The American Football Coaches Association will cap its 2014 convention by presenting its top coaching award — AFCA Coach of the Year — to five outstanding coaches.

Duke’s David Cutcliffe, North Dakota State’s Craig Bohl, Northwest Missouri State’s Adam Dorrel, Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Lance Leipold and Grand View’s Mike Woodley are the 2013 AFCA National Coach of the Year winners. Cutcliffe in FBS, Bohl in FCS, Dorrel in Division II, Leipold in Division III and Woodley in NAIA.

The winners are selected by a vote of the Active AFCA members (coaches at four-year schools) in the Association’s five divisions. The AFCA has named a Coach of the Year since 1935. The AFCA Coach of the Year award is the oldest and most prestigious of all the Coach of the Year awards and is the only one chosen exclusively by the coaches themselves.

David Cutcliffe led Duke to a 10-4 record and an appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. He has a 75-73 career-record in his 12 seasons as head coach at Duke and Ole Miss, with two Conference Division titles. Cutcliffe led the Blue Devils to the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship in 2013, the program’s first conference title since 1989. In 2012, Cutcliffe was named the ACC Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Devils to the program’s first bowl game appearance since 1994.

In 2013, Craig Bohl led the Bison to a 15-0 record, a second straight Missouri Valley Football Conference title and a third straight Football Championship Subdivision national championship. In his 11 years at North Dakota State, Bohl had a 104-32 record, and those 104 victories make him the all-time winningest coach in North Dakota State history. He earned AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year honors in 2012, FCS Regional Coach of the Year honors in 2011 and 2013, and was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Coach of the Year for the third straight year in 2013.

Adam Dorrel led the Bearcats to a 15-0 record in 2013 and the program’s fourth NCAA Division II national title, the first since 2009. Dorrel brought his overall record to 36-3 in his three years as head coach. Being one of the first players to start on the offensive line under legendary former head coach, Mel Tjeerdsma in 1994, Dorrel continued the Bearcat excellence in his first season as head coach, returning the Bearcats to the playoffs for an eighth straight season. Northwest Missouri State has made the playoffs for 10 straight years, the longest current streak in NCAA Division II football.

Lance Leipold led Wisconsin-Whitewater to a 15-0 record, a sixth Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and its fifth NCAA Division III national title in 2013. He has a seven-year record of 94-6 at Whitewater. The Warhawks recorded their fourth 15-0 season under Leipold in 2013. He also earned AFCA Division III National Coach of the Year honors in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Mike Woodley led Grand View to a 14-0 record, their third straight Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest Conference title and the program’s first NAIA national championship to earn AFCA NAIA National Coach of the Year honors for the first time. He also earned AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors for the fist time in 2013. Woodley has a record of 46-22 in his six seasons at Grand View. Woodley has won MSFA Midwest Coach of the Year honors in 2013, 2011 and 2009.

The winners will be honored Tuesday evening at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner at the Indiana Convention Center.

— AFCA Press Release —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team came back from a 19 point deficit to defeat Washburn, 83-76, on Saturday evening at Lee Arena in Topeka, Kan. Northwest moved to 10-5 on the year and 5-1 in MIAA play. Washburn falls to 11-3 on the year and 4-3 in conference action.

Conner Crooker had a team-high 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting. DeShaun Cooper shook off a rough start to finish with 16 points and six rebounds. Bryston Williams and Grant Cozad each had 10 points. Kyle Schlake had 10 rebounds for Northwest and added eight points.

Washburn pulled out to a 42-28 halftime lead after connecting on six three pointers. Down by double-digits throughout most of the second half, Northwest was able to pull it back to within nine, 63-54, with 7:11 remaining.

The Bearcats would score the next 12 points to take a 66-63 lead with 4:00 remaining in regulation. Washburn would pull it back to within one but Cooper answered with a three pointer, pushing the lead to 69-65.

With the game tied, 73-73, with 58 seconds remaining, Cooper hit another clutch layup and the Bearcats would hit seven free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Northwest will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena. That contest was originally scheduled for Jan. 6 but was postponed due to weather.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team dropped a Saturday evening contest to Washburn at Lee Arena, 73-55. The loss moves Northwest to 4-9 on the season and 1-5 in MIAA play. Washburn improved to 9-5 overall and 4-3 in conference action.

Junior Ariel Easton had a team-high 15 points. She also had five rebounds and three steals. Ashleigh Nelson added nine points and Annie Mathews had a team-best nine rebounds to go along with eight points.

After trailing by nine at the half, 35-26, Northwest would pull back to within six with 12:20 remaining in the contest, 43-37 on a pair of Nelson free throws. But Washburn would go on a 10-0 run to pull away late.

Northwest will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena. That contest was originally scheduled for Jan. 6 but was postponed due to weather.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team erased a second-half deficit to beat the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers in overtime, 73-68, on Thursday evening at the Sports & Health Center in Kearney, Neb. The win moves Northwest to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play. UNK drops to 4-8 overall and 2-5 in league action.

Bryston Williams led all scorers with 20 points, including going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Conner Crooker had 15 points followed by DeShaun Cooper with 14 and Dillon Starzl with 11. The Bearcats had 17 assists, led by Cooper with six dimes. Northwest shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) from the field and hit eight free throws, six coming in the second half and overtime.

In the first half the two teams battled evenly, playing to a 30-28 halftime advantage for Northwest. Neither team was able to maintain any leads as the game was tied at seven different points in the first 20 minutes.

Down late in the second half, Williams hit a pair of big three pointers to bring the Bearcats back to even with UNK. The Lopers had a chance to take the last shot of regulation but never got a shot off as the Bearcat defense forced a turnover.

In overtime, Northwest never trailed, leading by as many as five on Williams’ fourth three pointer of the game. Free throws by Grand Cozad and Tyler Funk put the game out of reach as Northwest held on for the overtime victory.

The Bearcats head to Washburn on Saturday evening for a 7 p.m. contest in Topeka, Kan. Northwest will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in a make-up contest at Bearcat Arena. That game was originally scheduled for Jan. 6.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The scheduled MIAA men’s and women’s basketball games between the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats and the Northeastern State RiverHawks has been postponed.

Poor road conditions have led to Northeastern State unable to travel safely for Monday’s contest. The two teams will make up the game in Maryville, Mo., at a later date and time.

The Bearcats will head to Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday, Jan. 9, for a double header against the Lopers. The women’s game will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team fell to Central Oklahoma, 81-77, on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena. UCO improved to 9-3 overall and 3-2 in MIAA play with the win while Northwest falls to 8-5 overall and 3-1 in conference action.

The Bearcats were lead by DeShaun Cooper who hit five three pointers and finished the evening with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Bryston Williams added four makes from beyond the arc, finishing with 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Inside, Dillon Starzl had 15 points, going 4-for-5 from the field with six rebounds.

Northwest fell behind early in the first half but responded to take a 45-40 halftime lead. UCO began the game by scoring 21 of the first 28 points. Northwest slowly chipped away at the lead and took the first lead of the game with two minutes left in the first half on a Cooper three pointer, 39-37.

In the second half, the Bearcats would lead by as many as eight, 52-44, on another Cooper three with 17:31 remaining. But the Bronchos would go on a 28-10 run over the next 10 minutes to take the lead for good. UCO’s Josh Gibbs had 30 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs.

The Bearcats will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Sports Information —

Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball junior Annie Mathews recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds and 11 points to lead the Bearcats to a 78-72 victory over Central Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Arena. The win moves Northwest to 4-7 overall and 1-3 in MIAA play. Central Oklahoma drops to 7-5 overall and 2-3 in conference action.

Mathews was one of five Bearcats to reach double-figures in a balanced offensive attack. Monique Stevens added 15, Tember Schechinger had 14, Ariel Easton had 12 and Ashleigh Nelson had 11. Stevens helped fuel the attack with a game-best eight assists.

Central Oklahoma was paced by Jill Bryan, who had a game-high 28 points in 33 minutes of action. She also had four steals. UCO was unable to get on track from beyond the arc, going just 4-for-28 from deep. Northwest’s defense held UCO to 38.1 percent shooing. Conversely, Northwest hit 28-of-47 shots to shoot 59.6 percent for the game.

The Bearcats will host Northeastern State on Monday, Jan. 6, at 5:30 p.m. at Bearcat Arena.

— Northwest Sports Information —

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — Trevor Adams was a freshman spectator during Northwest Missouri State’s last national title run.

He finished his career by leading the Bearcats to another one.

Adams passed for 277 yards and three touchdowns and Northwest Missouri raced to a fast start in a 43-28 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday in the Division II championship game.

The Bearcats (15-0) won their fourth national title to match Grand Valley State for second-most behind North Dakota State’s five. They’re the fifth team to go 15-0, managing that feat for a second time.

“Being able to finally make it back is really, really neat,” said Adams, who was in a redshirt year when Northwest Missouri won in 2009. “It’s huge because the legacy that’s there, it’s been a strong one for many years. To be a championship team, a part of that, is just something special. I know our team is going to be excited about it for the rest of our lives.”

Lenoir-Rhyne (13-2) fell short in only the one-time NAIA champion’s second appearance in the Division II playoffs.

Adams completed 15 of 25 of passes with touchdown throws of 29 and 30 yards to Reuben Thomas. The pair hooked up for their first score on fourth-and-7 on the opening drive and the Bearcats were up 17-0 after 10 minutes.

“I thought we needed to be aggressive in the first 20 plays,” Northwest Missouri coach Adam Dorrel said. “We tried to fire most of our bullets early in the first half.”

Lenoir-Rhyne’s spread flexbone offense couldn’t catch up, despite a quick spark from backup quarterback and playoff star Josh Justice when he came in midway through the third quarter.

“We made too many mistakes,” Bears coach Mike Houston said. “We’re playing the best team we played all year, we couldn’t make the mistakes that we made in all three phases.”

It was a record eighth title game appearance for Northwest Missouri. It capped a huge year for football in Maryville, Mo.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Dorrel, an alumnus and Maryville native. “Maryville’s 60-0 in football from junior high through the university. I don’t know if any other town in America can say that. That means a lot to me.”

The Bearcats, who had “Family” on the back of their jerseys instead of individual names, remained in control throughout after the fast start.

Lenoir-Rhyne had won 13 consecutive games since dropping the opener, despite losing quarterback Miles Freeman to a leg injury during the regular season and having backup Teverrius Jones go down with a neck injury in the second round of the playoffs.

Jones returned to start this game after Justice came up big in all three playoff wins, but never got the offense going.

Lenoir-Rhyne fumbled five times, losing two.

Jones sprained a knee in the third quarter, bringing a gimpy Justice into the game. The senior didn’t start after injuring his left ankle in practice on Wednesday and wearing a boot since.

“What guts,” Houston said. “To go out and execute the way he did in the second half with the pain goes back to the reason he’s been successful the last three weeks.”

Justice said he couldn’t even walk in a boot Friday morning. He savored the chance to play such a big role late in his final season.

“It’s been a great experience,” Justice said. “It’s been extremely exciting and yet humbling, too, just to sit back and see that I was third-string and I didn’t think I was going to be playing again.”

On his second play, Justice managed a 59-yard touchdown to Greyson Wells, who bobbled the ball before heading to the end zone to cut the deficit to 29-14. Wells also caught a 34-yarder in the fourth quarter on running back Corron Boston’s first pass of the season.

The nation’s top running team still produced 273 rushing yards, 105 shy of their season average. Jarrod Spears led the way with 13 carries for 108 yards.

Lenoir-Rhyne hadn’t attempted a pass in a 42-14 semifinal win over West Chester, when Justice ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns and converted three two-point attempts.

Justice couldn’t keep his playoff magic going but was 3-of-3 passing for 69 yards. His touchdown pass was the team’s first completion of the game and nearly matched the senior’s 63 passing yards coming into the game.

Justice had a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:04 left for the final margin.

The game ended a 28-year run for the Division II championship at Braly Municipal Stadium.

The championship game will move to Kansas City, Kan., next season after 28 years at Braly.

— Associated Press —

Northwest Missouri State senior quarterback Trevor Adams was named the recipient of the Elite 89 Award for the 2013 NCAA Division II Football Championship on Friday.

Adams, a biology/psychology major, graduated last week in Bearcat Arena with a 3.94 GPA. Adams was presented with the award at the Division II Football National Championship in Florence, Ala. Adams was awarded the Capital One Division II Football Academic All-America award and was an National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete. He is a three-time Academic All-America selection and was the 2013 MIAA Offensive Player of the Year.

The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.

Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.

— Northwest Sports Information —

The Northwest Missouri State women’s basketball team earned their third victory of the season Wednesday as they defeated the University of Saint Mary 64-46.

The Bearcats scored the first points of the contest and went up 2-0, but did not regain the lead until the second half.

Saint Mary held a 12 point lead at one point in the first half before Northwest closed the gap and trailed the Spires 25-22 going into halftime.

Ashleigh Nelson led all scorers at the half with 10 points while Ariel Easton added eight points of her own to make up 18 of the team’s 22 first half points.

The Bearcats came out of the locker room and went on a 13 to 5 run to start the second half as they took a 35-30 lead.

Northwest never took their foot off the pedal as they climbed to a double-digit lead and finished the final five minutes of the game on a 16-4 run which helped seal the victory over Saint Mary, 64-46.

Easton finished with a double-double scoring 16 points and adding 14 rebounds with two assists.

Northwest moves their season record to 3-6, 0-2. The Bearcats return to MIAA action as they travel to Hays, Kan. to take on Fort Hays State with tip-off scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

— Northwest Sports Information —