DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica football team will kick off its ninth season on Saturday when for the first time it will face a ranked opponent during the regular season as it takes on No. 9 Saint John's University.
Where:
Clemons Stadium – Collegeville, Minn.
When:
Saturday at 1 p.m.
Watch: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/csbsju/
Listen: http://www.csssaints.com/ssn
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Social Media:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CSSSAINTSFB
Instagram:
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Facebook:
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St. Scholastica Saints
2015 Stats
2015 Record: 9-2, 9-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Key Returners on Offense:
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Dakota Paulson (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie HS) –
Quarterback – Started the first four games of the season before being sidelined due to injury … Threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns vs. Eureka in final full game before getting injured vs. Crown.
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Kyle Stepka (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) –
Quarterback– Started four games, including the final three games of the season … Finished fourth in the conference in passing yards and touchdowns … Set a program record with 453 passing yards with four touchdowns vs. Westminster.
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Hunter Thompson (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) –
Wide Receiver – First Team All-UMAC selection … Led NCAA Division III in yards per reception (25.6) … Led the UMAC in receiving yards overall and yards per game in league games.
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Ben Buthe (New Prague, Minn./New Prague HS) –
Running Back – Played in all 11 games as a freshman … Had a season-high 14 carries vs. Westminster … Had 11 receptions on the season.
Key Returners on Defense:
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Mason Bloomquist (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS ) –
Linebacker – Second Team All-UMAC selection … Started the first seven games, before missing the final four games due to injury … Recorded a season-high 10 tackles, including three sacks and an interception vs. MacMurray and was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week.
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Jake Zoellick (Sarona, Wis./Rice Lake HS) –
Defensive Line – Second Team All-UMAC choice last season as a sophomore … Recorded at least five tackles in four games.
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Kenneth Jinkins (Eagan, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) –
Defensive Back – Finished third on the team in tackles for a loss … Registered 12 tackles, including two for a loss, and a pass breakup in NCAA Playoff game vs. UW-Oshkosh … Led the team in kickoff return average.
Key Losses:
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Alex Mangan (Eagan, Minn./Eagan HS) –
Linebacker – A 2015 Honorable Mention All-American by D3football.com … UMAC Defensive Player of the Year … Holds the program record for tackles for a loss in a career.
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Defensive Secondary – CSS graduated five members from its secondary …
Mitch Ejnik (New London, Minn./New London-Spicer HS ) was an All-West Region selection by D3football.com and was named the UMAC Special Teams Player of the Year … Safety
Xavier Rhodes (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) and corner
John Mike (South St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul HS) were First Team All-UMAC choices last season … Safety
Brady Fish (Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS ) was a second team all-conference choice last season after being named a first team selection in 2014 … Cornerback
Jack Miller (Mendota Heights, Minn./St. Thomas Academy ) was a First Team All-UMAC selection in 2014.
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Joe Geiselman (Virginia, Minn./Virginia HS) –
Defensive End – First Team All-UMAC choice last season … Holds the program record for career sacks … Had 10 tackles for a loss, including five sacks last season
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Nick Plager (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) –
Offensive Line – Named the UMAC Lineman of the Year last season after starting 10 games at left tackle.
Coach Ramler Homecoming: St. Scholastica Head Coach
Kurt Ramler, a Johnnie Alum, begins his third season with the Saints … Ramler enters the season with a 19-3 mark in his first two seasons, including a perfect 18-0 conference record … Ramler still holds the top three program records in Saint John's history for passing yards in a game and is the second winningest quarterback in Johnnie history.
Season Openers: The Saints are 3-5 all-time in season openers … CSS has not won a non-conference road game since defeating Lawrence University (Wis.) to open the 2011 season.
History Disparity: While the Saints will begin its ninth season as a program on Saturday, Saint John's will open its 106
th year playing football.
20 is the Magic Number: The Saints are 50-0 since 2010 when they score at least 20 points … The Saints are 2-17 all-time when they fail to reach 20 points with both wins coming against the University of Northwestern.
UMAC Streaks: The Saints enter this season having won 30 straight UMAC games; a streak dating back to October 20, 2012 when they fell to Northwestern 14-13 at Ordean Stadium … That conference win streak is second-longest in NCAA Division III, behind Mount Union's (Ohio) 95 … The Saints will also carry a 23-game conference road winning streak into the 2016 season … The last time CSS lost a conference road game was at Martin Luther College on September 25, 2010.
Did You Know: 19 different Saints have caught a pass during the 2015 season … That is a program-best as the previous high was 14 during the 2011 season … Also four different CSS quarterbacks, including three different starters, threw touchdown passes, which is also a program-high in a season.
Top 5 Games to Watch
9/3 – at Saint John's
For the first time in program history the Saints will face a ranked opponent in the regular season.
9/17 – vs. Eureka
The Saints will host the Red Devils in their home opener at Public Schools Stadium … Last season, the Saints needed two fourth quarter touchdowns to rally past Eureka, including the game winner in the final 10 seconds.
10/15 – vs. Northwestern
For the second time in the last three seasons the Saints will face the Eagles on Homecoming … Four of the previous eight meetings have been decided by less than a touchdown, including the last two get-togethers.
10/29 – at Westminster
The previous three trips to Missouri for the Saints have been decided by a total of 27 points.
11/5 – vs. Greenville
It will be Senior Day for the Saints … Last year was the first time in three seasons that the CSS-Greenville game did not decide the conference champion.
UMAC Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica...................................... 81 points (9 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern.......................................... 72 points (1 First Place Vote)
3. Greenville................................................ 57 points
4. Westminster............................................ 56 points
T-5. Eureka.................................................. 43 points
T-5. MacMurray........................................... 43 points
7. Crown....................................................... 42 points
8. Minnesota Morris................................... 30 points
9. Martin Luther........................................... 14 points
10. Iowa Wesleyan..................................... 12 points
Upcoming Opponent
#9 Saint John's Johnnies
The Johnnies made the playoffs for the second straight season in 2015 before falling to eventual national runner-up and bitter rival University of St. Thomas in the second round … Saint John's will have to replace one of the best running backs in school history, Sam Sura, along with quarterback Nick Martin … Sura finished as the program's leading rusher, while Martin was a four-year starter at quarterback … Look for Penn State transfer Jackson Erdmann to get the nod at QB for the Johnnies as he was the 2014 Pioneer Press Player of the Year … The offensive line also loses four of five starters, but do return senior center Ben Eli … SJU will also see the return of wide receiver Evan Clark after missing most of last season due to injury … Clark was an all-region performer in 2014 … On paper the strength of the Johnnies is their defense … Linebacker Carter Hanson and defensive lineman Peyton Thiry are both back after earning All-American accolades in 2015 … Both are preseason All-Americans by D3football.com … Saint John's is picked to finish second in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) this season, according to the preseason coaches' poll.
Series History: SJU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: The Saints fell to the Johnnies 35-7 at Clemons Stadium in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Division III playoffs … Saint John's set a school record with eight interceptions in the contest …
Mason Bloomquist (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS ) had nine tackles, a sack and a pass breakup in the game.
Looking Ahead: The Saints have their conference opener on Saturday, September 10 in Jacksonville, Illinois when they take MacMurray College (Ill.).
