Tommies Blog: St. Thomas Football Fall Camp Starts With 134 Players
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's already feeling like fall around the state this week, with only some of that having to do with the cooler temperatures and wind.
The high school football season got started in Minnesota last Saturday, a good two weeks ahead of its normal schedule. Over in St. Paul, coaches and 134 players with the St. Thomas football program reported for fall camp on Aug. 18. They've already been working out and holding practices for more than a week. The season opener is just around the corner as the Tommies travel to UW-Eau Claire on Saturday, Sept. 5.
It's hard to believe, but Glenn Caruso is already entering his eighth season as the leader of the St. Thomas football program. With him comes a 73-13 record in seven seasons with the Tommies. That mark includes a 62-8 record regular season mark and an 11-5 record in the playoffs, highlighted by an appearance in the 2012 Division III national title game.
Despite losses to St. John's and at Bethel in 2014, the Tommies were able to get an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. That's after they just missed in 2013. St. Thomas traveled to Wartburg College in Iowa and trailed early. The Tommies rallied, but their season ended in a 37-31 loss.
St. Thomas will have more than 90 players back from the team that finished 8-3 last season and tied for second in the MIAC. St. John's got back to the top of the MIAC, with its only loss of the regular season coming to Concordia (Moorhead) in its league opener last year.
The Johnnies beat St. Scholastica 35-7 in the first round of the playoffs, then lost to Wartburg 21-10. St. John's is the slight favorite to win the MIAC again this year.
The Tommies have 15 players with starting experience back from last season. There are plenty of skilled and experienced players returning, led by senior quarterback John Gould and junior running back/wide receiver Nick Waldvogel. Gould played in 10 games last season and passed for more than 1,400 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also threw for a little more than 142 yards per game.
Waldvogel was the Tommies' third-leading rusher with 496 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games. He was also the team's second-leading receiver with 33 catches for 344 yards and three scores. Charlie Dowdle, their leading receiver last season with 13 touchdowns, is also back for his senior year.
The Tommies should have plenty of depth on offense with four of their top five rushers back and their top five wideouts.
St. Thomas will have some holes to fill on defense with five of its top six tacklers from 2014 graduating. Senior Tim McClanahan is back after finishing second on the defense last year with 62 tackles, including three sacks. Bennet Celichowski (44 tackles) and Mozus Ikuenobe (36 tackles and two forced fumbles), are also back.
The Tommies will also have a key player back in senior kicker Paul Graupner. He was one of the top kickers in the MIAC last year.
In the first preseason poll released by The Sporting News Magazine, St. Thomas was ranked No. 18 nationally. St. John's was the highest MIAC team ranked at No. 7.
The Tommies open the 2015 season with a night game at UW-Eau Claire at 6:10 p.m. on Sept. 5. St. Thomas's home opener is set for a 1:10 p.m. kickoff against UW-La Crosse.
The Tommies open the MIAC slate Sept. 26 at rival St. John's. They'll have a tough two-week stretch hosting Bethel on Oct. 24, then traveling to Concordia the following Saturday. By then, we'll have a good idea of how the league will shakeout and if more than one team has a chance to make the postseason.
