Paul Durham-coached Linfield played in the NAIA
national football championship in Augusta, Georgia, on Dec. 11, 1965. The
Wildcats lost 33-0 to the St. John’s University Johnnies.
Starting center for
Linfield was Brian Petersen, a
210-pound sophomore from Medford.
Petersen knows the
reputation of John Gagliardi, who was St. John’s highly successful head
football, 1953-2012.
Says Brian, “That
coach has been heralded as saint, but he didn’t send us (Linfield) film to
scout until shortly before the game. Coach Durham sent our film right after we
knew who Linfield was going to play. They were a good team that didn’t need
that kind of advantage.”
A story in the Oregonian sports section of Wed., Dec.
8, 1965, says, “For Durham, the exposure to the St. John’s tactical makeup is
limited to the viewing of one film – last Saturday’s quarterfinal victory over
Fairmont State of Virginia. Films of the Jays’ 34-0 shellacking of Gustavus
Adolphus played in good weather and 10-0 blanking of Concordia under adverse
conditions have apparently been waylaid in the mails somewhere.”
Oregonian article was written Tue., Dec. 7,
1965, and published the next day, Wed., Dec. 8, the same day Linfield traveled
to Georgia to prepare for the game.
…………….
Footnote: These
days, athletic teams of St. John's University of Collegeville, Minn. (near St.
Cloud, Minn.) are called the "Johnnies." Oregonian article uses "Jays" as the team's nickname. The
article said, "...the Johnnies, or Jays as they're now called..."
