12/16/97 by Jerry Pyle, SID 
Concordia started the year with a 17-7 win over Moorhead State in the Crystal Bowl and then went 7-2 in the MIAC to tie for second. The only Cobber regular season losses were to  St. Johnâs and MIAC champion Augsburg. The Cobbers advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the second time in three years but lost to Augsburg 34-22 to end the season 8-3. 

Along the way head coach Jim Christopherson picked up his 200th career win, all at Concordia. 

The 1997 Cobber football team began the year with hopes that their experienced offense could hold the fort until an untested defense caught up.  Instead, it was the defense that  got the Cobbers off to a strong start and helped keep them  in the hunt for an MIAC title share into the final week of the season. 

Senior All-MIAC linebacker Ryan Sannes (Breckenridge) (The Cobbers' 1997  MVP) led a group of over-achieving defenders who gave up just 97 points during the regular season.  All-MIAC defensive tackle Jeff Gronner (Underwood) and All-MIAC defensive end Jon Jasken (Moorhead) led a front four that applied great pressure all year on the outstanding crop of 1997 MIAC quarterbacks.  And Sannes generally cleaned up the loose ends when runners got through that front four. 

The Cobber offense also proved to be a pleasant surprise.  They were expected to be good, with all five interior linemen back and returning quarterback Ethan Pole ('99, Moorhead) having last yearâs Cobber MVP, Tory Langemo ('98 Litchfield) to throw to.   But the Cobbers also established their traditional running game earlier than expected, led by senior halfback Dan Steinbeisser (Sidney, MT). 

Steinbeisser earned All-MIAC second team honorsand finished second in the MIAC rushing race with 686 yards, despite missing nearly three full games games with a knee injury. 

Langemo earned first team All-MIAC honors for a third time while spending most of the year double teamed.  He ended his career with 2,559 receiving yards on 165 catches. He also earned Academic All-MIAC honors for a second time. 

And Pole, a junior, continued to mature as a top flight MIAC quarterback, earning second team All-MIAC honors by completing 52% of his passes for 1400 yards in nine MIAC contests. 

Much of this offensive production was made possible by the leaders of that experienced offensive line, led by seniors Jed Seeger (Westbrook) 1st team All-MIAC) and Noah Caron (Bemidji) (2nd team, All-MIAC.) Seeger started in 42 consecutive games for the Cobbers and Caron started in 39. 

In addition to Langemo and Sannes, seven other Cobbers earned Academic All-MIAC recognition: 

Tom Fuchs ('98, Glyndon), Abe Hinderaker ('98, Zumbrota), Scott Holthusen ('00,Wahpeton, ND), Chris Kallenbach ('00, Fargo), Nels Paulson ('00, Cambridge), Aric Rhen ('00, Clearbrook) and Robert Zacher ('99, Alexandria). 

Marcus Ludtke and Len Crouse shared the freshman MVP award. 

Eric Stenehjem and Ethan Pole were elected 1998 Co-Captains.