College football: Edwards leaves his mark at CSS

When Mike Heffernan came back to St. Scholastica in the spring of 2018 as offensive coordinator, he detected a different culture and vibe than when he served under Saints Hall of Famer Greg Carlson’s staff from 2009-12.

Heffernan remembered his very first offensive meeting, and he made quarterback Zach Edwards stay afterward as Heffernan wasn’t liking the body language and signs he was picking up.

“We had a nice, hard conversation, and from that day on, he was the spitting image of what we want our culture to be,” said Heffernan, who was promoted to head coach last December. “He didn’t know what he didn’t know, so I leveled with him, 100 percent. These are my expectations, this is the way it has to be, and he bought in 100 percent.”

Edwards sure did.

Edwards, a 6-foot-4, 218-pound senior from St. Paul, owns almost every significant St. Scholastica passing record, including career passing yards (8,745) and touchdowns (89), and he will add to those totals when the Saints host MacMurray College (Ill.) at noon Saturday in their season finale at Public Schools Stadium.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Edwards said of this being his last game for the Saints. “It’s gone quick, but it’s been a good last year, and I’m excited to go out and get one more win and finish strong. We want to end on a high note, for sure.”

Despite having ideal size, Edwards wasn’t highly recruited coming out of Henry Sibley High School, where he was all-conference in football, basketball and track and field. He received interest from UMAC and Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools but interest from NSIC schools was minimal.

Edwards arrived at St. Scholastica, and interestingly, on his bio, he listed his career goal to “be the best quarterback that has ever played at CSS.”

After appearing in six games and throwing for 115 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints as a freshman in 2016, he took over the following year, earning first-team all-UMAC honors after leading the conference in passing yards — a program-record tying 2,608 — and touchdowns with 27.

Edwards topped that as a junior last fall, throwing for a program-record 3,194 yards and 29 touchdowns. This season he has already topped his touchdown total with 31 and needs 369 passing yards to break the Saints’ single-season passing yardage record.

Senior slot receiver Eddie Lee has been on the receiving end of about 20 percent of Edwards’ program-record 665 pass completions. Lee just became the program leader in career receptions with 129, good for 1,585 yards and 15 TDs. Lee said they have a special bond.

“I’ve been a roommate with Zach the last two years now, and you see the same connection on the field that you see off it,” Lee said. “He’s just an all-around good guy, and the chemistry is not unimaginable, as far as a receiver and quarterback, when you know a guy like that, who is not only one of my best friends, but a leader on and off the field.

“He’s a playmaker who isn’t afraid to make mistakes. He puts it all out there. He’s probably the best athlete on the field, at all times.”

With a 7-2 overall record and 5-2 mark in conference play, the Saints finished below expectations this year but it’s understandable given the transition to a new coach. Look around at St. Scholastica’s practice on Tuesday, and it’s obvious … where is everybody?

The Saints’ offensive line consists of two true freshmen, a sophomore and a senior in his first year of college football because numbers are so thin.

St. Scholastica has 47 players listed on its roster; nearly half of them are freshmen and only 10 are seniors. Heffernan remembers having 115 in his first go-round at CSS, and he said the goal is to get back to that. This group is re-laying the foundation.

“I’ve never been so proud of a group before,” Heffernan said. “We’ve had a defensive tackle play on the offensive line, we’ve had a running back play on the O-line — in a game — all because of where our numbers are at, but these guys don’t care. They’ll go and play wherever. They persevere.”

Heffernan said it all starts with Edwards, showing up early and staying late, constantly setting the example.

“He’s an extension of the coaching staff,” Heffernan said.

Edwards will graduate this spring with a degree in marketing, maintaining a 3.6 grade-point average. However, he said the marketing degree can wait as he hopes to get a professional tryout.

“I’m not ready to quit just yet. I still feel like I have a lot of football left in me,”

Edwards said he could eventually get into the business side of sports or be a coach, perhaps even at CSS.

“I love it here,” he said. “I’ve got no complaints. I’ve met some of the best people up here and some friends for life, absolutely. They’ve created a lasting impression.”

Heffernan wasn’t ready to start talking about who would replace Edwards next season. It’s not that he’s in denial — he’s just enjoying the present.

“I don’t plan on ever replacing Zach,” Heffernan said. “There are guys who can learn from his example, who can learn from the expectations that he has for himself and his teammates, but those kind of guys are irreplaceable.”

MACMURRAY AT ST. SCHOLASTICA
What: UMAC football game
When: noon Saturday
Where: Public Schools Stadium
Records: MacMurray 4-5 overall, 4-3 UMAC; CSS 7-2, 5-2
Forecast: cloudy with a high of 40 and 13 mph wind
Webcast: csssaints.com/watch

1/2: St. Scholastica quarterback Zach Edwards leaps over teammate Eddie Lee and past Mayville State defenders to score a touchdown in a Sept. 7 game at the University of Minnesota Duluth. (Derek Montgomery / St. Scholastica Athletics)

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