Jackson County Central coach Tom Schuller joined an exclusive club with Friday’s 46-7 win at Redwood Valley.
However, membership in that club could be rescinded at any time if the Huskies don’t continue to win.
For now, he’s one of only 19 members. Ever.
That’s the number of high school football coaches in Minnesota who have coached at least 10 seasons and have a winning percentage of .800 or better.
Of those 19 coaches, 13 have permanent membership as they have retired. The rest need to continue to win games to stay on the list.
Schuller’s record is 216-54, a percentage of exactly .800.
Former Stephen-Argyle coach Mark Kroulik is the all-time percentage leader. In 15 seasons, his teams were 165-12, a .932 percentage.
Here are the coaches the Minnesota Football Coaches Association says have a winning percentage of .800 or better.
Listed are rank, W-L-T record, percentage, coach, and school. -r indicates retired.
1. 165-12, .932, Mark Kroulik-r, Stephen-Argyle
2. 77-12-2, .857, Bill Severin-r, Grand Meadow
3. 214-41, .842, Chad Johnston, Minneota
4. 187-35, .842, Jeff Ferguson-r, Totino-Grace
5. 173-34-1, 834, Gerry Brown-r, St. Thomas Academy
6. 88-17-2, .832, Clifford Senne-r, Welcome
7. 198-41, .828, Carl Freuchte, Caledonia
8. 390-83, .825, Mike Grant, Eden Prairie
9. 104-22, .825, Mike Scanlan-r, Cretin-Derham Hall
10. 221-46, .824, John Clark Jr., Mahnomen/Waubun
11. 156-34, .821, Keith Bergstedt-r, Cromwell
12. 307-66-6, .818, George Larson-r, Cambridge
13. 230-54, .810, Andy Rostberg, Hutchinson
14. 287-66-2, .811, Ken Baumann-r, Mahnomen
15. 141-29-10, .811, Vern Morrison-r, St. Cloud Tech
16. 149-31-12, .807, Red Hastings-r, Austin
17. 108-25-3, .805, Dick Bakke-r, Monticello
18. 285-69-2, .803, George Thole-r, Stillwater
19. 216-54, .800, Tom Schuller, Jackson County Central
Wins leaders
Here are the top dozen active coaches in the state in career wins through Week 5 of the regular season.
Listed are wins, coach and school.
435: Mike Mahlen, Verndale
404: Dwight Lundeen, Becker
390: Mike Grant, Eden Prairie
280: Terry Bahlmann, Marshall
257: Dean Aurich, Mayer Lutheran
230: Andy Rostberg, Hutchinson
226: Dave Louzek, Moose Lake-Willow River
221: John Clark Jr., Mahnomen/Waubun
219: Chad Johnston, Minneota
218: Jeff Erdmann, Rosemount
216: Tom Schuller, Jackson County Central
214: Joe Scoblic, Lester Prairie
Another winning season
As a program that is not afraid to declare that its stated goal is to win a state championship this season, it’s not exactly something that anyone connected with the JCC football program even thinks about. But, when you sit back and look at it, it’s remarkable.
Their 5-0 start to the season means that the Huskies will have a winning record during the regular season for the 25th time in their 28-year history.
In 2005, JCC was 3-5 during the regular season, which is the only time the Huskies have finished below .500. Even at that, the Huskies did have a home game in the first round of the Section 3AAA playoffs that year, although they lost to Maple River 7-0.
That’s one of only three times JCC has exited the playoffs in the first round, but that’s a story for another day once we get to late October.
Jackson County Central has finished at .500 during the regular season twice. The Huskies were 4-4 in 2004 and 3-3 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Another remarkable statistic: JCC has had to go on the road for a first-round section playoff game only one time (2004) in school history, which dates to 1997.
5-0 start
This is the third straight season and 10th overall that JCC has started a season 5-0.
The seasons:
1997
2000
2003
2009
2016
2018
2019
2022
2023
2024
Win streak reaches 22
Jackson County Central has won 22 straight regular season games, extending the school record.
JCC won its final regular-season game of the 2021 season and went 8-0 in both 2022 and 2023.
It’s the sixth time in school history that the Huskies have had a regular season winning streak reach double figures.
The list:
22: 2021-2024
16: 2015-2017
12: 1997-1998
12: 1999-2001
11: 2002-2004
10: 2018-2019
Undefeated teams
Two of the final three teams on JCC’s schedule are also 5-0.
Pipestone defeated Minnesota Valley Lutheran 34-28 to stay unbeaten Friday and Luverne remained perfect with a 48-14 win over Blue Earth Area.
At most, only one of those teams can be unbeaten when it plays the Huskies as the Arrows host the Cardinals Friday in the 67th meeting for The Battle Axe.
Luverrne hosts Jackson County Central on Thursday, Oct. 10. Pipestone entertains Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial on Friday, Oct. 11 before a visit to Swearingen Field to face the Huskies in the regular season finale on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
South (Central-Silver) District
Standings
Luverne 2-0
Jackson County Central 1-0
Pipestone 1-0
Minnesota Valley Lutheran 0-2
Redwood Valley 0-2
Friday, Oct. 4
Minnesota Valley Lutheran at Jackson County Central
Luverne at Pipestone
Sibley East at Redwood Valley
District games only
Section 3AA
Jackson County Central will compete in Section 3AA in postseason play.
Here’s how the teams did this week and what’s ahead next week. Won-loss records are in parentheses.
Jackson County Central (5-0): Defeated Redwood Valley 46-7; vs. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2-3)
Pipestone (5-0): Defeated Minnesota Valley Lutheran 34-28; vs. Luverne (5-0)
Redwood Valley (3-2): Lost to Jackson County Central 46-7; vs. Sibley East (0-5)
Windom (3-2): Defeated Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 28-27; at Class 1A Wabasso (2-3) (Sat.)
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial (2-3): Defeated Maple River 13-6; at Blue Earth Area (0-5)
Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2-3): Lost to Pipestone 34-28; at Jackson County Central (5-0)
Le Sueur-Henderson (1-4): Defeated Sibley East 45-0; at Maple River (1-4)
Sibley East (0-5): Lost to Le Sueur-Henderson 45-0; at Redwood Valley (3-2)
Section 3AA playoffs
There is a change to the Section 3AA playoff format this season as only the top six teams as seeded by the coaches will compete.
The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will receive first-round byes.
The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds will not participate in the section playoffs, but will play each other to finish their season.
Section 3AA schedule
Tuesday, Oct. 22
First round
No. 5 seed at No. 4 seed, 7 p.m.
No. 6 seed at No. 3 seed, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26
Semifinals
No. 4-5 winner at No. 1 seed, 3 p.m.
No. 3-6 winner at No. 2 seed, 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1
Championship
At SMSU
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.
Top 10 list
Here’s this week’s results for the top 10 teams in this week’s media state Class 2A football rankings, along with next week’s schedule.
There was one matchup of ranked teams last week as No. 3 Chatfield defeated No. 6 Triton 33-6.
Junior D’Andre Williams rushed for 106 yards and one touchdown on 13 carries, senior Ben Carrier gained 72 yards and scored two first-quarter touchdowns on 16 carries, and senior quarterback Carson Rowland recorded 87 yards on 11 carries a one-yard QB-sneak for a TD.
Triton has another ranked opponent next week as the Cobras host No. 10 Cannon Falls. Those rankings are likely to change when the next set of rankings is released Tuesday.
1. Barnesville (5-0): Defeated Warroad 46-13; at Park Rapids Area (3-2)
2. Eden Valley-Watkins (5-0): Defeated Royalton 48-15; vs. Maple Lake (0-5)
3. Chatfield (5-0): Defeated No. 6 Triton 33-6; at Class 3A La Crescent-Hokah (1-4)
4. Jackson County Central (5-0): Defeated Redwood Valley 46-7; vs. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2-3)
5. Caledonia (4-1): Defeated Class 3A La Crescent-Hokah 28-0; at St. Charles (1-4)
6. Triton (4-1): Lost to No. 3 Chatfield 33-6; vs. No. 10 Cannon Falls (4-1)
7. Holdingford (5-0): Defeated Osakis 28-6; vs. Kimball Area (5-0)
8. Norwood Young America (5-0): Defeated Class 1A RV Lester Prairie 48-7; vs. Class 1A Cleveland (3-2)
9. Barnum (5-0): Defeated Class 1A East Central 49-6; vs. Class 1A Mille Lacs (4-1)
10. Cannon Falls (4-1): Defeated Class 3A Rochester Lourdes 40-8; at No. 6 Triton (4-1)
State leaders
JCC is first in points scored among Class 2A teams and is second in points allowed.
The Huskies have outscored their five opponents 276-28 for an average of 55.2-5.6 per game.
Here are the top five teams in the state in each category according to statistics on Minnesota-scores.net.
Points for
55.2: Jackson County Central
45.6: Rush City
45.5: Kimball Area
43.6: Norwood Young America
43.0: Staples-Motley
Points against
4.0: Holdingford
5.6: Jackson County Central
6.5: Kimball
7.6: Staples-Motley
8.0: Caledonia
Eagles win a thriller
Windom’s football program continues its upward trend.
According to the Cottonwood County Citizen, the Eagles scored a touchdown with 26 seconds left on a six-yard pass from Charlie Erickson to Hayden Tietz to bring Windom within 27-26 in its homecoming game vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton at Windom.
Coach Wyatt Minion and the Eagles elected to go for the two-point conversion and Erickson and Tietz teamed up again to give Windom a 28-27 lead over the Knights. Tietz then made a big play on the other side of the ball as his first-down interception sealed the win as the Eagles move their record to 3-2.
RTR is coached by one-time JCC coach Darren Baartman, who is also the school’s athletic director.
Research on Minnesota-Scores.net indicates that this is the first time Windom has been above the .500 mark since starting the 2017 season 2-1 on the way to a 3-5 regular season.
The 2010 Eagles finished the season 5-5.
It appears that the last time Windom finished above .500 was in 2005 when the Eagles were 7-1 during the regular season, which ended with a 10-0 home win over BOLD.
Windom opened the Section 3AA playoffs at home vs. BOLD (coached by Windom native Steve Solem) the next week and lost 21-19 to finish the season 7-2.