Johnnies look to bounce back from conference loss

After a loss for Johnnie football last week against Gustavus, the No. 18 team will look to bounce back when St. John’s hosts St. Scholastica on Saturday.

With five wins in seven games, the Johnnies have had a solid season with a competitive schedule. Despite the loss at Gustavus, SJU has prevailed in a number of close games, including wins over Augsburg and nationally ranked Trinity in a non-conference matchup to open the season.

According to SJU sophomore Dylan Wheeler and senior Nick VanErp, the Johnnies will continue to stay focused and resilient this week as they take on St. Scholastica at 1 p.m. in a Northwoods Divisional match-up at Clemens Stadium.

“Having non-conference games like Trinity and (Wisconsin) Whitewater has really been big for us. It helps us gauge where we are,” VanErp said. “Big games help you prepare against conference opponents. Having the MIAC be more competitive this year is a good thing.”

Wheeler has also been a major contributor for the Johnnies and is essential for quarterback Aaron Syverson success’ as he has passed for 2,391 yards and was named to D3football.com’s National Team of the Week on Oct. 17.

Wheeler said SJU’s goal is to have a short memory and focus on what is to come for the team and not dwell on the loss against Gustavus.

“There are some things we are trying to clean up with Scholastica this week,” Wheeler said. “One of the main things we are trying to improve on is penalties. This will be a good week to eliminate the mental mistakes. I think when we play sharp, we are really tough to beat.”

Wheeler looks up to the seniors this year and says they have helped him become a better player.

“[Jimmy] Buck and VanErp have really shown me the ropes of [being a] wide receiver. Playing in big games is all about preparation, being in the office as much as we can, watching a lot of film and hitting the weight room,” he said.

Wheeler has developed a good rapport with Syverson.

“Aaron and I are really good friends now. He is a great leader. The kind of poise he has on the field in big games really rubs off on the whole team. Everything he does helps us,” Wheeler said.

Both players believe that the team is focused and resilient. It is a message that head coach Gary Fasching has pushed throughout the season and particularly this week.

“We have no choice but to win out, and it starts with our game against St. Scholastica,” Fasching said via email. “Our team has shown great resolve all year, and I expect that we will come out and play our best game of the year. We have great leaders on our team. We always need to be our best because we are going to get the best out of every team we play.”

According to Fasching, the defense needs to step up, make stops and turn the ball over to SJU’s offense.

“Our plan every week is to play great defense and get stops. The best defenses are best because they get stops and get off the field,” Fasching said. “Our offense has been really explosive, and we need to keep giving them the ball back in great field position. I have great confidence in our team that we will bounce back with great effort and intensity.”

From an offensive perspective, VanErp, who led all receivers against Gustavus with seven receptions and 105 yards, is confident in his fellow teammates.

“Being successful throughout the year has to do with how deep we are at every position. We have five or six guys we can put at receiver,” VanErp said. “We all know that one will make a play. At running back, we have three or four guys who run hard. Having Aaron is awesome; he is fantastic.”

The Johnnies have a plethora of offensive options that they can turn to, depending on the moment. VanErp believes this is what makes their offense difficult to defend.

“You never know whose day it is going to be. Dylan [Wheeler] had three (touchdowns) against Carleton, I had two against Gustavus and Marselio [Mendez] had two against Concordia. It is hard for teams to cover one guy when we are five wide and explosive,” VanErp said.

Wide receiver Marselio Mendez has 26 receptions for 340 yards in seven games this season.

On defense, the Johnnies lean on each other and the coaching staff, linebacker Cooper Yaggie noted.

“[The coaches] are very helpful, and they keep us on track. It gives us the confidence to go all out and play with passion,” Yaggie said via email.

Syverson has been very happy with Yaggie’s performance this year.

“Cooper has really stepped up this year. He was a really solid player for us last year, and this year he’s elevated to one of the best guys,” Syverson said via email.