It was a rare and exciting matchup to have two teams from the same conference playing each other in the playoffs. The Tommies bested the Royals earlier this year in a 10-6 homecoming victory.
But this time it was the school from just a few miles north that came away with the win. Bethel topped St. Thomas 12-7 to move on to the semifinals next weekend against powerhouse Mount Union.
Photo Credit: Joe Henke
One score early, then D takes over
With the snow and parking ramp adventures, I was walking up to the ticket booth as I heard the PA announcer proclaim a touchdown for St. Thomas running back Colin Tobin. This was just a couple minutes into the game. But with the strong defensive play on both sides, I thought to myself, "Great. I'll bet that's the only time they score." Hoping, of course, that I was wrong.
I met up with my friend Joe and his friend Joan. The stands were pretty packed, a good thing to see, but we found some standing room in the front row along the 15-yard line.
As expected, the elite defenses took over the game. Both sides traded possessions and tried to convert on fourth downs, hoping the other would give just enough. Bethel scored a touchdown in the second quarter, but failed on the two-point conversion. It was a move that seemed odd to us in such a defensive game, but afterward I found out Bethel doesn't have much of a kicker.
Just not their day
The score at halftime was 7-6 in favor of St. Thomas. Bethel scored another touchdown late in the second half (again failing to convert for two points) to take the lead for good at 12-7. The Tommies had their chances, but failed to get enough first downs to move the ball down the field.
A couple big passing plays didn't go their way either. A long pass down the sideline appeared to be caught in bounds, but was ruled out of bounds. (At least according to what Joe could see, being that he had the height advantage.)
Another play later had a St. Thomas receiver with the ball in his hands, but he failed to complete the catch as he went down to the ground with a defender.
Bethel's star of the day was Logan Flannery. The 2010 MIAC MVP had 28 carries for 200 yards in his record-setting performance Saturday. He not only helped his team advance to the next round, but he also ran his way to becoming the MIAC's all-time leading rusher.
Key injuries to key Tommies
It was a pretty typical game, except two pieces were missing for the Tommies: Star All-American senior running back Ben Wartman didn't start due to injury. Junior wide receiver Fritz Waldvogel was knocked out of the game early with a hip injury.
Those were big losses for the Tommies. Wartman and Waldvogel had been two of the team's biggest playmakers. It's a shame they couldn't contribute during the final game.
Photo Credit: Joe Henke
As a result, Tobin was the main source of offense. He rushed 28 times for 122 yards, but it wasn't enough to put more than seven points on the board, a credit to the strong Bethel defense.
Penalties were once again a problem for St. Thomas, as they have been all season long. A few false-starts, holding and face masks did not help the Tommies along the way. It stopped momentum and helped the Royals on their drives.
Outdoor football in Minnesota
Several inches of fresh white powder made the day a little more interesting. Of course, we are talking about December in Minnesota; we can't expect great weather on Dec. 4. The field was scraped clean, and the snow piles were abundant around the sideline track and the end zones.
The remnants left behind after clearing the field looked like cookies-n-cream ice cream, or an Oreo blizzard, as Joe put it.
To be honest, it was a little hard to concentrate on the game at times, what with the feeling in my toes disappearing. Snow also started falling again during the second half. But it was still a fun experience.
Well done
Congratulations to the Tommies on a fantastic, record-filled season. They finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and finished 12-1 overall. They finally beat St. John's after a 13-year drought, and they beat Bethel for homecoming in an absolute thriller. Kudos.
As a reward for coach Glenn Caruso's hard work, he was honored as the Region Coach of the Year. Here's to a job well done coach.
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