Quarterback Alex Fenske dives into the end zone with 11:31 to play in the first quarter, a touchdown set up after defensive lineman Ryan Winters recovered a Johnnie fumble on the third play of the game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Defensive back Chris Pierson celebrates with coach Glenn Caruso after the St. Thomas victory over St. John’s on Saturday afternoon. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Running back Josh Parks dodges St. John’s defense in the first half of the Tommie-Johnnies rivalry game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Fans get ready to storm the field as the clock runs down. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Fenske looks for an open pass in the end zone. Fenske ran in the first touchdown for St. Thomas. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommie players celebrate the first recovered fumble of the game. St. Thomas’ Ryan Winter recovered St. John’s fumble. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Caruso walks onto the field with his team at the start of the game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Wide receiver Joe Reed smiles after rushing to the St. John’s two- yard line. Quarterback Alex Fenske completed the pass. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Fenske throws to a teammate. Fenske threw for a total of 114 yards against St. John’s this afternoon. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Fans congratulate running back Josh Parks from the sidelines. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommie defensive back Michael Alada defends against Johnnie wide receiver Matt Miller. Alada had two interceptions Saturday for St. Thomas. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommies gather in the end zone for their third touchdown of the game. Running back Tucker Trettel rushed four yards for a touchdown. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
The Tommies and Johnnies set up in the Johnnies’ red zone before a touchdown. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Running back Josh Parks hugs a teammate after scoring a touchdown. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommie linebacker Steve Harrell tackles Johnnie running back Dusty Krueger. Harrell had four tackles in today’s game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
A sea of fans in purple cheer on the Tommies in the team’s storied match-up. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommie linebacker Matt Mitchell and defensive back Bennett Celichowski push back Johnnie quarterback Jackson Erdmann. Tommies had four totals sacks in today’s game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Caruso embraces Anthony King-Foreman after the St. Thomas victory. This season is King-Foreman’s fourth and final year as a Tommie. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Tommie linebacker Adam Brant grabs onto the leg of Johnnie quarterback Jackson Erdmann. Brant had 14 total tackles in Saturday’s game. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
Running back Josh Parks runs to score a Tommie touchdown. Parks led in total rushing yards in with 109. (Meghan Vosbeek/TommieMedia)
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — Despite All-American running back Jordan Roberts’ absence, fourth-ranked St. Thomas scored in the first four minutes and recovered three St. John’s fumbles in the first half on its way to a 33-21 victory over the No. 6 Johnnies on Saturday afternoon at Clemens Stadium in front of more than 16,500 fans.
It was the second-largest crowd in Tommie-Johnnie history, after last year’s game.
Running back Josh Parks broke loose for 46 yards and a touchdown to secure the victory for the Tommies with 2 minutes left in the game. Parks rushed for 109 yards and scored two touchdowns.
MIAC SCOREBOARD
- St. Thomas 33, St. John’s 21
- Bethel 44, St. Olaf 7
- Hamline 42, Gustavus 40
- Augsburg 49, Carleton 17
“The way Josh played today … ‘admirable’ would be an understatement,” coach Glenn Caruso said.
Parks said playing in his first Tommie-Johnnie was a memorable experience, and he was excited about the outcome.
Quarterback Alex Fenske scored the first touchdown of the game and had a hand in other scoring plays for the Tommies. The fifth-year senior passed for 114 yards on nine completions in 18 attempts with one interception.
The Tommie quarterback admitted he wasn’t perfect but complimented his team on starting the game strong.
“Getting up on the board right away, that really helped our momentum for the rest of the game, and our defense made a great play getting the ball,” Fenske said.
Before Saturday’s game, former Penn State walk-on and Johnnie quarterback Jackson Erdmann had thrown 56 passes without an interception, but defensive back Michael Alada broke this streak with his third and fourth interceptions of the season.
Caruso was impressed with Alada’s commitment to the team over the past four years, even early in his career as a non-starter.
“He has labored and waited and now it is his time,” Caruso said. “He is producing. I am very proud of who he is becoming as a man.”
Defensive linemen Ryan Winter and Anthony King-Foreman and linebacker Matt Mitchell recovered Johnnie fumbles, with King-Foreman running his fumble back 57 yards for a touchdown as St. Thomas converted four St. John’s turnovers into touchdowns. Running back Tucker Trettel added a four-yard scoring run.
Caruso is not sure when Roberts will return but said the depth of the Tommies’ running back position is as good as it has been in his 21 years of coaching.
And Fenske was confident in the team’s ability to draw strength from its other members.
“That’s what we do,” Fenske said. “We just have guys step up. I mean, Jordan Roberts is a great running back, but we’ve got two other studs in Josh and Tucker.”
St. Thomas (4-0) will play its homecoming game against Augsburg (1-3) at 1:10 p.m. next Saturday.
Carolyn Meyer can be reached at cameyer@stthomas.edu.