Football announces 2007 team awards

December 15, 2007

Wide receiver P.J. Theisen (SR-Elko/New Prague) was voted Team MVP and Offensive MVP for the 2007 St. Thomas football team. The honors were among 10 individual awards announced at the postseason banquet.

Other recipients were:

--Pat Sommerstad (SR-Apple Valley/Eastview), Defensive MVP & Tomcat Award (most turnovers gained in practices/games)

--Matt Olson (SO-Ramsey/Anoka), Special Teams MVP

--Andrew Docter (Jr-Madison, Wis./Edgewood), Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year

--Joe Sunnarborg (SO-Esko), Scout Team Player of the Year

--Dan Hallman (FR-River Falls, Wis./St. Thomas Academy), Father Lavin Award (Christian approach to sport)

--Graham Gmach (SR-Andover/Totino-Grace), Jerry Pugsley Award (team first mentality)

--Devan Futterer (SR-Grand Marais/Cook County) and Justin Thom (SR-Farmington), Oil Can Man Award (pllayer whose effort keeps the team going)

1st Team All-MIAC       

Graham Gmach

P.J. Theisen

Pat Sommerstad

Honorable Mention All-MIAC

Jeffrey Hilliard (SO-Woodbury)

Ross Petterson (SO-Maple Grove/Osseo)

Pat Cahalan (SR-St. Paul/Cretin-Derham Hall)

Jake Casey (SR-White Bear Lake)

Tony Margarit (JR-Holy Angels

Mark O’Connell (SR-Edina)

2007 MIAC Sportsmanship Team

Pat Cahalan               

Gmach, who started all 38 games of his career, helped the 2007 Tommies average 399 yards of offense, 23 first downs per game and score 26 ppg.

Theisen finished the 2007 season with 86 catches for 1,192 yards and 14 TDs. In his last five games he had 10 TDs and 52 catches for 824 yards. he started his 41st and final game as a Tommie Nov. 10 and caught 16 passes for 278 yards and two TDs in a 54-28 loss to 8-2 St. Olaf. The 16 catches tied a UST single-game record, and the 278 yards are the second most by a receiver in MIAC history. (Carleton's Jim Bradford had 285 yards in receiving yards against Gustavus in 1990). Theisen finished his career in the top five among MIAC players in two categories -- he was third in receptions with 218 and fourth in receiving yards at 3,223 yards. He also had 25 touchdown catches to finish with 150 points, sixth best in school history. He finished third in UST career all-purpose yards at 4,025.  He had 100-plus yard receiving days in 13 of his last 19 games.