The Missouri Western football team finished the 2011 football season being ranked 18th in the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll which was released Monday morning. The Griffons were ranked as high as 16th in the nation going into the playoff contest with the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats.

Western finished the season going 9-3 which ties the school record for most victories in a season. Western also made their second straight playoff appearance and third in school history.

Also, Northwest Missouri State finished fifth in the final AFCA Division II poll.

Northwest finished the season 11-3 earning its eighth straight NCAA playoff appearance, the longest current streak in NCAA DII football. The Bearcats also led the nation in points per game during the regular season averaging 53 points per game including five games of 62 points or more. Northwest holds the record for being ranked the most times in the AFCA Division II Poll at 139 weeks out of a possible 148 since 2000, the first year of the NCAA DII Coaches’ Poll.

— MWSU & NWMSU Sports Information —