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| Sam Sura has been rolling
this season against the top teams in the MIAC. Photo by Scott Pierson, d3photography.com |
Don’t be mistaken: Sam Sura and the St. John's football team are thrilled to still be playing.
But if the Johnnies seem to be going about business as usual, it’s because they feel like they’ve been in the playoffs for the last seven games.
Since falling to Concordia-Moorhead to open the MIAC schedule, St. John’s has reeled off seven straight victories. Those wins included a victory over Bethel that knocked the Royals from atop the conference standings and a 26-6 win at St. Olaf, which coupled with another Bethel loss, gave the Johnnies the MIAC title outright, their first conference championship since 2009.
“We lost to Concordia in Week 3, so we knew every game after that was like a playoff game for us,” said SJU head coach Gary Fasching, who is in his second year after replacing John Gagliardi. “If we lost one more game, we probably weren’t going to make the playoffs.”
Sura has been a key component to St. John’s success as the team continues to roll up impressive rushing performances. Sura had 119 yards and two scores in the Johnnies’ win over Bethel and tacked on 132 yards and two more scores last week in the St. Olaf victory.
“It just feels awesome to bring the MIAC championship back to St. John’s,” Sura said.
“I think we all kind of had a special feeling this year,” he added. “We knew that we had a good football team and that we could do this. But being here now and knowing that we did it, it feels great to be able to contribute to the history that has been St. John’s.”
Sura has put his name in the record book multiple times this season. He set the program’s single-game mark with 281 rushing yards in a non-conference win at UW-Eau Claire.
And his 1,605 rushing yards this season established a season record at St. John’s.
“It’s pretty special to be in the record book for this program,” Sura said. “The record is one thing, but being able to win the games and making it to the playoffs is probably the most special thing.”
As a team, the Johnnies have out-rushed opponents 2,345 to 1,382. St. John’s has 24 rushing touchdowns while allowing the opposition to score a mere five TDs on the ground.
“You got to have a good running back, obviously, if you’re going to be a good running team. We have that. Sam is one of the best,” Fasching said. “But realistically, you better have a great offensive line and we think we have a great offensive line.
“And then the other thing you got to have is a good fullback, who’s a great blocker. And we have that in Zack Sundly,” he added.
Sura agreed, commending the efforts of all his teammates on the offensive side of the ball.
“It makes it easy when I don’t get touched until five or 10 yards down the field,” Sura said. “It’s beautiful seeing those holes open up and those guys just pushing the other guys around like that.”
Sura said his vision and ability to find seams has helped him have a successful season. But to Fasching, Sura’s ability to gain yards after contact has been key.
“It seems like the first guy never brings him down,” Fasching said. “He’s not the fastest running back we’ve ever had here and he’s certainly not the biggest and the strongest. But he’s fast enough and he’s powerful enough that he can get the job done.
“He’s one of the hardest workers we have.”
Fasching added that he is impressed that Sura continues to big up big numbers on a weekly basis even though teams are game-planning and scheming to stop him.
However, that success has not gone to the running back’s head.
“He is the most humble guy on our football team. He might be one of the quietest kids we have,” Fasching said. “He doesn’t say much. He’s not a media-darling type of guy. He just goes about his business day after day. He’s a lunch-bucket guy. He just comes to work, keeps his mouth shut and gets the job done.”
St. John’s attention is on its upcoming opponent – just like it has been all year. The Johnnies will play their first playoff game since 2009 Saturday when they host St. Scholastica – coached by former SJU offensive coordinator Kurt Ramler.
None of St. John’s current players have been in a playoff game. But this season’s journey to the top of the MIAC has given the Johnnies plenty of big-game experience on the fly.
“We know how to deal with adversity and I think that’s going to help us moving forward,” Sura said.
“We’ll approach this game like we’ve approached every other game. You’ve got to win it to move on,” Fasching said.
Fasching said expectations in the football program are high, especially given the success of previous teams like the national championship squads of 1963, 1965, 1976 and 2003.
“We have a rich history here. There’s a lot of players who have brought this program to where it is over the years,” Fasching said. “We’re just happy to get back into the playoffs and keep that history of St. John’s football intact.”
Tragedy in McMinnville
Linfield’s celebration after winning a share of its sixth straight Northwest Conference title and earning the league’s automatic bid into the playoffs was cut short with tragic news.
Parker Moore, a 20-year-old sophomore linebacker, died as a result of multiple stab wounds. The incident took place late Saturday night near a convenience store off campus.
“Parker embodied everything that is good,” Linfield head coach Joe Smith said in a press release issued by the school. “He was a consummate teammate who put everybody first ahead of himself. He was incredibly loyal, a great man of character with a lot of integrity.
“Parker was a man of action who jumped in and was a doer of deeds who would get in the arena and do the heavy lifting. He had a great work ethic. He was a leader with a charismatic personality who drew people to him. He was a leader in the classroom and a resident advisor. Parker was an incredibly positive person who was a strong man of faith and his faith was his greatest strength.
“As coaches, Parker was a young man who you want your own kids to grow up to be like. He'll be an example for our guys down the road about the ways to live your life.”
Moore was an engaged campus leader, who had many friends, according to the press release. A memorial of flowers and notes was constructed on the fence surrounding Maxwell Field.
“We express our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Parker and also pledge to do our best to rebuild the sense of community on this campus,” Linfield President Dr. Thomas L. Hellie said.
An ongoing investigation by the Yamhill County Major Crimes Response Team is under way and the college is cooperating fully.
According to KION news in Portland, the suspect returned to the scene of the crime and was shot dead by McMinnville police officers when he refused to drop a knife.
A memorial service will be held at the Ted Wilson Gymnasium Thursday at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Linfield shut out Pacific, 59-0, to share the NWC championship with the Boxers.
Spencer Payne rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown while Sam Riddle added 99 yards rushing and two scores. Riddle also threw for 85 yards and another touchdown.
The Boxers are in their fifth season since reinstating football. Pacific earned a share of its first league title in 62 years.
The rest of the West
UW-Oshkosh needed triple overtime to take down UW-Platteville, 30-27. After UW-P settled for a field goal in the third OT period, C.J. Blackburn broke a 23-yard run for the game-winning score. Dylan Hecker scored touchdowns in both of the first two overtimes to keep Oshkosh alive. … Claremont-Mudd-Scripps scored three defensive touchdowns – two interception returns and one fumble recovery in the end zone – to defeat rival Pomona-Pitzer, 41-21, in the teams’ season finale. The Staggs’ defense finished with six interceptions and one fumble recovery. … Wartburg led by 56 points at halftime and logged 674 yards of total offense in an 81-21 win over Loras. … James Ramirez caught seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown to lead Redlands to a 54-28 win over Occidental. … St. Thomas scored five straight touchdowns to pull away with a 57-35 win over Gustavus Adolphus. Brenton Braddock finished the game with 261 yards rushing and five TDs to pace the Tommies. … Pacific Lutheran capped off a 7-2 season with a convincing 49-7 win over George Fox. The Lutes’ defense limited George Fox quarterbacks to 1-of-9 passing for 3 yards and intercepted two attempts. … Josh Osborn racked up 264 yards and three touchdowns in the snow on a school-record 45 carries to lead Central to a 38-7 win over visiting Dubuque. … Chapman earned its first outright SCIAC championship by topping Whittier, 45-19. The Panthers defense racked up eight tackles for a loss and forced three turnovers. … Luther scored 21 unanswered points to rally to a 42-35 win at Simpson. Christian Moore scored the go-ahead TD with 21 seconds to play. … Matt Behrendt completed a scoring pass to Justin Howard with 26 seconds remaining to rally UW-Whitewater past UW-River Falls, 28-25.
Number of the week
1,245 — as in the combined yardage by Augsburg and Bethel in Saturday’s overtime shootout. The visiting Auggies upset Bethel, 62-61, in overtime when Augsburg’s defense stopped Marshall Klitzke short on a two-point conversion run in the second extra period. Ayrton Scott threw for a school-record 563 yards and five touchdowns – three to Joey Sonnenfeld and two to Hunter Friesen – to lead Augsburg to the victory. Sonnenfeld finished with 334 yards on 15 receptions, marking a new school record and MIAC record for receiving yards. Klitzke had 188 rushing yards and five touchdowns to pace the Royals. The two teams broke the previous MIAC scoring record with 123 points, topping the previous mark of 109 set in St. Thomas’ 55-54 win over Carleton in 1996.
Playoff pairings
Seven West Region teams are in the NCAA Division III playoffs and six teams are involved in head-to-head matchups.
WIAC and defending national champion UW-Whitewater will be at home in the first round, taking on Macalester – the Midwest Conference champion.
St. Scholastica will travel to St. John’s in a meeting of UMAC and MIAC champions. The winner of that game will face the winner of St. Thomas and Wartburg in the second round.
SCIAC champion Chapman will make its playoff debut at NWC champ Linfield. That game is a rematch of the teams’ season-opener.
Rank ’em
Seven teams from the West Region were ranked in the final Top 25 of the regular season.
UW-Whitewater received 16 first place votes and remained ranked No. 1 nationally. Wartburg retained its No. 5 spot and Linfield and St. John’s stayed ranked Nos. 10 and 13, respectively.
Chapman moved up three spots to No. 17 and St. Thomas climbed two places to No. 20. UW-Oshkosh entered the poll at No. 23.
UW-Platteville and Bethel both fell out of the Top 25. Platteville (40), Concordia-Moorhead (34), Bethel (25) and Pacific Lutheran (2) all received votes.
