By Don Stoner
Augsburg Sports Information Director
MINNEAPOLIS -- This is the second in a series of previews of Midwest region conferences. This week, we cover the race in the Minnesota conference.
The race in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 1999 might be a race for second place.
Legendary coach John Gagliardi's St. John's Johnnies swept through the conference race in 1998, winning the school's 19th MIAC championship. St. John's beat Division III newcomer Pacific Lutheran in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, but saw its season end prematurely on its home field in a heartbreaking loss to upstart Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Will the Johnnies be the class of the MIAC in 1999? If you ask the national pundits, the answer is a resounding yes. Sports Illustratedand Preview Sports Publications both have the Johnnies rated fifth in their preseason polls. By the end of the year, Gagliardi's Johnnies may have a shot at earning him the school's fourth national championship, the first since 1976.
Meanwhile, the rest of the MIAC will be a wide-open race, as at least five teams may have a shot at upsetting the Johnnies, or possibly earning an at-large bid to the Division III national playoffs. The MIAC last had two teams in the playoffs in 1997, when both Augsburg and Concordia-Moorhead earned national tournament trips.
Several of the league's top players, including Gagliardi Trophy winner Scott Hvistendahl of Augsburg, quarterback Bob Southworth of Gustavus and quarterback Ethan Pole of Concordia-Moorhead have graduated, leaving a wide-open field for conference supremacy. Here's a preview of the MIAC race, with information provided by the league's sports information directors and teams listed in D3football.com's predicted order of finish:
St. John's (11-1, 9-0 MIAC in 1998): The Johnnies are deep and solid on both sides of the football, with five offensive and five defensive starters returning to a team that traditionally has one of the largest rosters in Division III -- more than 140 players.
SJU's strength is in its defense, which allowed just 55 points in nine conference games last year. The defense is paced by senior linebacker Brandon Novak, an All-American who led the team in total tackles (130), with an amazing 22 tackles for loss. Novak has earned multiple preseason All-American honors this year, and could be a candidate for the Gagliardi and Melberger trophies, each awarded to the D-III player of the year. Junior linebacker Beau LeBore is another quality player on defense. He had 108 tackles last year. Eric Serbus and Brian Zirbes return to the defensive line, and Grady McGovern, a senior, returns to lead the secondary.
On offense, quarterback Tom Linneman returns after throwing for 2,116 yards and 26 TDs last year to earn second-team All-MIAC honors. He'll have one of the top returning wide receivers in the conference, Ben Sieben, to throw to this year. Junior Chris Moore will take over the primary running back duties for the Johnnies, after ranking 11th in the league in rushing last year. The key to the Johnnies' offensive success may rest in its experienced line -- three starters return, Spencer Sokoly, Chad O'Hara and Chris Salvato.
Gagliardi is the winningest active coach in all of college football, and second among all NCAA college football coaches ever in career victories. Gagliardi has 353 wins entering his 51st season of coaching (46 at St. John's). Eddie Robinson, who coached for 55 years at Grambling, won 408 games (1941-42, 1945-97).
Bethel (8-2, 7-2): The Royals return the heart of an explosive offensive lineup that averaged 402 yards per game in conference play last year. The key for the Royals' offensive success may rest in the arm of junior quarterback Joe Persuitti, who threw for 2,356 yards and 16 TDs last season to earn second-team All-MIAC honors.
Persuitti will have a wide variety of options for his offensive attack, including the best pair of returning receivers in the league, senior Jeremy Belisle and junior Eric Carlson. Belisle, a two-time All-MIAC performer, caught 49 passes for 872 yards and six TDs last year, second only to Augsburg's Hvistendahl in the conference. Carlson earned second-team All-MIAC honors last year.
Bethel also returns its top four running backs from last season, including starters Josh Savageau (551 yards) and Ryan Ruisch (366 yards), both just juniors. Four offensive line starters are back, including senior all-conference tackle Chico Roland.
Nine starters return to the Royal defense, including senior free safety Kirk Midthun, a two-time All-MIAC performer who is also one of the best kick returners in the league. Three starting defensive linemen return, including senior defensive end Luke Carlson. The entire linebacking corps is also back, keyed by seniors Josh Schlueter (second-team All-MIAC in 1998) and Gary Stone, along with sophomore Jason Holm.
St. Thomas (7-3, 7-2): After a surprising 1-3 start to the season (two of the three losses by four or less points), the Tommies rallied with six straight wins to finish strong in coach Don Roney's first year at the UST helm. The Tommies finished second in the MIAC for the third consecutive year in 1998, and they might challenge again in a competitive race this year.
Eight starters return on both offense and defense for the Tommies. One of the top returning quarterbacks in the league, Greg Kaiser, is back for his senior year. In 19 career games, Kaiser, a first-team All-MIAC selection the last two years, has thrown for 4,563 career yards and 42 touchdowns with just 15 interceptions, completing 60% of his passes. Mike Westland, a second-team All-MIAC performer last season, is back at fullback, to be joined in the backfield by junior Marcus Ludtke, a transfer from conference rival Concordia-Moorhead who was sixth in the league last year in rushing. Offensive guard Brian Hartigan, a senior, earned all-conference honors last year.
All-American strong safety Steve Norlander will be the leader of the Tommies' defense in 1999. Norlander led the conference and was tied for fifth in the nation in interceptions with eight last year, and has 14 on his career. He was a first-team preseason All-America by Preview Sports Publications this year. First-team All-MIACer Blaine Tetreault (linebacker) is also back on defense after recording 92 tackles last year, as is second-team all-conference defensive end Andy Kaiser (72 tackles, six sacks last year).
Gustavus Adolphus (8-2, 7-2): The biggest question at Gustavus in 1999 -- who will replace quarterback Bob Southworth? Southworth led the Gusties to the verge of the conference championship last season, falling to St. John's in the final game of the year at the Metrodome. The Gusties have very little experience at the quarterbackspot, and will pick a hurler from either sophomore Steve Nesvig, senior Ryan Dussault or sophomore transfer Joe Thorvig.
Aside from the quarterbackloss, the remainder of the Gustie offense is fairly solid, with All-MIAC running back Ryan Britz and tailback Travis Prunty returning, joining wideouts Greg TeBrake and Brady Brau, tight ends Brent Olson and Charlie Vasek and offensive tackles Dan Duncan and Jesse Harvey.
The Gusties had a strong defense last year -- second only to St. John's in the MIAC with a 288.9 yards-per-game average allowed -- and return seven starters. Replacing the MIAC's Outstanding Lineman of 1998, Brent Staples, however, might be a difficult task. Linebacker Ryan Timm, defensive ends Ron Davis and Cameron Scripture, cornerbacks Ben Bigelow and Ryan Frank, and safeties Steve Leth and Brent Schultze return for the Gusties on defense.
Augsburg (6-4, 5-4): Good news and bad news abound for the Auggies in 1999. The good news is at quarterback, as second-team All-MIAC Paul Tetzloff returns. His 269.9 yards per game of total offense was 13th-best in the nation last year. "Tetzloff finished very strong last year. He was one of the leading quarterbacks in the conference," said ninth-year coach Jack Osberg. "We have that to build from, and hopefully he has the talented players to throw to."
The bad news is that Tetzloff's two top wide receivers, Gagliardi Trophy winner Scott Hvistendahl and Tim Hamer, are gone to graduation. Who will replace the two Auggie stalwarts - among a group of seven reserves and newcomers -- will be key to the Auggies' offensive success in 1999. Brian Warden is back at running back and two O-linemen return (Todd Boerboom and Andy Hansen).
Meanwhile, the defense is relatively solid, as seven starters return. All-MIAC honorable mention offensive lineman Brandon Ward will move to the defensive side of the ball, along with returning D-line starters Jason Van Houten and Matt Chappuis. The linebacking corps is the strength of the defense, led by returners Andy Howard (53 tackles in 1998), Kurt Werk (49 tackles) and Joe Souba (47 tackles). In the defensive backfield, 1997 All-American Jake Kern leads the way. Kern, a free safety and two-time All-MIAC first-teamer, led the Auggies in tackles (75) last year and has 10 interceptions on his career. Rob Just is also a starter returning in the secondary.
Concordia-Moorhead (4-6, 4-5): The Cobbers hope to rebound from just the team's second losing season since 1985 with a lineup featuring 16 returning starters -- 10 on defense. Defense has always been a hallmark of coach Jim Christopherson's teams over his three decades at the Cobber helm, and that will certainly be the case this year.
The defense is intact for the Cobbers, with just one member of the secondary lost to graduation. The line will be paced by senior Travis Boyd (45 tackles in 1998), who moves to defensive end from linebacker, and juniors Mark Hankel (9.5 sacks) and Jeff Westrum (6 sacks). All four linebackers return -- seniors Nels Paulson (41.5 tackles) and Jordon Nesvig (35 tackles, 2 sacks), and juniors Joel Vettleson and Mike Schwab, cornerbacks Dan Tollefson and Eric Wold, both juniors, and strong safety Travis Olson, a sophomore who had three interceptions last year.
On offense, junior fullback Len Crouse leads the way. He gained 611 yards and had six touchdowns last year. Junior wide receiver Adam Strainer (665 yards, 9 TDs) also returns, along with senior tight end Mike Rydell (13 catches, 1 TD). The key will be finding someone to replace quarterback Ethan Pole, a three-year starter who earned first-team All-MIAC honors last year while setting several career passing records for the Cobbers. Rob Szymanski and Jeff Hertel will battle for the job. The offensive line is solid, with All-MIAC tackle Jake Estenson leading the way. Tackle Mark Haugen and guard Joel Nelson are also returning starters.
St. Olaf (2-8, 2-7): Third-year coach Paul Miller returns most of the same lineup for the third straight season. A third consecutive 2-8 season probably won't be the result, as the Oles have shown strong improvement in a competitive MIAC. Sixteen starters return, including nine on a strong defense.
The defense will be led by two All-MIAC players on the DL -- senior Sven Bjorklund and junior Jeremy Young. Linebacker Ben Dieterich is a team leader on defense and is joined by Greg Struve. The entire secondary returns, keyed by All-MIAC first-teamer Steve Ryan, just a sophomore. Cory Dingels, Shane Vatland and Steve Fried are also back in the secondary.
On offense, the biggest question will come at quarterback, after the graduation of two-year captain Peter Schultz. Whoever calls the signals for the Oles will have several solid targets, including first-team All-MIAC wide receiver Ryan Hollom and second-team all-conference Brian Sprout. Hollom was named to the All-American Farm Team this year, and Sprout earned MIAC MVP honors in baseball in the spring. Issac Johnson moves from defensive to offensive line and joins returning starters Jeff Flugum (second-team All-MIAC), Mark Hubbard, Scott Syverson and Rob Ward. Marc Davies is also back at tight end.
Hamline (2-8, 2-7): Here's the challenge of the year in the MIAC, courtesy of Hamline coach Dick Tressel - "If our seniors act on their wisdom and better prepare for the rigors of our schedule, football '99 could be fun. We plan to be the season's most improved NCAA (Division) III football team." With 24 seniors returning to the lineup, improvement could be the tune the Pipers play in 1999.
Nine starters return on offense, including guard Dominic DeFrance and tackle Seth Lieffort. Junior quarterback Tim Couchman threw for 1,241 yards last season, and has solid receivers returning in wide receiver Aaron Danielson and tight end Mike Yankee, both seniors. Brian Swanson, a senior fullback, will also be a strong force to contend with on offense.
On defense, seven starters are back, including senior All-MIAC tackle Cory Molenaar, who set a school record last year with 12 sacks. Seniors Nate Schneeberger and John Weyandt join Molenaar on the defensive line. The linebacking corps is led by two second-team all-conference selections, senior Kris Staples and junior Brian Fearing. Defensive backs Luke Tressel and Jabari Thompson are also back. The kicking game is solid with senior Steve Koehn, who holds school records for the longest punt (79 yards) and field goal (46 yards).
Carleton (2-8, 1-8): Sixteen starters and several key recruits are in place for veteran coach Bob Sullivan's Knights in 1999. Sophomore Jon Groteboer saw spot duty last year at quarterback, and was able to throw 792 yards and four TDs. He is likely to be the team's starting quarterback this year, as last year's starter, Andy Quist, will move to the defense and the cornerback spot this year. Aaron Golden and Erik Miller are back atwide receiver. The two combined for 1,090 yards and 11 TDs in 1998.
Second-team All-MIAC running back Kyle Swartout rushed for 884 yards and 11 TDs, and in a league that has gone more to the pass in recent years, he was a steady force on the run, ranking third in the conference in rushing. Sophomore Jon Hodgson also returns at FB. On the offensive line, three starters were lost to graduation, but second-team all-conference right guard Paul Kane will be the big force on the line. Minnesota prep all-star game offensive MVP (Metro) Conor Crimmins will start on the offensive line on the left side, Sullivan has said, and the remaining three spots will go to newcomers or returning spot players.
There's need for improvement on defense for the Knights. Sullivan calls his linebacking corps "the deepest and most competitive positions on the team," with several players vying for spots. Brian Sauer and Dan Harris were both injured for much of last year, but are healthy at the linebacker spot this year. J.J. Franz led the team with 8.5 sacks last year and returns to the DL, along with second-team All-MIAC selection Jeff Thurk. Ben Miller, a three-year starter, is back at nose guard. In the defensive backfield, Quist will be joined by junior Josh Schroeder, junior Carl Dean and senior Gabe Ellwein.
Macalester (2-8, 1-8): Dennis Czech starts his second year at Macalester with renewed optimism and a new focus on the passing game, but he will have some rebuilding to do with more than half the team's starters lost to graduation, including All-MIAC tight end Jon Goodrich, All-MIAC defensive Ben Hampstead and linebacker Eddie Ray.
The key will be the play of the offense, including junior quarterback Aaron Quitmeyer, who threw for 1,674 yards and eight TDs last year.wide receivers Ty O'Connell and Matt Diediker both started as freshmen last year and each caught more than 20 passes. Grant Heuett, a sophomore running back, is a threat both on the run (309 yards rushing, 4 TD) and out of the backfield (19 receptions). Junior Jack Dusatko returns at offensive guard.
On defense, the job may be even tougher for the Scots, as just four starters return while five four-year regulars are lost to graduation. Defensive tackle Steve Kelm, a senior, is the top defensive player back, joining junior defensive end Nick Elders. Senior Karl Wassman is back at strong safety and junior Nate Eitzmann returns at linebacker.
