St. John’s going for 13th straight MAC win
By Tim Langevin
The “big game” quickly evolved into the “big easy” as Delphos St. John’s smacked down Anna 37-13 last Saturday night at Delphos Park.
And QB Jordan Leininger did it all. He passed for 122 yards and two TDs and ran for 135 yards and another score. After four games, the senior athlete has 798 yards of total offense with nine TDs.
Just call him “Jordan the Transformer”. He can run. He can pass. He can score touchdowns. Coming soon to a football field near you.
St. John’s coach Todd Schulte said, “Jordan is a great athlete who can play several positions. This year we needed him at QB. Toledo would be lucky to have him next year. We had three kids vying for the QB position at the start of summer camp. But after the first scrimmage, I knew he was our starting QB.”
Schulte knows alittle something about football. He rushed for over 3,000 career yards for St. John’s back in the early 90′s.
It was an inauspicious start for the Blue Jays. Tyler Bergfield fumbled the opening kickoff and Anna took over with only 37 yards to paydirt. Three plays later, QB Jay Meyer hit TE Alex Fogt on a 33-yard TD strike :57 into the game. The extra point was blocked. Anna led 6-0.
St. John’s went four and out on their next possession, but Anna returned the favor with a fumble and Derek Klaus jumped on it on Anna’s 36-yard-line. Six plays later on fourth and six, Leininger hit wide open Evan Burgei on a 20-yard pass play for the score. The Blue Jays led 7-6 with 5:54 left in the opening quarter.
It was a gutsy call by Schulte, but it worked. And Delphos went on to score 37 unanswered points.
“Our goal was to keep the offense on the field as long as possible. That’s why we went for it,” Schulte said. “The key was executing and getting first downs.”
The momentum shifted big time. Anna went three and out four consecutive possessions and Delphos scored on their next two possessions to take a 21-6 lead with 10:59 until half.
Evan Burgei scored on a bullish, 13-yard run and then again on a four-yard run. Burgei finished the night with 72 yards rushing and three TDs. The senior has gained 371 yards on the ground with seven TDs on the season.
Delphos scored again with :38 ticks before half on a six play, 65-yard drive. The offensive line flexed its muscles as Leininger rambled on a 10-yarder and then the 12-yard TD run. St. John’s was in command 27-6 at the break.
Anna coach Bryan Rioch didn’t have much to say except, “They’re a good football team. To be honest, they are better than us. Give credit to coach Schulte and his staff.”
The Blue Jays tacked on another score to make it 34-6 in the third quarter. It was a quick seven-play, 48-yard drive. Burgei and Leininger shared the load. Burgei pounded for 12 yards and Leininger converted a 21-yard pass to Jordan Bergfield and a 25-yard TD strike to Joe Haggard.
Delphos played “eat the clock” with a masterful 17-play march that consumed 6:35 of the clock while covering 60 yards. The Blue Jays converted four first downs, all on third and short. However, on fourth and goal from the six, Delphos had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Josh Rode to up the lead 37-6 with 5:19 left.
The Anna Rockets looked like the same team that beat Coldwater on their second to last possession of the game. It took just one play to score from 69 yards out. Jay Meyer launched a perfect pass to Dexter Bensman, who scooted down the left sideline for the score to make it 37-13.
The difference maker was third down conversions. Delphos was 9-of-19 and Anna was 3-of-9. The Blue Jays rattled off 72 plays to the Rockets’ 40. Delphos moved the chains 16 times while Anna collected five first downs.
Schulte said, “I thought the kids executed well. I didn’t think the score would be what it was. I just wanted the kids to go out and execute. There is so much left of the season. I wouldn’t say we are in the driver’s seat. It’s the MAC. It’s a nightmare.”
And so, after just two weeks of MAC play, only three teams remain unbeaten – Delphos St. John’s, Marion Local, and Versailles.
Anna tumbles to 3-1 overall and faces the third leg of a strenuous monster stretch of MAC games in Marion Local.
St. John’s remains unbeaten at 4-0 and travels to St. Henry, looking for its 13th straight MAC victory.
| 
