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| With a healthy C.T. Tarrant back, the Saints have another weapon in their deep arsenal. Thomas More athletics photo |
By Adam Turer
D3sports.com
Pick against Thomas More at your own peril. You’re probably doing the Saints a favor.
No team is more excited to go on the road in round two than the No. 9 Saints, who have made a habit this year of beating ranked opponents. They’ll get another chance this week at No. 7 Wabash.
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This will be the fifth time Thomas More has faced a ranked opponent this season. The average score of the Saints’ four victories against ranked opponents is 43-18. Nobody will pick the Saints to defeat the Little Giants by 25, and that is just fine with them.
“It started in Week 1 against St. John Fisher. People thought it would be a close game, we beat them 48-0. Next game, W&J, we beat them; still no love. It keeps going and going,” said senior defensive end Erick Butler. “It puts that chip on our shoulder. It’s going to stay there, too. We like playing as the underdogs.”
Hosting No. 16 Washington and Lee in the opening round was another opportunity for the Saints to prove themselves. W&L entered the game with the nation’s top rushing offense and most observers predicted a high-scoring affair. When the Generals won the coin toss and elected to receive, the Saints took it personally.
“They took the ball first and that was kind of a smack in the mouth to our defense,” said senior wide receiver Goose Cohorn. “The defense really sparked our offense.”
After forcing a punt on the opening possession, the Saints forced W&L turnovers on the next two possessions. That allowed Thomas More to jump out to an early lead, which it never relinquished.
“A lot of people didn’t expect us to do what we did. We had a chip on our shoulder because of that,” said Butler, whose strip and recovery on W&L’s second possession set the tone for the 51-21 rout. “People were expecting a shootout. Our defense had a little chip on our shoulder and we played well.”
The only ranked opponent to give the Saints trouble this year was Case Western Reserve. That was also the only time Thomas More faced a ranked foe on the road. The Saints won their three home games against ranked competition by an average margin of 32 points.
The Saints were ranked 23rd in the preseason and have steadily climbed to the No. 9 spot. Now, they are one of just 16 teams still playing. With each dominant performance, they have proved their doubters wrong.
“Us as players and as a team know who and what we are,” said senior safety Ian Gunn. “We use anything we can to motivate us. We just care about each other and playing fast, fun football. At the end of it all, it’s all background noise.”
Thomas More made four straight playoff appearances from 2008-2011, but this year’s seniors were in danger of missing out on the postseason. In head coach Regis Scafe’s first year at Thomas More, the Saints made an emphatic return to the playoffs. While the players are experiencing their first Division III tournament, Scafe is back after a long absence. He led John Carroll to the national semifinals in 2002.
“We put a lot of trust and faith in Coach Scafe. He’s been here before,” said junior running back C.T. Tarrant, who rushed for 145 yards in his return after missing two games with an injury. “He’s been on the level that we’re trying to get to and surpass.”
The players noticed a different tone in the two weeks of practice leading up to the opening round.
“With Coach Scafe, he’s usually a pretty calm guy. This week, you could see there was a difference,” said Butler. “There was an edge. It’s time. It’s one and done. There’s no more guaranteed games.”
The Saints benefitted from a Week 11 bye, which allowed players like Tarrant and backup quarterback Brenan Kuntz time to heal. The team is at full strength for the first time since the rout of St. John Fisher in the season opener.
“When I first looked at it, having a bye week in Week 11, you didn’t like it,” said Scafe. “But it actually ended up being perfect for us. We got to heal.”
Even when outsiders might think the Saints are susceptible, their belief in themselves remains unbreakable. They will face another big test against Mason Zurek and Wabash’s imposing rushing attack. The offense will also be tested by one of the nation’s top defenses. The Saints will stick to playing disciplined, assignment football on defense, and spreading the ball around to a plethora of weapons on offense.
“You can’t really treat it like another game. Everybody’s good. It’s like a new season,” said Scafe. “You can’t take anything for granted. If I’ve learned anything, you’ve got to play the whole game and be confident in what you do.”
It is only fitting that the Saints get to play a twelfth game, as they have spent this season honoring their twelfth man. Mitch Kramer, a defensive back who wore No. 12, passed away in August. This team is playing with the kind of emotion and confidence that cannot be discounted, no matter what the statistics may look like on paper.
“With Mitch passing away earlier this year, we wanted to dedicate the season to him. First, by winning the PAC championship and then we decided we wanted to make a run in the playoffs,” said Cohorn. “It’s really been an unforgettable year and probably the most memorable year of my 15-year football career. It’s been special. It’s been fun.”
And it’s not over yet.