Playing for All the MIAC Marbles (UUN#11-22)
Dear Red-Clad Multitudes —
Sitting next to Vic Murphy ’92 at the Carleton game — a 45-16 SJU victory in front of 3,622 chilled fans — I was privileged to hear his new term coined to describe a common on-field situation: “It’s third and Larson.”
It’s true…when junior QB Aaron Syverson needed to convert on a third down, he invariably found senior tight end Alex Larson open for the catch and new first down. And besides his work in keeping the chains moving, Alex had a heck of a day otherwise: the 6’7”, 240 pounder finished the day with a career-high ten catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns. There’s been talk of NFL scouts’ interest in him, and if any were around to see his performance last Saturday, they had to be impressed, certainly with his first 17-yard TD catch while heavily covered, and then with a spectacular one-handed grab for another TD in the back of the end zone. (Those first and second catches are pictured below, while Alex’s highlight film catch is in a video embedded in the game report linked here: https://gojohnnies.com/news/2022/11/5/football-larson-puts-on-show-as-sju-rolls-past-carleton-earns-spot-in-miac-championship.aspx )
Senior tight end Alex Larson caught this 17-yard pass for a touchdown, his first of three for the afternoon, in
the first quarter (image courtesy of Graham Miller).
Alex Larson's celebrated one-handed touchdown catch (Courtesy of Capri Potter).
Of course, we would be remiss in not acknowledging the superb passing of Aaron S. His offensive line allowed him time to work in most instances, only giving up two sacks versus the five collected by St. John’s on Carleton. Syverson threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior #5 Henry Trost avoids a tackle and scampers for a 40-yard TD.
A few other offensive highlights to mention are senior Henry Trost’s 40-yard run for a touchdown, senior Nick VanErp’s 27-yard TD catch and run, and a 21-yard TD catch by junior Jimmy Buck. Late in the game freshman tight end Joey Gendreau caught a pass and ran for 57 yards before getting pulled down short of the end zone.
Once again, the Jays got off to a slow start before getting into a passing/scoring rhythm, too often stymied by penalties — 7 for 58 yards — and an at times sluggish running game. Carleton had only two penalties for 13 yards.
Our Defense played very well, with a couple exceptions: a 67-yard pick-6 after a Carleton interception (which wasn’t on the Defense), and a 45-yard trick play TD pass. I saw an identical trick play by Bethel work on Augsburg last week in some TV highlights; hope we’re working on that in practice. The Knights also came close to scoring two other times, making it to our red zone before being stopped. Carleton’s starting quarterback, Jonathan Singleton, did not play due to injuries, and it would have been interesting to see how St. John’s Big De would have fared against him.
Among the many defensive standouts last week, one — senior cornerback John Kohler — was singled out twice for his two TD-saving interceptions in the end zone. The first was being named MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week, while the second was being named to the d3football.com National Team of the Week. Read more about John here: https://gojohnnies.com/news/2022/11/10/football-st-cloud-orthopedics-feature-sjus-kohler-cherishing-every-bit-of-his-final-season.aspx
Senior cornerback #2 John Kohler steals a TD from a Carleton foe in the end zone, one of two such interceptions last week. John currently leads the team with four interceptions and is tied for the team lead with eight passes defended this fall.
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Game Highlights —
Here are the video highlights for the Carleton game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Deu9iUGc4N8
And, due to not getting them before sending last week, are the highlights from the St. Scholastica game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE0CDqAP0BQ
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Oooh, Gotcha! —
A man was driving down the road when the light turned yellow just in front of him. He did the right thing and stopped at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman behind him, a middle-aged Bethel alumna, was furious and honked her horn, screaming curses in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed and placed in a holding cell.
After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, giving the guy in front of you the finger and cursing at him. I noticed the "What Would Jesus Do" bumper sticker, the "Choose Life" license plate holder, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally I assumed you had stolen the car."
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About This Saturday —
Okay, this is the biggie in the MIAC, with the winner getting the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, and the loser may be receiving an invitation for one of the five at-large spots. If it wasn’t going to be so cold (like in the high 40ºs and 50ºs), we’d no doubt have around 9,000 to 10,000 fans up in Collegeville — now, with the temps in the 20ºs, we’ll be lucky to have 2,000 (with only a handful of students)…while thousands of fair-weather fans opt to pay the $10 and watch/listen to the game via the Internet. One way or the other, SJU will cash in on this game…and the athletic department’s paltry budget surely needs it.
St. John’s, ranked #5 by d3football.com, has an 8-1 record, and is 4-0 in the MIAC Northwoods Division; Bethel is ranked #9, has an identical 8-1 record and is also 4-0 in the MIAC Skyline Division. The biggest difference is that it was Bethel who beat SJU 28-24 in the teams’ first meeting. Bethel’s only loss (when their starting quarterback was out) was 7 to 10 against UW-Platteville, a non-ranked team that plays ranked teams really well, upsetting River Falls and Whitewater also in close games.
But that was then and Saturday is now. Although many people I’ve spoken with seem to think the game is a toss-up, I sure don’t believe that is the case, for a number of reasons.
First, and most obvious, St. John’s should win this game in a close contest because of the home field advantage. Some say the cold temps should favor Bethel’s stronger running game, but I don’t believe that’s much of a factor against our stronger passing game as long as there’s no precipitation.
Second, our guys really want this one; they’ve been playing for it all season and mentally are up for it. They’ve got a score to settle.
Third, although the Royals are a very strong, well-coached, multi-talented team worthy of Top Ten national ranking, so are we…one difference is that in the first game this year, the Bethel team and coaches stewed all winter, spring and summer over the last-second loss knocking them out of the MIAC championship; they keyed upon that game just like we did all off-season knowing we were going to play our nemesis UW-Whitewater. Now can we expect Bethel to be that high again, that emotionally and physically ready? I don’t think so.
Fourth, whether the Royals took Augsburg lightly, or were hindered by the second-half loss of outstanding quarterback Jaran Roste to an “upper body injury”, or were pointing to the SJU match-up leading to your archetypal trap game, the result was Augsburg very nearly upsetting Bethel. The Auggies, by the way, were dismantled on their own field by the Johnnies 45-0 earlier this season. Roste or no, the Royals’ defense looked porous and I’m sure Syverson and Company are licking their chops.
And fifth, and this may be my “homerism” shining through, I believe we are a better team now than we were earlier in the season. Still, we’re averaging way too many penalties each game and for some reason it’s taking time to get going, to find our rhythm. Often we’ve played down to the level of our competition. We’ve looked sluggish, inattentive and prone to the mistakes found with lesser teams. But when we begin firing on all cylinders, the Royals will have a hard time stopping us.
One key to the game is Jaran Roste. With him the Royals are very dangerous; without him they are merely a good team who will play us well. As of this writing the official word is that Jaran is “iffy”; to me that means he’ll play — he’s come too far and wants to win too much to stay on the bench. However, if the injury he’ll be playing through can be exasperated by the kind of vigorous contact—such as a “Mike Drop”—that may come his way, the mere thought of that could disrupt his game, with fewer running-with-abandon calls he is known for, or it could disrupt his throwing time.
Adding all this up, I’m predicting a solid victory for the Jays…a statement victory of 36 to 24 with Roste, 36 to 16 without. No miracle finish needed this year.
St. John’s junior wide receiver #11 Jimmy Buck hopes to wreak havoc against the Bethel Royals this Saturday. Here he is shown snagging a pass against Carleton.
The two teams are pretty familiar with each other; I continue to be impressed with how many sophomores are starting for Bethel. They will continue to be a top competitor for St. John’s in the years to come. Quarterback #1 Roste is a senior, and one of his top running backs is a junior #47 Bryce Kunkel, but the other featured back is #28 freshman David Geebli. Roste’s most deadly target against us has been and will be sophomore #2 Joey Kidder, who’s the real thing and a probable All-American eventually. Another effective receiver is sophomore #15 Micah Niewald. Another sophomore is an excellent kicker #83 Hugo Cifuentes. If Roste needs to come out, his replacement is junior #7 George Bolt.
The Royals have a tough defense, even if they weren’t at their best against Augsburg. They always seem to give us trouble. Again, the most frequently heard names are of sophomores: defensive back #21 Nate Farm; linebacker #44 Jacob Holmen; and defensive tackle # 95 Reese Pantila. Then there’s freshman defensive back # 27 Devin Williams and finally a lone senior, defensive back #8 Matthew Feldick.
One pastime for fans of senior defensive lineman #91 Michael Wozniak is to watch for the creative ways opposing linemen hold him. Here a Carleton opponent "tackles" Michael while he is tackling Carleton running back #22 Aiden Chang, with some assistance from senior defensive back #24 Cayden Saxon. We expect Bethel to do what they can to limit Woz's effectiveness in any way they can also.
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The Temperate Royal —
A graduate of Bethel University sits next to a Macalester alum on a flight. After the plane takes off, the Mac grad asks for a whiskey and soda, which is promptly brought and placed before him.
The flight attendant then asks the Bethel grad if he would like a drink.
Appalled, the Royal replies, "I'd rather be tied up and taken advantage of by women of ill-repute, than let liquor touch my lips."
The Scot then hands his drink back to the attendant and says, "Me too, I didn't know we had a choice."
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Scenes From Last Saturday —
"Welcome to our table," say the Wozniak-Lilly-Sieben-Backes families. Pictured are Lauren Sanders and her Johnny pal Jack Wozniak '19 who set up the tailgate with assistance from Chris Backes '21 and Mike Sieben '94, brother of Karen Backes '87. The bowls await the famed Wozniak chili. (Courtesy of Pat Lilly '79).
Letting the warmth of friendship and good times take the chill out of the tailgate are (from left) Adam Herbst '99, Charitie Meyer Herbst '99, and Dick Wilke.
One of the on-site chefs developing an appreciative following for his smash burgers and three-bean mixture is Brad Johannes '90, alias "Brice" from chatroom comments. Showing only his back in the rear of their tent is Dave "Veek" Verkuilen who feeds the masses every home game there (and some away games too) as well; his specialties are sausages from the famed Thelen Meat Market in Little Falls. (Courtesy of John Sipe).
And here we have pictured two delighted fans of Brad's fare — Jean Dempsey and Michael Cummings '89, both from SJU's Institutional Advancement office (Courtesy of John Sipe).
Shooting the breeze are two old English majors Bob Wicker '60/'64 and Jim Dwyer '75, retired director of Planned Giving at SJU (Courtesy John Sipe)
St. Joe was just jammed after the Carleton game and it had very little to do with Johnny fans taking over. In both the crowded La Playette and Bad Habit Brewing across the street, among others were a large number of deer-hunting "widows" who were partying big time in both places (Courtesy of John Sipe).
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AROUND THE MIAC —
Last Week’s Results —
10th Week, Saturday, November 5
Hamline at Concordia — This game, otherwise known as the Slaughter in Moorhead, should see the Cobbers run wild over hapless Hamline 42-13. Actually, it was even worse than that: Cobbers 59-0.
Gustavus at St. Olaf — The Oles may put up a little fight, but the Gusties will rule 36-25. Actually, the Oles were game as predicted, but also lost as predicted: Gusties 49-37.
Bethel at Augsburg — The Royals will mess up the Auggies, 39-19. Actually, the Auggies almost pulled off the MIAC upset of the year, but lost 30-27 in trying for two on the last play of the game to win but an interception cost them two points.
St. Scholastica at Macalester — For these two bottom dwellers (sorry Hamline, I forgot you) it might be a surprisingly high score with Mac finally winning 45-38. Actually, it was high scoring with Mac winning 54-35.
Carleton at St. John’s — After having their dreams of an undefeated season ruined the last two games, the Knights probably know what’s forthcoming…let’s say Jays 44-13. Actually, let the record show the Jays came darn close to that score, winning 45-16.
Other Games of Interest:
St. Thomas at Valparaiso (IN)— The Tommies better get their act together because the 4-4 Beacons are 3-2 in the conference and beat San Diego 28-21, meaning they are primed to give the Tommies all they can handle…so look for a score of about 38-32, St.Thomas. Attendance about 3,300, because they’re Div. I, you know. Actually, the Tommies defense came to play and helped win by a healthy 34-7. Attendance 1,416 but weather was listed as “cloudy, showers.”
UW-River Falls at UW-La Crosse — After almost beating Whitewater at home the Falcons of UWRF must face another, bigger raptor, the UWLC Eagles at their aerie. Eagles are bigger than Falcons, ergo LaCrosse wins 33-28. Actually, LaCrosse won a close one but not by so much, 24-17.
UW-Whitewater at UW-Stout— Obviously parity has come to the WIAC and it’s not an automatic win for Whitewater; in fact, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Stout sinks the visiting Warhawks (another raptor team) 24-19. Actually, Whitewater limped home with a narrow win, 16-7.
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An Exciting Adventure —
When the doctor asked Chuck about what he did yesterday, he told him about his day: "Well, yesterday afternoon, I waded across the edge of a lake, escaped from a mountain lion in the heavy brush, marched up and down a mountain, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand, and jumped away from an aggressive rattlesnake."
Inspired by his story, the doctor exclaimed, "Chuck, you must be an awesome outdoorsman!"
"No," Chuck replied, "I'm just a lousy golfer."
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Games This Week—
11th Week, Saturday, November 12
MIAC Football Championship Week
(Editor’s Comment: Each of these games, at their own level, will provide great gridiron entertainment because all the teams are evenly matched. Although I’m not a great fan of this new divisional playoff system, I have to admit that this week will be really interesting.)
Augsburg at Gustavus — I’m picking Gustavus, 28-21.
Concordia at Carleton — Whenever I pick the Cobbers they lose, but I’m sticking with them in a close one, 35-32.
Hamline at St. Scholastica — Can the Saints do it again? Let’s say yes, 42-37.
Macalester @ St. Olaf — I haven’t seen Mac play but I’m betting they can’t take the Oles at home…St. O. 36- Mac 24.
Bethel at St. John’s — Don’t let me down, Johnnies! I say you win 36-24 with Roste, 36-16 without.
Other Games of Interest:
Brrr…Stetson, of DeLand, FL flies up to St. Paul to take on St. Thomas. What a bummer — to lose to the Tommies and freeze their butts off while doing it. Stetson is 3-5 overall, 1-4 in the Pioneer League. They’ve lost some close games, but nothing like losing to Davidson last week in two OTs 56-48. The Toms should take them 45 - 20 in front of under 2,000.
* * * *
Bethel Royal to the Rescue —
This Bethel University theology student saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. He said, "Don't do it!"
The man of the bridge replied, "Nobody loves me.”
The Royal said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?” The distraught man said, "Yes."
The Royal then said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" The man said, "A Christian."
The Royal said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" The man said, "Protestant."
The Royal said, "Me, too! What franchise?" The man said, "Baptist." The Royal said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" The man said, "Northern Baptist." The Royal said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?” The man said, "Northern Conservative Baptist."
The Royal said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" The man said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region."
The Royal said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"
The man said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912."
The Royal said, "Die, you heretic!" And then pushed him over.
* * * *
D3Football Top 25 —
There wasn’t much excitement happening in the d3football.com rankings this week. From #1 through #25 there were only three slight changes: now #5 St. John’s exchanged places with now #4 Linfield; now #16 Wheaton exchanged places with now #15 Wartburg; and now #24 River Falls exchanged places with now #23 Endicott (whoever the hell they are). So, nothing much.
Linfield is 8-0 and SJU is 8-1, losing to a top-ranked team. St. John’s had a notable win (45-16) over a team [Carleton] with a winning record 6-3, while Linfield galloped 65-0 over a team that was 2-7. Our strength of schedule is higher than Linfield’s, but I suspect the powers-that-be are trying to justify giving Linfield one of the four top seeds for home advantage throughout the playoffs. All the more reason for the Johnnies to go out to McMinnville (OR) and kick some Wildcat butt. Just have to get by Bethel first.
https://www.d3football.com/top25/2022/week10
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The Murder Trial —
The defendant was before the judge in court. The judge says, “You have been charged with the murder of your wife by smashing her skull with a hammer until she was dead.”
A voice from the back of the court yells, “You bastard!!!”
Next the judge says, “You have also been charged with the death of your mother-in-law by smashing her skull with a hammer until she was dead.”
Again the voice from the back of the court yells, “You’re a bastard!”
The judge looks towards the back of the court and says, “If the man in the back can’t control himself I will have to ask him to leave.”
The man replies, “I’m sorry Judge, but I lived next to that bastard for 20 years and every time I asked him if I could borrow a hammer he’d tell me he didn’t have one”
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SJU 2022 Football Schedule
(All games are played on Saturdays, beginning at 1 pm)
Date Opponent Location
Sep. 3 UW-Whitewater Collegeville W—24-10
Sep. 10 UW-River Falls Collegeville W—37-34
Sep. 17 Bye —
Sep. 24 Bethel Arden Hills L—28-24
Oct. 1 Concordia (HC) Collegeville W—35-28
Oct. 8 Augsburg Minneapolis W—45-0
Oct. 15 St. Olaf* Northfield W—49-10
Oct. 23 Gustavus* (FW) Collegeville W—41-28
Oct. 29 St. Scholastica* Duluth, MN W—56-6
Nov. 5 Carleton* Collegeville W—45-16
Nov. 12 MIAC Champ. Wk. Collegeville
HC = Homecoming
FW = Family Weekend
* = Northwoods Division
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Johnnie Radio Network —
Saturday’s game can be heard live on WBHR-660 AM across central Minnesota, KDIZ-1570 AM in the Twin Cities and KOWZ-1170 AM in Waseca, which covers most of southern Minnesota and into western Wisconsin. Mark Lewandowski, Bryan Backes ’87, Mike Carr ’77 and Charlie Carr ’03 will call all the action, beginning with Johnnies Magazine at 11 a.m. and the pre-game show at 11:30 a.m. The game will also be broadcast on the SJU football website via Stretch Internet. This is the 24th season SJU football can be heard worldwide over the internet.
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Listening via the Internet: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
Viewing via live streaming: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
(Note: It’s gonna cost ya ten smackeroos to watch, just sayin’…)
* * * *
MIAC Standings —
(As of November 5)
Division MIAC Overall
Northwoods Division
St. John’s 4-0 6-1 8-1
Gustavus 3-1 5-2 6-3
Carleton 2-2 4-3 6-3
St. Olaf 1-3 3-4 4-5
St. Scholastica 0-4 1-6 2-7
Skyline Division
Bethel 4-0 7-0 8-1
Augsburg 3-1 4-3 6-3
Concordia 2-2 3-4 5-4
Macalester 1-3 2-5 4-5
Hamline 0-4 0-7 2-7
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The Uncasual Fan —
Re: November 5, 2022 vs Carleton
I got to thinking about this year and personally working really hard at focusing on the positive outcomes versus the how and why, and what to do better, and what to keep doing, etc….and this week I heard a quote from a football coach that resonated with me and I think this really applies to the team this year and how they play”
“Do Your Best When Your Best Is Required”
That does not mean we win by 66-0 or that we score on every drive or that we never make mistakes. It means that when it is time to make a big throw or a big catch or a big tackle or a big takeaway someone is ready to do it.
Game Summary:
· See game summary on SJU site for a much better summation than I can provide.
· There was never any doubt what the outcome of the game was going to be. Unfortunately, the hype around Carleton has more to do with who they play the first 5 or 6 games of the year. Yes, they are getting better but SJU is still something like 39-0 against them the last 39 years.
· We started with two 3-and-outs and then settled down and took control
· We are a passing team that happens to run the ball enough to keep things balanced.
Top players this week
1. Alex Larson – 3 more TD catches
2. Aaron Syverson – 4 TD passes and 276 yards in 3 Quarters of play
3. The Defense in general
Sophomore linebacker #32 Jake Schwinghammer celebrates after his quarterback sack in the fourth quarter against Carleton. Really, have you ever heard a better name for a linebacker than “Schwinghammer”?(Courtesy of Nick Gilman).
How about:
1. Solid kicking by Conner Murphy on XP’s and kickoff
2. An amazing 1 handed catch in the end zone by A.L.
3. Coach Fasching is 50-7 at home at SJU over the last 10 years
One more thing:
SJU is an amazing 50-7 at home over the last 10 years
Half Full or Half Empty – really full
My Final Rant – What a pathetic student turnout for the game last week. Let’s permanently close the student section and maybe replace it with some removable elevated viewing platforms like what you may see at professional golf events. An opportunity to have groups rent the tents for games. Maybe even allow adult beverages inside the tents. Or maybe we could put up cardboard cutouts of students like they do at pro sporting events during Covid and pipe in some noise from their section. Or maybe put up a video of the students still at the tailgate and show clips on the scoreboard so Mom and Dad can see what their funds are being used for.
Correction – in my previous posting I stated Alex Larson was graduating but per the StarTribune article about him I guess he is taking advantage of another year of opportunity.
Up next is Bethel – this is probably a toss-up, but I am feeling better about it than I did when we played them in week 3 at Bethel. Go Johnnies! — The Uncasual Fan
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* * * *
View From The Field —
(By Ron Tomczik ’65, Medicine Lake, MN)
Comments from Players:
I asked Michael Wozniak, besides himself, who are the team leaders/captains on this football team? Without pausing he said, “All the Seniors.” As he knows, going into the stretch, team leadership is a crucial factor to success. Michael’s comment also reflects John Gagliardi’s view that all seniors are captains—which they can also use on their resumes.
• From tight end Alex Larson: How did you make that one-handed TD catch? Per Alex, “Just reacted, knew I had to make the catch.”
• From several offensive linemen: Why did the OL play so well today? “We got it together.”
• A question to many players: How far can this team go if we play our game? Again, without hesitation—"All the way!”
• From several players re this Saturday; each said they would rather play Bethel than Augsburg.
Tailgating at Saint John’s
I want to recognize the home game tailgating efforts of Dave Verkuilen and some others who put up/take down our alumni tent, tables and provide the great food.
Everyone who has been at the home game tailgate activities this year knows—the current site has been a fantastic success. So much so, that there is a long waiting list for parking spaces. Many fans are also giving away/providing super food and beverages.
Some history/trivia:
Approximately 25-30 years ago a bunch of Johnnies, lead by alumni like the late Rich Hall ‘63, would gather Saturday am at the La Playette before home football games. Joking, BS, camaraderie, etc., would flow from the crowd. The La would supply free St. Joe Meat Market wonderful casing-on wieners/buns/condiments and some regulars would also bring snack foods. The La would be “a-rockin” before those home games. Of course adult beverages, especially. Bloody Mary’s, would be flowing, which helped pay the La’s bills.
Then, more than 20 years ago Mike Fahey ‘75, alias Johnnie Red, joined with Harry Burns ’74/‘78 and Larry Schulz ‘76 and set up shop in the Library/Science Hall parking lot next to the stadium. Mike purchased fresh seasoned hamburger (served at Norwood-Young America’s Stiftungsfest) from a meat market near his home and made patties on Friday evening. Early Saturday am he started grilling at SJU. He would have a glass jar out for any contributions people would care to make, but in general just offered his “Stiftungsfest” burgers to all comers.. Mike would invite fans and visitors, via the D3football.com chat boards, to join them before the games and this is how Dave Verkuilen first joined the group in 2000. Other Johnnies/friends would also bring snacks and beverages to share. SJU’s Life Safety people would allow “adult” beverages to be consumed as long as they were placed in red cups. The early tailgate grew from a few people steadily to include a crowd of regulars, who also contributed food and drink to share.
The La Playette group was encouraged, dragged, cajoled to switch their allegiance—with one especially enticing attractor-- saving a hunt for parking; once you were in the SJU parking lot for the tailgate, you were also there for the game. Gradually, the SJU tailgating crowd grew to include satellite parties especially with groups of parents gathering in separate parts of the lot. There was a lot of pressure to get in the lot earlier and earlier, and parking space was reduced due to building expansion. Eventually the tailgating switched to the new student housing parking lot in Flynntown. But that took up Saturday student parking and it was a longer distance to walk to the stadium. So, after much discussion, and with the ball field/tennis courts and parking lot completion, a new solution was to switch to the current site.
After a couple of years in the new location a group of alumni representing the original tailgaters designed and purchased a large custom tent with poles, anchor 60# sand bags and tables. When the weather is rainy or cold, sidewalls are installed on the tent and heaters are brought in. For home game days, Dave Verkuilen feels an obligation and sense of pride to keep the tent/operations going. On home game Fridays he usually purchases about $80 of wild rice and jalapeno/pepperjack smoked sausages from Thielen Meat Market in Little Falls. People arrive on Saturday at 8:30 AM to set everything up. Dave says that it is a group effort and there are numerous people who help contribute with food, drink or contributions over the years including Tom ‘96 and Katie ‘96 Riitters, Dusty ‘83 and Aimee Wagner, Brad Johannes ‘90, Karl Hemmesch ‘99, Max Stein 04, Harry Burns ’74/‘78, Gaye Dean, Dana and Dona Buttenhoff, Larry Schultz ‘76, Bob Wicker ’60/‘64 and Chris Scholl, Tim Ward ‘78, John Sipe ’61/‘65, Bob Verkuilen ’56 and friend Kay, and others. These people bring food to share, paper products, beverages, desserts, grills, or contribute financially. Dave is the guy, though, who on a regular basis, really puts in the effort and cash. Thank you, Dave!
Health Note:
Dave’s father, Bob Verkuilen, very much a Johnnie Fan, last Friday was medically airlifted from Little Falls St Gabriel’s Hospital to a Fargo Hospital. He has had two heart-related surgeries, but Dave believes he will recover and return home to Little Falls and return to our tailgate. He won’t be able to make it to this week’s game but he will be there in spirit! All who know him wish him well. Go Johnnies! — Ron
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Wicker’s Health Rant —
You Want To Live Longer? Get Off Your Butt...
(But remember, you can't out-exercise a bad diet)
In a study, estimated age based on an exercise stress test was a better predictor of mortality, as compared to chronological age; another study found adding activity of any type reduced the risk of early death
Increasing intensity of your workout improves your cardiorespiratory fitness, associated with longevity; exercise benefits also include improved mood, better cognitive performance, increased insulin sensitivity and health benefits for those suffering chronic disease
Although important to your overall health, you can't out-exercise your diet; despite an intense workout routine, poor nutrition contributes to insulin resistance, weight gain and increasing risk of chronic disease
Strongly consider including your children in your fitness routines as rates of obesity in children are rising rapidly; remember to listen to your body, exercise consistently and include proper sleep, hydration and nutrition to enjoy the greatest benefits.
Estimated Age versus Chronological Age:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o42xlPGJtEY&t=5s (49 seconds)
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From Our Readers —
From Terry Fruth ’60, Minneapolis —
How much does your readership know of the progress in integration of the two schools? It is very complicated, so I will address first the obvious: Why are the schools not merged? —the faculty and curriculum have been since the early 70’s. Though total merger is possible, it is not now seen as desirable. There are the obvious legal and structural issues — different owners with different financial circumstances being one. So we have what I call a joint venture. The venturers each contribute assets and the contribution can vary as circumstance require.
This is a work in progress and progress has been made in the reduction of some redundancies — the idea is to do what we did with the faculty and admissions. There is a lot of low-hanging fruit—about two million dollars annually I calculated when on the Board. With goodwill we will succeed.
By the way, one of the jewels in our crown and proof of how more consolidation benefits both schools is our much decorated The Record, the school newspaper. It has been more a Bennie effort than Johnny. The Advisor is alum Kelly Smith ’08 from the StarTribune, who should get a Pulitzer for her coverage of the Minneapolis Food Fund Fight. The Record student leaders are not English majors*. That speaks well for the liberal arts we do so well. — Terry
* (Editor’s Comment: Let the record show that Ms. Smith has a double major from CSB — Communications and English. This information is proudly brought to UUN readers’ attention by a former English major.)
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From Conrad Macina, Landing, NJ —
I won’t be badmouthing Carleton because as I’ve told you, my grandniece is a Carleton alumna and employee, working in Admissions. She inherited a strong love of football from her father. I’ve spoken to her but she won’t jump ship.
Why many students do not attend home football games or leave early:
• Some guys prefer some of the important D1 football games on TV during our games.
This is just sad. I’ve watched D1 games on TV, and I’ve even been to more than a few. Johnnies football is infinitely more enjoyable, with no commercial breaks. “Pure” football!
A Tommie visiting Chicago was late for Christmas Eve dinner with relatives. He said, “Sorry I’m late; I had to walk here.”
“Why didn’t you take the train?”
“I was going to but then I heard people singing, “No el, No el …”
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From Tom Bauer ’61/‘65’64, Madison, WI —
Bob, I'm wondering, do any of the Johnny-Bennie athletes participate in the NIL? NIL refers to the money student athletes can make with their Name, Image, and Likeness. Some (very few) D-I athletes are making seven figure incomes from various endorsements. More realistic is what is happening at the University of Wisconsin. There is a group of alums that work on behalf of the athletes in conjunction with the school to find opportunities for the athletes. Car dealerships, retail stores, restaurants, some manufacturing and the like pay to use the name, image, or likeness of an athlete. In some cases a group of athletes get a deal. For instance, the UW offensive line had a deal from a BBQ joint, and I think the volleyball women have something.
(Editor’s Comment: Is there anyone in the UUN readership who can comment on Tom’s question? Please advise us to opportunities available or even currency in force regarding the student-athletes of our two schools.)
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From Don Orth ’67, Olivia, MN —
I really appreciate your work, Rob. I don’t know you, but I read your great material every week. And I really enjoy it and appreciate you. I’m from the class of 1967 and spent my life in banking in Olivia, MN. My son Mike ’05 played for the Johnnies in the early 2000s. He works for our bank now, Hometown Bank of Waconia, and is married to Heather Isaackson Orth ‘05. I have had season tickets for over 20 years and I go to most of the home games. I’m in the far south section row D sitting next to Ron Tomczik ’65. My wife, Ann Terwey Orth ’68, went to St. Ben’s but died six years ago. She was in the convent at St. Ben’s studying to become a nun when I was at St. John’s. She left the convent and was working in a hospital in St. Paul when I met her. I was a patient in the hospital and she was my nurse. She became a nurse practitioner, graduating from St. Kate’s. We were married 44 years when she died of cancer. We had four kids, two were graduates of St. John’s - St Ben’s.
Don and Carol Orth, living the rural Minnesota good life.
I just got married again to a nice Catholic lady from St. Michael. My new wife Carol and I were married September 10 of this year. We met on the internet site called Catholic Match. She was a widow who grew up in the St. Cloud area. We are living in Olivia and St. Michael at the present time. I’m retired from banking and now I write books and play piano around town and help with our foundation that helps kids that have medical expenses. I have 14 books out. The St. John’s Book Store has my last two books if you would like to see what they are like: they are “Prairie Hotdish,” stories and pictures about food and recipes, etc., and “Prairie Humor,” fun and funny stories and pictures to offset the darkness of Covid. I’m working on my fifteenth book now about love stories. Anyway, thanks for what you are doing. It is appreciated by many. God bless you. —Don
(Editor’s Comment: We are grateful for Don’s kind words about the UUN, and for sharing his story with us. We found this article from the West Central Tribune from nearly a year ago that tells the story of Don’s book writing: https://www.wctrib.com/community/orths-latest-book-about-minnesotas-renville-county-focuses-on-humor )
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From Phil Murphy ’62, Madelia, MN —
Hey, Rob - Thank you for your mention of the well-attended, inspiring funeral for Kathy Ziegler, wife of Frank Ziegler ‘62.
You may already know this, namely that the spouses of the SJU guys you mentioned, (namely John Ditzler ’58/’62 [Julie], Bob Christensen ’62 [Nancy], Mike Murphy ’61 [Jane], Frank Knoll ’58/’62 [Margo], and Phil Murphy ‘62 [Rosemary]), were all early ‘60s St. Kate’s classmates of Kathy Ziegler.
A big SJU/St Kate’s connection in that era. Nobody from St. Ben’s would have us, I guess. Best — Phil
(Editor’s Observation: Yep…and you guys stole them from right under the noses of all those undeserving and unappreciative Tommies.)
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From Terry Kotnour ’64, our man in New Yawk City —
Here’s a cool story about a young man named Cole from SJU and his assist dog named Bronson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qEZ_VZSjRY&t=331s
(Editor’s Additional Information, thanks to Adam Herbst ’99: His name is Cole Davies, and he is a sophomore in the class of 2025. Cole is from St. Michael, MN.)
* *
From Bob Malby ’64, Edina, MN —
Wick, Can you add a non-Johnnie to the UUN? Tim Barrett (lives in St. Paul and is a graduate of UST) is someone I’ve gotten to know some years ago at the Southdale YMCA. We talk about MIAC sports, which he continues to follow, occasionally in the locker room. If you have room for Tim, here’s his e-mail. Thanks! Bob
(Editor’s Candid Reply to Mr. Barrett: Tim, I don't know why you would ever be interested in an email newsletter written expressly for alums of the College of St. Benedict and Saint John's University, when U$T has plenty of e-material that does the same thing very well without the bias and sometimes animus against St. Thomas engendered in our modest e-pub.
However, if you go to this link — www.unofficialundergroundnews.com — and scroll down a bit, there's a space for subscribing. Also you can look at some earlier issues and decide if you want to put up with the abuse and one-sided reporting. For the life of me, I don't know why Mr. Malby suggested you might want to read this. Regards (and my sympathies upon your choice of college), — The UUN)
(And Tim Barrett responded: Bob, I’m still an MIAC fan and have a Bennie alum daughter who married a Johnnie who played hoops up there. My son played on a state championship Cretin-Derham Hall team in 2009 and plenty of his buddies played for SJU. I’m also a Hill Murray alum and we’ve sent out share of players to SJU. In the “old days” I pulled for the Johnnies when they weren’t playing UST. I was at the Target Field and Allianz games and knew as many Johnnies as Tommies. Thanks for the link and Beat Bethel with or without Roste! — Tim)
(Editor’s Final Word: With his admirable bona fides, we welcome Tim into the UUN fold.)
* * * *
A Tommie and the Miracle —
A St. John's graduate in a wheel chair entered a restaurant and asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. He looked across the restaurant and asked if that was Jesus sitting over there. The waitress nodded "yes" so the Johnny told the waitress to give Jesus a cup of coffee on him.
The next person to come in was a Bethel University alumnus with a hunched back. He ordered a cup of tea and also looked across the restaurant and asked if that was Jesus. Again the waitress nodded "yes". He said to give Jesus a cup of tea, his treat.
The third patron to enter was a graduate of the University of St. Thomas on crutches. He hobbled to a booth and sat down and ordered somewhat loudly, "Hey there, Sweet Thing, how's about getting me a cold glass of Coke!" He too looked across the restaurant and asked if that was the Son of God over there. The waitress nodded "yes." The St. Thomas alum said to give Jesus a glass of Coke on his bill.
As Jesus was leaving, He passed by the Johnny, touched him and said "For your kindness, you are healed," The Johnny felt strength come back in his legs, got up, and literally danced out the door.
Jesus likewise passed by the Bethel man, touched him and said, "For your kindness you are healed." The Royal felt his back straighten; he jumped up, praised the Lord and did a series of backflips out the door.
Then Jesus walked toward the Tommie who jumped up and yelled, "Hey, Man, don't touch me...I'm drawin' disability!!
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Save the Date: Give SJU Day!
Wednesday, November 16
On Nov. 16, your Student Fund gift is matched by generous Saint John’s alumni from your class. You can set up your own match as well! Consider a per-donor match for your class year.
Powered by the SJU Alumni Association, Give SJU Day is the biggest day of giving in support of today’s Johnnies.
For more information on establishing a match or on Give SJU Day in general, please contact Ted Kain ’12, Director of Annual Giving, at tkain@csbsju.edu.
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Saving Money —
Johnny student: "Hey, Dad! I've got some great news for you!"
Father: "What, son?"
Johnny: "Remember that $500 you promised me if I made the Dean's list?"
Father: "I certainly do."
College student: "Well, you get to keep it."
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Fr. Mike Schmitz ’97 To Begin Catechism Podcast —
As a follow up to his smash podcast hit of last year — Bible in a Year — Father Mike Schmitz is preparing to release his upcoming new Catechism in a Year podcast, set to launch Jan. 1, 2023.
The Catechism in a Year podcast will follow a similar format to the Bible in a Year podcast in that there will be daily episodes (365 total), but they will be slightly shorter, ranging from 15 to 20 minutes rather than the Bible in a Year’s average of 23 minutes.
Jeff Cavins, Catholic speaker, author, and creator of “The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation” program, explained that the new podcast will feel familiar to those who did Bible in a Year.
“You’re going to feel like, ‘OK, this is a continuation of Bible in a Year,’” he said. “And you’re not going to have to learn a whole lot of new different ways and structures of understanding the faith.” Read additional information here: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/252735/catechism-in-a-year-podcast-seeks-to-deepen-the-faith-of-catholics-and-non-catholics-alike
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Philosophy Majors’ Corner, Great Confusions Section —
1. At a movie theatre, which 'arm rest' is yours?
2. In the word scent, is the "S" silent or "C"?
3. If people evolve from monkeys, why are monkeys still around?
4. Why is there a 'D' in fridge, but not in refrigerator?
5. Who knew what time it was when the first clock was made?
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Prayer Request —
Due to computer problems interfering with his ability to contact his own classmate list, Len Mrachek ’58 has requested that the UUN pass on this information with hopes that other members of the Class of 1958 receiving this announcement will forward the news on to classmates.
Len said that one of their class, “Mr. Physics” — Tom Cebulla ’58, is in need of prayers and support after the sudden loss of his sight recently. Tommy woke one morning and couldn’t see; one eye already was pretty bad but his good eye suffered serious retinal damage. After dealing with some local doctors who diagnosed his problems, Tommy was referred to the University of Iowa, which is a national research and physician training center for Ophthalmology. Specialists there performed an operation that they hoped will alleviate the worst of the damage but would only return a small percentage of his sight.
Tommy has been working with the state of Minnesota Services for the Blind and found them to be very supportive and helpful. Nonetheless, his life is changed forever and all his usual activities and hobbies — especially reading, cooking and those involving precision and repairing things — are no longer possible. He said he is totally dependent on his wife, Joan, who has risen to the occasion and begun doing things she never thought possible.
Len said that Tommy would greatly appreciate prayers as he adapts to this new life, as well as cards, notes and emails (all read to him by Joan), and phone calls. His address is 16981 Crocus Street NW, Andover, MN 55304. His phone number is 612-759-1886; Joan’s is 612-240-1187. Tommy’s email is artee1@comcast.net
(Editor’s Note: Long-time readers of the UUN will recognize Tommy Cebulla’s name as a frequent supplier of humor, sometimes weird, often pushing the envelope. Even in his current regrettable state he offered us this one:
A man went to see his doctor for the results of his physical. The doctor told him sadly that he was suffering from two serious conditions: AIDS and Alzheimer’s Disease. The patient replied, “Oh, that’s too bad…” but then cheerfully added, “At least I don’t have Alzheimers.”)
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November: Special Month of Remembrance —
Beginning with All Saints Day on November 1, followed by All Souls Day on November 2, the month of November is marked by the Church as a particular times to remember all those who have passed to New Life: parents, spouses, family, friends, neighbors, teachers and mentors, classmates, fellow parishioners, business associates, and all those otherwise special to us.
We are asked to pray for those we love and admire, as well as for those who have no one to pray for them. A good prayer to recite especially during the month of November is:
Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Lift up those souls dear to you and then listen to VOCES8 perform 'Lux Aeterna' by Edward Elgar live at the Gresham Centre in London.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwdeqVmXlHk
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, cum sanctis tuis in aeternum, quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam
dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
May light eternal shine upon them, O Lord, with Thy saints forever,
for Thou art kind.
Eternal rest
give to them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
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Prep Artist Opens Exhibit in NYC —
This week, Ed Rath SJP ’70, opens an exhibition of new paintings in New York City entitled Guys.
After his time at Prep, Ed completed his education at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and the Yale University School of Art before moving to New York City in 1977. His work has been shown in over seventy five group and twenty three solo shows around the world, including Austria, Japan, South Korea, New York, and throughout the USA.
In his book Three Touchstones, Ed describes his time in Collegeville: “What I came away with from my years at Saint John’s was a heightened sense of aesthetic beauty. The landscaping, groundskeeping, and architecture there create a deep visual impression on anyone who visits. There is a respect for natural beauty as the handiwork of God that uplifts one’s spirit. The power of these images brings me to a meditative, peaceful state that I return to time and again to recharge and restore my creativity.”
If you are in the New York area, be sure to visit the noho M55 gallery. The show runs through November 26.
https://www.edrath.com/profile
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Pre-Med Majors’ Department, Back-Up Help Division —
A rural Stearns County doctor wanted to get off work and go hunting, so he approached his office’s maintenance man.
“I’m going hunting tomorrow, Jimmy, and don’t want to close the clinic. I want you to take care of the clinic and take care of all my patients and I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”
“Yes, sir!” answers Jimmy.
The doctor goes hunting, returns the following day and asks: “So, Buddy, how was your day?”
Jimmy told him that he took care of three patients. “Da first one had a headache so I gave him Tylenol.”
“Bravo, Jimmy! The second one?” asks the doctor.
“The second one had a bad stomach and I gave him Maalox,” says Jimmy.
“Bravo, bravo! You’re good at this and what about the third one?” asks the physician.
“Well Sir, I was sitting dere havin’ a smoke and suddenly da door flies opens and a woman enters. In a flash she undresses herself, takin’ off everyting including her bra and her panties. She lies down on da table and shouts, ‘Help me – I haven’t seen a man in over two years.’”
“Oh, for gosh sakes, Jimmy!!! What did you do?”
“I put drops in her eyes!!”
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THE FINAL WORD
Inspirational Example
(Contributed by Mike Obler ’64, Hastings, MN)
A man lost an arm when his golf cart rolled over on him on a down slope. He became very depressed because he loved to play golf.
One day in his despair, he decided to commit suicide and end it all. He got on an elevator and went to the top of a building to jump off.
He was standing on the ledge looking down and saw this man down on the sidewalk skipping along, whooping and kicking up his heels. He looked closer and saw that this man didn't have any arms at all.
He started thinking, 'What am I doing up here feeling sorry for
myself? I still have one good arm to do things with.'
He thought, 'There goes a man with no arms skipping down the sidewalk
so happy, and going on with his life.'
He hurried down to the sidewalk and caught up with the man with no arms.
He told him how glad he was to see him because he lost one of his arms
and felt useless and was going to kill himself. He thanked him for saving his life and said he knew he could make it with one arm if the guy could go on with no arms.
The man with no arms began dancing and whooping and kicking up his heels again.
He asked, "Why are you so happy anyway?
He said, "I'm not happy...My balls itch!"
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Baby, it’s gonna be cold outside…just be sure they can hear you yelling:
GO JOHNNIES ! !
De-Crown, Un-Crown, Dis-Crown, Crown-Nay the Royals (or something like that)
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P.S. For those that want to subscribe or resubscribe, please go to the website listed at bottom in red. Yes, thanks to my daughter Caitlin we have an in-progress website.
Sincerely submitted,
R.L. Wicker SJP ’60/SJU ’64,
You can call me Rob, you can call me Bob, you can call me Theo or Wick…and my personal pronouns are “he a Johnny” and “him a Johnny.”
St. Paul, MN; 651-699-4697
theowick@aol.com
https://www.unofficialundergroundnews.com
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