- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XXII - December 1, 2005 -
Johnnies dropped from D-III playoffs
Turnovers doom SJU football team in 34-7 loss to Whitewater
The St. John's football team's playoff run came to a sudden end Saturday at the hands of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Warhawks touted one of the best running backs in the nation in sophomore Justin Beaver, as well as a talented quarterback in junior Justin Jacobs.
Beaver ran for 168 yards and Jacobs passed for 192 yards and two touchdowns as Whitewater totaled 377 yards in a 34-7 win to end the Johnnies' season.
"We wanted to stop their running back defensively as well as put pressure on the quarterback," senior defensive tackle Jason Good said.
The Johnnies had trouble doing both. Beaver improved his school-record rushing total to 1,913 yards and St. John's, which totaled 13 sacks in the first-round win over Monmouth, Ill., was limited to one sack against the Warhawks.
St. John's finished with 329 yards of offense, but the major difference between the two undefeated teams came down to turnovers. The Johnnies lost seven of eight fumbles, and sophomore quarterback Alex Kofoed threw a fourth-quarter interception.
"It's always hard to recover when we fumble, we lose a lot of momentum," senior offensive guard Luke Schumacher said. "We still try to keep our heads up and keep going though."
The Johnnies started strong, scoring on a five-yard pass from Kofoed to junior running back Mike Lofboom. However, it was the last time the Johnnies would put points on the board.
The Warhawks finished out the first half with three scoring drives and a 21-7 lead.
"We had a couple turnovers in the first half, but we were still in the game," senior running back Corey Weber said. "We've come back from being down, we just had to continue to play our game."
The Johnnies weren't able to recover, though. Whitewater scored three more times in the second half to roll to the win. Whitewater moves on to play at No. 1 ranked Linfield (Ore.) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs.
"They just seemed to be able to make the big plays when they needed them," Good said.
Unfortunately for St. John's, the Warhawks not only ended the Johnnie's season, but it also prevented the team's run at its second national title in three years.
"There were definitely a lot of tears shed on the field after the game, but it goes to show what type of program we have here," Weber said. "We can only look back and be proud of what we've accomplished."
St. John's finished the season with an 11-1 record.
The group of seniors finished their careers with a 2003 national championship and two MIAC Championships in 2003 and 2005.
"The accomplishments we've had as seniors is amazing," Schumacher said. "We have a lot to be proud of."
"St. John's is just one piece of the puzzle [for me]," Good said. "Luckily we were able to be playing this time of the year. In the end, it's a lot of fun."
As for Weber, he is looking for the Johnnies to carry over some success to next season.
"These seniors leave a strong team to the upcoming squad for next year," he said. "Our season and career has hopefully been inspiring to the younger guys. Hopefully they can continue the tradition at St. John's."