Running back Tucker Trettel (28) heads to the end zone followed by Will Hilbert and Matt Beck. The Tommies defeated Coe College 55-6 Saturday at Palmer Field. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Wide receiver Nick Waldvogel (2) celebrates a touchdown with Tucker Trettel. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
File photo: Tight end Grant Slavik runs the ball in a Nov. 2016 game. Slavik played seven-on-seven for Potenza Sports before joining the Tommies. (Lauren Andrego/ TommieMedia)
Alex Fenske runs the ball himself into the end zone. Intended as a pass play, Fenske said, “We say, ‘When it’s gray, make a play,'” in the postgame news conference. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
The Tommie offense celebrates Alex Fenske’s touchdown run. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Linebacker Dylan Andrew (12) intercepts a first quarter Kohawk pass. The Tommies rounded up three interceptions in the first half. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Slavik (81) fights off two Cohawks. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Running back Josh Parks (26) dodges defensive back Andrew Johnson. Tommies won 55-6 Saturday at Palmer Field.
A pass to Slavik is intercepted by Coe College. The Kohawks only scored six points against the Tommies Saturday. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Head coach Glenn Caruso leads the Tommie fight song with the team. The Tommies will advance to the final eight next Saturday and face UW-Oshkosh. (Lauren Andrego/TommieMedia)
Quarterback Alex Fenske threw for the three touchdowns and ran for another as the third-ranked St. Thomas football team cruised past Coe College 55-6 to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III football playoffs on Saturday afternoon at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.
NCAA DIII PLAYOFFS
Second Round
St. Thomas bracket
- No. 3 St. Thomas 55, No. 16 Coe 6
- No. 4 Wis.-Oshkosh 31, No. 9 St. John’s 14
Wis.-Whitewater bracket
- No. 6 John Carroll 20k No. 18 Wesley 17
- No. 2 Wis.-Whitewater 37, No. 17 Wittenberg 9
Mary Hardin-Baylor bracket
- No. 1 Mary Hardin-Baylor 27, No. 8 Linfield 10
- No. 13 Wheaton 31, North Central 14
Alfred bracket
- No. 14 Alfred 30, Western New England 24
- No. 7 Mount Union 28, No. 10 Johns Hopkins 21
Fenske completed 16 of 23 attempts for 229 yards before Jacques Perra took the field in the third quarter.
Fenske displayed versatility by dodging defenders for a 10-yard touchdown run in the final scoring drive of the first half.
“It was a pass play,” Fenske said. “But when things get broken down we say, ‘When it’s gray, make a play,’ and it just opened up in the middle, and I saw a nice opening to the end zone.”
Coe broke its scoreless streak early in the second half with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Glenn to wide receiver Seth Williams, but the Tommie defense blocked the extra point.
Coach Glenn Caruso said Saturday’s performance was the best he had seen from his defense this season.
“(The team) is clicking on all phases right now, playing as well as I have ever seen us play on defense,” Caruso said, “and playing some really good offense and special teams, too.”
Cornerback Michael Alada broke the school record with his 11th interception on the season.
“The catch itself is pretty amazing,” Caruso said. “It’s a catch you don’t see a lot of guys on offense make very much.”
The Tommie defense totalled three picks against Glenn.
Running back Tucker Trettel challenged the Kohawk defense by racing 82 yards into the endzone with 10:40 left in the first half to give the Tommies a 27-0 lead.
The Tommies out gained the Kohawks 605 yards to 329.
Trestle, wide receivers Joe Reed and Luke Iverson, fullback Bennie Wilson and tight end Jackson Hull added touchdowns, and running back Josh Parks tallied two. Trettel rushed for 102 yards on 9 carries.
St. Thomas will battle Wisconsin-Oshkosh next weekend in the third round for a spot in the Elite Eight. The Titans cruised past St. John’s 31-14 Saturday at Oshkosh.
Caruso said he is looking forward to next weekend’s matchup.
“I am a big fan of the way they play football,” Caruso said. “They are very athletic, and they are strong and they are fast. If it’s not one of the top teams in the country then you’d have to prove to me otherwise.”
The Tommies have played December games six out of the past eight years.
Alada said the team is motivated to return to the Stagg Bowl.
“There are a lot of things that drive us this season. We want to be the most cohesive team we’ve ever had, that’s what drives us,” Alada said.
Carolyn Meyer can be reached at cameyer@stthomas.edu.