Johnnies Kick Off Season At Home Against Wisconsin-Whitewater

COLLEGEVILLE -- The St. John's University football team will open up the season at home Saturday.

The Johnnies will square off against The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

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Gary Fasching is entering his 10th season as head coach. He says they have a strong group of upper classmen which he believes will be a key piece to their success.

I think anytime you can get veteran guys back, and in our case some 5th year guys, I think it makes a big difference. They've been through the system and that's certainly been a big benefit.

Troy Feddema is a St. Cloud Tech graduate and is entering his junior season. He says the offense is starting to hit its stride.

I think we are really coming together. We started camp a little slow but we've really picked things up as the practices continued.

The Johnnies come into the season ranked #5 in the Division III preseason poll, while Wisconsin-Whitewater sits at #4. Both teams met in the 2019 playoffs, where St. John's lost by three points.

Fasching says the Wisconsin-Whitewater game will be a good test as to where his team is at.

We know they have a very good football. They are fast, physical, and big. We know we will have to play at our very best Saturday to have any chance at beating them.

Senior Safety Ethan Stark, a Sartell native, says their defense is ready for the challenge this weekend.

We have a lot of returning players on the defensive side of the ball. We've been flying around and expect a lot of good things to come on the defensive end. We're focused for this game for sure.

Kick off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Saturday at Clemens Stadium.

Last season, the Johnnies went 11-1 with their only lost coming in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.