COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – With all due regards to Charles Dickens, it was the worst of times and the best of times for the Saint John's University football team last fall.
Will the 2012 version be the team that started the 2011 season 2-4 overall or the team that finished the campaign with four impressive wins to finish 6-4?
Will the Johnnies' defense mirror last year's squad that allowed 422.5 yards and 34 points per game through the season's first six contests? Or, will it be the defense that allowed only 250 yards and 13.5 points per game in the final four?
The 2011 season marked the Johnnies' 25th straight winning season and 44th consecutive season without a losing record after finishing fourth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 5-3 record (6-4 overall). But the four losses and fourth-place finish in the conference were the worst for SJU since 1997, and the Johnnies missed the NCAA Division III playoffs for just the fifth time in the last 19 years, and for the first time in back-to-back seasons since 1987-88, last fall.
Optimism is high for the Johnnies entering the 2012 season as they return seven offensive starters, nine defensive starters and both special-teams specialists.
Head coach John Gagliardi enters his 64th season and landmark 60th at SJU as college football's all-time wins leader with a 484-133-11 (.779) career record and a 460-127-10 (.779) mark with the Johnnies.
Here's a look at the 2012 Johnnies, by position:
Quarterback
Last season's quarterback carousel featured three quarterbacks. Senior John Ries (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) and junior Connor Bruns (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) started four games apiece, while junior Ben Krebsbach (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) started two. Now that the smoke has settled, Bruns enters the season as the starting signal caller for SJU after starting last season's final three games. He passed for 952 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games, averaging 14.6 yards per completion.
Ries completed 72.3 percent (73 of 101) of his passes for 726 yards in nine games, including an efficient 21-for-25 day leading SJU to a 28-21 overtime win Sept. 17 at Concordia-Moorhead. Krebsbach, meanwhile, made the transition to wide receiver from quarterback during the 2012 spring practices. He appeared in eight games with two starts at quarterback in 2011 and ended the year as the team's third-leading rusher (27 carries for 155 yards and one touchdown).
Look for sophomore Billy Gregg (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) and freshmen Mitch Hendricks (Bemidji, Minn.) and Nick Martin (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) to fill out the rest of the depth chart at quarterback.
Running Back
The Johnnies recorded somewhat of a down year in the running game last fall, but return each of their top four running backs from last season. The foursome combined for 1,210 yards and 13 touchdowns on 280 carries (4.3 avg.). Three of the four backs posted at least 725 yards or more from scrimmage (combined rushing and receiving yardage) in 2010, but only one reached the statistical plateau in 2011.
Senior Stephen Johnson (Mahtomedi, Minn.) led the Johnnies in rushing attempts (167), rushing yards (745), all-purpose yards (887), yards from scrimmage (887) and touchdowns (7) en route to All-MIAC second-team honors last fall. He has started each of the last 22 games for the Johnnies at running back and enters the 2012 season needing 49 rushing yards to crack the Johnnies' vaunted top 15 rushing list, and one catch to move into eighth in career receptions among SJU running backs. He is also a three-time Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) All-America first-team defender, a three-time MCLA Scholar Athlete and a three-time Upper Midwest Lacrosse League (UMLL) All-Conference first-team selection on SJU's nationally-ranked club team in the spring. Johnson was named the 2010 UMLL Rookie of the Year and the 2011 UMLL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Johnnies hope that junior Nick Schneider (St. Cloud, Minn./Rocori) returns to his freshman-season form in which he led the Johnnies with nine total touchdowns and totaled 752 all-purpose yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry (66 attempts for 437 yards) and 16.9 yards per catch (18 receptions for 304 yards) in 2010. He gained 248 yards with three touchdowns on the ground and caught 12 passes for 99 yards and another touchdown last fall.
Senior Harry Awe (St. Paul, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) also recorded a “down” year as compared to 2010 (371 yards from scrimmage), gaining 98 yards on 24 carries with 27 yards on four catches in 2011. His passing ability took a step forward however, as he ended the year with 33 yards and three touchdowns on just three attempts last season. Awe is now 6-for-7 passing for 151 yards and four scores in his career.
Junior Colin Moynihan (Edina, Minn.) averaged 8.5 yards on 14 carries and added three touchdowns on the ground last season. He is projected to be the next ball carrier in the mix, along with senior Kerry Daigs (Los Angeles, Calif./Verbum Dei) and junior Jake Essler (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer).
The SJU coaching staff is also excited for another corps of freshman running backs to make their stamp in the near future; a group that includes Aaron Piecukonis (Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta), Erik Roti (Wayzata, Minn.), John Schneckloth (Lincoln, Neb./East) and Sam Sura (South St. Paul, Minn.).
The Johnnies need to replace Jakob Reding '11, who accumulated 2,220 yards from scrimmage (1,546 rushing and 674 receiving) and 17 touchdowns in 36 games as a four-year starter.
Wide Receiver
The biggest question on the offensive side of the ball involves the need to replace both starters at wide receiver in 2012. Brent Graboski '12 and Sam Pederson '12 combined to produce 69 catches (42.1 percent of the team's total) for 1,170 yards (54.3 percent) and 12 touchdowns. No other SJU wide receiver had more than five catches.
The most likely replacement at one of the wideout positions is sophomore Rob Voshell (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen), who caught three passes for 20 yards while serving as the Johnnies' primary return specialist. Senior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) caught five passes for 67 yards and a touchdown before converting to defensive back halfway through last season. He is expected to start at either cornerback or safety this fall, but may see a number of snaps each game back at wideout. Krebsbach, seniors Tyson Euerle (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) and Jon Schoenecker (New Prague, Minn.), and junior Joe Johnson (Breckenridge, Minn.) are expected to be in the mix. Euerle caught three passes for 29 yards in 2011, while Johnson was another receiver-turned-defensive back experiment last fall.
Expect a pair of freshmen to make an impact right away this fall: Peter Vakulskas (Chaska, Minn./Holy Family Catholic), a redshirted transfer from Division II Augustana, S.D., and freshman Josh Bungum (Paynesville, Minn.). Bungum played quarterback, running back and wide receiver at Paynesville Area High School, rushing for 2,539 yards and 30 touchdowns, passing for 1,299 yards and 13 touchdowns and catching two touchdowns as a senior last fall.
Tight End
Similar to the Johnnies' status at running back, tight end is loaded with experience and talent. These players, however, boasts much larger frames. SJU returns seniors Taylor Freetly (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) and Wade Powers (Hawick, Minn./New London-Spicer), who both appeared in all 10 games last season. Freetly had his best day with nine receptions for 154 yards against Augsburg Sept. 24 and added 87 yards and two touchdowns on four catches in the season finale at Hamline. He started all 10 games at tight end and ended the year with 23 receptions for 365 yards and four touchdowns. Powers, meanwhile, tallied three catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns on the year, and threw a 70-yard touchdown pass in the 47-14 win over Carleton Oct. 29.
Senior Scott Ramey (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd), the team's returning punter, senior Matt DesJardins (St. Cloud, Minn./Saint John's Prep), and sophomores J.T. Ford (Stevens Point, Wis.) and Alex Kreuser (White Bear Lake, Minn./Totino-Grace) are expected to supply depth.
Offensive Line
Many of those involved with the SJU football program, when asked which area offers the most excitement for the 2012 season, pointed toward the offensive line. No other positional group offers the combination of potential, size, tenacity and the flexibility to move between all three positions in the trench. The nine linemen mentioned below combine to average 6-feet-4.5 inches tall and 285.5 pounds.
Junior starters Jack Hedlund (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) and Pete Schwarz (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral) return at the tackles, while sophomores Alex Jarosz (White Bear Lake, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Ben Kuhr (Burnsville, Minn./Lakeville South) have solidified both guard spots. Jarosz can also play center, Hedlund has started at guard and Schwarz has started at both tackle positions. Junior Kevin Battis (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) is expected to replace Jimmy Stodolka '12 at center.
Senior Joe Pesch (Eden Prairie, Minn.), who appeared in nine games with five starts in 2010, returns after missing all of last season. Senior Ryan Hanes (Hudson, Wis.), junior Jack Palmisano (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and sophomores Teddy Kline (Vadnais Heights, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) and Cody Zimmerman (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) are expected to contribute heavily this fall.
Defensive Line
As the defensive line fluctuated with inconsistency, so did the defense as a whole last season. The downfall in 2011 was, perhaps, the revolving door on the defensive line. The positive looking forward to 2012 is the fact that SJU lost only two players from that group to graduation, Evan Cobb and Jack Daggett.
Senior Jake King (Mounds View, Minn./Totino-Grace), a former linebacker, returns to the starting lineup at defensive end after leading the team with 61 tackles (28 solo), including seven for a loss with two sacks. Classmates Joe Donner (Delafield, Wis./Kettle Moraine) and Connor Grill (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) also return. Both can transition from the inside to outside, and vice versa, depending on the defensive scheme. Grill led the team, or tied for the team-lead, in both tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (5.5) last fall, while Donner posted 34 tackles (13 solo) with 2.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks in his first season with the Johnnies.
The line also returns juniors Paul Plombon (Rice, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) and Nate Blenker (Albany, Minn.), and freshman Joe Zrust (North Oaks, Minn./Totino-Grace) on the inside. Plombon tallied 18 tackles (10 solo) with three tackles for loss and a sack. Blenker and Zrust were both injured in week two against Wisconsin-Eau Claire and missed the rest of the season. Sophomore Ross Carlson (Alexandria, Minn.) is expected to compete for a starting job at defensive tackle, while junior Jeremy Hill (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View) and sophomore Ben Rossini (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) will rotate at defensive end.
Linebacker
As the Johnnies' defensive line struggled and changed forms, so did the linebacker corps, until a handful of freshmen and others rose to the occasion and gained valuable experience last fall. Sophomores Andrew Rose (Stillwater, Minn.) and Maze Thompson (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) return to fill two of SJU's starting spots. Rose finished third on the team in tackles with 57 (29 solo), including 3.5 for a loss, while Thompson collected 41 tackles (23 solo) and finished high on the team's leaderboard with seven tackles for loss (second) and 5.5 sacks (tied for first). Senior Taylor Dammermann (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) is expected to start at the other linebacker spot after making 54 stops (26 solo) last fall.
Senior John Gans (Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice), junior Ricky Davis (Los Angeles, Calif./Verbum Dei) and sophomores Blake Bellefeuille (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and Bruce London (Nisswa, Minn./Brainerd) will fill out the depth chart, as well as contribute on special teams. Another senior, James Obler (Marshall, Minn.), starred on special teams last season and is expected to lead the charge again this fall, as well as field reps at linebacker.
SJU needs to replace Nick Zweber '12, who started the season's last five games and finished seventh on the team with 36 tackles (16 solo), including four for a loss with one quarterback sack.
Secondary
Defensive coordinator Jerry Haugen expects improvement in athleticism and overall speed in the Johnnies' defensive secondary this fall, especially in the play-making department. SJU finished with eight interceptions, the smallest total on record since 1972.
The Johnnies return All-American Bobby Fischer (Plymouth, Minn./Osseo) at cornerback. A first-team All-MIAC and D3football.com All-West Region second-team selection last fall, Fischer ended the 2011 regular season as the MIAC's leader in interceptions (7), interception return yards (243) and passes defended (17). His seven interceptions were the most by a Johnnie since 2002. Fischer was once again clocked as the team's fastest player in 2012 (4.53 on a laser 40-yard dash).
Senior Ian Goldsmith (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) is expected to once again start at safety or linebacker, depending on the scheme, this fall. He tallied 40 tackles (25 solo) with two tackles for loss and four pass breakups last year. The return of a healthy Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.) at the other corner is expected to bring athleticism and experience this fall. He recorded 57 tackles (35 solo) with four interceptions while appearing in 20 games, including 17 starts, as a freshman and sophomore but missed the majority of the 2011 season due to injury.
Two others are set to switch out their baseball cleats for football after serving as key players on last spring's MIAC Playoff Championship on the diamond. Forster, a convert to corner from wide receiver last fall, will either spot his high-school teammate, Powell, once again or start at free safety. He made 26 tackles (17 solo) with four pass breakups in five games on defense in 2011. Junior Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) followed Forster's lead and moved over to the defensive side of the ball this season. Senior Kevin Wenner (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) and junior Darryl Williams (Hawthorne, Calif./Verbum Dei) are expected to see time at safety, while junior Nolan Lortz (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), who was the only other Johnnie besides Fischer to record an interception last fall, is penciled in as a backup at corner.
SJU needs to replace Andrew Rotschafer '12, who started all 10 games at free safety and finished second on the team with 60 tackles (29 solo) last fall.
Special Teams
Both of the Johnnies' special-teams specialists return for the third consecutive season in 2012.
A two-time All-MIAC second-team selection (2010 and 2011), senior Jimmie Mattson (Eau Claire, Wis./Memorial) led SJU in scoring for the second consecutive season with a perfect 8-for-8 showing in field-goal attempts and 34 PAT's last fall for 58 points. He also led the MIAC (conference games only) in field-goal percentage (100.0) and scoring among kickers (53 points). A 2011 D3football.com All-West Region third-team selection, Mattson tied the Johnnies' school record with a 52-yard field goal Oct. 22 at Gustavus Adolphus, and averaged 60 yards on 57 kickoffs during the year. He enters the 2012 season tied for fourth in school history with 15 career field goals (15-for-15) and ninth with 77 PAT's. For the second consecutive season, Mattson begins the season on the Fred Mitchell Award Watch List, which includes 44 Football Bowl (FBS) and Championship (FCS) Subdivisions, Divisions II and III, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) collegiate place-kickers that were nominated by their colleges for excellence on the football field and in the community.
Sophomore Mitch Fader (Willmar, Minn.) could see time as a backup to Mattson on either extra-point attempts or kickoffs. A transfer from Concordia-Moorhead, Fader converted both of his PAT attempts and averaged a team-best 56.5 yards on 11 kickoffs for the Cobbers last fall.
Ramey averaged 34.2 yards on 42 punts last fall, including five that covered over 50 yards and 18 that pinned the opponent inside its own 20-yard line. In addition to his spot on the quarterback depth chart, Martin is expected to push Ramey for the starting job after averaging 37.3 yards on 43 punts as a senior at Wayzata High School last fall. If that's the case, Ramey may take over as the team's long snapper.
Voshell is expected to once again serve as the Johnnies' return specialist in 2012. He averaged 21.4 yards on 25 kickoff returns and 8.2 yards on 15 punt returns. His 534 kickoff return yards were the fourth-most in a single season in school history, somewhat due to the statistical decline on defense. Voshell's 25 kick returns are the most since Blake Elliott returned 27 kickoffs in 14 games. Bungum, Graves and Vakulskas are expected to supply depth.
