Nothing like the Home Field! UUN #2-23
Dear Awe-Struck Johnnie Fans —
The first one to say it at the abrupt and unexpected conclusion of SJU’s game with Trinity was Doug Imholte ’87: “Johnnie Magic is real — never doubt Johnnie Magic!”
Outside, in our car heading out of the lot, we ran into an ebullient Michael Laliberte ’69, over from Wausau, WI, who shouted into our open window, “That’s Johnnie Effing Magic!!”
Later on, while returning to the Cities from our postgame celebration at Fisher’s in Avon, we received a call from Colleen Lilly ’81, who just needed to talk about the game some more. Yes, she too invoked the phrase, “It’s Johnnie Magic!”
And that wasn’t the end of it. It was used in the St. Cloud Times’ report of the game and in some internet posts and a podcast on d3football.com.
Fans and players celebrate postgame “Johnnie Magic” on the field. Since 2000, SJU has played in ten overtime games, with a 5-5 record, 2-2 in Collegeville.
However, the distraught coach of the Trinity Tigers, Jerheme Urban, whose team had just lost a heart-breaker to Saint John’s 34 to 31, said the result was not so much Johnnie Magic as some horrid end-of-game decisions by himself. “I put this one on me…I lost game awareness. I told the team this.”
The truth of the matter is that Urban’s team, for the majority of the first three quarters, looked liked thoroughbred steeds while the Jays looked very often like a nag getting ready to be shipped off to the glue factory. Not much that we tried worked, on both sides of the ball. Yet…yet, our lads somehow stayed close enough to be able to step up while the Tigers were flagging, and readily jumped on uncharacteristic Trinity miscues. And, yes, there was some deus ex machina involved — call it “Johnnie Magic” if you must — with a game-saving fumble recovery and a win-stealing interception.
Before the game I mentioned to a few that I thought we’d play them tight for the first half, and then — unaccustomed to the extreme heat and humidity of the day as the Tigers were — we’d begin to wear down as we played through the the second half. Man, was I wrong! Trinity, led by their terrific All-American quarterback #5 Tucker Horn, moved at will through our defenses, while the Tigers’ defense pretty much shut us down, especially in the first half.
The funny thing, though, is it was the Trinity team, not the Jays, that wilted in the second half, even as clouds and a breeze lessened some of the merciless heat on the field. I think several things happened: First, with some success on the field, our guys’ enthusiasm rose, changing the “Big Mo.” Second, being up 31-14 well into the fourth quarter may have caused the Tigers to subconsciously take their foot off the pedal and think they’d coast to victory. Finally, it was obvious — particularly due to the number of Trinity players experiencing cramps and other heat-related ailments — that the Johnnies were in better condition. We were able to play the entire game at a high level physically and, ultimately, in the final ten minutes of the game, we just flat out-performed them. Would it be too much to suggest that Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, Justin Rost, be awarded one of the game balls after this signature win?
After our two starting wide receivers went down with injuries in the first half, one highlight must be how new junior college transfer, junior #1 Marselio Mendez, stepped up especially in the second half, snagging two crucial TDs. Another highlight was Troy Feddema’s running — gaining 95 yards with an average of 5.1 a carry. We needed a run game to keep the Trinity defense honest for senior quarterback #6 Aaron Syverson to jump-start his passing game.
Rather than me try to duplicate what has already been done to near perfection, please visit this link for a thorough and colorful report of the Johnnies unlikely comeback win over a pretty amazing Trinity team. The article is the work of Andy Rennecke and the photos are by Jason Wachter, both former employees of the St. Cloud Times. Enjoy here:
Cayden Saxon INT in OT completes comeback in St. John's 34-31 win over No. 4 Trinity
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Senior linebacker (#49) Erik Bjork forced the game-saving fumble from the Tigers' All-American quarterback (#5) Tucker Horn that denied Trinity a late scoring opportunity and sent the game to overtime. (Photo by Graham Miller.)
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Football Schedule
(All game 1 p.m., except Trinity)
Sep. 2 Trinity (TX) Collegeville W 34-31
Sep. 9 UW-Whitewater Whitewater, WI
Sep. 16 Bye —
Sep. 23 Bethel Collegeville
Sep. 30 Augsburg Minneapolis
Oct. 7 Concordia Collegeville
Oct. 14 Carleton Collegeville
Oct. 21 Gustavus St. Peter
Oct. 28 St. Scholastica Collegeville
Nov. 4 St. Olaf Northfield
Nov. 11 MIAC Champ TBD
https://gojohnnies.com/sports/football/schedule
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View Across D3Football.Com Nation —
Listen to the first 35 minutes of this podcast for a thorough postmortem discussion of the Trinity-SJU game, with interviews on both sides.
https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/category/around-the-nation/
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Down 31-14 in the fourth quarter, then-#6 Saint John's scored the game's final 20 points in a 34-31 overtime win over then-#4 Trinity Tigers last Saturday in Collegeville. The Johnnies forced two fumbles in the fourth quarter and senior cornerback Cayden Saxon (#24) intercepted a pass on the 1-yard line on the Tigers' first play of overtime to clinch the victory, while teammate Noah Arneson (#11) signals his approval. Trinity slipped one spot to #5 in the d3football.com poll, while SJU jumped two places to #4. (Photo by Ryan Coleman, d3football.com)
(Editor’s Note: A new take on “Where’s Waldo?” Check here to see what happened immediately after the above photo was taken; we worry about the welfare of the Trinity wide receiver, (#18) Carter Self. Link compliments of Vic Murphy ’92. https://x.com/warhawkfbdotcom/status/1698496893607711190?s=12&t=g-or2FfQwhfEf-aUIDwBoA )
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Game Highlights —
Video - 2:34 minutes (Bet you can’t just watch this once.)
Go here for the Box Score. It will show how we were outplayed pretty much everywhere and still had enough left to win:
Go here for Postgame Interview with several players and coach Gary Fasching:
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View From The Field —
(Contributed by Ron Tomczik ’65, Medicine Lake, MN)
This is the tale of two different football games. The first half was all Trinity (with a few exceptions like senior Nick VanErp’s one-handed 70-yard catch/touchdown; (although Nick got hurt later, he said he would be ready to play this Saturday). Trinity’s two All Americans, Quarterback Tucker Horn and Linebacker Caleb Harmel, constantly made plays. SJU appeared unready to face this #4-ranked D-3 team. Because of the Time of Possession was so lopsided in Trinity’s favor and the temperature on the field was in the 90ºs and full sunshine, a major concern was our Defense's ability to carry on in these conditions. Halftime score was 21/7 Trinity. .
This dismal situation continued throughout the Third Quarter and into the Fourth, with SJU down 31/14 with 12:47 remaining. But then SJU's fortunes changed. Why?
Johnnie players said after the game they believed this game could be won. "Our passing game really started producing." Defensive players felt that Coach Brandon Novak’s '01 experience/insights really helped. And, of course, Trinity had three turnovers in the Second Half.
Also some said, "Cloudy skies and some wind reduced the field temps maybe as much as 15 degrees." In spite of the fact Trinity players had practiced in higher temps and had experience in this kind of heat, some Trinity players told me that several players suffered from cramps: two cornerbacks, a safety, a middle linebacker and their quarterback all had cramps severe enough they had to enter the locker room during the Second Half.
Note: none of the Trinity parents, fans and quarterback Horn (#5) I spoke with complained about the cramping issue or that their star linebacker was ejected. Trinity’s All American linebacker was called for “targeting” and ejected from the game. At game end, Coach Gary Fasching told the Trinity coach that this was a referee error and it should have only been a 15-yard penalty call. Unless this call is overruled, by the NCAA, Harmel will miss the first half of Saturday's game with Mary Hardin-Baylor in San Antonio.
Misc: Asking some new Johnnie freshmen players how they decided to attend SJU: Damian Dumonceaux’s name was often mentioned; his out-of-state trips to interview/meet parents/watch film, etc. But one out-of-state candidate wanted to come to SJU—but was told that until his mother came to visit, SJU was not interested in recruiting him. He was told that SJU does not have good success when moms don’t visit. Mom came and that person is now on the team.
The Trinity parents/fans/players I spoke were a classy bunch. They enjoyed the “venue” of a SJU football game. From being welcomed on campus and at tailgating, to the beauty of our stadium filled with fans and the new video board, a very positive impression was made on them. But Trinity made a positive impression on our team as well, e.g. after losing a game that they had dominated until the last minutes, they lined up to shake our players hands. It must have been a long/sad trip back to Texas.
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Junior wide receiver #1 Marselio Mendez caught five passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns in his SJU debut. A transfer this year, Marselio is a product of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul. He showed what he could do after two starting wide receivers, Nick VanErp and Jimmy Buck, went down with injuries. (Photo by Graham Miller).
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Game Day Music Suggestions —
With the first game under our belts, we suggest these two songs be added to the play-list before and during future games
Earth, Wind & Fire
“September” (Ba-dee-ya…Dancing in September)
Loving Spoonful
“Do You Believe In Magic”
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Battle of the Sexes, Quibbling Department —
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Uncasual Fan —
Tailgating and Touchdowns
September 2, 2023 vs Trinity
What a great day for a football game. The temperature was going to be warm, the “smash burgers” were going to be hot – off the grill, (Thanks Max and Bryce) the beverages were going to be cold and the tailgate lot was going to be a sea of red. What more could one ask for other than a good game, no major injuries, and a Johnnie victory.
Personally, if we play a good game and make a great effort, I am willing to accept the results whatever they may be. However, winning makes the post-game drive home easier.
A couple of big shout outs —1. Congrats to Gary and the team. Coach Fasching is 10-0 in season opening games and the team is 18-0 in their last 18 openers. 2. Kudos to Mark Flynn for being honored with the Bob Bastien Award. Well-earned and well deserved. Now on to the game:
How Did We Ever Win That Game?
Through the first three quarters I could hear the immortal words of Dennis Green and his famous quote, “ They were who we thought they were.”
Trinity is a very, very good team.
A great quarterback, very good receivers, an excellent kicker, good special teams. However, when ranked teams meet, you have to play hard and keep your focus the entire game, not just the 75% of the game. St. John’s could have folded, and it could have been a blowout, but there were little cracks in the Trinity armor in the first three quarters and, about the time they started thinking they had it in the bag, it all started to go south for them.
But even bigger than that, the Johnnies never stopped playing hard and never stopped climbing out of the hole they were in. SJU just kept fighting and hung in there, and the defense that was having some struggles stopping the Trinity offense, made some big plays. Then the SJU offense started feeding off the defense and made their own big plays and then it was game-on.
The household CEO?President and I were sitting on the Trinity side (in the shade) and got to observe some interesting things:
There were some obnoxious Trinity fans who would make the loudest most irritating person on the SJU side sound almost quiet.
- The Trinity team from Texas looked very exhausted and was starting to cramp up while SJU seemed to be handling the heat pretty well. Go Figure. Fans from Trinity were yelling, “Wear them down, they are not used to the heat.” Geniuses, I guess. The Trinity team looked like they started to take their collective foot off the gas pedal a little at the start of the fourth quarter when things started heading south for them and the coach actually substituted a bunch of starters on offense (including the QB) and it was at that point Trinity seemed to lose their momentum.
- At the end of the third quarter we could not take the screamer anymore and moved to the corner of the end zone down by the scoreboard. It was there we got to see and hear the hit that caused the fumble.
- There are some things I just do not understand. They had a great kicker and Trinity could have easily kicked a 15-yard field goal to win the game with 15 seconds left in regulation but instead ran a play. Then there was was “the big hit,” a fumble and their QB basically was “knocked out” and not available for overtime, and the second stringer threw an interception on their first offensive play in OT.
Key Takeaways:
- We won when it did not look like we could play with them
- They hurt themselves with fumbles and interceptions
- They got overconfident and lost momentum
- SJU Never gave up and made big plays when it counted
I am constantly amazed how just when it does not look like we can we do anything and then something extraordinary happens and things fall in place for another miraculous finish.
All those cliches come to mind – “Never Quit,” “Never Give Up,” “Keep Playing Hard,” “Do your Job,” “Next Man Up,” “Expect Good Things to Happen.” — No disrespect to Gary and the staff; they do an amazing job, and we are blessed to have them. But it is almost as if there is some legendary spirit watching over the team and guiding it.
How about the goal-line stand to keep them out of the end zone?
By the way, I really like the clips of St. John’s, legendary plays and John, etc., that play on the scoreboard. What a great tool for recruiting, advertising and showing St. John’s to visitors.
Next Up – Whitewater – How about a break sometime?
— The Uncasual Fan
(Editor’s Note: The Uncasual Fan was a member of a previous National Championship team. He brings a unique perspective to UUN game commentary.)
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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 26th season SJU football can be heard worldwide over the internet (660wbhr.com).
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Listening via the Internet: https://www.660wbhr.com/wbhr-st-johns-sports
Viewing via live streaming: https://www.wiacnetwork.com/whitewater/ (Note: It doesn’t appear the game is available by live video streaming; fans may have to listen only to the SJU broadcast. Perhaps on game day there will be a pay-for telecast but we see nothing now. Live Stats are available here: https://uwwsports.com/sidearmstats/football/summary)
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The Truthful Warhawk —
A UW-Whitewater football player was filling out an application for additional student aid.
When he came to the question, "Have you ever been arrested?" he wrote, "No."
The next question, intended for people who had answered in the affirmative to the previous question, was "Why?"
The Warhawk answered it anyway: "Never got caught."
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Cynical Observation of the Week —
"The Web brings people together because no matter what kind of a twisted sexual mutant you happen to be, you've got millions of pals out there. Type in 'Find people that have sex with goats that are on fire' and the computer will say, 'Specify type of goat.'" -- Rich Jeni
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Random Thoughts From The Football Whisperer —
Whitewater has a very balanced offense. Alec Ogden, QB, is 6’3”. Here are the stats from their first game: https://uwwsports.com/sports/football/stats/2023
UW-W Player of the Week was Thomas Wojnowski, senior defensive back who picked off a pass in the end zone with just five seconds left to preserve the Warhawks’ victory. He also added four tackles against John Carroll. Here’s an account from the Whitewater Banner:
https://whitewaterbanner.com/11-warhawk-football-picks-up-thrilling-win-at-19-john-carroll/
Also, of note in a non-football category, the 11th-ranked SJU Golf Team is playing great as they prepare to defend their MIAC Championship at Rush Creek September 30th - October 2nd.
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All About Whitewater —
Whitewater, Wisconsin is a city with a population of nearly 15,000 located in the southeastern part of the state. It was founded by Yankee settlers at the confluence of Whitewater Creek and Spring Brook, and named for the white sand in their beds. The town grew quickly when the first railroad line in Wisconsin passed through in 1853, but struggled when the two largest employers left town. The fact is, without the university, Whitewater wouldn’t be much; there’s not much industry and it’s not an agricultural center.
The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater or UWW) is a public university. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. Student enrollment is around 12,000. The university offers 47 undergraduate majors and 13 graduate programs. Approximately 1,400 faculty and staff are employed by the university, and the student body consists of individuals from about 40 states and 30 countries.
On April 21, 1868, the school was named Whitewater Normal School and graduated its first class of teachers in June, 1870. In 1927, the school received authority to grant baccalaureate degrees in education and its name was changed to Whitewater Teachers College. With the addition of the liberal arts programs in 1951 it became Wisconsin State College–Whitewater, and was later designated a Wisconsin State University in 1964. In 1971, after the merger of the former University of Wisconsin and the former Wisconsin State Universities, the school became part of the University of Wisconsin System and has had the name of University of Wisconsin–Whitewater since then.
The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater encompasses 400 acres in southeastern Wisconsin. The iconic landmark of the university's campus, Old Main, was destroyed by fire on February 7, 1970. The school's oldest building, it was the only one that had been part of the original campus.
Athletics
UW–Whitewater is a member of NCAA Division III for athletics. It is a part of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). The university's athletics teams are nicknamed the Warhawks and are represented by the colors purple and white. In the 2013–14 academic year, the Warhawks made collegiate sport history by winning the men's football, basketball, and baseball championships. UW-Whitewater is the first school in NCAA history in any division to experience such a three-sport sweep in the same academic year. UW-Whitewater has been quite successful in developing top collegiate athletic programs. With each season, the Warhawks build on a tradition of academic and athletic excellence. In fact, the past decade has seen the Warhawks capture National Championships in baseball, volleyball, football, gymnastics and men’s basketball. The Warhawks have generated huge fan support, especially in football where, for the past ten years, home attendance has been near or at the top for D-III nationally. Their home field, Perkins Stadium, holds more than 13,000 and they’ve had a number of sell-outs with record crowds of 18,900, 17,500, and 15,400 for big games. We can assume that our contest Saturday will also generate a lot of fan interest.
The Football Warhawks have been force in the WIAC and nationally for a couple decades. Drawing from throughout Wisconsin and heavily from Illinois, 93 of the team’s 117 members are from those two states.
Looking over their roster, one thing that jumps out is the size of their offensive linemen. My word! The seventeen listed O-linesmen average 319 lbs., with one behemoth junior named Addison DeShambo who is 6’7”, 356 lbs. (Without him, the average falls down under 290.) They have some large D-linesmen as well.
The team’s leader is Jace Rindahl, who was named head coach this past year, although he has been on the Warhawks coaching staff for eight years, primarily on the defensive side. He was a member of the team for four years (2005-2008) before graduating in 2010. Following his playing career, Rindahl served as linebackers coach and special teams assistant from 2009-12, a span during which the Warhawks won three conference and national championships.
Sporting a preseason ranking of #11, Whitewater began their season playing in Ohio against then #19-ranked John Carroll. Although the Warhawks trailed much of the game, as did SJU against Trinity, they also came storming back to win in the final seconds, 27-23. For that the Warhawks were awarded a three-point rise in the D3 poll, to #8, while John Carroll dropped to #21. And Coach Rindahl got his first win.
Some names to watch from that first game are senior quarterback #1 Alec Ogden, a talented receiving crew of junior #3 Tommy Coates, junior #28 Drake Martin, junior # 4 Nick Wind, and junior #17 Steven Hein, and a powerful running tandem of sophomore #23 Alijah Maher-Parr and junior #8 Tamir Thomas.
Defensively, some names we’ll hear are senior linebacker #36 Hawk Heffner, sophomore D-line #97 Lucas Sadler, junior linebacker #41Trey Castella, senior D-line #9 Roy Panthier; and junior D-back #22 Parker Breunig and senior D-back #42 Thomas Wojnowski in the secondary.
In my opinion, the Warhawks were fortunate to come away with a win over a #19-ranked team last Saturday, but win they did…the same way we did, coming from behind. They seem to be yet another version of the large, physical and fast UW-W teams that have given us fits in the past. But I’m not sure this iteration is up to past standards. In other words, we beat them last year and I think we will beat them again, on their home turf this time.
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UW-W Tailgating —
(Information from Adam Herbst ’99, Exec. Dir., University Relations)
There is a spot in Lot 11 where John Young ‘83 and some others will be hosting a tailgate, but it would still be good for folks attending to be self-sufficient with regard to food and beverages. There is also a chance Whitewater may sell concessions before the game, but better not count of that.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., and SJU fans are invited to a pre-game tailgate beginning at 10 a.m. in Lot 11 at UW-Whitewater (campus map). Lot 11 is sold out, but there is paid parking available in nearby Lots 7 and 9 for $10 per stall. Fans can park in Lots 7 or 9 and either tailgate in those lots, or make the short walk to Lot 11 and join the SJU tailgate festivities there. Remember to bring cask or checks for parking and tickets because UW-W doesn’t accept “plastic.”
For more information and to purchase UW-Whitewater football parking permits, and also information on purchasing game tickets, click here.
We look forward to seeing many SJU fans at this marquee matchup of two of the best football programs in Division III!
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Chip on a Warhawk's Shoulder —
A well-known UW-Whitewater football player, who showed up early in town before fall practices started, went out on the town, got quite inebriated, started some fights, resisted arrest and was thrown in jail.
The Warhawk, who thought because of his status as a star player he should have been released after he sobered up, was very unhappy when he learned he had to raise a significant bail and then go to court.
So when he appeared in court he gave the judge a huge case of "attitude."
Judge: “Where do you work?”
Warhawk: “Here and there.”
Judge: “What do you do for a living?”
Warhawk: “This and that.”
Judge: “Take him away.”
Warhawk: “Wait! When will I get out?”
Judge: “Sooner or later.”
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Around The MIAC —
Week 1 Results — Saturday, September 2
Trinity at Saint John’s (Too close to call) Who could have predicted any of THAT! SJU 34 - Trinity 31
Central College at Saint Olaf (A question mark; leaning to Central) Central prevailed 34 over the Oles’ 24
Crown at Hamline (Better be Hamline or it’s a l-o-n-g season) The Pipers clobbered Crown 45-13
U. Of Northwestern at Augsburg (The Auggies reign big) How big did they reign? 52-10
Concordia at UW-Eau Claire (Another question: probably UW-EC) It was UW-EC but not by much: 31-28
Buena Vista at Gustavus (Gusties will roll) And roll they did —Gusties 51 - BV 7
UM-Morris at Macalester (Mac should win handily…yes, THAT Mac) Mac did win in a kind of shoot-out, 44 to 30
Other Games of Interest:
A Shocker! #3 Mary Hardin-Baylor 22, #23 UW-River Falls 45. This was a prototypical trap game for UMHB as they looked ahead to their game this Saturday with then #4 Trinity.
#1 North Central 41, Roosevelt 7 (certainly no surprise)
#2 Mt. Union skated over Defiance 45-6. (ho-hum.)
#5 Wartburg 62, Monmouth 35…The Warthogs are really going to be tough this year.
#11 Whitewater 27, #19 John Carroll 23. (Hmmm, pretty close…wonder if the Warhawks were looking past JC for their game with us?)
Div-I St. Thomas had too much trouble beating Div-II Black Hills State 36-26. BHSU is a school of 4,000 students in Spearfish, SD.
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Upcoming Games, Week 2 — September 9
Macalester at Martin Luther College (Mac will soon be 2-0 after they lay waste to MLC.)
Wartburg at Bethel (Yikes! What a way for the Royals to start…I’m thinking the Warthogs but don’t know by how much yet. We’ll learn a lot about both teams.)
Pomona-Pitzer at Carleton (Eggheads clash in Northfield and, in a sense, who cares? Most likely our Knights will prevail…and by a lot.)
Pacific Lutheran at Concordia (Difficult for Far West Lutherans to beat Upper Midwest Lutherans on their home turf.)
St. Scholastica at Rockford (Have high hopes for the Saints but really don’t have a clue. Rockford who?)
St. Olaf at Luther (Is Luther as tough as Central of Iowa? St. Olaf will soon find out…the hard way.)
Hamline at UM-Morris (Mac beat Morris but I’m not sure that the Pipers can.)
Saint John’s at UW-Whitewater (Can the Jays repeat with another big emotional win? Can we beat the UWW home field jinx? Can we get our loose ends adjusted for Week 2? I say yes to all in a close win.)
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Other Games of Interest —
UMHB at Trinity (A big game that’s not as quite as big as before…I’d bet on Trinity after seeing their QB in action.)
#6 Hardin-Simmons at #11 UW-La Crosse (If you believe the rankings, Hardin-Simmons should win.)
#19 UW-Oshkosh at #13 Wheaton (Ditto above; Wheaton over UW-O.)
“Div-1” U. of St. Thomas at Div-1 FCS U. of South Dakota (The Coyotes will howl all over Glenn’s not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Purple boys.)
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2023 d3football.com Week 1 Top 25 —
https://www.d3football.com/top25/2023/week1
Man alive!…what a difference the first week makes. There will be some juggling for a few weeks until all the teams settle into their conferences and reach their regular place in the standings. But right now there is lots of movement.
Let’s start with the most important: St. John’s moved up two places to #4 and Trinity didn’t suffer too much at #5. Wartburg also moved up two spots based on their blasting of unranked Monmouth (I’m thinking the Warthogs will be among the final four at the end of the season.)
At least one Texas team — Hardin-Simmons — did well, hopping up two places, now at #6. UW-Whitewater is now up three spots to #8, thanks to their close victory over formerly #19-ranked John Carroll (now #21). I think that was an overly-generous boost (they were expected to win, for Gosh sakes!), but maybe the powers-that-be want to make next week’s contest between SJU and UW-W all the more dramatic. What should have happened with the poll is UW-W rose one spot and Carroll dropped one.
The two most drastic changes have former #4 UMHB dropping to #12 and former #23 UW-River Falls soaring up to #9. OUCH for the Crusaders! Interestingly, Bethel dropped two points, from #14 to #16 without even playing. There’s a chance they’ll drop even farther after playing Wartburg in a non-conference game this upcoming Saturday. On the other hand, if they should pull a UW-RF on the Warthogs, the Royals could be the ones to soar after Week 2.
Finally, it looks like the WIAC will be cannibalizing each other, yet again — they have four teams in the Top 20 and yet another one receiving votes. I said last week that of the three top teams playing—SJU, Trinity and UMHB— St. John’s had the toughest early schedule. I’d like to revise that to say that UW-Whitewater has the toughest schedule in the nation—period. Starting out last week at #11, UW-W played then #19 John Carroll; this week #4 Saint John’s; then new #12 Mary Hardin-Baylor, then #19 UW-Oshkosh; then #11 UW-La Crosse; then #9 UW-River Falls. Of their final four games, only UW-Platteville has received votes; UW-Stout; UW-Stevens Point; and UW-Eau Claire should provide some relief.
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A Monk’s Chronicle —
A weekly blog by Father Eric Hollas, OSB, Prior of St. John’s Abbey
The September 4 issue is entitled: “Show Up and Play the Game”
https://monkschronicle.wordpress.com/
(You can subscribe for free at this link as well.)
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Battle Between The Sexes, Silent Treatment Department —
A frustrated wife decided to give her husband the silent treatment for an entire week.
For seven days, she didn't say anything to him at all. She was hoping it would make him more attentive to her and to their marriage.
At the end of the week she decided to bring it up.
"You notice anything different about us this past week?" she said at dinner.
Without missing a beat he replied, “Yeah, we’re getting along pretty great lately!”
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Senator Dave Durenberger: Very Human Lessons from a Public Life —
By Michael Hemesath ’81, past president, Saint John’s University
United States Senator for Minnesota Dave Durenberger died recently at the age of 88. Naturally, as a lifelong Minnesotan and U. S. Senator for 16 years, he was best known in his home state, but he was widely recognized beyond the state as he played a significant public role during his time in Washington. (Read the rest of Michael’s fine article here:)
https://collegevilleinstitute.org/bearings/senator-dave-durenberger/
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Top Ten Dinner Dishes When Mom’s Away and Dad’s Cooking —
10. Hot dogs with just a hint of Tabasco.
9. "Kids eat free" night at the steak house.
8. Pizza.
7. Broiled bologna benedict on rye.
6. Back-of-the-fridge goulash (with lots of pepper).
5. Chips and salsa.
4. Cocoa Puff surprise.
3. Something old, something blue, something frozen, call it stew.
2. Cold pizza.
1. Whatever's cooking at Grandma's.
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Pre-Med Majors Corner, “Breaking it easy” Division —
A doctor says to his patient, "I have bad news and worse news.”
"Oh dear, what's the bad news?" asks the patient.
The doctor replies, "You only have 24 hours to live."
"That's terrible,” said the patient. "How can the news possibly be worse?"
The doctor replies, "I've been trying to contact you since yesterday."
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From Our Readers —
From Dave Klein ’81, back in Stearns County, where he belongs —
Hi Rob! I changed email addresses...could you please send me the letters to my new email. Thanks so much, and see you Saturday. Dave Klein....son of Nellie Klein ‘60, just moved back to Minnesota. Class of 81…same as Coach Gary!
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From Mike Spanier ’83, Prior Lake, MN —
Hi Wick - Your jokes are in mid-season form! Please add a subscription for Jona Van Deun ’92 who is a Bennie and has a freshman lineman on the team. See you later this fall. — Mike
(Editor’s Note: I tried to add Jona to the list but the address didn’t work; I had already had deleted Mike’s email, so I couldn’t reach out to him either. Anyone know Jona’s email?)
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From Don Hall ’55/’59, Minneapolis, MN —
Wick, 25 years. You’re a legend. I laughed out loud (again) at the football cheer: Retard them, retard them, make them relinquish the ball. It’s so dumb, it’s hilarious.
If expenses get too bad, please let us know. You deserve support for masterful work, informing and entertaining so many. And we understand the frustrating adjustments on-line work entails. May our beloved Wayne Hergott assist you with divine intercession. — Don
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From Jim Keul ’65, Tracy, MN —
No apologizes necessary. You are doing great – your efforts are graciously accepted. Thank you. Go Big Red!!
Greet [John] Sipe (’61/’65) if you ever see the antiquated old Foxtrot Alpha Romeo Tango!! —Jim
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From Ron Youso ’64, Foley, MN —
Your first newsletter Rob and already simply fantastic. I personally appreciate the effort and hard work you put in every week. God bless. — Ron
(Editor’s Note: Ron only went to SJU for a year before transferring to St. Cloud State in order to help his father run the weekly newspaper back in Foley. His older and younger brothers — Sev and Gary ’63/‘67— had distinguished football careers at SJU. And a whole flock of Yousos went to the Prep School from Foley: Keith ’84; Lynn ’86; Kristina ’87; and Jill ’90. There is hardly a more avid and loyal Johnnie fan than Ron. Here is a link to an older article and video about Ron and the Benton County News: https://wjon.com/frozen-in-time-benton-county-news-video/ Can we assume he’s retired now? )
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And all this reminds me of one of my favorites…
More Scenes from Stearns County —
Two old farmers were visiting at one of their farms outside St. Stephen, MN, not too far from the Mississippi River. That farmer was proudly showing his friend the new dairy cow he picked up at an auction across the river.
“Dis one is now my best milker,” he said proudly. “She gives me more milk den my udder cows.”
“Dat’s gut.”
“But,” said he added, “Dere’s one ting dat’s funny about her…whenever I grab one of her teats to start milkin' she farts real loud.”
“Oh, dat so?” His friend asked, “By any chance did you find her in Benton County?”
“By Golly, I did! How’d you know dat?”
“Vell, my wife’s from Benton County.”
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(Corollary joke: Two cows were talking in the field.
One cow says, "Have you heard about the Mad Cow disease that's going around?"
The other cow answers, "Yeah, makes you glad you're a penguin, doesn't it?”)
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From Bob O’Hara ’63, St. Louis Park, MN —
WOW!—very well done and off to a great start. Tough schedule with fingers crossed. Thanks for all you—much appreciated. — Bob
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From Tom McKeown ‘47/‘52, Mendota Heights, MN —
Rob, received the 23-1 edition and signed up.. .thanks for help. Like many of your readers, I was a long time friend of Wayne Hergott…knew him from college days when he was S.J. quarterback. “Leyman to the right, Leyman to the left.” Or he would be benched…knew Wayne from decades at Demontreville and the Lunch Bunch…sat with him monthly and on July 27, when Coach Fasching visited us.
Sorry to miss his funeral…was in cardiac hospital for a minor incident. Wayne was one of the finest persons I have known, true Benedictine, never spoke poorly about anyone…God has a special place for him…
Great start to football season. — Tom
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Tommies Adrift —
Two young alums of the University of St. Thomas celebrated their graduation by flying down to the West Indies and renting a sailboat for a week.
Unfortunately a couple days out they ran into a severe squall and, with limited experience with ocean sailing, capsized their craft. They survived the dunking and found themselves adrift in a lifeboat for several days.
While rummaging through the boat’s provisions, one of the Toms stumbles across an old lamp. When he touches it, a genie comes forth. This particular genie, however, states that she can deliver only one wish, not the standard three.
Without giving much thought, one Tommie blurts out, “Make the entire ocean into beer!” The genie claps her hands and the entire sea turns into brew.
The other Tommie looks disgustedly at the one who made the wish and says, “Nice going! Now we’re going to have to pee in the boat.”
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From Tony Biebl ‘71, Brule, WI —
(In answer to my query if he was coming to the Trinity game, Tony wrote:) Wish I was. This game sorta “snuck up on me,” wasn’t thinking about football so early in Sept., and made plans for Madeline Island. Kathy would not be too pleased if I blow it off to go to the game. Hope to stream it, though.
And if the wind lays down there might be time for fishing. It’s been good lately, caught 11 in just over 3 hours Sunday. Enjoy the game, and keep up the great work on the UUN, the highlight of my week!
Best regards, —Tony
This was one we caught Sunday, and released successfully to fight another day.
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From Jeremiah Eisenschenk ’01/’05, Crosslake, MN —
Good morning Rob - Made it back Saturday morning from Glacier National Park, where I was hiking with my brother Jonah, and Ryan Kroschel, both St John’s alums, just in time to see the epic second half comeback! Any idea where if / where one can re-watch the game?
Also, our home is finally complete with SJU flag for the dock flagpole!
Go Johnnies — Jeremiah
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From Brad Cronin ’03, ??
Good afternoon! I just wanted to reach out & see if I would still be receiving the SJU Unofficial Underground email newsletter that you send out during the Johnnie football season? I am an avid Johnnie fan & very much appreciate your time compiling the newsletter. Thank you & I look forward to your response! — Brad
(Editor’s Note: At the game last weekend several people, including Cary Musech '80 and Mike Fiala ’68, informed me that they found their copy of the UUN in their spam folder. But there were others who looked in there and did not find it. In those cases I ask people to subscribe or resubscribe (if they‘ve fallen off the list somehow) by going to this link —https://www.unofficialundergroundnews.com/ — scroll down a bit, and put in their email address.)
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From Larry Haeg ’63/’67, St. Paul, MN —
Just noticed: Trinity not only has D-I endowment, but D-! travel schedule: away games in Minnesota, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee.
Also, River Falls’ trouncing of MHB hints they may be the new Whitewater of WIAC. Either that or MHB weak this year. Trinity-MHB game will be a battle next Saturday. Season almost over for loser. River Falls essentially a Minnesota team. Just counted their roster: over half from Minnesota, many from central Minnesota, but wonder about their GPA.
Yesterday’s comeback one for the ages. Safe travels to Whitewater and bring home a Johnnie victory! — Larry
(Editor’s Comment: Yep, Trinity’s in an expensive conference, spread out over the South.)
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The Centennial Monk —
A reporter from the St. Cloud Times went out to Saint John’s Abbey to interview Father Myron Kitzberger, who was turning 100 years old that week, and was now the oldest living monk in the monastery.
"Tell me, Father…to what do you attribute your good health and long life to this point? You clearly do not look like you're in your early adulthood, but you also don't look much older than someone thirty years younger.”
The priest replies, "I'm not really sure. The only thing I can think of is that I have never disagreed with anyone.”
The reporter says, "Never?! Are you telling me that in all your life you have never disagreed with anyone?!”
The monk confirms. "That's right, I do not recall ever having disagreed with anyone, ever. Even as a child.”
The reporter, clearly skeptical, looks at the man for a few seconds before exclaiming, "But that's impossible!!”
Father Myron stares at the journalist for a bit and then replies (with a bit of a smirk), "Well, impossible it is, then!"
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Ben Bartch Watch, Part II —
St. John's football alum Ben Bartch back on the field with Jacksonville Jaguars
By Andy Rennecke, sports reporter for St. Cloud LIVE
(Appreciative readers can contact Andy at andy@stcloudlive.com )
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Johnnie-Bennie Romance —
A Johnnie junior took his new Bennie girlfriend to an SJU football game.
The young couple found seats in the crowded stadium and the Johnnie, at least, was watching the action intently. A promising substitute running back, a sophomore, was put into the game, and as he was running onto the field to take his position, the Johnnie said to his girlfriend, "Take a good look at that guy. I expect him to be our best man next year."
His Bennie friend snuggled closer and said to the surprised young Jay, "That's the strangest way I ever heard of for a fellow to propose to a girl. Regardless of how you said it, I accept!”
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The Older New Mother —
With the help of a fertility specialist, a 65-year-old woman has a baby.
All her relatives come to visit and meet the newest member of their family. When they ask to see the baby, the 65-year-old mother says "Not yet."
A little later they ask to see the baby again. Again the mother says "Not yet."
Finally they say, "When can we see the baby?” And the mother says, "When the baby cries."
And they ask, "Why do we have to wait until the baby cries?"
The new mother says, "because I forgot where I put it."
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Odds & Ends Department —
- Dusty Wagner ’83 and Bob Fischer ’81 both told me emphatically at the tailgate that, “This is the year — We’re going all the way!”
- Once again the Flying Tomcziks gathered together to enjoy a game in Collegeville, with Gary ‘67 and his wife Hilary flying in from Santa Barbara, CA. They were joined at the tailgate by brothers Ron ’65, and also Patrick, up from Northfield.
- Postgame we ran into Timo (Fr. Tim Backous) who declared, “I attribute this win to Wayne Hergott’s direct intercession.”
- In a nice tribute to a great character and wonderful adopted Johnnie, Dick Wilke’s photo was projected up on the video screen as SJU’s favorite concessions vendor.
- Pete Hill ’76, Fernandina Beach, FL, was up for the game and to see some Johnnie and Bennie friends. While in the Twin Cities Pete took in The Museum Of Russian Art (TMORA) where he was pleased to find an exhibition of religious icons drawn from the collection of the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Collegeville, MN.
In 2021, HMML received a large donation of Russian icons from the estate of Edmund Gronkiewicz, a polyglot, a deacon, and a Knight of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta. Pete took a photo of one icon and suggests that those interested visit TMORA. The exhibit runs through Sunday, November 26. https://tmora.org/2023/06/08/icons-of-the-late-empire-story-and-art/
Pete also sent me one of his favorite T-shirt messages, from a bartender at the La fro a few years ago:
In case you can’t read it, the message is “I went to college at CSB/SJU. I got educated the La.” Your editor’s own La T-shirt reads on the back: “I fought the La, and the La won.”
Pete Regnier ’65 and Larry Haeg ’63/’67, both of St. Paul, commented on our attendance versus UST’s. Said Pete, “Interesting that the Minneapolis paper quotes Caruso's comment that he ‘was grateful for the energy from a crowd at 3,793’ and there is no mention in the article about the SJU game of the 9,883 in attendance.”
After reading Pete’s and Larry’s comments, I did a quick search myself and, in this order, the attendance was 3,756 at Wartburg; 2,137 at Gustavus; 2,124 at River Falls (UMHB); 1,551 at John Carroll (UW-W); 1,203 at Augsburg; and 1,132 at Roosevelt (NC). The rest was just to pathetic to report. This Saturday I expect that the UW-W crowd plus the traveling Johnnie Faithful will push that attendance up around what we had in Collegeville.
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A satisfied group of Johnnie fans relaxed on the lawn overlooking Middle Spunk Lake at Fisher’s in Avon after the thrilling victory. From left, Eileen Myles, wife of John Sipe ’61/’65, Chris Scholl, Rob/Bob Wicker ’60/’64, Pete Hill ’76, Jim Conn ’64 and wife Anita.
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THE FINAL WORD —
(Compliments of Bob Malby ’64, Edina, MN)
A father put his 3-year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers, which she ended by saying, “God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and good-bye Grandpa.”
The father asked, “Why did you say ‘good-bye Grandpa?’”
The little girl said, “I don’t know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do.”
The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence.
A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this, “God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and good-bye Grandma.”
The next day the grandmother died.
“Holy crap,” thought the father, “This kid is in contact with the other side!”
Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say, “God bless Mommy and good-bye Daddy.”
He practically went into shock. He couldn’t sleep all night and got up at the crack of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch at his desk and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay.
He felt safer in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally midnight arrived; he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.
When he got home his wife said, “I’ve never seen you work so late. What’s the matter?”
He said, “I don’t want to talk about it; I’ve just spent the worst day of my life.”
“You think you had a bad day?” she rejoined. “You’ll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson!”
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And that’s it for Week 2. Whether you travel to Whitewater, listen to the game via Mark and Bryan, or livestream it, just remember to yell:
Pluck those Warhawks!!
(Or something like that.)
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Submitted by R.L. Wicker ’60/’64
2035 Eleanor Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55116
theowick@aol.com; home: 651-699-4697
Website — subscribe here:
https://www.unofficialundergroundnews.com/
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