JOEY GENDREAU IS MAKING THE MOST OF HIS SENIOR SEASON
PAGE 8 VS. CARLETON SATURDAY, OCT. 25, 1 P . M .
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TODAY’S MATCHUP
Junior quarterback
Trey Feeney threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns and the Johnnies’ defense came up big as Saint John’s (5-1, 4-1 MIAC) rolled to a 41-6 win over Concordia last Saturday (Oct. 18) in Moorhead. Junior linebacker Aiden McMahon and sophomore safety Mark Rogalski recorded interceptions and the Johnnies’ defense stopped the Cobbers three times on fourth down in SJU territory.
Carleton (5-1, 5-0 MIAC) cruised to a 63-14 Homecoming win over Hamline last weekend to give the Knights their first 5-0 start in MIAC play since 1992. Quarterback Jack Curtis was 29 of 39 passing for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Wideout Rye Storrs caught 10 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, while Cooper Pollard made two touchdown grabs, totaling 94 yards on four receptions.
SERIES HISTORY
Today’s game is the 42nd meeting between SJU and Carleton. The Johnnies have won each of the previous 41 matchups, including a 20-0 record here in Collegeville. SJU has outscored the Knights 1,798-369 (43.8-9.0 avg.) in the series, including a 514-53 advantage and four shutouts in the last 10 meetings.
47-YARD
FIELD GOAL
Junior kicker/ punter Matt Hansen drilled a pair of field goals in the second quarter last Saturday at Concordia, including a 47-yarder on the final play of the first half to give the Johnnies a 20-0 halftime lead. The field goal tied Hansen with Mike Schmidt ’83 (Nov. 14, 1981, at St. Thomas) for the seventh-longest in program history and was the longest by a Johnnie since 2012 (Jimmie Mattson’s ’13 49-yarder on Nov. 10 at Bethel).
1 YARD SHY OF 100
Senior All-American receiver Dylan Wheeler fell 1 yard shy of his third-consecutive 100-yard receiving game – and 13th of his career – with 99 and two touchdowns on a season-high 12 catches against Concordia. He leads the team with eight receiving touchdowns in six games this fall, and is second to senior tight end Joey Gendreau in both receptions (40) and receiving yards (529). Wheeler is currently third in SJU history in receiving touchdowns (39), fourth in receptions (189) and seventh in receiving yards (2,536). He has 20 receptions for 266 yards and five touchdowns in three previous games against Carleton, including a career-high 14 catches for 205 yards and
three touchdowns as a sophomore in SJU’s 63-7 win on Oct. 14, 2023, in Collegeville.
TD FOR THE DL Senior All-American defensive lineman Zach Frank recorded four tackles, including half a tackle for loss, in the Johnnies’ road win at Concordia. A rare sighting on offense, however, showcased Frank’s pass-catching ability and his first collegiate touchdown – a two-yard toss from Feeney – in the fourth quarter. He caught two passes for 33 yards last season, but was held out of the end zone. A semifinalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy and a candidate for the 2025 National Football Foundation (NFF) Scholar-Athlete Awards, Frank has 97 tackles (50 solo), including 32.5 tackles for a loss, 22.0 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 37 career games. The 22 sacks tie him with his defensive line coach, Damien Dumonceaux ’06, and Nick Gunderson ’09 for eighth in program history.
Saint John’s vs. Carleton
FRANK
FEENEY
HANSEN
N T H E F I E L D
CHAMPIONS
I N L O G I S T I C S
9/6 at Concordia-Chicago L, 16-17
9/13 at Saint John’s L, 0-49
9/20 at Crown L, 20-30
10/4 MARTIN LUTHER W, 30-27
10/11 at Westminster (Mo.) W, 30-27
10/18 NORTHWESTERN L, 3-21
10/25 at Greenville (Ind.) 12 p.m.
11/1 CROWN 1 p.m.
11/8 WESTMINSTER (MO.) 12 p.m.
11/15 at Martin Luther 1 p.m.
9/6 CROWN W, 28-21
9/20 SAINT JOHN’S L, 0-59
9/27 BETHEL L, 12-62
10/4 at Macalester L, 0-29
10/11 CONCORDIA L, 12-58
10/18 at Carleton L, 14-63
10/25 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS 1 p.m.
11/1 at St. Scholastica 1 p.m. 11/8 at St. Olaf 12 p.m. 11/15 at Augsburg 12 p.m.
9/6 at Valley City State L, 0-27
9/20 at St. Scholastica W, 30-23
9/27 at Saint John’s L, 0-63
10/4 ST. OLAF W, 44-13
10/11 BETHEL L, 7-56
10/18 at Macalester W, 32-21
10/25 CONCORDIA 12 p.m.
9/13 NORTHWESTERN W, 50-3
9/20 at Gustavus Adolphus W, 41-7
9/27 at Hamline W, 62-12
10/4 SAINT JOHN’S W, 17-10
10/11 at Augsburg W, 56-7
10/18 ST. OLAF W, 64-10
10/25 MACALESTER 1 p.m.
11/1 at Concordia 1 p.m.
11/8 CARLETON 1 p.m.
11/15 at St. Scholastica 1 p.m.
9/6 at Grinnell W, 20-15
9/20 at Carleton L, 7-51
9/27 at St. Scholastica L, 34-37 (2OT)
10/4 HAMLINE W, 29-0
10/11 at Saint John’s L, 0-70
10/18 AUGSBURG L, 21-32 10/25 at
9/6 at UW-Whitewater L, 14-45
9/20 MACALESTER W, 51-7
9/27 ST. OLAF W, 35-28
10/4 at Gustavus Adolphus W, 45-28
10/11 at St. Scholastica W, 41-14
10/18 HAMLINE W, 63-14
10/25 at Saint John’s 1 p.m.
11/1
11/8
11/15
9/6 at Whitworth L, 10-23
9/20 BETHEL L, 7-41
9/27 at Concordia L, 13-14
10/4 CARLETON L, 28-45
10/11 at St. Olaf W, 35-21
10/18 ST. SCHOLASTICA W, 45-6
10/25 at Hamline 1 p.m.
11/1 SAINT JOHN’S
9/6 MAYVILLE STATE W, 17-6
9/20 at St. Olaf L, 16-17
9/27 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS W, 14-13
10/4 ST. SCHOLASTICA W, 49-21
10/11 at Hamline W, 58-12
10/18 SAINT JOHN’S L, 6-41
10/25 at Augsburg 12 p.m.
11/1 BETHEL 1 p.m.
11/8 at Macalester 12 p.m. 11/15 at Carleton 12 p.m.
9/6 at Wisconsin-Lutheran W, 41-27
9/20 AUGSBURG L, 23-30
9/27 MACALESTER W, 37-34 (2OT)
10/4 at Concordia L, 21-49
10/11 CARLETON L, 14-41
10/18 at Gustavus Adolphus L, 6-45 10/25 at St. Olaf 1 p.m.
11/1 HAMLINE 1 p.m.
11/8 at Saint John’s 12 p.m. 11/15 BETHEL 1 p.m.
9/6 NORTHWESTERN W, 32-7
9/20 CONCORDIA W, 17-16 9/27 at Carleton L, 28-35
10/4 at Augsburg L, 13-44
10/11 GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS L, 21-35
10/18 at Bethel L, 10-64
1 JACK ST. FLEUR
6-0 210 DB
CHRISTIAN UNIFIED (CAL.) HIGH SCHOOL
What is something about you most people may not know?
I know how to play five instruments. I went to a performing arts (elementary school).
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an athlete and how did you overcome it?
Tearing my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) made me realize the game can be taken from you at any time and you can’t take it for granted. I grew closer to God during that time and relied on my faith and the people closest to me to help get through it.
70
ALEX MARKGRAF
6-0 270 OL ST. MICHAELALBERTVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
What is your best memory from your time on campus – in football or otherwise?
The offensive line’s yearly day at Lake (Sagatagan) after setting up lofts for the campus. It's a time to focus on having fun and bonding during one of the toughest times in football (fall camp).
What is the best movie you’ve seen recently?
“The Fantastic Four” was a great movie. I’m a big fan of Marvel movies, so I’m a little biased.
44
What teammate would you most want riding shotgun on a cross-country road trip and why?
Probably (senior wide receiver) Dylan Wheeler. Weʼve survived living together for four years.
What is your best memory from your time on campus – in football or otherwise?
I couldnʼt name just one. Living each day with my best friends has been a blast.
93
RILEY DEROSIER
6-0 215 LB
6-1 235 DL
BRAINERD HIGH SCHOOL
7
6 EVAN ISAAC WAHLIN POTTER
185 DB
CLOUD CATHEDRAL HIGH SCHOOL WASECA HIGH SCHOOL
What is something about you most people may not know?
I have a twin sister named Sophie.
If you could have any meal for dinner tonight, what would it be and why?
A big sushi and steak dinner. I love fresh sushi and I love a good steak.
What were the reasons you chose to come to Saint John’s?
The proximity to my hometown, the prowess of the football team and the outdoor setting.
What is something about you most people may not know?
I love to work on small engines – mainly outboard boat motors.
Winning Takes DRIVE.
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What is your favorite place on campus and why?
Clemens Stadium because I spend almost every day there with my friends.
If you could have any meal for dinner tonight, what would it be and why?
Breakfast sandwiches because you can’t beat breakfast for dinner.
Dylan Wheeler perhaps summed up most eloquently the impact Warren “Boz” Bostrom had on the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University communities. And why the beloved accounting professor and tireless booster for CSB and SJU will be missed by so many on the two campuses and beyond.
Bostrom – a former lineman on the Johnnie football team who helped build the CSB and SJU accounting program into a highly regarded powerhouse – died earlier this month at the age of only 52 after battling illness.
“Boz made you feel like you were the most important person in the world when you were talking to him,” said Wheeler, an All-American wide receiver who became an accounting major after getting to know Bostrom early in his time at SJU.
“He made every student feel special. That’s one of the things he was so good at, personalizing relationships with people.”
Bostrom – who was also the author of several books, including one on his legendary former head coach John Gagliardi – was a steady advocate for all students at CSB and SJU, not just accounting majors.
He got to know many of them well over the years, becoming a mentor and friend.
“He was such a good leader,” said senior linebacker Aiden McMahon, also an accounting major. “He led by example. He treated everyone with the utmost respect and kindness.
BY FRANK RAJKOWSKI
John’s vs. Carleton
“Whether you were a star on the football field on Saturday afternoons, or a quiet kid in the back of the classroom, he found ways to reach out and let you know he cared.”
But Bostrom did have a deep passion for Johnnie and Bennie athletics, including the SJU football program. He was a regular in the bleachers during practice on autumn weekday afternoons, and he was always on the field greeting players after games on Saturdays, checking in to see how they were doing.
“Boz has been so instrumental to every aspect of my time here,” Wheeler said. “He was the one who first convinced me to take an accounting class my sophomore year. I really enjoyed it and found myself on that track. He became my academic advisor and he’s the biggest reason I already have a job lined up (at investment bank Cascadia Capital) after graduation.
“We’d talk about school, but we’d also talk about football and relationships. I relied on him for a lot and he was always there.”
Given his love of Johnnie football, it’s fitting the team will continue to wear stickers on their helmets in his honor for the remainder of this season.
“It’s so important to show everyone the impact he had, not just on the football program, but the whole university,” McMahon said. “He was so passionate about Johnnie football and the sense of community it helps bring to these schools. It just gives us one more thing to play for.
“We want to be sure we’re following Boz’s example and making him proud.”
Gendreau making the most of his final season
The All-American senior tight end is one of the MIAC’s leading receivers
Joey Gendreau doesn’t know what the future might bring.
The Saint John’s senior All-American tight end hopes to get a shot at playing football professionally. But he knows that’s far from guaranteed. So he wants to make the most of the time he knows he has left in the sport he loves.
“It’s senior year now, and the name of the game is leaving it all on the field,” Gendreau said. “I don’t really know what my plans for after college are. I don’t know if it includes more football. I just know I have to play like this is my last chance.
“Because it very well might be, and it’s for sure the last time I get to play with my teammates here. Knowing all that has kind of brought another level out in me.”
over Macalester on Oct. 11 at Clemens Stadium when he had six catches for 115 yards and became just the fifth player in program history to catch four touchdown passes or more in a single game.
“We kid him that it looks like no one is covering him sometimes,” SJU coach Gary Fasching said. “He keeps finding ways of getting open and our quarterbacks feel very comfortable throwing to him. They look for him on a lot of plays. He’s had a really great year.”
"It’s senior year now, and the name of the game is leaving it all on the field."
Indeed it has. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Minnetonka High School graduate had a big season a year ago, catching 63 passes for 810 yards and five touchdowns while earning All-MIAC and All-American honors.
But he’s been even more productive this fall. Through the Johnnies’ first six games, he has a team-best 41 catches for 620 yards and seven touchdowns.
He has crossed the 100-yard receiving mark four times, including in a 70-0 victory
Gendreau said it’s helped he’s feeling 100% healthy this season. That wasn’t always the case a year ago when he pulled a hamstring before fall camp started. He was able to play through it, but felt the effects of the injury all season.
“It was a season-long thing I had to deal with,” he said. “That was challenging –trying to keep on top of it and doing everything I needed to do to stay on the field. But I did it. I didn’t even want
to consider not being out there.”
While Gendreau is catching passes now, for a number of years growing up, he was the one throwing them. He played quarterback in junior high and high school, even starting a handful of games on varsity for the Skippers as a sophomore.
But during his COVID-impacted junior year in 2020, he was moved to wide receiver, then eventually to tight end.
“That was a big change,” Gendreau said. “I wasn’t the best receiver right away. But I also played basketball and making catches is similar to going up to grab rebounds. So I picked that part up pretty easily.
“Blocking was actually the biggest hurdle I had to overcome. It’s a lot different going from being the guy in the pocket trying to avoid contact to being the guy meeting the defense in the gap at full force. That didn’t happen overnight. But I found blocking, to some extent, comes down to mentality. If you convince yourself you can dominate the guy across the line from you, that’s half the battle.”
Gendreau was also able to spend his first two seasons in Collegeville learning the ropes from All-American starter Alex Larson, who finished his career as the program’s all-time leader in catches (171), receiving yards (2,097) and receiving touchdowns (30) by a tight end. Larson took part in minicamps with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and New
Orleans Saints in the spring of 2024. It also didn’t hurt catching passes from four-year All-American starter Aaron Syverson, who finished his career as the school and MIAC leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.
“I was very fortunate to have had really good people in front of me,” said Gendreau, who himself has 133 career catches for 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns. “Not just great football players, but great men. Anytime you get the chance to back up a guy like Alex, who had a shot at going from the Division III level to the NFL, you’re going to learn a lot. That dude worked his butt off and showed me the ropes when it came to what it takes to be successful in a program like this.
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John’s
coaching staff
GARY FASCHING
It’s never easy to replace a legend, but Gary Fasching has proven himself up to the task.
The 1981 SJU graduate took over for John Gagliardi when the winningest coach in college football history retired following the
KOLE HECKENDORF
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR WIDE RECEIVERS 13th SEASON on coaching staff
Kole Heckendorfis in his eighth season as SJU’s offensive coordinator and his 13th as a member of the team’s coaching staff. Heckendorf was a standout wide receiver at North Dakota State, who ended his career (2005-08) with the Bison as the program’s career leader in catches (178) and receiving yards (2,732). He then spent time with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers and Indianapolis Colts.
Kole and his wife, Kristen, son, Landon, and daughter, Hallie, reside in Sauk Rapids.
Additional Coaching Staff
Josh Bungum ’16 Quarterbacks
Josh Bungum is in his 10th season on the coaching staff. He was an All-American pick as a player in 2015 and finished his career second in program history in receptions.
Will Blakey Running Backs
Will Blakey rushed for 446 yards and a team-best 10 touchdowns for the Johnnies in 2024 before transitioning onto the coaching staff this season.
Mike Magnuson ’90 Offensive Line
Mike Magnuson is in his 11th season on the coaching staff and his eighth coaching the team’s offensive lineman. He was a three-year starter for the Johnnies at offensive tackle himself, helping lead the team to two NCAA Division III playoff appearances.
2012 season. Since that time, Fasching has guided the Johnnies to six MIAC titles and led his team to eight-straight NCAA Division Ill playoff berths from 2014-’22 (no season in 2020) – a program and MIAC record streak, as well as nine berths in the last 10 years.
A three-year starter for the Johnnies at linebacker (197778, 1980-81), Fasching served 17 years as an assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator on Gagliardi’s staff before taking over as head coach. He has since been named MIAC coach of the year
BRANDON NOVAK
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR DEFENSIVE BACKS 26th SEASON on coaching staff
Brandon Novak is in his 26th season as an assistant coach for the Johnnies and currently serves as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.
The 2001 SJU graduate was a two-time AllAmerican selection at linebacker who earned MIAC MVP honors in 1999. He was a three-time All-American wrestler and won the NCAA Division Ill national championship at 197 pounds in 2001.
Novak and his wife, Heather, sons, Sebastian and Maikol, and daughter, Luciana, reside in St. Joseph.
Ben Eli ’16
Offensive Line
Ben Eli is in his eighth season on the coaching staff. As a player, he was an All-American selection at center.
James Herberg Defensive Backs
James Herberg is in his first season on the coaching staff this fall after leading Rocori High School to a Class 4A state title in 2019 and a state runner-up finish in 2023 as the Spartans head coach.
Max Jackson ’19
Defensive Assistant/Diversity and Student Success
Max Jackson is in his fifth season on the coaching staff. He was a two-time All-American safety and a two-time All-MIAC pick in baseball.
Collin Franz ’21
Defensive Line
Collin Franz is in his fourth season on the coaching staff. He started all 12 games for the Johnnies as player in 2021.
seven times (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024). Prior to coming to SJU, Fasching was the head coach at St. Cloud Cathedral High School from 1986-’95, leading the Crusaders to back-to-back state titles in 1992 and ’93.
In 2022, he was inducted into both the Minnesota Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Hall of Fame and the St. Cloud Cathedral Athletic Hall of Fame.
He and his wife, Cindy, have five children and 13 grandchildren and reside in St. Joseph.
RECRUITING COORD. DEFENSIVE LINE 20th SEASON on coaching staff
Damien Dumonceaux is in his 20th season on the SJU coaching staff and currently serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach. He was a three-year starter at nose tackle for the Johnnies from 2003-’04, earning All-American honors as a senior.
That season, he was also named Football Gazette’s Defensive Lineman of the Year and D3football.com’s Defensive Player of the Year, while receiving the MIAC Mike Stam Award as the conference’s top lineman. Dumonceaux and his wife, Patricia, and son, Fischer, reside in St. Joseph.
Andy Auger ’95
Defense
Andy Auger is in his seventh season as a volunteer assistant. Prior to that, the former football and baseball standout for the Johnnies was head football coach at St. Cloud Cathedral from 2013-15. Tom Wicka ’90 Linebackers
Tom Wicka is in his fourth season as a volunteer assistant. He was a two-time All-MIAC pick at linebacker at SJU.
Alexi Johnson ’17
Kickers
Alexi Johnson is in his eighth season as a volunteer assistant. He was the Johnnies’ kicker from 2013-16, ending his career second in school history in career field goals (27) and career PAT’s (190).
Isaiah Traufler ’24
Tight Ends
Isaiah Traufler is in his first season on the coaching staff after playing four years at running back for SJU.
0 JOEY GENDREAU Sr. TE 6-3 230 SHOREWOOD, MN/MINNETONKA
1 TREY FEENEY Jr. QB 6-3 205 MOORHEAD, MN/MOORHEAD
36 BRYCE BEVAN So. DB 5-10 175 RIVER FALLS, WI/RIVER FALLS
37 JACE OLSON Fr. LS 6-0 200 HUDSON, WI/HUDSON
42 ZANDER KIM So. LB 5-10 225 ENGLEWOOD, CO/KENT DENVER SCHOOL
44 ZACH VENTURA Sr. LB 5-11 210 SHORT HILLS, NJ/PINGRY
46
47
49 MARCUS MERKELBACH
WOODS
SPENCER
ANTHONY BALDENEGRO
COACHING STAFF
HEAD COACH: TOM JOURNELL (EIGHTH SEASON AT CARLETON/18TH OVERALL)
ASSISTANT COACHES: SAM KENT (DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR), ALEX BALOGH (OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR), DENNIS LEE (RECRUITING COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE), SCOTT VAN EPPS (OFFENSIVE LINE), MATT NORSTAD (DEFENSIVE BACKS), BRAYDEN
SUPENSKY (LINEBACKERS), MARCUS PEARSON (ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE)
Head Coach: Tom Journell
family weekend at CSB+SJU
Family Weekend is always memorable at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University.
It’s a chance for current students to welcome parents and other family members to campus, show them around and introduce them to the places and people that make their time here so rewarding.
“Family Weekend is one of the most joyful traditions on our campuses – a time to celebrate the people who’ve shaped and supported our Bennies and Johnnies,” CSB and SJU President Brian Bruess said.
“It’s a weekend filled with pride, laughter and gratitude as families experience these remarkable places together.”
Today’s football game is one of the centerpieces of the weekend’s activities. But it’s not the only one.
After the action at Clemens Stadium concludes, make plans to stop by the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement’s Family Fall Festival, which runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at CSB’s Haehn Campus Center. The event features fun and games, arts and crafts for kids, tasty treats and even a photobooth.
Or enjoy a warm bowl of soup as part of a benefit to support the Harvest Mental Health Group and the TriCounty Humane Society at the Abbey Guesthouse on the SJU campus. That event runs from 4 to 8 p.m. No RSVP is required, but a $10 cash donation is requested.
The CSB and SJU soccer teams are also in action, taking on Concordia at 3:30 p.m. at CSB and SJU, respectively.
Later tonight, a variety of performers take the stage in the Swayed Pines Variety Show, which is scheduled to run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Bad Habit Brewing in St. Joseph.
Then, on Sunday, attend community Mass at either CSB’s Sacred Heart Chapel or the Saint John’s Abbey and University Church. Both begin at 10:30 a.m.
A student Mass at CSB is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday and the student Mass at SJU gets underway at 9 p.m.
PROUD
SPONSOR AND CONTRACTOR FOR JOHNNIE
ATHLETICS
All-American Profile
Jim “The Rocket” Roche did it all during his time at SJU
There wasn’t much Warren “Jim” Roche didn’t do during his time in Collegeville.
The Minneapolis native attended high school at Saint John’s Prep before moving over to Saint John’s, where he starred in three sports –football, basketball and track and field, while dabbling a bit in baseball as well.
But it was on the gridiron where the 1940 graduate made his biggest impact, finishing his collegiate career with 24 touchdowns. That included 11 as a senior in 1939 when he became just the second player in program history to earn All-American honors.
“Jim Roche is a coach’s dream child,” his head coach George Durenberger told the St. Cloud Times upon his graduation in the spring of 1940.
“He was the all-around grid prospect. He could kick, punt and pass – which are the essential needs of a good halfback. I had the good fortune to have Jim on the squad in college. He lived up to all expectations. The conference feared yet respected his grid prowess. What’s more, Jim was able to work for his degree in economics, play three sports and still graduate before his 21st birthday.”
Roche – nicknamed The Rocket on campus – scored three touchdowns in a game three times in 1939 while helping lead SJU to a 5-2 record.
“Lanky, swivel-hipped, a super-charged speed demon,” is how the Times described a player the newspaper dubbed “Jackrabbit Jim.”
Perhaps The Rocket/Jackrabbit’s most impressive outing came in a 28-12 win over St. Mary’s on a Friday night in Winona when he rushed for scores of 88, 26 and 33 yards, prompting the Winona Daily News to call him “as fine a runner as Winona football fans have ever seen.”
“Roche, running beautifully, clinched his title as the Minnesota conference’s most dangerous climax runner by scoring in each of the first three quarters and almost breaking away for another in the fourth,” read a recap of the game in the 1940 edition of The Sagatagan yearbook.
The two-time All-MIAC selection concluded his
career with another three-touchdown outing in a 40-19 drubbing of Hamline in the 1939 season finale and was a standout on defense and special teams all season long.
“In his last year of competition, Roche reached his peak,” The Record wrote in a season wrap-up. “
He ended in a deadlock with (teammate Benny) Lorenz for high scoring honors in the loop with 42 points (in MIAC contests). He kept opposing teams on edge with his long, spiraling, accurate (punts) that (had) the habit of rolling out of bounds way down near pay dirt.
“As a broken-field runner, Roche had no peer in the conference.”
Roche went on to serve his country as a Navy pilot during World War II. He and his wife, Patricia, a 1941 CSB graduate, had nine children.
He passed away at age 71 in May 1991.
Every Day Is Game Day
Become a Bennie or a Johnnie and you’ll unlock the magic of today’s game day community, camaraderie and commitment to excellence to carry with you every day on campus. This is who we are.
Come take a closer look –schedule a campus visit today!
Football Facilities
Clemens Stadium
From the start, those in charge of developing the space now known as Clemens Stadium had something majestic in mind. So they set about turning a former cranberry bog into a natural bowl stadium that has been the home of Saint John’s University football for 117 years.
Ringed by the gorgeous fall colors of the surrounding Central Minnesota woods, the field has long become a destination spot, a status only solidified when Sports Illustrated named it one of college football’s top 10 “Dream Destinations” in 1999.
The facility itself has expanded often over the years. Concrete seating was added in 1933 and expanded in 1957. The familiar stone entrance behind the south end zone was built in 1939 and the first press box and concession stand were erected four years later. In 1997, local philanthropist Bill Clemens – the man for whom the stadium is named – provided a million-dollar donation that allowed for construction of a new grandstand, an expanded press box, larger concession stands and restrooms and a new entrance. Another donation by Clemens, who attended SJU from 1938-ʼ40, made possible the installation of an artificial playing surface in 2002.
A third tier to the press box was added in 2009 and lights were installed in 2012. Meanwhile, large crowds have been commonplace. SJU has finished among the national leaders in per-game attendance in NCAA Division III in each of the last 21 seasons – including crowds of 10,000 or more 25 times since 2001.
That included a facility-record 17,327 for a matchup against St. Thomas on Sept. 26, 2015 – a day in which ESPN’s “Sports Center On the Road” program was broadcast live from the stadium, and a crowd of 13,107 on hand to see legendary former coach John Gagliardi become the winningest coach in college football history when SJU beat Bethel 29-26 on Nov. 8, 2003.
McGlynn Fitness Center
When it comes to training, the right facilities are important.
The 5,600-feet McGlynn Fitness Center –which was made possible by a generous gift from the Burt McGlynn family, and is open to all students and alums – is equipped with a full range of free weights, upper-body, lower-body and full-core machines, and cardiovascular machines such as treadmills, ellipticals and exercise bicycles.
Gagliardi Field
A big part of the success of the Saint John’s University football program over the years has been the way players of the past helped pave the way for players of the present and future.
The Gagliardi Field and Seasonal Dome complex is a perfect example of that sense of community. Named in honor of legendary former football coach John Gagliardi – the winningest coach in college history – it was made possible by gifts from more than 50 individual donors, many of whom were former players.
The artificial turf field has markings for a fulllength football field, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, two cross-court soccer fields, baseball and softball, along with three batting cages when the Skalicky Dome goes up from October to April each academic year.
It’s a year-round home for intramural sports on campus, but also serves as a practice facility for the football team and other varsity sports.
Entrepreneur of the Year award winners exemplify the Johnnie and Bennie tradition
Celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit that is such a big part of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University is the idea behind the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, presented annually by the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship.
The CSB and SJU awards “recognize the achievements of a Johnnie and a Bennie who best exemplify the ideals of entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more businesses in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements while practicing Benedictine values in the workplace and in their lives.”
In addition, the CSB+SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year award “recognizes the achievements and qualities of a Johnnie or Bennie who best exemplifies the ideals of social entrepreneurship by starting and successfully managing one or more ventures that enrich humanity or address a social issue in a way that demonstrates notable entrepreneurial characteristics and achievements while practicing Benedictine values in the workplace and in their lives.” The awards have been presented annually since 2011.
• This year’s SJU Entrepreneur of the Year is Brian Roers ’01, the owner and co-founder of Roers Cos. which was founded in 2012 and has grown its portfolio to include over $4 billion in development in 14 states, as well as being recognized as a top 25 developer and builder by the National Multifamily Housing Council.
• This year’s CSB Entrepreneur of the Year is Heidi Hovland ’88, a leader in the communications field who has been a trusted advisor to well-respected companies like Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Celebrity Cruise Lines, IHOP and Chobani. After decades of agency leadership, she founded her own – Altitude Co – a year ago.
• This year’s CSB+SJU Social Entrepreneur of the Year is Fr. Mike Schmitz ʼ97, the director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth, as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He is also host of the popular podcasts, “Bible in a Year” and "The Catechism in a Year.”
This year’s winners will be honored in a ceremony scheduled to run from 5 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom in Golden Valley. Those interested in attending can register by scanning the QR Code on this page. The cost ranges from $35 to $50.
“I love this event,” said Paul Marsnik, a professor of entrepreneurship and global business at CSB and SJU, the academic director of the Entrepreneur Scholars program and director of the McNeely Center.
“What could be better than gathering with a group of Bennie and Johnnie alums, mingling with entrepreneurial CSB/SJU students showcasing their ventures and celebrating founders whose journeys began at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. It’s inspiring, communal and a whole lot of fun, with hearty appetizers and a cash bar to keep the conversations going.”
featured flashback
It was an afternoon of firsts when Saint John’s beat Carleton 24-8 on Oct. 1, 1983.
Most notably, the game marked the first time the Johnnies and Knights met on the football field. Carleton was a charter member of the MIAC when the conference was formed in 1920. But the Knights departed the league five years later, following the 1924-25 school year. Football had been abolished at SJU in 1910. The sport returned in 1921, but the program was just getting back on its feet. So the Johnnies never faced Carleton until the Knights returned to the conference in the fall of 1983.
That game also marked the first victory of the 1983 season for SJU, which began the year 0-3 – losing to St. Cloud State, Hamline and St. Thomas.
And – for a freshman quarterback from Woodbury High School – it marked the dawn of a four-year run as the Johnnies’ starter.
Rick Dougherty came off the bench in relief of Tim Sullivan, whose father Bob (a former Johnnie) happened to be Carleton’s head coach. He made the most of the opportunity, throwing for 254 yards and three
touchdowns, solidifying his QB 1 claim.
Two of his touchdown passes went to senior tight end Chris Biggins, including a 51-yarder in the second quarter after the Knights gambled and went for it on 4th-and-goal at the SJU 2-yard line.
He added a 10-yard scoring strike to sophomore Chris Turnquist – his high school teammate – to put the Johnnies in front 17-0 at halftime.
“I suppose I felt a little pressure, but at the same time, it was more about playing the game and enjoying it,” Dougherty said. “I wasn’t worried about making any mistakes. I just wanted to go out there and do the best I could.”
The victory over Carleton marked the start of a seven-game winning streak for
total that still ranks seventh in program history. He also finished with 42 touchdown passes, which remains tied for ninth on the school’s all-time list.
He led the Johnnies to an MIAC title and a berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs as a junior in 1985.
“One of the things that was really unique about (legendary head coach) John (Gagliardi) was that he allowed his quarterbacks to call their own plays,” Dougherty said. “We knew what was and wasn’t working and he allowed us to be part of the decision-making process.
“That was always engaging and helped build a lot of confidence.”
SJU’s victory that day also marked the start of an unbeaten streak against
RICK DOUGHERTY
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