GAME NOTES
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – For the first time since the 2019 season, the St. Scholastica football team looks to play a full 10-game slate this season and it begins Saturday with a road trip to Tennessee to face The University of the South: Sewanee University.
Where:
Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium – Sewanee, Tenn.
When:
Saturday at 1 p.m.
Watch: https://sewaneetigers.com/showcase?Live=150
Stats: https://sewaneetigers.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Social Media:
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CSSSAINTSFB
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/cssfootball08
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StScholasticaFootball
St. Scholastica Saints
Record: 0-0, 0-0 MIAC
What You Need To Know about Saints:
-The Saints are 4-9 in season openers all-time with one win (2019-Mayville State) in their last six openers.
-St. Scholastica has played a non-conference game outside of the bordering states just one other time and that was in 2013, which was a 36-7 loss to Whitworth University (Wash.).
-The Saints welcome 51 newcomers to camp this year and for first known time in program history finished camp with the same number of players as day one of camp.
-Wearing the honorary #1 this season (top offensive player) will be sophomore wide receiver
Tyrique Givance (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park HS). In his first season as a Saint, Givance appeared in all eight games, grabbing 13 receptions and one touchdown.
-Wearing the honorary #11 this season (top defensive player) will be sophomore linebacker
Anthony Vo (St. Paul, Minn./Roseville HS). Vo was an Honorable Mention All-MIAC selection in freshman season. He led the team with 68 tackles and finished second in the conference, averaging 8.5 tackles per game.
-Expect the Saints to use multiple quarterbacks with return of sophomore
Byron Bishop (Sublimity, Ore./Regis HS), who started seven games last season, as well as, sophomore
Giuliano Villalpando (Houston, Texas/Clear Lake HS), whose season was lost on the first play from scrimmage last year. Also, vying for the snaps this season is sophomore transfer
Donald West (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury HS (Iowa Central)), who was a former First Team All-Metro selection from Woodbury, and did not play college football last season.
-In the backfield, St. Scholastica has a lot of young depth as well with sophomore
Nick Schlender (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) expecting to lead the way. Schlender ran for 284 yards last season and recorded over 40 yards in each of the final three games of the season.
-At wide out, the Saints will need to replace program record holder
Mitchell Adrian (Altoona, Wis./Altoona HS), who set career records for receptions and yards in a career. The aforementioned Givance will take one spot, while senior
Wyatt Lahr (Bowlus, Minn./Royalton HS) is also back. Look for sophomores
Benjamin Hunter (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) and
Ricky Weber (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) to fill the other positions.
-Up front, the Saints also have more depth than in recent years, but will be young with three freshmen expected to get the starting nod in the interior, while sophomores
Trent Beseth (Stanchfield, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) and
Sean Cheatwood (Tampa, Fla./Cypress Creek HS) return at the tackle spots.
-On the defensive side of the football, the Saints will have returners
Luke Liska (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran Academy) and
Henry Eilefson (New Brighton, Minn./Irondale HS) at the end positions with new faces in the middle having to replace Honorable Mention All-MIAC performer
Tandrell Foster (Hurley, Wis./Hurley HS).
-The Vo moves from defensive line to linebacker and will be joined by fellow sophomores
John Bonner (Grand Rapids, Minn./Grand Rapids HS),
Simon Randorf (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) and
Colby Jorschumb (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Jefferson HS).
-The secondary will be led by senior safety
Jake Kukowski (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin HS) and sophomore safety
Antonio Bugni (Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS). Kukowski was an Honorable Mention All-MIAC choice last season, while Bugni finished third on the team in tackles in first year with the Saints.
-At the corner spot, sophomore
Kyle Oswald (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS) slides into one spot as he will also be the place kicker once again. The other spot will belong to sophomore transfer
Isaiah Walters (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS (Iowa Western)), who was
Donald West's (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury HS (Iowa Central)) high school teammate at Woodbury.
-The Saints will enter Saturday's season opener not having won since November 9, 2019, nine games ago
Upcoming Opponent:
Sewanee Tigers
Record: 0-0, 0-0 SAA
What You Need to Know about The University of the South: Sewanee:
-Sewanee will open its 128
th season of football on Saturday.
-St. Scholastica will be 104
th different opponent the Tigers have faced all time.
-Head Coach Travis Rundle enters his sixth season as Head Coach.
-The Tigers are 2-7 all-time vs. non-conference opponents under Rundle.
-The Tigers enter Saturday's season opener on a 22-game losing streak.
-Hardee-McGee Field at Harris Stadium is the fourth-oldest NCAA football field in the country, debuting in 1891.
Series Record: First meeting between the two programs
Series History: First meeting between the two programs. The teams were scheduled to face each other in Duluth to open last season before the game was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
Looking Ahead: The Saints will have their bye week next week before heading back on the road in a couple of weeks to face an old Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) foe in Crown College.
