THE BEARS SCHEDULE 08/25 at Kalamazoo Central W 20-9 08/31 Kal. Loy Norrix W 41-12 09/08 at Portage Northern* W 20-15 09/15 Lakeshore* L 6-14 09/22 at Mattawan W 42-7 09/29 at Detroit- Jesuit (at Hazel Park) 10/06 Niles* 10/13 Gull Lake 10/20 at Portage Central* All Games Start at 7:00 *SMAC West Division Game TABLE OF CONTENTS Game Day Information 1 The Bears 2-3 Quick Facts/Series History 4 Coaches Info 5 U-D Jesuit Roster 6 Last Meeting 7 St. Joe Record Book 8-9 The Last Time St. Joe 10 SJ Under Gandalf Church 11 Underclassmen 12 Bear Traditions 13 Dickinson Stadium 14 Season Summaries 16-21 Press Clippings 22 Stats Appx WEEK 6 SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 7:00 PM ST. JOSEPH BEARS AT UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT-JESUIT CUBS ST. JOSEPH BEARS U-D JESUIT CUBS 4-1 (1-1 SMAC West) 1-4 (0-1 CHSL-AA) Date: Friday, September 29, 2017 Kickoff: 7:00 PM Location: Hazel Park Stadium Hazel Park, MI Radio (SJ): 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports: Phil McDonald (p-b-p), Bret Witkowski (analyst) Internet Radio (SJ) www.wsjmsports.com) Internet Radio (UDJ) www.cubsportscast.com Newspaper: The Herald Palladium (www.heraldpalladium.com) Twitter: @stjoefootball Facebook: www.facebook.com/sjfootball BEARS AND CUBS It s only the second time the two teams from each side of the state have met, and the first was exactly one year ago tomorrow. Jesuit defeated St. Joseph 48-13 at a rainy and wet Dickinson Stadium. This is the Bears farthest trip east to play a football game since playing at the University of Michigan Stadium last year and the opening of the 1985 season, when the Bears faced Detroit Catholic Central at the Pontiac Silverdome. ABOUT THE BEARS St. Joe played the role of Homecoming spoiler as the Bears defeated Mattawan 42-7 to put a damper on the Wildcats festivities. Making his first varsity start Nathan Long led the Bears offense going 10 of 16 for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Haynes once again did the damage on the ground, carrying 22 times for 122 yards and a touchdown. The Bears also got rushing touchdowns from Long and Konnor Lavanway. Izak Ruddell and Jalen Kyles were the touchdown recipients. St. Joe s special teams also came up with a score as Derek Holowasko returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. With the win. St. Joe improves to 4-1 on the season. Facebook: facebook.com/sjfootball Twitter: @stjoefootball Internet: www.stjoefootball.com ABOUT THE CUBS The Cubs enter tonight s contest after a 29-24 defeat at Dearborn Devine Child. The Cubs had a 17-0 lead thanks to one of two touchdowns from Elijah Collins and Nolan Kimmey, but the Cubs were unable to hold on to the lead as Devine Child scored 29 unanswered points to take a 29-17 lead before Collins second touchdown of the game provided the final margin of 29-24. The Cubs sit with a record of 1-4 on the season and are 0-1 in the Catholic High School League AA Division. Series History: University of Detroit Jesuit leads 1-0 (1.000) Last Meeting: 9/30/16 U-D Jesuit 48, St. Joseph 13 (at Dickinson Stadium St. Joseph, MI) Coaches vs. Opponent: Gandalf Church vs. U-D Jesuit: 0-1 Oscar Olejniczak vs. St. Joseph: 1-0 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 1
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 YOUR 2017 ST. JOSEPH BEARS HEAD COACH Gandalf Church (7 TH season 45-21,.682) ASSISTANT COACHES Ben Illiff, Ben Jager, Jason Catania, Richard Hughey, Jeff Brown, Orlando Malone TEAM CAPTAINS #1 Ryan Barlow #17 Izak Ruddell #56 Jackson Carter #57 Shea Kent #84 Trevor Dilly 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 2
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 YOUR 2017 ST. JOSEPH BEARS No. Name Off Def Ht. Wt. Yr. 1* RYAN BARLOW QB 6 4 200 Sr. 2 GABE BRUNNER WR DL 6 5 170 Sr. 3 ANTHONY ELLIS WR LB 6 3 180 Jr. 4 DEVON FRENCHKO WR DB 6 0 160 Jr. 7 DEREK HOLOWASKO WR DB 5 11 195 Jr. 8 ERIC BOELCKE WR DB 6 3 175 Sr. 9 ANTONIO BUHRFIEND RB DB 5 8 170 Jr. 10 JALEN KYLES WR DB 6 3 160 Sr. 12 NATHAN LONG WR DB 6 0 180 Jr. 15 ART HERNDON WR DB 5 11 180 Jr. 17* IZAK RUDDELL WR DB 6 3 160 Sr. 18 GRIFFIN NOWELL QB 6 0 170 Jr. 20 STEVEN YACK WR DB 5 9 165 Sr. 21 SAM BRADY WR DB 5 9 165 Sr. 22 CONNOR ROBINSON RB DB 5 7 150 Jr. 23 RYAN HAYNES RB LB 5 9 185 Sr. 24 JORDAN SHIMUNEK WR DB 5 11 155 Sr. 25 SAM COOPER TE LB 6 0 200 Jr. 28 JACKSON MODIGELL RB LB 5 8 145 Jr. 30 CADE SHIMULUNAS TE LB 6 2 215 Sr. 31 CAIDYN TAYLOR WR DB 5 10 155 Sr. 32 ERIC WHITE TE LB 6 0 180 Jr. 33 KONNER LAVANWAY RB LB 5 10 180 So. 34 SPENCER BLACKMOMD WR DB 6 1 185 Sr. 40 ETHAN VALDES RB DL 5 10 200 Jr. 44 BRADY KUSHMAN RB LB 5 11 165 Jr. 50 SHAWN GREEN OL DL 5 11 255 Jr. 51 ZYAN MITCHELL OL DL 5 10 205 Jr. 52 HUNTER SANDERS OL DL 6 3 225 Jr. 53 JACKSON LAVANWAY OL DL 6 2 235 Sr. 54 AUSTIN ACKERMAN OL LB 6 1 225 Sr. 56* JACKSON CARTER OL LB 6 0 210 Sr. 57* SHEA KENT OL DL 6 1 285 Sr. 61 HUNTER CHRISTENSEN OL DL 6 0 305 Jr. 62 RAISTLIN WATERHOUSE OL DL 5 11 160 Jr. 69 BRANDON BAKER OL DL 6 3 255 Jr. 72 RASHAAN CORBIN OL DL 5 10 210 Jr. 73 CHARLIE JONES OL DL 6 2 265 Sr. 75 JONAH ESSIG OL DL 6 1 300 Jr. 77 EVAN O MALLEY OL DL 6 1 26 Jr. 78 NATE MARSH OL DL 6 0 230 Sr. 84* TREVOR DILLEY TE DL 6 4 260 Sr. GANDALF CHURCH HEAD COACH, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR QUARTERBACKS (7 TH SEASON, 45-21,.682) ASSISTANTS: BEN ILIFF DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR - RUNNING BACKS - LINEBACKERS BEN JAGER OFFENSIVE LINE - DEFENSIVE LINE JASON CATANIA WIDE RECEIVERS - CORNERBACKS - SPECIAL TEAMS RICHARD HUGHEY TIGHT ENDS, SAFETIES JEFF BROWN RUNNING BACKS, LINEBACKERS, CHALLENGE TEAMS ORLANDO MALONE CHALLENGE TEAMS SUPPORT STAFF: MANAGERS: DAN STRINE KEVIN STRINE KEITH STRINE DREW WELHAM MICHAEL MITCHELL TEAM TRAINER: MATT MABRY TEAM DOCTOR: DR. CHRISTOPHER TRIGGER * - CAPTAIN 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 3
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 QUICK FACTS Series History: Detroit Jesuit leads 1-0 St. Joseph points: 13 Mattawan points: 48 Games Decided by 3 Points or Less: None Games Decided by 7 Points or Less: None Games Decided by 10 Points or More: UDJ 1-0 St. Joseph s Longest Winning Streak: 0 none St. Joseph Longest Losing Streak: 1 2016 Current St. Joseph Streak: Lost 1 Biggest St. Joe Win: none Biggest St. Joe Loss: 35 2016 (48-13) Last St. Joe Home Win: none Last St. Joe Road Win: none Last Detroit Jesuit Home Win: none Last Detroit Jesuit Road Win: 2016: UDJ 48-13 Enrollment: 1,043 (Class A) School Type: Public Superintendent: Ann Cardon Principal: Greg Blomgren Assistant Principal: Jim Berry Athletic Director/Assistant Principal: Kevin Guzzo Nickname: Bears Colors: Maize and Blue Fight Song: St. Joseph Fight Song Conference: Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference, Charter member since 1931 First Year of Football Competition: 1913 All-Time Record: 526-354-34 (102 nd season) *(No teams in 1916-18, influenza and WWI) State Titles: 0 Runner Up: 1, 1988 (Class B) S.M.A.C. Conference/Division Championships (Last): 36 (2015) Undefeated Seasons: (10) (1938, 71, 73, 80, 84, 86, 87, 88, 07, 08) Longest regular season winning streak: 37-9/26/86-9/30/89 Playoff Appearances: (18) B:80,84,86,87,88; BB:90,96,97; 3:99,06,07,08,09,10,11,13,15,16 Retired Jersey s: 82 Rob Fredrickson (Class of 1989) Jersey retired on January 5, 1999 THE BEARS WHEN Overall Record: 4-1 (0.800) Home Record: 1-1 (0.500) Road Record: 3-0 (1.000) Neutral Site Record: 1-0 (1.000) Division Record: 1-1 (0.500) Against Eastern Division Teams: 3-0 (1.000) St. Joseph scores first: 4-1 (0.800) Opponent scores first: 0-0 (0.000) Scoring 21 points or more: 2-0 (1.000) Scoring 20 points or less: 2-1 (0.667) Allowing 21 points or more: 0-0 (0.000) Allowing 20 points or less: 4-1 (0.800) Leading at the half: 4-0 (1.000) Tied at the half: 0-0 (0.000) Trailing at the half: 0-1 (0.000) Leading after 3 quarters: 4-0 (1.000) Tied after 3 quarters: 0-0 (0.000) Trailing after 3 quarters: 0-1 (0.000) Takeaways / Giveaways: 15/8 (+7) Points scored off turnovers: 44 Points allowed off turnovers: 19 Points scoring on game opening drive: 13 Points allowed on game opening drive: 0 Scored on game opening drive: 3/5 Scored against on opening drive: 0/5 IT BEARS MENTIONING This is the easternmost game St. Joe has played in the 102 year history of the program. The previous was the opening game of the 1985 season when St. Joe faced Detroit Catholic Central at the nearby Pontiac Silverdome. A place St. Joe would also play at the Silverdome again in the 1988 in the Class B State Finals vs. Farmington Hills Harrison. THE OPPOSITION Team Record % Kalamazoo Central 1-4 0.200 Loy Norrix 1-4 0.200 Portage Northern 2-3 0.400 Lakeshore 5-0 1.000 Mattawan 3-2 0.600 University of Detroit Jesuit 1-4 0.200 Niles 2-3 0.400 Gull Lake 2-3 0.400 Portage Central 4-1 0.800 Opponents overall record: 21-24 (0.467) St. Joseph Record: 4-1 (0.800) 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 4
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 ON THE SIDELINES Year Coach Record 1913 Whitehead 3-4 1914 Berry 2-6 1915 Gardner 0-6-1 1916-1918 No Teams 1919-1920 Gordon Gabal 12-6-1 1921-1931 Henry Howe 50-39-11 1932 Fred Harrsen 1-7-1 1933 Henry Howe 4-3-1 (54-42-12) 1934-1935 Ronald Finch 12-3-2 1936-1946 Harry Lee 53-31-5 1947-1948 Jack Petosky 7-5-3 1949-1950 Jay Eldred 8-8 1951-1953 Walt Gephart 10-13-1 1954-1963 Dick Higgs 43-31-7 1964-1967 Willis Koontz 13-22 1968-2001 Ivan "Ike" Muhlenkamp 211-110-1 2002-2005 John Van Wagoner 7-29 2006-2010 Elliot Uzelac 45-13 2011- Gandalf Church 45-21 ST. JOSEPH BEARS FOOTBALL COACHING HISTORY Head Coach: Gandalf Church Gandalf Church is the 17 th head coach in St. Joe s 101-seasons. Coach Church has spent 16 years as a Varsity Assistant at Paw Paw, Kalamazoo Christian, Sturgis, and the eight at St. Joseph. Five years serving as Defensive Coordinator under Elliot Uzelac. Church has 18 years of teaching experience, with the last eleven at St. Joe, teaching Social Studies. Church has a Bachelor s Degree from Western Michigan, Teaching Credential from Michigan State, and a Master s Degree in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan. Church is married to his wife Melissa, and they have two children, Henry, and Samuel. THE GAME OPERATIONS PEOPLE Public Address Announcer: Dave Durr Spotter: Phil Cole Clock Operators: Fred Alten, Dave Foster 25-Second Clock: Gary Etter Video Board/Audio: Dave Wolf, Kevin Jones, Josh Weaver, Chris Froelich Game Stats: (Home) Josh Weaver (Road): Dave Wolf Game Film: (Press Box View) Ian Brown (Endzone) Kevin Strine Dickinson Stadium Manager: Joe Jones THE BOOSTERS Co-Presidents: Vice-President: Treasurer: Secretary: THE CHEERLEADERS Coach: Amber Layman THE MARCHING BAND Bob and Marcia Yack (boosters@stjoefootball.com) Ann Essig Hilary Kalin and Will Pierce Cassandra Derks-Kent Director: Aaron Engleman SAINT JOSEPH FIGHT SONG Fight on to victory, As we shout our battle cry! Fight on, old Varsity, As the Bears go marching by. We'll sing a toast or two, For every loyal son, (and daughter) Raise high our maize and blue, Until the fight is won! F-I, F-I-T-E, Fight! So, Bears, fight with all your might! We're right, so fight, we're conquerors tonight! Fight on to victory, As we shout our battle cry! Fight on, oh Varsity, As the Bears go marching by. We'll sing a toast or two, For every loyal son, (and daughter) Raise high the maize and blue, Until the fight is won! Drum Majors: Camryn Lane Lisa Saad. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 5
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE CUBS No. First Name Class No. First Name Class 2 Jeffrey Knight So. 34 John Kause Jr. 3 Donald Johnson So. 35 Bryson Hopson Jr. 4 Elijah Collins Sr. 50 Raymond Hatcher So. 5 Nasir Frederick Jr. 52 Carlos Vettorello Sr. 6 Nolan Kimmey Sr. 53 Aloysius Kremhelmer Fr. 7 Mark Shalaj Jr. 55 Nathan Drewek Jr. 8 Angelo Wilson Sr. 56 Spencer Bolach So. 9 Andrew Webb Sr. 57 Theoren Smith Sr. 10 Carson Hinton So. 58 Elijah Cate Jr. 11 Malcolm Jones Sr. 64 Joseph Hanania Sr. 12 Tywayne Williams So. 69 Sean Rosler Sr. 13 Walter Reynolds Sr. 70 Trevon DeVoe So. 15 Nicholas Johnson So. 72 Walter Baughman So. 17 Peter Loch Jr. 76 Paul Wenderski So. 18 Davion Brantley Sr. 77 Patrick Schocke So. 23 Antonio Ball Jr. 88 William Gilroy Jr. 27 Alexander King So. 89 Miles Hickman So. 32 Dominic Rybicki Sr. 90 Jullian Edwards So. 33 Dorian Mausi So. Head Coach: Oscar Olejniczak (5 th season, 22-23,.489) Assistant Coaches: Nicholas Bowers Walter Powell Walter Reynolds Carl Brock 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 6
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE LAST MEETING 9/30/16 DETROIT JESUIT 48, ST. JOSEPH 13 DICKINSON STADIUM (St. Joseph) For the first time since 1985, St. Joseph faced a team that is not currently or ever have been a member of the Southwest Michigan Athletic Conference. And just like that game against Detroit Catholic Central, the Bears were defeated by a member of the Detroit Catholic league, this time a 48-13 final at Dickinson Stadium against the University of Detroit Jesuit Cubs. The visitors needed only one play to grab the lead, just 19 seconds into the game when Victor Hill ran for a 66 yard touchdown to put the Cubs up 6-0. The score would stay 6-0 until the last minute of the quarter when Jesuit extended the lead to 13-0 on a 19 yard touchdown from Elijah Collins with 39 seconds left. Yusef Lewis of Detroit Jesuit runs as part of his 120 yards rushing in Detroit Jesuit s 48-13 win at St. Joe. Photo: Bob Johanski Collins would find the scoring column again less than 3 minutes later, this time on a 23 yard run to give the Cubs a 20-0 lead. St. Joe would respond with two straight touchdowns. Corey Malone Hatcher scored on a 1 yard run to cut the lead to 20-6. Then St. Joe thought they closed out the scoring in the first half on a 4 yard touchdown run from Ryan Haynes with 13 seconds left in the half to cut the lead to 20-13. However, Jesuit had got the ball around midfield after the kickoff and two plays later Cubs quarterback Scott Nelson threw a hail mary pass to a group of players in the endzone, it found its way into the hands of teammate Nolan Kimmey and Jesuit went up 27-14 as the first half expired. Detroit Jesuit would score three more touchdowns in the third quarter. A 55 yard pass from Nelson to Hill to make it 34-13. Scott Nelson would score on a 66 yard run to give the Cubs a 41-13 lead. Jesuit closed out the scoring with 2:14 left in the third quarter on a 54 yard run from Yusef Lewis. Detroit Jesuit held St. Joe to just 187 yards of total offense. St. Joe falls to 4-2 on the season. Jesuit is 4-1. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 7
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE RECORD BOOK Victories Consecutive, Regular Season only, No Ties 37-9/26/86-9/30/89 Consecutive Shutouts, No Ties 4 9/14-10/5/73 (Lakeshore, Muskegon Catholic Central, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix) 3 10/16-10/30/87 (Portage Northern, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, South Haven) 3 9/26-10/10/86 (Benton Harbor, Portage Central, Niles) Consecutive Winning Seasons 11-1982-1992 8 2006-2013 6-1994-1999 Ties Lowest Scoring Tie Game 0-9/30/55 vs. Grand Haven (0-0) 10/4/68 vs. K. Loy Norrix (0-0) Highest Scoring Tie Game 40- October 11, 1963 vs. Niles (20-20) Season 2-1963, 9/20 vs. Buchanan (6-6), 10/11 vs. Niles (20-20) 2-1963, 9/21 vs. Buchanan (13-13), 9/28 vs. Dowagiac (6-6) Consecutive Ties 2-1963, 9/21 vs. Buchanan (13-13), 9/28 vs. Dowagiac (6-6) Last Tie Game 10/4/68 SJ 0, KLN 0 Scoring Game (min 45) 67 SJ 67, BCC 35 9/19/08 61 SJ 61, KLN 14-10/25/85 59 SJ 59, BH 8 10/3/14 59 SJ 59, NIL 26 10/9/15 58 SJ 58, SH 0-10/30/87 57 SJ 57, SH 0-9/5/97 56 SJ 56, GL 13 10/30/09 (playoffs) 55 SJ 55, NIL 26 9/27/13 55 SJ 55, KLN 7 9/17/10 55 SJ 55, PN 0-10/16/87 55 SJ 55, MAT 7 10/9/09 52 SJ 52, GL 6 9/3/15 52 SJ 52, BUC 7-11/7/58 49 SJ 49, MAT 7 10/12/07 49 SJ 49, LKS 14 10/26/07 (playoffs) 49 SJ 49, PC 22-10/25/74 48 SJ 48, KLN 6 9/1/16 48 SJ 48, KLN 0-10/26/84 48 SJ 48, PN 0-9/12/97 48 SJ 48, PN 7-9/15/95 48 SJ 48, NIL 0 9/11/09 48 SJ 48, KC 7 8/28/14 47 SJ 47, PC 13-10/30/70 47 SJ 47, SH 6-9/6/91 46 SJ 46, SH 19-10/28/88 46 SJ 46, MAT 6-10/17/08 45 SJ 45, BCL 21 10/16/15 45 SJ 45, BH 0 10/10/08 45 SJ 45, CHI Luther 6-9/18/59 45 SJ 45, NIL 21-10/11/96 Lowest Scoring Win 2 SJ 2, PC 0 10/4/85 Safeties in a game 2 SJ 37, MAR 7 8/27/10 Points Season (Min. 300) 377 1997 344 2008 336 1984 329 1987 327 1988 Fewest Points Allowed Regular Season (under 80) 43 1986 59 1961 62 1971, 2007 64 1973 65 1974 71 1980 77 1962 79 1960 Fewest Points Allowed On Defense 43-1986 First Downs 171-2007 Rushing Yards 2,272 2008 2,169 1987 Rushing Attempts 358 2015 334 2008 333 2013 Passing Yards 1984-1984 Passing Attempts 232-2003 Passes Completed 102-1984 Fewest Yards Penalized 186-1978 Defense vs. Punt Return -2-1987 Defense vs. Rush 484-1984 Defense vs. Pass 369-1995 Average Punt Return (Total Attempts) 20.0 (12) - 1994 Interceptions Allowed 18-1983 Fewest Interceptions by Opponents 1 (5 times) - 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2010 Interceptions by St. Joseph 19 (2 times) - 1968, 1969 Most Fumbles Lost 23-1969 Fewest Fumbles Lost 3 2002 4 2010 Most Punts 54-2003 Fewest Punts 16 2008 17 2007 Most Blocked Punts 6 1983, 2008 High Punt Average 42.8-1988 Kickoff Average 53.55-1999 Most Shutouts 4 (3 times) - 1984, 1985, 1986 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS Passing Attempts 231-Andy Schueneman (2003) Completed 98- Ethan Schweir (2007) Yards 1793-Mike Gillette (1984) Yards per completion 22.8- Dennis Patzer (1970) Fewest Interceptions 1-Ebon Sanders (1988)/Phelan (1991) Touchdown Passes 19-Ethan Schweir (2007) Longest Touchdown Pass 84-Caleb Wright to James Barber (2001) Receptions 45-Steve Preston (1984) Receptions (Game) 11-Dan Lafond (2003) Reception Yards 909-Steve Preston (1984) Average Per Reception 34.5-Paul Gibeau (1987) Touchdown Receptions 14-Scott Blasko (1996) 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 8
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 RECORD BOOK (cont.) Special Teams PAT Percentage 100.0-Brett Virgil (2005) 100.0-Ryan Kitron (2011) 95.8-Mike Gillette (1984) 95.0-Josh Akins (2009) 94.6-Sean Akins (2015) 93.3-Brett Virgil (2006) Most PAT's 38-Josh Akins (2009) 35-Mike Gillette (1984)/Brett Virgil (2007), Sean Akins (2015) Longest PAT Run (2 point conversion) 24-Nisbet (1971) Field Goals (season) 9-Mike Gillette (1984) 9-Cullen Hoffman (2014) 9-Cullen Hoffman (2013) Longest Field Goal 48-Brad Shushman (1999) Kickoff Average 57.5-Cullen Hoffman(2013) 53.8-Sean Akins (2015) 53.6-Brad Shushman (1999) Punt Average 42.8-Gary Layton Field Goal Percentage 100-Greg Phelan (1990)/Jeff Smith (1996)/Ethan Schweir (2006), Josh Akins (2009) Longest Kickoff Return for Touchdown 94-Mike Ryan (1974) Longest Punt Return for Touchdown 96-Keith Demchinski (1994) Blocked Punts For Touchdown 1-Fred Fenrick (1959) Johnston (1973) Jones (1973) Brian Kubicki (1989) Brandon Hobbs (1999) Andy Radde(1999) Ty Taylor (2010) Most Blocked Punts (season) 4-Kubizna (1983), Josh Weaver (2008) Rushing Yards (season) 1,289-Jamaal Jackson (2009) 1,215-Anthony Dunning (2002) Yards (game) 391 Jack Turak (11/1/13) (Playoffs vs. Sturgis (43 carries) Attempts (Season) 235-Anthony Dunning (2002) Attempts (Game) 43-Jack Turak (2013) vs. STG 40-Jack Turak (2013) vs. PC 40-Henry Steele (1996) Yards Per Carry Average 9.5 Jamaal Jackson (2008) 7.5 Justin Gambrell (2013) 7.5 Tom Golba (1987) Rushing Touchdowns (season) 21-Jamaal Jackson (2009) 18-Alex Smith (1980)/ Jason Sandusky (1992) Rushing Touchdowns (game) 6-Drake Smith (2008) Offense Total yards (rush/receiving) 1573-Gary Layton (1990) Total Touchdowns (run/rec) 21-Jamaal Jackson (2009) 18-Alex Smith (1980)/ Jason Sandusky (1992) Scoring Points (season) 139-Alex Smith (1980) Defense Tackles (season) 104-Bryan Brown (1978) Tackles (game) 22-Adam Baske (1997) Sacks (game) 13-Jeff Morris (1982) Tackles (season) 70-Andy Radde (1999) Interceptions (season) 8-Ebon Sanders (1989) Interceptions for Touchdown 2-Frank Olson (1973) Doug Lincoln(1973) CAREER RECORDS Total Yards 3533-Mike Ryan (1972-1974) Total Rushing Yards 2985-Alex Rutherford (2009-12) 2366-Mike Ryan (1972-1974) Rushing Touchdowns 35-Alex Rutherford (2009-12) Total Rushing Attempts 530-Alex Rutherford (2009-2012) 440-Gary Layton (1988-1990) Total Passing Yards 3,055-Mike Gillette (1982-1984) Total Passing Touchdowns 29-Mike Gillette (1982-84) 28-Ethan Schweir (2004-07) Receptions 72-Steve Preston (1983-1984) Touchdown Receptions 14-Steve Preston (1983-84)/ Scott Blasko (1995-96) Reception Yards 1368-Steve Preston (1983-1984) Passes Attempted 376-Andy Schueneman (2002-2003) Passing Percentage 63.5-Sean Guinane (2007-09) 60.4-Ethan Schweir (2004-07) Interceptions 12-Mike Ryan (1972-1974) Tackles 214-Bryan Brown (1977-1979) PAT's Kicked 79-Brett Virgil (2005-2007) Field Goals 19-Mike Gillette (1982-1984) Scoring 216-Alex Rutherford (2009-12) 212-Mike Ryan (1972-1974) Cumulative records listed are regular season games only, playoff games do not count in record book, for season/career records. Single game records are for season and playoff games. ***New record established in 2017 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 9
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME St. Joe scored first and won 09/22/17 at Mattawan Won 42-7 and lost 09/15/17 vs. Lakeshore Loss 6-14 St. Joe got scored on first and won 09/11/15 at Portage Northern Won 30-27 and lost 10/21/16 vs. Portage Central Lost 14-24 St. Joe scored at least six TD s in a game 09/22/17 at Mattawan Won 42-7 St. Joe allowed at least six TD s in a game 09/30/15 vs. University of Detroit-Jesuit Loss 13-48 St. Joe kicked a field goal in a game Antonio Buhrfiend (2x 23, 31) 09/15/17 vs. Lakeshore Loss 6-14 St. Joe scored a safety 8/26/16 vs. Kalamazoo Central (at U of M) Won 26-0 Corey Malone-Hatcher drew an intentional grounding penalty against KC, resulting in a sack/safety) St. Joe gave up a safety 9/6/13 at Battle Creek Harper Creek Won 14-9 St. Joe returned a kickoff for a touchdown Derek Holowasko 89 yards 09/22/17 at Mattawan Won 42-7 St. Joe returned a punt for a touchdown Derek Atkins 56 yards 9/25/15 at Battle Creek Central Won 27-21 St. Joe scored a 2 point conversion Griffin Beaudette pass to Izak Ruddell 9/23/16 vs. Mattawan Won 28-21 St. Joe allowed a 2 point conversion Luke Beckhuesen rush 11/13/15 vs. Coldwater (regional) Lost 6-20 St. Joe scored a defensive touchdown by fumble Collin Morrow 28 yards 10/3/14 at Benton Harbor Won 59-8 by interception Carter Hall 5 yards 9/19/15 vs. Lakeshore Lost 14-28 St. Joe blocked an extra point Derek Holowasko 09/08/17 at Portage Northern Win 20-15 a field goal Derek Holowasko 08/25/17 at Kalamazoo Central Won 20-9 a punt Trevor Dilley 08/31/17 vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Win 41-12 St. Joe shut out an opponent 10/7/16 at Niles Won 30-0 St. Joe was shut out by an opponent 10/17/14 at BC Lakeview Lost 0-35 St. Joe played an overtime game and won 10/31/08 vs. Wayland (pre-districts) Won 32-31 and lost 9/9/05 at Coldwater Lost 28-36 at home 10/31/08 vs. Wayland (pre-districts) Won 32-31 on the road 9/9/05 at Coldwater Lost 28-36 that went into 2 or more overtimes 10/28/01 vs. Benton Harbor Lost 27-28 2 OT St. Joe played on turf and won 10/14/16 at Gull Lake Won 41-17 and lost 10/28/16 at Lakeshore (pre-districts) Lost 7-30 total record 10 wins 10 losses (.500) St. Joe played a team ranked in the AP Top 10 and won 11/5/15 vs. Edwardsburg (district) (D3#6) Won 40-28 and lost 10/21/16 vs. Portage Central (D2#6) Lost 14-24 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 10
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE BEARS UNDER GANDALF CHURCH 8/26/2011 Marshall W 44-13 9/2 Battle Creek Lakeview W 14-9 9/9 Benton Harbor W 37-14 9/16 Portage Northern W 31-26 9/23 Portage Central W 28-14 9/30 Mattawan L 7-28 10/7 Lakeshore L 17-23 10/14 Niles W 30-18 10/21 Kalamazoo Central W 35-7 10/28 Zeeland East L 7-39 8/24/2012 Marshall W 48-26 8/31 Battle Creek Lakeview W 14-12 9/7 Benton Harbor W 37-0 9/14 Portage Northern L 0-7 9/21 Portage Central L 23-33 9/28 Mattawan L 14-49 10/5 Lakeshore L 24-28 10/12 Niles W 21-6 10/19 Kalamazoo Central W 24-16 8/26/2016 Kalamazoo Central W 26-0 9/2 Kalamazoo Loy Norrix W 48-6 9/9 Portage Northern W 27-23 9/16 Lakeshore L 12-31 9/23 Mattawan W 28-21 9/30 University of Detroit-Jesuit L 13-48 10/7 Niles W 30-0 10/14 Gull Lake W 41-17 10/21 Portage Central L 14-24 10/28 Lakeshore L 7-30 8/25/2017 Kalamazoo Central W 20-9 8/31 Kalamazoo Loy Norrix W 41-12 9/8 Portage Northern W 20-15 9/15 Lakeshore L 6-14 9/22 Mattawan W 42-7 8/30/2013 Coldwater W 33-14 9/6 Battle Creek Harper Creek W 14-9 9/13 Lakeshore W 32-20 9/20 Portage Northern W 17-10 9/27 Niles W 55-26 10/4 Kalamazoo Central W 20-3 10/11 Benton Harbor W 30-21 10/18 Portage Central L 28-49 10/25 Mattawan W 38-27 11/1 Sturgis W 16-0 11/8 Lakeshore L 21-31 8/29/2014 Kalamazoo Central W 48-7 9/5 Gull Lake W 34-12 9/12 Portage Northern W 17-7 9/19 Lakeshore L 7-17 9/26 Battle Creek Central L 10-21 10/3 Benton Harbor W 59-8 10/10 Niles L 21-27 10/17 Battle Creek Lakeview L 0-35 10/24 Portage Central L 14-21 8/28/2015 Kalamazoo Central W 13-6 9/4 Gull Lake W 52-6 9/11 Portage Northern W 30-27 9/18 Lakeshore L 14-28 9/25 Battle Creek Central W 27-21 10/2 Benton Harbor W 42-13 10/9 Niles W 59-26 10/16 Battle Creek Lakeview W 45-21 10/23 Portage Central W 22-6 10/30 Sturgis W 33-20 11/6 Edwardsburg W 40-28 11/13 Coldwater L 6-20 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 11
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE UNDERCLASSMEN 2017 St. Joseph Junior Varsity Head Coach: Robert Yack Date Opponent Location Time/Result 8/24 Kalamazoo Central Dickinson Stadium WIN 21-14 8/30 St. John s St. John s Stadium WIN 33-32 9/7 Portage Northern Dickinson Stadium LOSS 21-42 9/14 Lakeshore Al Stockman Stadium-LKSH WIN 17-6 9/21 Mattawan Dickinson Stadium LOSS 17-36 9/28 Benton Harbor Dickinson Stadium WIN 48-0 10/5 Niles Viking Stadium-NIL 6:30 PM 10/12 Gull Lake Richland Stadium GL 6:30 PM 10/19 Battle Creek Central Dickinson Stadium 6:30 PM 2017 St. Joseph Freshman Head Coach: Chad Sharkey Date Opponent Location Time/Result 8/24 Kalamazoo Central Dickinson Stadium WIN 16-14 8/30 Kalamazoo Loy Norrix Griffith Stadium-KLN WIN 56-0 9/7 Portage Northern Dickinson Stadium WIN 40-12 9/14 Lakeshore Al Stockman Stadium-LKSH WIN 20-18 9/21 Vicksburg Junior Varsity Bulldog Stadium-VIX LOSS 33-34 9/28 Portage Central McCamley Field - PC WIN 17-14 10/5 Battle Creek Central Dickinson Stadium 5:00 PM 10/12 Gull Lake Richland Stadium GL 4:30 PM 10/19 Portage Central Dickinson Stadium 4:30 PM 2017 Upton Middle School 8 th Grade Head Coach: Dan McGinnis Date Opponent Location Time/Result 9/13 Battle Creek Central Koontz Field LOSS 6-12 9/20 Niles Ring Lardner Viking Field-NIL WIN 22-14 9/27 Lakeshore Al Stockman Stadium-LKSH LOSS 13-14 10/4 Niles Ring Lardner Koontz Field 5:30 PM 10/10 Lakeshore Dickinson Stadium 5:30 PM 10/17 Benton Harbor Filstrup Field BH 6:00 PM 2017 Upton Middle School 7 th Grade Head Coach: Ron Hart Date Opponent Location Time/Result 9/13 Battle Creek Central Koontz Field WIN 16-8 9/20 Niles Ring Lardner Viking Field-NIL WIN 35-0 9/27 Lakeshore Al Stockman Stadium-LKSH LOSS 0-7 10/4 Niles Ring Lardner Koontz Field 4:00 PM 10/10 Lakeshore Dickinson Stadium 4:00 PM 10/17 Benton Harbor Filstrup Field BH 4:30 PM HIGH SCHOOL HOME GAMES ARE PLAYED AT DICKINSON STADIUM AT ST. JOE HIGH SCHOOL. MIDDLE SCHOOL HOME GAMES ARE PLAYED AT KOONTZ FIELD AT UPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FINAL HOME GAMES OF THE SEASON WHICH ARE PLAYED AT DICKINSON STADIUM. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 12
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE BEAR TRADITIONS EARN YOUR NUMBERS When you look out on the field you will notice that many if not all of the Bears have numbers on the left side of their helmets. You may also notice that some may not. The numbers on the left side of the helmet must be earned. This is what is called Earning Your Numbers in the Saint Joseph Football program. Each week the varsity coaching staff discusses which players have earned their numbers. The criteria for earning your numbers are set by each senior class. Before every season each senior class develops what they believe are the behaviors of a champion. These behaviors are what are used for the criteria of earning your numbers. If a players position coaches believe he is consistently exhibiting the behaviors of a champion he will be awarded his numbers. The player must maintain that consistency or he could have his numbers taken away and have to earn them back. The goal is for every player to Earn His Numbers. This tradition began in Coach Church s second year 2012. THE #1 JERSEY The #1 jersey has a special status in the Saint Joseph Football program. Each year the coaching staff will decide which skill position player best exemplifies the Bear Football tradition of THE TEAM, THE TEAM, THE TEAM. That player will have the honor of wearing the #1 jersey. So look in your program and the young man who is in the #1 jersey you know is a young man of character. This tradition began in Coach Church s third year 2013. Previous #1s 2013 Dan Carrick 2014 Derek Burton 2015 Eric Engel 2016 Kevin Jones 2017 Ryan Barlow THE BANNER: Every time the Bears take the field they do so with pride and passion. A display of that pride and passion is exhibited when the Bears rush onto the field and touch the banner before every game. The current banner was donated to the program by the 2013 seniors. This tradition began under Ike Coach Muhlenkamp. THE MICHELLE KRUSE MEMORIAL VICTORY BELL: The resounding clang of a bell echoing through a fall night in St. Joseph is a beautiful thing. After every victory the Bears ring the victory bell with pride. If the win was at home the bell will be rung immediately following the handshake line. If the victory was earned on the road you will hear the bell ringing late at night as the Bears arrive home from a joyous bus trip. The bell was donated by the Kruse family in memory of their daughter Michelle Kruse. The tradition began in Coach John VanWagoner s 2nd year in 2003, the first season in the new Dickinson Stadium BEARS ALUMNI IN COLLEGE Wes French Western Michigan University Sean Akins Western Michigan University Kory McLaughlin Wabash College Griffin Beaudette Concordia of Chicago University Nathan Griesbaum Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Noah Simpson Elmhurst College The logo commemorating the 2015 season, which was the 100 th season in St. Joseph football history. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 13
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 THE HOME OF THE BEARS Completed: 2003 (15th season) Seating Capacity: 5,300 (3,500 home stands - 1,800 visitor stands) Record Attendance: 7,500 (9/28/07 St. Joseph vs. Lakeshore) (SJ won 21-3) Surface: Natural Grass Record at Dickinson Stadium: 53-24 (.688) First game: September 12, 2003 St. Joseph 34, Kalamazoo Central 13 Press Box Phone: (269) 926-3396 Wells Field The Original The Bears first home field wasn t located very far from their current home. Wells Field on State Street in St. Joseph served as the home for the Bears from 1913 to 1949. Near the end of its use, the wooden covered grandstands were in danger of collapse and parking was an issue for fans. So the when the St. Joe schools acquired the title of the parcel of land a block away from Wells Field, it was then decided the school would need to have a new stadium. The grandstands at Wells Field were torn down but the field is still in use by area youth. It is the home for the St. Joseph Baseball Association. The first Dickinson Stadium In the mid 1940's the St. Joseph School system acquired the title to a 40 acre parcel of land known as the Dickinson Estate. The area is where the current high school now stands. Around that same time the citizens of St. Joseph recognized the need for a new athletic and recreation area when problems at Wells Field made it difficult to continue to use the facility. It was then that the St. Joe residents got the ball rolling for a new facility. After receiving numerous recommendations by various experts, the planning committee, commissioned architect Robert V. Knox to develop the sketches and conceptual drawings of the stadium. The Board of Education would take these plans to the various service clubs around St. Joseph to rally the community involvement in the project, Every group that were presented the plans went on record as supporting it. The voters overwhelmingly passed the $170,000 bond proposal on July 25, 1949 for the new stadium and track. A little over a year later, on September 22, 1950, the original Dickinson Stadium opened. Dickinson Stadium held its last event on October 19, 2001. In the 51 year history of the stadium it was the home to thousands of events, including football games, track meets, soccer games, band competitions, and commencement ceremonies. The new Dickinson Stadium The idea for a new stadium came about when a commission was charged with reviewing and making recommendations on the future of the facilities of the St. Joseph Public School system for the next 30-40 years. After a review of the old stadium it was determined that to bring the stadium's aging and deteriorating steel support and infrastructure up to code would be a very expensive project. The commission visited newly constructed high schools around the Midwest and made recommendations for the St. Joe schools, including a new football stadium. In March of 2001 a plan for a bond proposal was presented to the St. Joe taxpayers, which not only included the new stadium, but also a new athletic fieldhouse and other various projects at the high school, and a new auxiliary gym, offices, library and orchestra room at Upton Middle School. The bond issue passed on September 25, 2001, less than a month later, the last game at the old Dickinson Stadium was played and demolition began. While construction continued during the 2002 football season the varsity team played their "Home" games at Lakeshore's Al Stockman Stadium, Benton Harbor's Filstrup Field and at Bridgman High School. Upton Middle School was the home site for the JV and Freshmen teams. The stadium now also has an 8 lane running track, the old stadium had 7 and only 6 were useable. The first games were played on Thursday, September 4th, by the Freshman and JV teams who gave the stadium its first shakedown before the Grand W L TTL PCT BATTLE CREEK CENTRAL 2 1 3 0.667 BATTLE CREEK HARPER CREEK 2 1 3 0.667 BATTLE CREEK LAKEVIEW 3 0 3 1.000 BENTON HARBOR 4 2 6 0.667 COLDWATER 2 1 3 0.667 DOWAGIAC 1 1 2 0.500 EDWARDSBURG 1 0 1 1.000 GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN 1 0 1 1.000 GULL LAKE 2 0 2 1.000 JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI 0 1 1 0.000 KALAMAZOO CENTRAL 4 0 4 1.000 KALAMAZOO LOY NORRIX 2 0 2 1.000 LAKESHORE 5 8 13 0.385 LANSING SEXTON 1 0 1 1.000 MARSHALL 3 1 4 0.750 MATTAWAN 3 2 5 0.600 NILES 6 1 7 0.857 PORTAGE CENTRAL 3 3 6 0.500 PORTAGE NORTHERN 6 1 7 0.857 STURGIS 2 1 3 0.667 UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT-JESUIT 0 1 1 0.000 WAYLAND-UNION 1 0 1 1.000 Total 54 25 79 0.684 Opening a week later. The official dedication was prior to the game between St. Joseph and Kalamazoo Central, which St. Joe won 34-13. The pregame ceremony included a fly-over by a US Air Force A-10 fighter jet. Less than a year after the opening, the new Dickinson Stadium had the honor of hosting country music and TV star Reba McIntyre for a performance benefiting Harbor Habitat for Humanity, The concert was part of Reba's 2004 tour which was sponsored by Whirlpool Corporation. The concert was held in front of a sold out crowd of over 6,500 on July 20, 2004. The scoreboard from the previous Dickinson Stadium, installed in 1998 was saved and relocated before being replaced prior to the 2016 season. The new scoreboard features a full color LED screen that shows live stats as the game progresses. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 14
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 SEASON SUMMARIES 8/25/17 ST. JOSEPH 20, KALAMAZOO CENTRAL 9 THOMAS STADIUM (Kalamazoo) St. Joe and Kalamazoo Central are not unfamiliar opponents to start the season, the two former Big 8 Conference rivals have opened the previous three seasons against one another with the 2016 opener taking place at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. Also for the 4 th straight year St. Joe has recorded a victory over the Maroon Giants to open the season. St. Joe took advantage of four Central turnovers in a 20-9 decision at Thomas Stadium in Kalamazoo. The Bears have won eight straight season openers and have won nine straight games against Kalamazoo Central. The Bears defense started the night off, securing a fumble at the Central 38 yard line. After a nine play drive St. Joe settled for a 26 yard field goal from Antonio Buhrfiend to put the Bears up 3-0. Ryan Haynes carries during the Bears 20-9 win at Kalamazoo Central. Photo: Jenna Ruddell The next three combined drives ended in turnovers as the Maroon Giants fumbled the ball away to St. Joe, who then threw and interception on the next play. Five plays later the Bears would intercept the ball back and drive down for another score. Ryan Haynes found the endzone from two yards out and the Bears took a 10-0 lead. Besides the two times St. Joe kicked off, every play in the first quarter took place on the Kalamazoo Central side of the field. The home team would break the shutout early in the 2 nd quarter on a 26 yard field goal from Ryan Halloran to cut the lead to 10-3. The Bears drove 80 yards in 8 plays, with much of the load carried by Haynes and scored on a 4 th and goal at the 1 yard line on a run by Ethan Valdes who stretched the ball over the goal line for a 17-3 lead, which was the score at the half. St. Joe would add onto the lead on the opening drive of the second half when Buhrfiend kicked a 21 yard field goal to make it 20-3. The Giants went on a 15 play, 72 yard drive and found the endzone for the first time of the season on a 1 yard dive by Archie Swindle late in the third quarter, but the point after was blocked and the Bears lead was 20-9. The Bears then kept the Maroon Giants suddenly resurgent offense off the field as St. Joe possessed the ball for 10:02 of the final quarter, only allowing 1:58 of possession time in the final quarter as the constant running attack of Haynes and quarterback Ryan Barlow kept the chains and the clock moving. St. Joe improves to 1-0 on the season and will play Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (0-1) in the home opener at Dickinson Stadium on Thursday at 7:00. Loy Norrix was a 28-6 loser to the visiting Niles Vikings in the opener for both teams. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 15
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 SEASON SUMMARIES 8/31/17 ST. JOSEPH 41, KALAMAZOO LOY NORRIX 12 DICKINSON STADIUM (St. Joseph) The playing surface at Dickinson Stadium got a makeover this summer, the new grass was barely used on the north half of the field in the first quarter as St. Joe beat Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 41-12 at Dickinson Stadium. The Bears scored early and often, going 59 yards in just two plays, Ryan Haynes ran for 57 yards on the first play from scrimmage, he went the final two yards on the next play for a 7-0 lead just :42 seconds into the game. The Bears would extend the lead less than 4 minutes later on a 1 yard touchdown run from quarterback Ryan Barlow. The PAT was blocked but St. Joe had a 13-0 lead. The Bears scoring drive took just 97 seconds. Konner Lavanway chases down the Norrix QB: Photo: Don Campbell, Herald Palladium only used 72 seconds. Loy Norrix fumbled the ball on their next possession, giving St. Joe s offense the ball at the Knights 23 yard line. Ethan Valdes scored his first touchdown of the game three plays later and the Bears had a 20-0 lead. The Bears scoring drive The Bears would strike again on the first play of the second quarter when Haynes scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9 yard run to put St. Joe up 27-0. The scoring drive going just 33 yards and 40 seconds. St. Joe would keep the Norrix offense bottled up and after getting the ball back a Bear field goal attempt was missed. But the Norrix offense again was forced to punt on the following drive. A punt which was blocked by Trevor Dilley gave the ball back to the Bears at the Norrix 12 yard line. Haynes completed the hat trick of touchdowns on one play and the Bears went up 34-0. Norrix would turn the ball over again on the first play of their next drive when Cade Shimulunas forced a fumble, which was picked up by Konner Lavanway. Three plays later Lavanway scored on a 10 yard run and the Bears had a 41-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Norrix would threaten on their next drive, driving down to the St. Joe 30 yard line, but a holding penalty, sack, illiegal procedure penalty, and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty send the Knights back to their own 19 and facing a 4 th and 61. Norrix would punt again. The half would end with the Bears up 41-0. The second half began with the MHSAA s 35 point differential rule in effect, keeping the game clock running. Norrix would find the endzone twice in the final quarter against the Bears reserves. Haynes, who rushed for 220 yards and a touchdown in the opening game at Kalamazoo Central, ran for 103 yards and three touchdowns against Loy Norrix. Konner Lavanway led the Bears with 14 tackles, including 2 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass break up. St. Joe is at Portage Northern next Friday for the Bears final game against the Huskies at McCamley Field. St. Joe has another game at McCamley Field in week 9 against Portage Central. Northern s new stadium will be open next year, St. Joe is not scheduled to play there until 2019 when both Portage schools will have new stadiums. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 16
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 SEASON SUMMARIES 9/8/17 ST. JOSEPH 20, PORTAGE NORTHERN 15 McCAMLEY FIELD (Portage) Over the past decade, St. Joe and Portage Northern games have become down to the final wire battles. The 2017 version was no exception. The Bears pulled out a 20-15 win over Portage Northern in St. Joe s penultimate game at McCamley Field in Portage. St. Joe opened the scoring late in the first quarter when Ryan Barlow threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Izak Ruddel in the corner of the endzone. The Bears scoring drive was 63 yards, 58 of which came on the legs of running back Ryan Haynes, including a 50 yard run on the first play of the drive. Antonio Buhrfiend s point after kick made the score 7-0. Northern would cut into the Bears lead on their next drive, which extended into the second quarter on a 24 yard field goal to make the score 7-3. Ryan Barlow with the QB keeper in the 20-15 win at Northern Photo: Danielle Buhrfiend After the ensuing kickoff went into the endzone for a touchback. St. Joe didn t take long to light up the scoreboard again. Just one play in fact. Ryan Haynes ran for an 80 yard touchdown to put St. Joe ahead 14-3. Portage Northern would find the endzone themselves late in the second quarter, but the Bears blocked the extra point. Joe would head to the half with a 14-9 lead. St. Neither team would find the endzone in the third quarter, but Northern was within inches. Northern would drive deep down into St. Joe territory on the Huskies opening drive of the second half. The home team had the ball first and goal at the 2 yard line. St. Joe would hold back Portage Northern out of the endzone on four tries, St. Joe would take over at the 1, but kept the Huskies out of the endzone. Northern would take the lead for the first time in the game with 8:06 left in the 4 th quarter. The Huskies would try for the 2 point conversion and would fail. But the Huskies grabbed the 15-14 lead. St. Joe responded, a steady dose of Ryan Haynes and Ryan Barlow drove the Bears down 66 yards in 8 plays as Haynes scored on a 12 yard run and put St. Joe ahead. The Bears would also try for two and fail. The Bears had the lead again at 20-15. With 4:38 to play. With the home team having more than 4 minutes, the Bears defense was once again called on to preserve the lead, which they did. Forcing Northern to turn the ball over on downs with 1:50 left at midfield. St. Joe would run out the clock and walk away with the 20-15 win. The game was the second to last time St. Joe will play at McCamley Field in Portage. St. Joe will return in the final week of the season to face Portage Central. St. Joe improves to 3-0 and 1-0 in the SMAC West Division. St. Joe has now won 5 straight against Northern and improves the Bears record at McCamley Field against Northern to 16-8. The next time St. Joe will be at Portage Northern, it will be at Northern s new stadium which is currently under construction. McCamley Field is being demolished and rebuilt. St. Joe will host Lakeshore next at Dickinson Stadium, both teams come in with a record of 3-0. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 17
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 SEASON SUMMARIES 9/15/17 LAKESHORE 14, ST. JOSEPH 6 DICKINSON STADIUM Devin Frenchko is tackled after intercepting Lakeshore s QB. Photo: Don Campbell, Herald Palladium (St. Joseph) Despite near perfect weather conditions, both teams combined to turn the ball over eight times as Lakeshore edged out St. Joe 14-6 at Dickinson Stadium in front of an overflowing crowd. The first turnover of the game came on Lakeshore s second play on offense, when QB Joel Brawley fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Bears Trevor Dilley. St. Joe would drive inside the 5 yard line before the drive stalled out. Antonio Buhrfiend s 23 yard field goal gave St. Joe a 3-0 lead less than 4 minutes into the game. Lakeshore responded quickly to take the lead, as the Lancers drove 80 yards in 5 plays to take a 7-3 lead on a 31 yard touchdown pass from Joel Brawley to Connor Brawley. The Bears first turnover would set up Lakeshore s next score. Ryan Barlow threw an interception which was brought to the Bear 22 yard line. Sean Branch s 22 yard on the next play gave Lakeshore a 14-3 lead. The Lancers two touchdowns came just 56 second apart. The teams would continue to trade punts and interceptions to close out the first quarter. The second quarter would start with the Bears attempting a 37 yard field goal by Buhrfiend, but missing. Neither team turned it over the rest of the half. In the middle of the third quarter, St. Joe picked off another pass by Brawley and started the drive inside the Lancer 10 yard line on a Derek Holowasko pick. With the Bears at the Lakeshore 8, a run by Ethan Valdes brought it down to the 4, and the next play Valdes brought the ball to the two yard line, but had the ball punched out and Lakeshore recovered. Devin Frenchko would stop Lakeshore s next drive with an interception, bringing the ball down to the 50 yard line. St. Joe would drive down to the Lancers 14 yard line before stalling out and Buhrfiend kicked a 31 yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-6. Lakeshore sealed the game away picking up a first down and was able to hold onto the ball long enough to give St. Joe 24 seconds with no time outs to go 79 yards. The Bears final attempt was stopped and Lakeshore held on 14-6. In total the Bears turned the ball over 3 times, while Lakeshore turning it over 5 times. In a game dominated by defense, the visitors outgained St. Joe by a margin of 219-166. St. Joe falls to 3-1 and 1-1 in the SMAC West. St. Joe did get 103 yards rushing from Ryan Haynes, his fourth straight game with over 100 yards rushing. The Bears try to regroup with a game at 3-1 Mattawan next Friday. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 18
ST. JOSEPH BEARS (4-1) AT DETROIT U-D JESUIT CUBS (1-4) 9/29/17 SEASON SUMMARIES 9/22/17 ST. JOSEPH 42, MATTAWAN 7 WILDCAT STADIUM (Mattawan) The heat was on during Friday s game at Mattawan, not only were temperatures in the 90 s at kickoff, but the heat was on the Bears after falling to Lakeshore a week prior. To add to the heat, St. Joe came into the game without starting quarterback Ryan Barlow, who missed the game with an injury he sustained in the Lakeshore game. After a slow start that saw a scoreless first quarter, the Bears finally got things going late in the second quarter, with some help from the Bears defense. With Mattawan possessing the ball, Art Herndon intercepted a Wildcat pass to give the offense the ball inside Mattawan territory. St. Joe went 48 yards in 9 plays and broke the 0-0 deadlock with a 7 yard touchdown run from Ryan Haynes. Derek Holowasko returns a kickoff for the 89 yard touchdown return. Photo: St. Joseph Hudl Just three plays later, the defense once again set up the offense with a short field when Charlie Jones picked up a Mattawan fumble at the Wildcat 28 yard line. Backup Quarterback Nathan Long, making his first varsity start, carried the ball himself for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Bears up 14-0 heading into halftime. Mattawan would cut the Bears lead in half on their first drive of the second half when Mitchell Begeman connected on a 23 yard pass to Tanner Gardner to make the score 14-7. But it did not take the Bears to restore the two touchdown advantage. In fact it too 7 seconds when Derek Holowasko returned the following kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and the Bears had a 21-7 lead. St. Joe would force a Mattawan punt on the next drive and would once again find the endzone when Long threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to Izak Ruddell to go ahead 28-7. The Bears would go ahead 35-7 early in the fourth quarter when Long found Jalen Kyles for a 25 yard score with 9:58 left in the final quarter. St. Joe would close out the scoring on a 10 yard rushing touchdown from Konnor Lavanway with 5:59 left in the game. Haynes finished with a game high 148 yards rushing and a touchdown, Long was 10 of 16 for 142 yards and two touchdowns. In all, St. Joe outgained Mattawan 365-110, holding a 223-29 advantage on the ground. St. Joe improves to 4-1 and will travel to face University of Detroit-Jesuit next, while Mattawan falls to 3-2. 2017 ST. JOE BEARS GAMEDAY PAGE 19