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Author: Dave Riggert

MWSU men’s golf finishes third at Upper Iowa Invitational

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WAYNE, Neb. – Griffon men’s golf shot a 595 and placed third at the Upper Iowa Invitational held at the Wayne Country Club. Missouri Western had four players place inside the 16 of the individual field and was a stroke back from second place.

Patrick McCarthy and Cole Roberts both tied for 10th place with a 4-over-par 148. Lucas Horseman tied for 13th with a six-over-par 150, his second top-13 finish of the season. Jacob Majeske finished a stroke behind Horseman with a seven-over-par 151. Kevin Kim rounded out the MWSU scorecard with a 156.

Nebraska Kearney won the team title with a 577. UNK’s Jay Cottam won individual honors with a 4-under-par 140. Missouri Western travels to the Central Region preview on April 9 and 10 at Missouri Bluffs Golf Course in St. Charles, Missouri.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest Missouri State defeats Northern State for fifth straight win

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The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team took game one against Northern State, 9-2, on Thursday in Maryville, Mo.

The Bearcats improve to 17-12 overall while the Wolves fall to 7-11 overall.

Key Northwest Statistics
– Northwest scored two runs in the first, second, third, and fourth and one in the seventh inning. Northern State had one run in the first and one in the third inning.

– The Bearcats had nine runs on nine hits and no errors. The Wolves had two runs on five hits with one error.

– Mondesi Gutierrez went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, two RBIs and two stolen bases.

– Hudson Bilodeau was 1-for-4 with two runs scored and one walk.

– Landon Figg finished 1-for-4 with one walk.

– Kevin Handzlik went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, a sacrifice fly and a walk.

– Aaron Barratt was 1-for-3 with one walk, one stolen base and a RBI.

– Matt Schingel went 1-for-3 with a walk and one run scored.

– Derek Hussey finished 1-for-3 with one RBI, a sacrifice fly, one stolen base and a run scored.

– Logan Rycraft was 1-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored and a double.

– Luke Hassman went 1-for-3 with one walk.

– Brad Roberts threw seven innings only allowed two runs on four hits and struck out 11 batters.

Key Northwest Innings
– To start the first inning, Bilodeau singled to the first baseman and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice by Guiterrez. Figg singled to right field to load the bases with no outs. Hassman reached base on a fielder’s choice to short and Bilodeau was able to score on the play. Gutierrez came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Handzlik to right field to give the Bearcats a 2-1 lead.

– After an out, Rycraft and Bilodeau drew back-to-back walks and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Gutierrez singled to center field to score Rycraft and Bilodeau and made the score 4-1.

– Schingel drew a two out walk to get a rally going for the Bearcats in the bottom of the third inning. Hussey would then move him to third on a single to center field. Hussey promptly stole second to put runners on second and third. Rycraft would bring both runners in on a double to right center and increased the Bearcat lead to 6-2.

– Gutierrez started the fourth inning with a single to center field, and moved to second on a one out walk by Hassman. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Gutierrez would come in to score on a fielder’s choice by Handzlik. Barratt hit a two out single up the middle to score Hassman from third and conclude the scoring for the Bearcats.

– To start the seventh inning, Handzlik singled up the middle and after an out moved to third on a single to right field by Schingel. Hussey brought Handzlik in on a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make the score 9-2.

Up Next
– The Bearcats will take on Northern State University for a double header on Friday, March 30, starting at noon in Maryville, Mo.

— Northwest Athletics —

Royals get clobbered by White Sox in season opener 14-7

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Most days, Tim Anderson’s performance would have made him the star.

Matt Davidson showed up his Chicago White Sox teammate.

The young designated hitter became the fourth player in major league history to homer three times on opening day , while Anderson had to settle for just two of Chicago’s six home runs , and the White Sox pounded the Kansas City Royals 14-7 on Thursday to spoil their 50th anniversary celebration.

“I just couldn’t catch him,” Anderson said with a smile.

Of the four players with three-homer opening days, three have done it against the Royals, while the six homers by Chicago on opening day matched the big league record set by the Mets in 1988.

Jose Abreu also went deep for the White Sox, who picked up James Shields (1-0) in a big way after the former Royals ace surrendered four runs in the first inning. Shields wound up lasting six innings, holding Kansas City without a hit after that shaky first.

Yolmer Sanchez added a three-run single and Yoan Moncada drove in a pair of runs for the White Sox, who forced Royals manager Ned Yost to burn through nine pitchers.

“The boys did an unbelievable job hitting today. It was amazing to watch,” Shields said. “I told them, `You don’t see that many home runs at Kauffman Stadium this early in the year.”

Danny Duffy (0-1) breezed through three innings for Kansas City, but a trio of homers in a five-run fourth ruined his day. The left-hander survived the inning before hitting the clubhouse.

“I think they were heater-hunting,” Duffy said. “One inning, I gave up three homers. Not ideal.”

Despite a cold rain and steel-gray skies, the Royals looked early on as if they would reward the hardy fans who turned out to celebrate the start of their golden anniversary season.

Longtime third baseman Mike Moustakas, who signed a one-year deal during spring training, provided an RBI single in the first before new first baseman Lucas Duda hit a three-run homer to right.

Everything unraveled when the fourth inning began.

Abreu led off a homer binge with a two-run shot , Davidson followed with his first home run , and Anderson added his first two batters later . By the time Moncada added an RBI double off Duffy later in the fourth inning, Chicago had turned a four-run hole into a 5-4 advantage.

“We did the same thing to Shields that they did to Danny in the fourth. We jumped him early,” Yost said. “He was making pitches we could drive and after the first inning really just reeled it back in and pitched a great game.”

Davidson and Anderson went deep again in the fifth off Royals reliever Blaine Boyer, and Sanchez tacked on a bases-clearing single off Burch Smith with two outs in the seventh.

Davidson capped his big game with a three-run homer off Brian Flynn in the eighth , becoming the first White Sox player with a three-homer game since Dan Johnson in October 2012.

“Special day in anybody’s book,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “Just in general, I thought it was a nice start. We fell behind early and that seemed to matter not to any of the guys.”

MORE HOMER NEWS

Davidson and Anderson are the eighth set of teammates with multi-homer days on opening day. The previous was Toronto’s Shannon Stewart and Tony Batista on April 3, 2000, against Kansas City. … The only other White Sox players to have multihomer games on opening day are Alejandro De Aza (2014), Jim Thome (2008), Sammy Sosa (1991) and Minnie Minoso (1960). … The others to homer three times on opening day were Detroit’s Dmitri Young (2005), the Cubs’ Tuffy Rhodes (1994) and Toronto’s George Bell (1988).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: C Salvador Perez (left knee sprain), RHP Nate Karns (right elbow inflammation), INF Adalberto Mondesi (right shoulder impingement) and OF Bubba Starling (left oblique strain) were placed on the DL before the game. Perez is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, though Karns could be back soon.

White Sox: Hard-throwing LHP Carlos Rodon (left shoulder rehab) and C Kevan Smith (sprained left ankle) were placed on the DL retroactive to Monday.

MORE MOVES

The Royals also designated for assignment pitchers Wily Peralta and Ryan Zimmer, selected the contracts of INF Ryan Goins and RHP Blaine Boyer and recalled C Cam Gallagher from Triple-A Omaha. The White Sox selected the contract of LHP Hector Santiago.

UP NEXT

The teams are off Friday before resuming their series this weekend. The White Sox will send RHP Lucas Giolito the mound Saturday night while the Royals counter with RHP Ian Kennedy.

— Associated Press —

Cardinals fall to the Mets 9-4

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NEW YORK (AP) — Mickey Callaway’s first game as a manager with the Mets went exactly according to plan.

Yoenis Cespedes drove in three runs and newcomer Adrian Gonzalez hit a go-ahead double to lead Noah Syndergaard and New York past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 in their opener Thursday.

Syndergaard (1-0) struck out 10 and walked none in six innings after missing most of last season with a torn lat muscle.

Leadoff man Brandon Nimmo, subbing for injured All-Star Michael Conforto, reached safely four times and scored twice as the Mets chased a furious Carlos Martinez in their five-run fifth inning to make Callaway a winner at sold-out Citi Field.

“It feels great,” Callaway said. “What a ballpark. All of us, the coaches, were sitting there going, man, this is something special. This is a different place than most.”

The 35-year-old Gonzalez also was on base four times with two hits and two walks in his New York debut. The five-time All-Star first baseman was signed for the major league minimum during the offseason after struggling with a bad back last year with the Dodgers.

“Obviously, getting off to a good start is huge, both personally and as a team. I think we accomplished both,” he said.

Yadier Molina hit an early two-run homer for St. Louis that clanged off the left-field foul pole . Jose Martinez (3 for 4) also went deep against Syndergaard and knocked in two but committed a run-scoring throwing error at first base.

“I was mad at myself not making that play, for sure. I put Carlos in a tough situation right there,” Jose Martinez said. “I don’t feel very happy with my performance, because that play was huge for us.”

New York got hitless relief from Robert Gsellman, newcomer Anthony Swarzak and closer Jeurys Familia to finish with 15 strikeouts in an opener played only hours after the death of former Mets star Rusty Staub .

“I thought it was a great team win. A lot of fun,” Syndergaard said. “Kind of kicking myself in the butt for allowing that Martinez guy to get a little too comfortable, but that won’t happen again.”

Todd Frazier, also making his Mets debut, drew a one-out walk from Carlos Martinez (0-1) in the fifth and scored from first on Gonzalez’s double into the right-field corner for a 4-3 lead.

Syndergaard, who threw his first three pitches 99 mph , helped himself with a sacrifice bunt, and young shortstop Amed Rosario — batting ninth behind the pitcher — delivered a two-run single .

Cespedes, who had a two-run single in the second, chased Carlos Martinez with an RBI single . The two-time All-Star pitcher, who walked six, really went wild once he got to the bench, knocking over a bucket of bubble gum.

“I didn’t have command,” he said. “In the last game (of) the spring I was comfortable, so I don’t know what happened.”

Jay Bruce, back after the Mets traded him to Cleveland last August, added an RBI single off Matt Bowman to cap the outburst.

“I put our lineup against anyone,” Bruce said. “We have veteran guys. We have young guys with so much talent.”

New York catcher Kevin Plawecki also had two walks and two hits, including a late RBI single.

“Just a great all-around effort today,” Frazier said. “A good kick-start to the season.”

HELP ON THE WAY

Less than two hours before the first pitch, the Cardinals landed a closer. Greg Holland agreed to a $14 million, one-year contract with the team, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical and had not been announced. A three-time All-Star, Holland was a free agent after leading the National League with 41 saves last year for Colorado. His addition would be a major boost to an unsettled Cardinals bullpen lacking a proven closer in the wake of several injuries.

FAST STARTERS

Despite losing their first eight openers in the 1960s, the Mets have baseball’s best record on opening day at 37-20. They’ve won 22 of their last 25 season openers at home. The previous Mets manager to win his debut was Jeff Torborg in 1992.

A ROCK BEHIND THE PLATE

Molina started on opening day at catcher for the 14th straight season, a franchise record for one position.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: The club had planned to use newcomer Luke Gregerson as its closer early this season, but he strained his left hamstring late in spring training and opened on the 10-day disabled list with no timetable for his return.

Mets: General manager Sandy Alderson said the team will decide in a couple of days whether Conforto needs a minor league rehab assignment before coming off the disabled list. Conforto is ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery for a dislocated left shoulder and is eligible to return late next week, when the Mets are in Washington.

UP NEXT

Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha (12-9, 4.13 ERA) starts the second game of the season Saturday afternoon against RHP Jacob deGrom (15-10, 3.53 ERA), the Mets’ initial choice for opening day before his schedule was slowed at the outset of spring training by a stiff back and the birth of his child.

— Associated Press —

KU’s Graham named Wooden All-American and finalist for Wooden Award

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LOS ANGELES – Kansas senior Devonte’ Graham has been named to the 10-member 2018 Wooden Award All-America team, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Wednesday on ESPNU. Additionally, Graham is one of five players invited for the Wooden Award presentation during the 2018 ESPN College Basketball Awards show, April 6, in Los Angeles.

Joining Graham on the 10-player team includes: Deandre Ayton (Arizona), Marvin Bagley III (Duke), Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Mikal Bridges (Villanova), Miles Bridges (Michigan State), Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Jevon Carter (West Virginia) and Trae Young (Oklahoma). Joining Graham at the ESPN College Basketball Awards show will be Ayton, Bagley III, Brunson and Young.

Also a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award which will be at the same April 6 awards show, Graham is vying to become the second straight Jayhawk to win both the Cousy and Wooden awards. Frank Mason III was last year’s winner of both. Additionally, Kansas’ Danny Manning won the 1988 Wooden Award.

Voting took place from March 12-19, 2018, allowing voters to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Fans were able to vote through the voting site, sponsored by Wendy’s, at www.woodenawardvote.com. As insisted upon by Coach Wooden at the Award’s creation 42 years ago, all players were certified by their universities as meeting or exceeding the criteria of the John R. Wooden Award.

The 42nd annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men’s and women’s most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s on ESPN2 on Friday, April 6, 2018. The men’s and women’s John R. Wooden Award All American Teams will be honored during the ceremony, and the 2018 Wooden Award Legends of Coaching Trophy will be presented to Jay Wright, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Villanova.

About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress towards graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Kevin Durant (’07), Candace Parker (’07 & ’08), Maya Moore (’09 & ’11), Chiney Ogwumike (’14), and last year’s recipients, Kelsey Plum of Washington and Frank Mason III of Kansas.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.

— KU Athletics —

Griffon baseball loses at Northwest Missouri State 8-4

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Western baseball lost at Northwest Missouri State Wednesday 8-4. It’s the fourth consecutive loss for the Griffons as they fall to 14-13 and 7-7 in the MIAA. Northwest has now won four straight as they’re now 16-12 and 12-5 in league play.

Missouri Western struck early when Nolan Meyer homered to left field with the second at-bat of the game. Identical to the first inning, Will Jibas homered to left field as the second batter of the inning. Jibas’s home run helped MWSU tie the game 2-2.

A bases loaded walk to Fahd Shakeel allowed Casey Danley to score a Griffon run for three consecutive innings and tie the game at 3-3. Northwest answered with two runs in the fifth inning before a Nick Schrank double drove in Maurice Bruce to cut the lead to 5-4. The Bearcats added three more runs in the eighth to pull away.

NOTABLES
– Missouri Western’s top four batters combined for five of the team’s seven hits

– Casey Danley and Nolan Meyer scored two runs with a RBI

– Dusty Stroup was 2-for-5 at the plate, his 12th multiple hit game this season

– Will Jibas extended his hitting streak to nine games with his second inning home run

– Every NWMSU batter in the lineup recorded a hit

UP NEXT
Missouri Western hosts Missouri Southern for a three-game series beginning Thursday at 5:00 p.m. from the Griffon Spring Sports Complex.

— MWSU Athletics —

Royals’ Salvador Perez out 4-6 weeks after freak knee injury

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Talk about carrying some baggage into the season.

Kansas City will be without Salvador Perez for up to six week after the star catcher sprained the medial collateral in his left knee while carrying a suitcase up some stairs in his home.

The injury occurred Tuesday night, when the Royals returned to Kansas City from spring training. The five-time All-Star heard a “pop” and immediately called Royals trainer Nick Kenney, who advised Perez to ice the knee and come in for an MRI exam on Wednesday.

The exam revealed a Grade 2 sprain with a minor tear of the ligament.

No surgery is required, and recovery can be as little as four weeks. But the freak injury leaves the Royals without one of their top hitters when they open against the White Sox on Thursday.

“Hopefully,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “it’s shorter than longer.”

Perez was wearing a bulky, black brace on his knee when he arrived at Kauffman Stadium for the club’s final preseason workout Wednesday. Later, he told reporters what irked him most about the injury is it happened at home, rather than in the midst of competition.

“All the work I do, training in the offseason, I feel sad,” he said.

Making it even more depressing was the fact that Perez, coming off one of the best seasons of his career, had been on a tear throughout the spring. He appeared in 16 games and hit .350 with six homers and 11 RBIs in only 40 at-bats during the Cactus League schedule.

He hit .268 with career-bests of 27 homers and 80 RBIs last season.

The Royals were counting on having his bat in the lineup after losing run-producers Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain in free agency. And while they addressed some of the power loss by signing outfielder Jon Jay, first baseman Lucas Duda and re-signing third baseman Mike Moustakas — who set the franchise single-season home run record last season — it still hurts to lose Perez’s bat in the lineup.

Yost said after a rainy workout Wednesday that he expects Drew Butera, the club’s backup a year ago, and promising youngster Cam Gallagher to share catching duties in Perez’s place.

Butera hit .227 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 75 games last season, his third with the Royals, while Gallagher hit .250 with a homer and five RBIs in 13 games as a late-season call-up.

The Royals begin the season against former pitcher James Shields and the White Sox, then get Friday off before games Saturday and Sunday to wrap up a three-game set. Then they go on the road for three games in Detroit and Cleveland before returning home for a seven-game homestand.

— Associated Press —

Missouri Western hires Sundance Wicks as new men’s basketball coach

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ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western State University Director of Athletics Josh Looney announced the hiring of Sundance Wicks as the fifth head men’s basketball coach at Missouri Western State University, Wednesday morning.

“When this search process started, our mission was to find a coach who possessed two defining characteristics: a relentless recruiter, and someone who has been part of building a championship culture at the NCAA Division II level. These characteristics were non-negotiable,” Looney said. “With ‘Sunny,’ we not only found a proven recruiter and winner, but we also found someone with an unwavering commitment to engaging and motivating communities through basketball. His energy and passion for basketball are unmistakable and he is the perfect fit to lead the resurgence of our men’s basketball program. We can’t wait for St. Joseph to meet our next head coach.”

An introductory press conference will be held Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room inside Spratt Memorial Stadium. A meet and greet session will be held immediately following the press conference in the Spratt Memorial Stadium Club.

Wicks will come to Missouri Western fresh off the NCAA Division II national championship game as the associate head coach at Northern State University, his alma mater. Wicks brings extensive experience to MWSU as an assistant coach at the Division II and Division I levels.

Since 2016, Wicks served as associate head coach at Northern State. He helped lead the Wolves to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason championships this year. Northern State also claimed the central region championship en route to the program’s first-ever appearance in the national championship game.

“To say that I am jacked up to be the next men’s basketball coach at Missouri Western would be an understatement,” Wicks said. “First off, I would like to thank Dr. Vartabedian and Josh Looney for entrusting me with this awesome leadership position. The search committee consisting of Mike Halloran, Brett Esely and Eric Kramer were absolute rock stars.”

“This job, in my opinion, is a sleeping giant and I’m ready to wake up the beast and help transform this program into one the St. Joseph community will rally behind for years to come. This is an exciting time for Griffon Athletics. You can tell by all the energy and enthusiasm throughout the athletic department and the campus community that Missouri Western is ready for the fight and about to take flight.”

After lettering four years as a student-athlete at Northern State from 1999-2003, Wicks held assistant coaching positions at Northern State, Colorado (2006-07), Northern Illinois (2007-11) and San Francisco (2015-16). Wicks also built the Arizona Power Basketball Academy, serving as a skill instructor and director from 2011-15. Prior to launching the APBA, he spent five months training NBA pre-draft prospects at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. Wicks’ draft class trainees included Kawhi Leonard, Alec Burks and Isaiah Thomas.

Wicks began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern State under the legendary Don Meyer. As a student-athlete, Wicks was twice named first team All-NSIC, scoring 1,174 points and pulling down 665 rebounds in his career. He was also a two-time All-NSIC performer in the 400-meter hurdles at Northern State. After graduation, Wicks played for the Sodertalje Kings in Sweden. He led the team in points and rebounding.

Wicks received a bachelor’s degree in international business from Northern State in 2003 and a master’s degree in health, physical education and coaching from Northern State in 2006.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SUNDANCE WICKS

“Coach Wicks is a tireless worker that will bring a contagious energy to everyone around him. He will create a winning culture at Missouri Western that people will be proud of. He’s a total package coach that will be impactful not only on the court, but in the community.” – Paul Sather, head coach, Northern State University

“I have witnessed, first hand, the passion that Sundance has for teaching the game of basketball. His knowledge of the game and ability to connect with young people is second to none. The basketball program at Missouri Western is in great hands!” – Greg McDermott, head coach, Creighton University

“Missouri Western just got some serious juice! I’ve been around some of the greatest basketball people on this earth and no one will bring more energy, passion, work ethic and true team building than Sundance Wicks. Every day I was around him, I got better. Every day my family, players and staff were around him, they got better. Missouri Western just got better today and will continue to do so each day Sundance is leading, guiding, mentoring and coaching your young men. You got a great man and great coach to lead your program.” – Rex Walters, assistant coach, Detroit Pistons

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffon softball splits doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State

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MARYVILLE, Mo. – The Missouri Western softball team split a doubleheader at Northwest Missouri State Tuesday. The Griffons won the opener 8-0 before losing game two 1-0. MWSU is now 16-19 this season and 7-3 in the MIAA.

Missouri Western made quick work of the Bearcats in game one with an 8-0, 5-inning victory for the team’s ninth win in 10 tries. The Griffons left two runners on base in the seventh inning of a game two pitcher’s duel that went the Bearcats’ way, 1-0.

The rivals entered Tuesday’s doubleheader as part of a three-way tie for second place in the MIAA standings and left as the only two teams with 7-3 MIAA records, tied for third.

NOTABLES
– Lonnie Groves and Gabi Carter both doubled and homered in game one with Carter driving in three runs

– The Griffons stole five bases on five attempts in game one

– Kenzie Hilzer continued a hot streak in the circle, striking out five Bearcats without a walk and pitching her second shutout over her last four starts

– Missouri Western had two hits in game two with Kaili Hinds holding Northwest Missouri to four hits

– Hinds and Hilzer have combined to hold opponents to 22 runs over their last 69 innings on 57 hits. Over the same span (five appearances each) they have struck out 37 and walked 18. The Griffons are 8-2 during that stretch.

– Northwest Missouri’s Rachel Smith totaled eight strikeouts in game two

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Central Missouri (17-15, 6-2) on Friday, March 29. The Jennies are alone in second place in the MIAA after Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri’s split on Tuesday

— MWSU Athletics —

Central hires former MWSU assistant Regi Trotter as new head football coach

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Click to listen to Central head football coach Regi Trotter

Central high school has hired Regi Trotter as the Indians new head football coach.

Trotter spent last season as an assistant coach at CHS, but he was an assistant coach at Missouri Western for 16 seasons.

Trotter, who played at MWSU from 1995-1998, worked as an assistant coach from 1999-2002. He then spent two years at Cortland State University in New York and one season at the University of Texas-El Paso.

Trotter returned to Missouri Western in 2005 and coached the defensive backs until 2016. He was also the Griffons’ defensive coordinator for seven years during that time.

Trotter will be the fourth head coach at Central in four years. Andy Ball, who went 4-7 in 2017, left after one season to become the offensive coordinator at Missouri S&T. Phil Pitts spent just one year at Central in 2016 before taking the defensive coordinator position at Lincoln University. Jeff Wallace was the Indians head coach for six years prior to Pitts.

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