COLLEGEVILLE, MINN. – Once, it was practically considered a given. Over a 27-year span, St. John's made the Division III playoffs 19 times, leading everyone who played football at the school to expect they would participate in a postseason game at least once in their career.
That hadn't been the case for the past four years, a thought that weighed heavily on the minds of the Johnnies' seniors. They were relieved when their team returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2009, ensuring they would know how it felt to be part of that elite field. Saturday, they were elated to help their program earn something else it hadn't had in a while: a playoff victory.
The No. 13 Johnnies overpowered St. Scholastica 35-7 at Clemens Stadium, winning a first-round postseason game for the first time since 2007. Junior Sam Sura ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns, and the Johnnies defense harassed Saints quarterback Tyler Harper into eight interceptions, a D-III playoff record for an individual.
St. John's (10-1) will head to Waverly, Iowa, next Saturday to play a second-round game at Wartburg. Coach Gary Fasching said their celebration would be brief, but ending a three-game losing streak in the postseason ensured it would be especially meaningful.
"We've got a proud tradition here at St. John's, and our guys are aware of that,'' Fasching said. "To get back to the top was really important to our seniors this year.
"Our kids were focused all year. We have a great group of seniors; since the Concordia game [a 23-14 loss on Sept. 20], they've taken it upon themselves to get our team ready to go. It's a great feeling to win.''
The diminutive Harper — he's listed at 5-7 — averaged 208 passing yards per game and completed nearly 60 percent of his passes as he led St. Scholastica (10-1) to its fourth consecutive playoff berth. He had thrown nine interceptions all season; Saturday, the Johnnies picked him off four times in each half, as he completed 18 of 39 attempts for 146 yards.
While the Saints were outgained by only 31 yards, the turnovers and some ill-timed penalties short-circuited them throughout the game. A solid Saints defense prevented the Johnnies from scoring on any of their first-half interceptions. But Sura scored from 12 yards out on the first play of the second quarter, then added a 3-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds until halftime for a 14-0 lead.
St. Scholastica opened the second half with an onside kick and was initially awarded possession at its 48-yard line. The officials reversed that decision, giving possession to the Johnnies after determining that the Saints had illegally touched the ball — a ruling that both coaches considered a major factor in the outcome. Johnnies quarterback Nick Martin finished that drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Zach Sundly, while the Saints saw their first four possessions of the second half end with interceptions.
"[The Johnnies] executed really, really well,'' Harper said. "On a few of those interceptions, my receivers and I were on the wrong page, and we came up short.''
Saints coach Kurt Ramler, a former Johnnies quarterback, said he was proud of his team as "an incredible year'' ended. Fasching and his players felt the same about a season that will continue, thanks to St. John's eighth victory in a row.
"It feels pretty great to be able to bring back a win to the St. John's community,'' Sura said. "Now we have to focus on next week.''
