illinois_and_Wisconsin ]
Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field and volleyball. Wheaton College also competes with both in Men's and Women's collegiate rowing, lacrosse and club soccer.
Wheaton Football —
The school's football team is coached by Mike Swider, a position he has held since 1996 and who has taken the team to the NCAA Div. III football playoffs seven times. Swider's Wheaton teams have won seven conference titles and made seven appearances in the D-III playoffs. In each of their first five appearances, they were eliminated from the tournament by Mount Union, (aka Mount Onion because of all the tears coming from opponents’ defeats). Swider's coaching record at Wheaton is 189–49. He has the most wins (189) and the highest winning percentage (.794) of any coach in Wheaton program history.
Interestingly enough, only 25 of their 110 players are from Illinois, many coming from Christian-oriented high schools in Florida, California, Colorado, and Michigan. They are a senior-dominated team, at least with many of the standouts; they also are loaded with transfers from D-I or D-II schools, something they have in common with us.
Some players to watch are senior d-back #7 Corey Kennedy; sophomore QB #18 Luke Anthony; senior D-line #47 Pat O'Connell; senior RB #31 Stone Watson, senior #54 Dallas McRae, All-American D-tackle.
Take a look at Wheaton’s Football Schedule: https://cciw.org/schedule.aspx?schedule=2723 Significant games and results are as follows: Monmouth (IL) 38-0 (they made the first round of the playoffs); North Central College 35-21 (they’re still in it having upset Mt. Union); and the first two playoff rounds: Martin Luther 51-7 (no big deal); and Central (IA) 49-13 (an impressive deal).
What we've seen so far about the Thunder is, defensively, somewhat awesome: big, fast, physical guys who just keep coming hard the whole game, wanting to disrupt the quarterback by either hurrying up the passes or sacking him. I suspect Jackson will take a pounding as the linemen and blitzers hit him just after he throws...or earlier. The Johnnie Offensive line needs to be very sharp Saturday.
Offensively they are pretty balanced in their attack, slightly favoring passing to running, but both done effectively. Here it will be our Defense’s turn to disrupt their offensive schemes. To me the keys to the game will be for us to: (a) avoid the penalties we’ve been steadily racking up — last week Wheaton just had two; (b) avoid the slow start, particularly through mistakes and breakdowns that have given opponents a head start in too many of our games; (c) have Jackson fire off his passes much faster than he’s done (we know he likes the bombs, but he most likely won’t have time to throw them until later after we’ve frustrated their pass rush); and (d) provide O-Line blocking protection.
Wheaton College Postgame Press Conference —
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhqubbjLQs8 (11:29)
Here’s a quote about their game plan: “hit ‘em fast, hit ‘em often, hit em ‘first.” I suspect that’s what their coach will be preaching all week.
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Working Out Theological Differences —
Four students from adjoining colleges in the western suburbs of Chicago agreed to participate in an ecumenical fishing trip on the Fox River. A Catholic from Benedictine University in Lisle, a Methodist from North Central College in Naperville, a Presbyterian from Aurora University in Aurora, and an Evangelical from Wheaton College in Wheaton were enjoying their time together until they got into a little argument on what denomination Jesus would be.
The Roman Catholic said no doubt He would be part of Holy Mother Church since He founded it.
The Presbyterian said, "No, no. When you consider all that John Calvin did for the Christian faith, there is no question he would unite with the Reformed tradition."
The Methodist said, "No, no, no, no. When you consider all that John and Charles Wesley did for the Christian faith, there is no question he would unite with the Methodist conviction.
The Wheaton student looked perplexed for a few minutes and said, "Boys, I don't think He's going to change."
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Erdmann Earns Second AFCA All-America Honor —
Jackson, setting new records every time he steps onto the field. (photo by Dan Harris, D3Photography.com)
Senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann was named to the American Football Coaches' Association (AFCA) All-America first team for the second consecutive season on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
A total of 101 SJU football student-athletes have now earned All-America honors a total of 132 times in the program's 109-season history.
Erdmann is the seventh SJU quarterback to earn All-America honors and the first to accomplish the feat twice.
A 2019 Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist and the award's 2018 recipient, Erdmann is a three-time All-MIAC first-team performer. He set SJU single-season records for passing yards (496) and yards of total offense (563) Oct. 29 at St. Olaf. (Read more:) https://gojohnnies.com/news/2019/12/4/football-erdmann-earns-second-afca-all-america-honor.aspx
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What Five Other SJU QBs Say About Jackson —
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Game Report —
California Cruisin': Eighth-Ranked Johnnies Roll to NCAA Quarterfinals With 55-26 Win
ORANGE, Calif. - No. 8 Saint John's football rolled to 646 yards of offense in a 55-26 win over No. 12 Chapman in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 30, in Orange, Calif.
The Johnnies (11-1, 7-1 MIAC) travel to face No. 3 Wheaton (IL) in the NCAA quarterfinals at noon next Saturday, Dec. 7. The Thunder (12-0, 9-0 CCIW) won its second-round game over No. 23 Central (IA) Saturday, 49-13.
Senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann finished 24 of 41 passing for 458 yards and five touchdowns. He became the SJU and MIAC all-time leading passer in the third quarter by breaking the previous record of 10,737 held by Alex Kofoed (2004-07). (Read more:)
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Video Highlights - SJU vs. Chapman, Playoffs Round #2 —
The Reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BahKHfK0WRs (3:12 min.)
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Game Report from the Chapman side —
Chapman’s historic football season comes
to a halt in loss to St. John’s (Minn.)
By Mike Digiovanna, Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times
As the final seconds ticked off the clock, Chapman University linebacker Dillon Keefe exchanged handshakes, hugs, helmet taps — and, though the situation didn’t seem to warrant it — a few smiles and laughs with teammates on his sideline.
An undefeated season that included the first NCAA playoff victory in school history came to a crashing halt on Saturday when the Panthers were bounced unceremoniously from the Division III playoffs in a 55-26 loss to Saint John’s of Minnesota before 1,724 in Wilson Field.
But that couldn’t put a damper on a season in which Chapman won its first 10 games, a conference title and a 68-65 triple-overtime thriller over Linfield in the first round of the playoffs. (Read more:)
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NCAA 2nd Round Press Conferences -
Saint John's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otjU5SuReGU (8:34 min.)
Chapman U: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhQTMnc8JPE (10:47 min
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Excerpt from a d3football.com article on Wheaton —
In the quarterfinals, the defense will be tested by reigning Gagliardi Trophy winner Jackson Erdmann and the St. John’s offense. Fortunately for the Thunder, they have been tested by similar quarterbacks already this season. They held North Central and Broc Rutter to 4.8 yards per play and 21 points in the Little Brass Bell victory.
“Having played on a big stage against a great quarterback really prepares us for the moment. You put in so much work and preparation every week for every Saturday, no matter who you’re playing,” said O’Connell. “Our team theme this year is to pound the rock. We love the idea of just pounding away on defense until you get to that breaking point where the other quarterback starts seeing ghosts.”
Although the historic defense garners most of the headlines, the offense is not to be overlooked. Wheaton placed three offensive players on the all-CCIW first team and ranks in the top ten in the nation in total offense and scoring offense.
(Full article available here: https://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2019/wheaton-2-wasnt-good-enough )
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Johnnie Football Is Coming To Chicago! —
(From Adam Herbst ’99, Alumni Relations Department)
Congratulations to the Johnnies on their win over Chapman University on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs! The next stop for the Johnnies is a showdown against Wheaton College on Saturday, December 7 at 12 p.m.
For those planning to make the trip, our host hotel is Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel (3000 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532). Room rates are reasonable online (less than $100 before taxes) and many of the parents and alums making the trip will stay there.
All Johnnie fans are invited to a pregame social on Saturday, December 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at our host hotel Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel. The game kicks off at 12 p.m. at McCully Stadium on the campus of Wheaton College. The field is approximately a 10-minute drive from our host hotel. — Go Johnnies!
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Watching Wheaton With Johnnies! —
There are several ways to gather with fellow alumni and fans to cheer the Johnnies on as they play Wheaton College in the quarterfinal round on Saturday, December 7 at 12 p.m. CST in the Chicago area.
Alumni-owned Fulton Taproom (414 6th Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401) has organized a game watch. Click here for more information.
Alumni-owned Great River Bowl & Partners Pub (208 2nd St. S., Sartell, MN 56377) has also organized a streaming party. Click here for more information.
Union 32 Craft House (2864 Highway 55, Eagan, Minnesota 55121) will also be streaming the game. Click here for more information.
For those planning to make the trip to the Chicago area, our host hotel is Sheraton Lisle Naperville Hotel (3000 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532). All fans are invited to a pregame social at the hotel from 9-11 a.m. McCully Stadium on the campus of Wheaton College is a 10-minute drive from our host hotel.
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About the Wheaton College Game —and St. John’s University
Listening To/Watching The Game:
Radio Network:
The Bear 660 AM WBHR
- Sauk Rapids
* Covering central and northern Minnesota
KDIZ-1570 AM
* Covering the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin
KOWZ-1170 AM
- Waseca
Covering southern Minnesota and northern Iowa
Listening via the Internet:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
(Coverage begins at 10:30 am)
Live Streaming:
https://livestream.com/WheatonThunder
(12-noon game start)
Keep apprised on all NCAA 3rd Round games:
https://www.d3football.com/videolink/bracket-blitz-2019
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Let’s Talk Playoffs, Round 2 —
Here is the 2019 NCAA D-III Playoff Bracket:
https://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2019/bracket
Things are proceeding pretty much as expected/hoped for (re SJU) through the second round of the playoffs, with the incredible exception of #5 North Central College’s (IL) surprising 59-52 upset of #1-ranked Mount Union. How nice that is! Now, if #7 UW-Whitewater can upset #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor, we’ll have a chance for some new faces at the top, not that UWW has been too scarce in the past.
This Saturday we’ll find out: if North Central can keep it going against #9 Delaware Valley (and I don’t see why not); if #6 Salisbury can top #4 Muhlenberg (who cares either way at this point?); and the two games we do care about: Mary Hardin-Baylor hosting UW-Whitewater; and of course, #3 Wheaton hosting #8 St. John’s. No predictions from me at this stage. I did suggest last week that UMBH and UMU would prevail over their opponents... North Central happily proved me wrong. Whatever happens — GO JOHNNIES!
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After the Johnnie-Tommie Game —
After the game against the Johnnies at Allianz Field, three University of St. Thomas students were talking about the sad state of their football team with yet another loss to St. John’s.
The first UST student said, "I blame the coaching staff; if we could recruit just one or two better players, we'd have a great team."
The second St. Thomas lad said, "I blame the players; if they made just a little more effort, I'm sure we'd win more games."
The third Tommie said, "I blame my parents; if they’d sent me to St. John’s, I'd be rooting for a decent team."
(Compliments of Conrad Macina)
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The UnCasual Fan —
Review of the 55 – 26 Win over Chapman on Saturday, November 30, 2019
Why does it seem like we are never satisfied with how our beloved Johnnies perform? Even when we win by almost 30 points and the 2nd unit is getting some reps starting with the 4th quarter
We do not seem to be satisfied or pleased unless we are ahead 28-0 at the end of the 1st quarter and the outcome is never in doubt. Week after week we seem to have criticisms during the game until we know for sure that the outcome will be in our favor. Even after the outcome seems to not be in doubt the banter starts about “they better correct that before next week”.
This past week for the first few possessions (2 turnovers and a blocked field goal) it was – “What is the matter with them? What is going on? Do they have jet lag? Thank God the defense came to play. We need to run the ball more instead of always throwing downfield”
The previous week against Aurora it was “What is happening to the defense? What is going on? We need to throw shorter passes.”
I must be honest – I am truly thankful for our team. No matter what is going on during the game, the team and the coaches are working hard to execute the best way they know-how and to play as hard as the can. They figure out a way to keep themselves in the game until they find a way to put themselves in a position to win before time runs out.
I know that for the most part, this team will never make us feel as bad as the Vikings and Gophers make us feel. They will show up and be competitive. They do not hype themselves up and then when the whole nation is watching (either on College GameDay or Monday night football) turn in a somewhat lackluster performance or just get dominated and outmanned. We do not have to worry about building a culture. We have had one for a long time (institution and football). It is part of who and what St. John’s is all about. I am not sure another school or team in Minnesota can say that. So here is my simple analysis of the Chapman game:
The good:
· The defense – kept us in the game until the offense got it going. Five sacks and three fumble recoveries.
· Another 400-yard passing day – We are a passing team and a downfield passing team in particular
· Henry Trost continues to deliver
· We ran a screen play!!!
· Our receivers keep raising the bar
· Made all our extra points!!!
Needs some work:
· Maybe a quicker start if possible
On a positive note:
· The referees were much less conspicuous this week
The Johnnies travel to the Chicago area this Saturday to face Wheaton. Check out other parts of Mr. Wicker’s newsletter to find out more about our opponents
Like last week - I am confident our Johnnies will make a good showing and put up a strong effort and that is all we can really ask of them. The teams get better from here on in and the number of quality players on each side of the ball starts to balance out each other. All games from here on in are tough. I am looking forward to watching this game and will be doing so from one of the watch parties somewhere.
Remember back when (after the Stout game) that if someone would have told us that we would
1. Beat the team from St. Paul
2. Win the MIAC
3. Make the playoffs
4. Make it to at least the final 8
We would have taken that in a heartbeat and walked away completely happy and just sat back and enjoyed the rest of the season. — Go Johnnies
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The Death of a Nun —
(Contributed by Sister Lois Wedl, OSB ’53)
The 98-year-old Mother Superior from Ireland was dying.
The nuns gathered around her bed trying to make her last journey comfortable.
They gave her some warm milk to drink but she refused. Then one of the nuns took the glass back to the kitchen. Remembering a bottle of Irish whiskey received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.
Back at Mother Superior's bed, she held the glass to her lips. Mother drank a little, then a little more and before they knew it, she had drunk the whole glass down to the last drop.
"Mother," the nuns asked with earnest, "please give us some wisdom before you die."
She raised herself up in bed and with a pious look on her face said, "Don't sell that cow."
(Editor’s Observation re S. Lois: Yep, they sure don’t make nuns like they used to.)
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From Our Readers —
From Wayne Hergott ’57, Edina, MN —
Bob, Dan Murphy ’05 did a wonderful job syncing the streaming with the audio broadcast from Chapman. It was a fun afternoon at Jax. Dan has a conflict this Saturday so we're hoping Jax is available and someone can fill in for him but we've heard nothing about that so far.
Once again the Johnnies started slowly but caught fire in the second quarter and won easily. What a great year we are having.
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From Conrad Macina, Honorary Johnnie, Landing, NJ —
I have only one thing to contribute: https://youtu.be/N-aK6JnyFmk
Go Johnnies!! Wait … is that two things? Dang! — Conrad
Q: How do you keep the Chapman Panthers out of your front yard?
A: Put up goal posts.
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From Sister Lois Wedl, OSB, St. Benedict’s Monastery —
Again, so well written, dear friend Bob. I will be watching and/or listening. Thanks for the info for both. GO JOHNNIES!!! — Sister Lois
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From Gary Kordosky ’64, Tucson, AZ —
Looking forward to the next UUN. The big victory in California must have been fun to watch. I spent a good bit of that day watching Ohio State pound Michigan on TV with Noreen and our son Kevin who is a big Buckeye fan. Both SJU and Ohio State have legit chances at national championships. Cheers. — Gary
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From Scott Becker ’77, North Oaks, MN —
Happy Thanksgiving, Wick! You are a great asset to the Saint John’s community! — Scott
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From Terry Cummings CST ’62, St. Paul, MN —
By the way, I strongly support SJU in the playoffs if UST does not make it. Go Johnnies. I support the MIAC. — Terry
(Editor’s Note: Terry’s close friends from Cretin High School and maybe earlier — Wayne Belisle and Bob Christensen, both SJU ’62 — bring him to many SJU games, but especially those with UST. While Terry remains a proud College of St. Thomas alumnus, he’s been around all of us enough to turn some of his purple into a bit of red, as his note indicates.)
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From Jim Senden ’64, New Brighton, MN —
I have been very busy, but it finally dawned on me that I missed the UUN. Sure enough, I found it in Junk, which it most certainly, it is not. I appreciate your efforts on the UUN and consider them to be a great thing for SJU. Keep up the good work. Luv ya — Zeenan
PS we leave for England on Tuesday but hope we can get together after the 18th
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From Henry Gallagher ’61, Washington, DC —
Rob, I've scrolled down on UUN mailings and (proof that I've never been ready for this century) I could find neither, first, that petty criticism (maybe two or three issues ago) of some of your reporting and second, a set of accolades (more recently) sent in your direction by that man of words, John Chromy ’64. Forget the former, focus on the latter. This belated note to you is short because John said it all. You bring "value" and "memory" to your readers (many of whom need those two at this stage of their lives.). — Hank
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From Vince Kinney ’63, Minneapolis, MN and now Phoenix, AZ —
Rob, In case you haven't gotten Hardy’s obit from another source, my classmate, Maury Reyerson '63, sent it to me. — Vince
Obituary from the San Jose Mercury News:
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?n=hardy-c-reyerson&pid=194558113
(Editor’s Note: When Hardy‘s death was announced in a recent UUN we did not yet have an obit. This one is well worth reading. May he RIP.)
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From Tony “Addy” Bombich ’64, Clinton, MS —
Thanks, Bob. Another great UUN. I will be cheering on the Johnnies in the Chapman game, as always, streaming the video on my laptop. It was a great win vs. Aurora right down to the end.
Here's a good one. My team in MS is MS State. They played Ole Miss on ESPN last night in a Rivalry Game and I assume you did not/could not watch. Ole Miss scored on a 2-yd pass with 4 seconds left. Then the WR simulated a dog peeing on a fire hydrant and the refs flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct. The State coach elected to take the penalty on the extra point. So, kicking the ball from the 25-yard line, the Ole Miss kicker put it wide. Final Score: State 21 Ole Miss 20. HAHA! WOW! Good Luck, Johnnies in Orange, CA! — Addy
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From the Football Whisperer —
A big win at Chapman. All west coast teams eliminated. Wheaton and North Central are playing great football. North Central eliminated Mount Union. North Central’s only loss was to Wheaton. Wheaton and North Central could play in the finals. An all-Illinois final. [Actually, an all-Chicagoland final.] SJU has to win Saturday to eliminate that possibility.
On Saturday, Wheaton hosts SJU at McCully Stadium, North Central hosts Delaware Valley at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. The stadiums are eight miles apart.
North Central lost to Wheaton on 10/5 35-21. Wheaton and North Central were one and two in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW).
Wheaton rushes 224 yards per game and allows less than seven points per game. SJU has to stop the run and no turnovers. It will be a tough game.
If SJU wins and Whitewater wins, we might have a home game on 12/7.
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From Pete Hill ’76, Naperville, IL —
Hi Rob, Because of the time zone differences, I was able to live stream the entire North Central-Mount Union game before I switched over to the Johnnies. It was an incredible back and forth game and North Central is indeed for real, so maybe you and Chris will be spending the whole coming week down here! — Pete
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From John Taylor ’58, SJU Institutional Advancement —
Bob, I am assuming that you will be doing a UUN for this Saturday’s game. Perhaps you might be willing to do a shout-out to our Mike Carr ‘10 (of the famous Carr family). Interim President Gene McAllister and several family and friends of Mike will be hosting a lunch tomorrow (Wednesday) for him. He recently received a call from the Brigade Commander who asked him to assume the XO position at an Engineer Battalion in Stillwater. While well-short of his designated time with the Fighting Saints Battalion, Mike said, “yes sir” and he will shortly move on to his new duty station.
“Captain Michael Carr is a 2010 graduate of Saint John's, former member of the football team and son and brother of the famous Carr clan—Mike ’77 and Charlie ’03. He is a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and his military awards include the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Badge. He currently serves as the executive officer of the ROTC program. Mike and his wife Jenna have a daughter, Silie, and will welcome an addition to the family in 2020.
Oh, while I am at it, how about another mention in your blog about the Saint John’s Military Honor Roll. https://apps.csbsju.edu/military-honor-roll. We tend to receive a story a week. Many “older” veterans say they haven’t responded because they don’t know what they should report. I suggest: name, branch, rank, years of service, units served in, a story or two, commendations and a photo or two. Thanks. — John
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From John Diffley ’64, Stewartville, MN; (with additional thanks to Frank Ziegler ’62, Lino Lakes, MN; Conrad Macina, Landing, NJ; Jerry Howard ’56, St. Cloud, MN; Chuck Garrity, Naples, FL; and Dan McDermott ’84, Plymouth, MN, all of whom wanted UUN readers to know of this article.) —
Bob, I don’t know if you saw this NY Times article from last week. My son sent it to me. U$T must have some serious check writers to bankroll their dreams and, as my son says, all for a thousand or so fans per game. If they only show up for the Johnnies, how many of them are going to show up when they start playing the school from flyover states. I hope all the Johnnies had a good time in CA...l wonder how Chapman would fare in the MIAC? — John
****
St. Thomas Attempts A Leap From Division III
To Division I —
The Tommies, considered too good by their conference in Division III, found a potential home in the Division I Summit League. Will the N.C.A.A. allow such a large jump to happen quickly? (Read more:)
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Saint John's Abbey Vocation Story:
Fr. Lew Grobe —
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuJn8h-rr8I
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129 Years Of Army-Navy Football —
By Nicolaus Mills
(Editor’s Foreword: If you’re impressed with the longevity and emotional impact of the St. John’s - St. Thomas football rivalry, you’ll enjoy reading a bit about the Army-Navy game and that historic rivalry of truly national importance. This article was brought to our attention by Joe Deitch, USNA ’65, a friend and supporter of St. John’s.)
The Army-Navy game December 14 marks the 129th anniversary of the great football rivalry. The first game, played on a gridiron laid out on the southeast corner of the West Point Parade Ground, was so sparsely attended that spectators could move up and down the field as the line of scrimmage shifted.
We have come a long way from that first encounter, but as Army and Navy get ready to play again, the legacy of that 1890 game is worth recalling. (Read more:)
https://frontlinesoffreedom.com/2013/12/14/army-navy-football/
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Pre-Med Majors’ Corner, Professional Billing Department —
A famous doctor was being interviewed by the news media. Looking to spice things up a little, one reporter asked if the doctor had ever made any serious mistakes.
“Well, yes,” the doctor sighed. “I once cured a multimillionaire.”
“How was that a mistake? The reporter asked.
The doctor shook his head wearily. “I did it in one visit!”
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Quote of the Day:
Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.
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Saturday Night at Wheaton College —
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Morris and his Rabbi —
Morris goes to the rabbi and says, "I committed a sin and I want to know what I can do to repent."
"What was the sin?" the rabbi asked.
"It happened just once," Morris assures him. "I didn't wash my hands and recite the blessing before eating bread."
"No, if it really only happened once," the rabbi said, "that's not so terrible. Nonetheless, why did you neglect to wash your hands and recite the blessing?"
"I felt awkward Rabbi," said Morris. "You see, I was in an un-kosher restaurant."
The rabbi's eyebrows arch. "And why were you eating in an un-kosher restaurant?"
"I had no choice," Morris said. "All the kosher restaurants were closed."
"And why were all the kosher restaurants closed?" the rabbi asked.
Morris replied, "It was Yom Kippur."
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The Last Word —
A Sharing Love —
An older couple entered a burger joint. The old man placed an order for one hamburger, French fries, and a drink. When the food arrived, he unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half, placing one half in front of his wife. He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them.
As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them were looking over and whispering. Obviously, they were thinking, ‘That poor old couple – all they can afford is one meal for the two of them.”
As the man began to eat his fries, a young man came to the table and politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said they were just fine – they were used to sharing everything.
People closer to the table noticed the little old lady hadn’t eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.
Again, the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said, “No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything.”
Finally, as the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked “What is it you are waiting for?”
She answered, “The teeth.”
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G O J O H N N I E S !! Clap the Thunder (Or something like that.)
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Best post-Thanksgiving wishes. This issue is kind of tardy because of my late start — we were in NYC over a long Turkey Day weekend where I was bonding with my eighteen-month-old grandson, Alfie Clark, until Tuesday night. When he learns to talk, Alfie'll proudly say "Go Johnnies!"
