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The storied
history between the two teams dates back to 1912. The teams have met 49
times throughout the 93 years and year in and year out, each game packs
excitement. That
excitement continued last year when the teams met at the Rock Bowl in
Dubuque, Iowa. Loras jumped out to a 7-3 lead and seemed to be in control
of the game. But St. Ambrose came out in the second half to take a 16-7
lead. Loras battled right back and scored with 29 seconds left to cut the
lead to 16-14. An onside kick was recovered by St. Ambrose and the
Fighting Bees won their 26th game against Loras. Saturday
these same two programs will compete against each other on the football
field for the 50th time. Another great game? More than likely. St. Ambrose
does lead the all-time series 26-19-4, but this is a new season and a new
chapter will be added to the history books. “I think
in football every game is a big game and you have to approach each game
the same way,” St. Ambrose coach Todd Sturdy said. “It’s a great
opportunity for both teams and all the people involved with both schools.
There will be a great crowd and a lot of excitement. It’s a game we like
to play in.” Loras, for
the second season in a row, opened its season one week earlier than St.
Ambrose. This past Saturday, the Duhawks handily defeated Concordia (Ill.)
48-3 behind running back Bobby McCarron, who rushed for 127 yards and the
games first four touchdowns on 17 carries. There are
two ways to look at the fact that Loras has a game under its belt. One
could argue that Loras has played a game against an opponent other than
themselves and worked out any kinks. Another might argue that St. Ambrose
has had a chance to see the 2005 version of the Duhawks and see what they
have to offer, while Loras will have to prepare for St. Ambrose based
solely on what they saw last season. If Todd
Sturdy had his way, he would rather have the kinks worked out. “I would
rather have played a first game, if I had to pick,” Sturdy said with a
chuckle. “But it’s a new season, and we’re excited.” There is
good reason behind that, as the Fighting Bees will have a different face
this season. No, Sturdy is not changing the offense. And no, defensive
coordinator Mike Magistrelli hasn’t changed the defense. The Fighting
Bees will literally have a new face…or faces. “I think
we are at a good starting point, we just have a lot of new faces,”
Sturdy said. “We have a lot of guys playing in their first college
football game.” Gone are the
likes of running backs Joe Schimmel and Larry Williams, possibly the best
1-2 punch in the NAIA last season. Also gone are wide receivers Joe DuPage
and Andy Ford. The two drove cornerbacks and safeties crazy and Ford drove
cover teams insane with his punt returns. All four received all-Mid-States
Football Association honors last season. Those four
are among the 25 seniors who graduated last season. This season, there
only are half that. Defensive line…gone. Second string defensive
line…gone. Linebackers…well, there’s one, but he has moved to the
defensive line. “More than
half of our starters are gone,” Sturdy said. “All you can do is
prepare, and then go out there and see how they respond.” But none of
this is a worry to Sturdy as the youth has stepped forward in the
preseason and shown they are ready for the spotlight. “We
can’t afford to make mistakes. We have to come out and hit on all
cylinders and give ourselves an opportunity to win,” Sturdy said.
“That first football game is a challenge. It’s a hurdle you have to
get over.” Offensively
the two big questions will be running back and wide receiver. Filling the
hole of Schimmel and Williams is sophomore Tyler Driscoll. Last season,
Driscoll got his feet wet at the collegiate level and saw action in nine
games and rushed for 184 yards on 28 carries, which included a touchdown. Wide
receivers Brandin Smith and Nic Gieselman both bring collegiate game
experience to the table. Smith hauled in two passes, both going for
touchdowns. Gieselman caught two passes for 29 yards on the year. Throwing to
and handing off to the new crew of offensive firepower is not a new face.
Quarterback Jeff Kietzman enters his senior year as one of the best
quarterbacks in school history. After two seasons under center for the
Fighting Bees, Kietzman has climbed to fourth in career passing yards
(3,664) and completions (294). He ranks fifth in touchdowns (28). Offensively,
the pieces of the puzzle are there, now they just need to get into game
action to prove it. “You are
always nervous the first game of the season to see what your team has to
offer,” Sturdy said. “There are a lot of questions that have to be
answered, but you can’t answer them until you play.” On the
defensive side, Ben Sacco, Nathan Schultz, Matt MacCrindle and Andy Wulf
will man the line with linebackers Dan Eble Jesse Weygand, Chad Otdoerfer
and Jordan Hooks behind them. Sacco recorded 40 tackles (11 solo), nine
tackles for a loss and three sacks. Guiding the
crew will be senior Ryne Foster. Last season, Foster had 36 tackles (22
solo), 1.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups and
a forced fumble. The leaders
are there. And so it the youth. Will the seniors leadership during the
preseason show on the football field? We’ll find out this Saturday. Return to the Football Homepage |
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