St. Thomas football coach Glenn Caruso officially welcomed 20 players to the Tommies family on Wednesday at the end of the early signing period.

There are eight Minnesotans in the class, including 6-foot-7 offensive tackle Ethan Simms from Eden Prairie, whom Caruso called one of the Tommies’ top recruits. Aiden Horel, an offensive tackle from Prior Lake, also was a highly sought after player, Caruso said.

Quentin Cobb-Butler from Woodbury was added as a return specialist. Mounds View’s Ben Hoiland joins the Tommies as a punter/kicker.

The Tommies signed four linebackers, including Taran Blasy from Park High School, Charles Bern from East Ridge and Roman Johnson from Minnetonka. The Tommies took a big hit at the position, with two starters graduating and Jonathan Bunce and Seth Bullard entering the transfer portal.

There’s a chance at least one of the incoming linebackers will see considerable playing time. The 6-4 Bern is a “huge dude,” Caruso said, who played on both sides of the ball in high school.

Walker Owens, who played his high school football at Wheaton North in suburban Chicago, is one of the Tommies’ top recruits, Caruso said.

“A year ago we said we needed to get more out of Illinois,” Caruso said. “The Chicago area was a focus. That was the directive, and it came to fruition.”

The three other signees from the Chicago area are quarterback Ryan Jackson from Lyons Township High School, who was his conference’s offensive player of the year; Marc Coy, a
running back from Marist; and Rocco Dileonardi, a defensive lineman from Geneva.

Caruso pointed out that while Jackson is on the small size for a quarterback at 5-10, he is a dynamic player who is extremely competitive. Philip Jones (5-11) from Chandler, Ariz., is the other quarterback in the class.

Caruso said the plan is to add seven or eight more players during the late signing period in February. He anticipates that there will be a couple of transfers among that group. The focus for the second signing period will be to shore up areas deemed to be in need of reinforcements.

“A year and a day ago we had either zero or one defensive lineman signed,” Caruso said. “We ended up bringing in three defensive linemen. A lot of it is not what we want; a lot of it is what the market bears.

“So, for right now, there seems to be a large delay in the offensive skill category. There are some positions we won’t have to focus on, but that doesn’t mean that if we find a really good fit we wouldn’t take him.

“We definitely want to find another tight end. Corner and slot nickel (defensive back) are a couple of others we are going to take a look at.”

The Tommies lost two key starters on offense, with wide receiver Andrew McElroy and running back Shawn Shipman entering the transfer portal, with adding another wide receiver appearing to be the more pressing need.

Looking at each of the past three freshmen classes, Caruso said half the class got on the field as freshmen while also being able to redshirt, while six to eight players appeared in every game.

“I would think that this year wouldn’t be much different,” Caruso said.

It’s been a hot topic in the Twin Cities ever since the Vikings suffered a 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

On consecutive plays in overtime last weekend, the Vikings failed to execute the Tush Push, turning the ball over in the process. It was a shocking result considering the Philadelphia Eagles have turned the Tush Push into an unstoppable play over the past couple of seasons. It has become so dominant that the NFL might ban the modified quarterback sneak this offseason.

It raises the question: Who first thought of the concept?

As far as NFL Films is concerned, it might have been Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr. The production company posted the origin story of the Tush Push on social media with Barr shown talking to Vikings teammate Harrison Smith on the sidelines in 2018.

“You should put some big dude at quarterback and another big dude right behind him,” Barr said to Smith in the NFL Films video clip. “Then just push him.”

Naturally, the Pioneer Press tracked Barr down at TCO Performance Center last week, asking him about the moment that has gone viral.

“I don’t remember that exact conversation,” Barr said with a laugh. “Obviously I did say it.”

Though he was hesitant to proclaim himself as the mastermind behind the Tush Push — Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni likely holds that unofficial title — Barr has long had an affinity for the quarterback sneak in short-yardage situations.

“I remember playing Madden growing up,” Barr said. “It could be first and goal and I’m running quarterback sneak four times. Obviously it’s not the same in person. It does seem to have translated somewhat with some teams running it pretty effectively.”

The poster child for the movement is Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He routinely takes a snap under center in short-yardage situation and plows forward while his teammates push him from behind.

Just like Barr suggested to Smith a few years ago.

“It’s evolved from one guy pushing to two guys pushing to three guys pushing,” Barr said. “It’s been really interesting to see.”

What does Barr think about the Tush Push potentially being banned?

“I don’t see an issue with it,” he said. “Just because teams can’t stop the Eagles when they do it doesn’t mean it’s going to work for everybody. It’s a play that’s been successful for them, so it’s perceived a certain way. It’s just a quarterback sneak at the end of the day.”

Injury report

The injury report for the Vikings was notable on Wednesday with linebacker Jordan Hicks (shin) classified as a full participant.

Meanwhile, defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard (ankle) and defensive tackle Sheldon Day (ankle) were limited participants.

There was a long list of players who did not participate, including pass rusher Danielle Hunter (illness), running back Alexander Mattison (ankle), cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (hamstring), receiver Jalen Nailor (concussion), right tackle Brian O’Neill (ankle) and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (back).

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“Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.”

These words attributed to Winston Churchill have been on my mind a lot as the year’s biggest holiday makes its final approach. Usually, I’m big on the rejoicing part of Christmas. This year, I’m joining countless others who aren’t feeling totally holly-jolly, old-Andre-champagne-TV-ads Christmas joyful. At least not in full. I’ll get to the not in full part soon.

I’ve written for this paper about the twists, turns, and cross-country moves (plural) I’ve experienced since I became my now 91-year-old mother’s full-time caregiver following her June 2014 stroke. In late August, her decline went into red alert and my brother and I added our names to the list of those who have had to put a parent into skilled nursing. One month later, we had to put her into inpatient hospice.

Now none of this was unexpected. And at 91 years and nine months, it can be said my mother not only had a very long life but, when measured in full, a mostly decent run on this orb. And even though it’s been rough seeing her go within weeks from serviceable mobility to nearly silent and almost complete bedbound status, what my brother and I are paying in dues to the circle of life is fairly slight compared to what so many others are experiencing this season. With murder, violence and war aflame in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine, with the United States becoming so divided that even usually non-hysterical people fear a real civil war, not to mention those who are tending to seriously ill or dying children or spouses or experiencing their first Christmas without parents, children or spouses, I have tried to heed Churchill’s words and concentrate on perspective and worthy reflection.

But not always. While reflecting on things such as what to do once I’m not a caregiver anymore, I thought I needed some diversion. Instead of seeking out, for instance, Churchill’s many works of history, I decided to look at some of the hordes of holiday movies that now appear on television before Halloween. One of them, 2022’s “A Christmas Story Christmas” was one I watched a few times when it came out last year, as it was heavily promoted as a most worthy sequel to 1983’s “A Christmas Story.” Extensive promotion aside, the reviews were not unworthy but few critics thought the film capable of displacing a classic like “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

After another day of doing what I can to help the staff help my mother exit this world as safely and comfortably as possible, I decided to see once again how a now grown, aspiring novelist Ralphie went back to his Indiana hometown following the death of his father just a few days before Christmas 1973.

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, and if you think you might want to, stop reading now. Okay.

Anyway, as I saw Ralphie/Ralph drive into a neighborhood that looked not all that different from the Milwaukee area one I grew up in (and only about 120 miles from the movie’s setting), have fun drinking too much in a tavern run by his childhood friend, a tavern very, very much like ones in my neighborhood (and, come to think of it, quite a bit like St. Paul’s famous/infamous Gopher Bar, which I went to some in younger and more mature days), and proceed with his mother’s wish to honor his Christmas-loving father by making their Christmas as happy (if not extravagant) as possible, I went into a different type of reflection. It wasn’t quite like the Grinch thinking Christmas wasn’t about buttons, bows and stolen trees but it was revelatory all the same.

As I watched the film to the end and smiled wryly when Ralph didn’t get his novel published but instead received an offer to become a columnist for his hometown newspaper, I almost felt like the Reformed Grinch when I thought, well, how could a movie, of all things, make me feel so much better? Did my late father and brothers want me to see something that would remind me of days when we all were together at Christmas? Does someone want me to still find happiness even while on a sort of death watch? Was I meant to be reminded how much my own mother loved Christmas and probably wouldn’t want to see me depressed if she were able to realize as much? I don’t know.

All I can say is that for me at least, life won’t get easier in the short term. My brother and I know our mother could even die on Christmas Day, though such wouldn’t be as sad as it was for a St. Paul-area friend who lost her mother on Christmas just four months after having her first child.

So, upon further reflection, I’m going to continue to try to create at least a few bits of rejoicing for myself. If it takes television movies to do the trick, well, okay.

Though I believe it would be wise to avoid the drinking too much in a tavern run by a childhood friend part.

Mary Stanik, a former St. Paul resident now living in Tucson, Ariz., is a writer and a full-time parental caregiver. 

Like one of those confetti cannons, Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson is trying to bottle up Parker Fox and uncork him in the right moments.

Fox has come off the bench in all 11 games this season and will likely do so again Thursday when Minnesota (8-3) plays host to Ball State (8-3) at 7 p.m. at Williams Arena.

Johnson likes the spark and savvy Fox has provided for the U in his 12 minutes per game.

“I love whenever you can bring experience off the bench and you know exactly what they are bringing,” Johnson said. “I know with Parker, if things are dull, at least you’ve got a guy who is going to bring juice, that’s going to bring an older presence and bring some grit off the bench, and you can rely off that.”

Johnson also has to gauge when Fox, a sixth-year player, will benefit from a lighter load in practices due to two consecutive season-ending knee injuries.

“There are times, without a doubt, I know it’s bothering him,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Fox’s situation is better than two years ago when Eric Curry couldn’t practice at all.

Fox, a Mahtomedi native, has worked to put in more time rehabbing in order to be ready when he’s called on most, while also being cognizant to call audibles when rest will be beneficial.

Fox has a team-high 12 dunks and is averaging 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He also has six blocks and has helped be the glue that doesn’t show up in the box score.

“I just want to bring energy; that’s who I’ve been as a player,” said the former Division II All-American during his time at Northern State. “… I play at one gear and it’s full-out, full pace.”

Johnson wants to make sure that pace and influence will still be there when the Big Ten season hits its dog days in February.

Absences

Forward Dawson Garcia (ankle) is day-to-day and will be a game-time decision against Ball State, Johnson said.

Johnson said the swelling in Garcia’s ankle improved a few days ago. There will be a desire for him to play, but after Thursday’s game, a week-long break follows until the final nonconference game against Maine on Dec. 29.

The Big Ten schedule restart is Jan. 4 at Michigan.

“When he’s back, you want him back and you don’t want to risk another tweak and a setback with what we’ve got coming,” Johnson said. “He will test it out (Wednesday and Thursday), give our medical staff feedback and we’ll make a decision.”

Guard Braeden Carrington (mental health leave) will miss his second game Thursday.

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