MIAC Release
COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Fourteen Saint John’s University football student-athletes were named to the 2009 All-MIAC football team on Monday, Nov. 24. Head coach John Gagliardi was named the 2009 MIAC Coach of the Year for the 13th time in his career and the first time since 2005.
Senior offensive lineman Blaine Anderson (Hewitt, Minn./Bertha-Hewitt), junior quarterback Joe Boyle (Richfield, Minn./Holy Angels), senior kicker Russell Gliadon (Fridley, Minn.), senior defensive back Bobby Klint (Coon Rapids, Minn./Totino-Grace), senior defensive lineman Kyle Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) and senior linebacker Ryan Wimmer (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) were named to the first team.
Senior linebacker Ethan Eid (Arden Hills, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), junior offensive lineman Jeff Gilbertson (Wabasha, Minn./Winona Cotter), senior defensive back Dominic Haik (Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace), junior offensive lineman Tim Juba (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park), senior defensive lineman Noel Meyer (Melrose, Minn.), junior tight end Josh Overman (Albany, Minn.), junior running back Jakob Reding (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and junior linebacker John Stanton (San Rafael, Calif./Marin Catholic) were named to the second team. Senior offensive lineman Drew Percival (Wayzata, Minn./Blake) was named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship team.
Anderson (left guard), Gilbertson (right tackle), Juba (center) and Percival (right tackle) started every game on the offensive line this season. With the play of these linemen, the Johnnies ended the regular season second in the MIAC in both scoring offense (28.8 ppg.) and rushing offense (191.3 ypg.).
Boyle started nine games for the Johnnies and led the team in passing with an average of 162.3 yards per game. Boyle also had a 55.3 completion percentage (114-206) to go along with his 16 touchdown passes. He also added 107 yards rushing and four touchdowns on the ground.
A two-time All-MIAC first-team selection, Gliadon was named the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice this fall and re-wrote the SJU record book during the month of October. He made a school-record 49-yard field goal with three seconds remaining to give SJU a 16-14 win over Bethel on Oct. 3. His previous career-high was 35 yards (vs. Marietta, Ohio; Sept. 1, 2007). Gliadon then broke his own record two weeks later with a 52-yard field goal in the Johnnies’ 10-3 win over St. Olaf on Oct. 24. Gliadon converted 37 of 40 PAT attempts and averaged 62.2 yards on 56 kickoffs this fall.
Both Haik and Klint started 10 games for the Johnnies. Klint finished third on the team with 58 tackles (43 solo) and one interception, while Haik had 38 tackles (26 solo), two interceptions and one forced fumble on the year.
Schroeder and Meyer played in all 11 games for the Johnnies, forced three and two fumbles, respectively, and combined for five total fumble recoveries. Schroeder led the team with eight sacks and led the MIAC with 16.5 tackles for loss. He also posted four quarterback hurries and 41 tackles (26 solo). Meyer tied for second on the team with five sacks and tallied 29 tackles (12 solo).
Wimmer and Eid started 10 and seven games, respectively, in 2009. A two-time All-MIAC first-team selection, Wimmer finished second on the team with 62 tackles (38 solo), including 8.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one sack on the year. Eid had 21 tackles (15 solo), including 3.5 tackles for loss with three sacks and one interception during an injury-plagued senior season.
Overman and Reding led the Johnnies thru the air and on the ground in 2009. Overman led the team with 33 catches for 479 yards and five touchdowns, while Reding led the team with 682 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 145 carries. He also led the team in all-purpose yardage (874) and finished second in receptions with 23.
Stanton led the MIAC’s top defense with 76 tackles (51 solo) in his first full season as a starter. He also recorded four tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one sack on the year.
SJU ended the 2009 season with an 8-0 record in the MIAC and a 10-1 overall record. The Johnnies earned their MIAC-record 31st conference championship, the 27th under the direction of Gagliardi, and made their 24th postseason appearance (and 11th in the past 12 seasons). Gagliardi ended his record 61st season with a 471-126-11 (.784) career record and a 447-120-10 (.783) record in 57 seasons at SJU.