Friday’s soccer match between Northwest Missouri State University and Texas A&M-Commerce has been postponed to Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bearcat Pitch.
Saturday will be the season opener for both squads. The Bearcats are looking to improve on a 3-10-5 season from 2010. Northwest returns nine while adding 12 new faces to bring a good mix to the pitch.
Northwest will continue their home opening weekend by taking on Wayne State on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Bearcat Pitch.
— NWMSU Sports Information —
Missouri Western struggled in its 2011 season opener falling 34-7 against Pittsburg State University. The Griffons fell at home in a season opener for the first time since August 26, 2004 when they fell 27-10 against 18th ranked Winona State. Western sits at 0-1 on the season and 0-1 in MIAA play.
Pittsburg State dominated the opening frame of the 2011 season out gaining the Griffons 229 to 84 in total yardage. The Gorillas put up 14 points in the first and second quarter taking a 28-0 lead at the half.
A 46 yard punt by Griffon punter Scott Groner on MWSU’s opening possession was returned 84 yards by PSU’s Johns Brown giving the Gorillas the 7-0 lead with 11:19 to play. The Gorillas scored again with 1:45 to play in the quarter after a Zac Dickey 44 yard run capping a six play 81 yard drive.
Things did not getting any better for Western in the second quarter as the Gorillas scored at the 7:05 mark off a four yard run by Solomon Watkins. Briceton Wilson gave the Gorillas the 28-0 lead just before half plunging in from one yard out with 10 seconds to play in the frame.
The Griffons were led on the ground by Michael Hill rushing for 34 yards on 10 carries. Travis Partridge went 7-for-14 with two interceptions and 62 yards while TJ Fannin caught two passes for 45 yards. Jeremy Western had four tackles leading the Griffons defense. Groner punted five times for 244 yard (48.8 ypp) with a long of 64 yards.
The Gorillas had 117 yards on the ground with Dickey leading the way with 61 yards on six attempts and one touchdown. Dickey completed 10-of-14 attempts for 112 yards with Brown catching four passes for 70 yards. John White led the way with five tackles and one sack for PSU.
The Gorillas continued to play well in the second half using two Chase McCoy field goals of 22 and 38 yards pushing the score to 34-0 late in the fourth quarter. The Griffons best chance to score came early in the second half but a fumble inside the PSU five ended the Griffon threat.
The Griffons scored late in the contest on a Dominic Thomas 60 yard touchdown with 1:52 to play in the game ending any chance of being shutout.
The Griffon managed just eight first downs and 191 yards of total offense. Thomas led the way on the ground rushing four times for 68 yards while Hill rushed 14 times for 44 yards. Partridge finished the game completing 10-of-20 passes for 79 yards while being sacked five times.
Gronner finished the game punting nine times for 414 yards and an average of 46.0 yards. He had three inside the 20.
The Gorillas finished with 426 yards of total offense with Dickey rushing 15 times for 117 yards. Wilson rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown while Brown caught four passes for 70 yards.
Nic Burrell led the charge for Western on defense with seven tackles (5 solo, 2 assists) while the Gorillas were led by Gus Toca and Joe Uzzel with six apiece.
Western will return home for their second straight MIAA home game to open the season when they host #15 Central Missouri in an MIAA Televised game on Saturday, September 10. Kickoff is set for 6:00 pm on Family Day in Spratt Stadium.
— MWSU Sports Information —
A bit of mystery swirled around Northwest Missouri State football team when it cruised into Stokes Field Thursday evening.
The Bearcats brought a new head coach, a new starting quarterback and nine new starters on defense.
In addition, the numerous red hats worn by Northwest fans to pay tribute to Scott Bostwick was a reminder of his tragic heart attack that took his life and prevented him from leading the Bearcats.
The Northwest players delivered the best tribute of all with an impressive 65-3 victory over Truman in Adam Dorrel’s head coaching debut.
“I had to gain my composure a little bit right before we talked to the team,” Dorrel said. “I kept thinking about Scott. I know one of his first things when he took over was September 1st beat Truman State. It was very important to him. It was important to our kids.
“I was proud of our kids. I felt like they got off to a good start. We made some good plays early and it kind of snowballed on Truman.”
Other than one minor hiccup, the Bearcats were in midseason, and at times, postseason form.
The one mistake came in Northwest’s first drive. The Bearcats were marching down the field from their 24. One nice play was a 21-yard completion from Blake Christopher to Jake Soy. But the drive came to a screeching halt at Truman’s 12 on a fumble off a bad exchange on a toss.
It only delayed the rout.
Northwest defense quickly stopped Truman and gave the ball back to the offense.
The Bearcats needed seven plays to go 51 yards and score on a 1-yard run by newcomer James Franklin. The first touchdown of the season came with 5:26 left in the first quarter.
Despite just a one-touchdown deficit, Truman was in deep trouble. Northwest was organized and disciplined on defense. They swarmed to the ball. They didn’t over pursue. They tackled.
Truman didn’t have an answer, which meant Northwest got the ball back on offense.
For fans of offense, that was a giddy situation. Christopher looked like he’s been leading the Bearcats for three years.
“To come out here and play well, we couldn’t be more excited,” said Christopher, who completed 12 of 17 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
“We know this is just week one. We will enjoy this one and get ready for week two.”
Northwest needed seven plays to go 73 yards in its second scoring drive. The touchdown was a 32-yard completion to Jordan Simmons that gave the Bearcats a 14-0 lead with 1:19 left in the first quarter.
The sequence just described was midseason form. What took place in the first 6 minutes of the second quarter was postseason form.
Nine seconds into the second quarter, freshman cornerback Jerry Key returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown.
“It really just happened. I was in the right place at the right time,” Key said. “If it wasn’t for my teammate making a good play on the receiver and the receiver tipping it, I probably wouldn’t have made it.”
The Bearcats were now in the process of treating the scoreboard like an old-fashioned pinball machine.
About 90 seconds later, Northwest capitalized on another Truman turnover and scored on a 3-yard run by Simmons.
Three minutes after that score, Christopher and Tyler Shaw hooked up on a beautiful 49-yard touchdown reception that put the Bearcats up 35-0 with 10:18 left in the second quarter.
“It was good to get that first monkey off your back,” Shaw said. “You come into the game all hyper and jittery. Once you get that first touch, it calms you down. The fact that it was a touchdown makes it that much more special.”
The Northwest defense must have gotten a tad jealous. Less than a minute later junior safety Nate DeJong returned a fumble 22 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bearcats a commanding 42-0 lead with still 9:21 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bearcats went into halftime up 49-3.
For all those wondering if Northwest was headed for a demise because of all the changes must now begin to accept that the Bearcats are still roaring.
The win pushed Northwest’s MIAA record win streak to 47. On this night, there was no Truman miracle.
A decade ago, Truman stunned the Bearcats in Maryville with a 24-23 victory that snapped Northwest’s 42-game conference winning streak, which was a record.
Overall, it was a near-perfect evening for the Northwest players. They earned it and deserved it given what they went through in early June.
“Pretty much we came out here with something to prove,” Shaw said. “They figured since Coach T is not here anymore the MIAA is not going to be controlled by us anymore.
“We came out here and played for our teammates, our coaches and Coach Bostwick.”
Mel Tjeerdsma, the architect of the Northwest football dynasty, is happy in Texas that the program is moving forward nicely.
And the spirit of Scott Bostwick is somewhere up above smiling.
“I think this is a first step and he would say the same thing,” said Northwest defensive coordinator Rich Wright, who worked with Bostwick since 2004. “It’s one football game in a very long season.
“It wasn’t about one game. It’s about the journey. That’s what Scott would have been all about, too.”
— David Boyce, NWMSU —
The Mizzou Department of Athletics has announced that general admission hillside tickets for Mizzou’s home opener against Miami (Ohio) are on sale now. In addition, general admission tickets for the Homecoming Centennial game against Iowa State on Oct. 15 are also available.
Fans can purchase general admission tickets for $23 for Miami (OH) and $32 for Iowa State. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-CAT PAWS (884-PAWS in mid-Missouri), going online to mutigers.com or ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office.
The Kick-Off Four-Pack special for the home opener also remains on sale through Friday. Fans can receive 4 tickets for the Miami (OH) game for only $100, while supplies last.
Missouri will host Miami (Ohio) at 11 am this Saturday, Sept. 3, with Tiger Walk set for 8:45 a.m. at the Providence Road pedestrian bridge. It is the annual Gold Rush game at Faurot Field and all fans are encouraged to Wear Gold. Official Gold Rush Merchandise is available at the Tiger Team Store at the North end of the stadium. For more information, visit mutigers.com.
— MU Sports Information —
Missouri Western softball will be hosting a four week pitching academy starting on Monday, September 12. The clinic will be held every Monday with the last date being October 6. The clinic is for ages 18 & under.
There will be three sessions per night running for 45 minutes each. You will be able to pick either the 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm or 5:30 pm slot. There is a maximum of six players per session.
Contact head coach Jen Bagley via email at bagley@missouriwestern.edu or by phone at 816-271-4480 to reserve a spot or arrange payment.
The cost of the clinic is $80 for all four weeks and each player will need to bring an appropriate sized ball and personal catcher to each session.
— MWSU Sports Information —
The 2011-2012 debut of the official television show of Western Athletics “Griffon Sports Insider” is set for this Wednesday, August 31st at 6:30 PM.
The half hour show hosted by Ryan Menley and Brett Esely features game recaps and highlights, coach and student-athlete interviews, feature stories, a preview of future games and other department events and a weekly pick segment.
This year, Griffon Athletics is pleased to announce a partnership with Spine and Sport Physical Therapy as presenting partner of GSI. “We are extremely excited to partner with MWSU Athletics and look forward to the opportunity to promote our services as well as work with Griffon student-athletes,” said Fred Shonkwiler, physical therapist and owner of Spine and Sport.
During each week’s show, Shonkwiler, along with Griffon student-athletes will take part in a sports performance segment entitled “Train Like The Pros.” The segments will highlight some of the specialized training that Shonkwiler has received and how his work with MWSU student-athletes will help them excel even greater on the field, court or course.
Griffon Athletics is also excited to announce that this year’s show in addition to appearing on Suddenlink Channel 3, will air on KQTV. Fans can view the show Wednesday’s on KQTV at 11:30 AM and 12:35 AM. The first show of the season (next Wednesday) and the first show of basketball season will air at a special time of 6:30 PM serving as a kickoff show. The Suddenlink Channel 3 air times are also on Wednesday’s at 6 & 10 PM.
GSI may be accessed anytime on gogriffons.com.
GRIFFON SPORTS INSIDER BROADCAST TIMES
Debuting August 31st:
KQTV Channel 10 or in HD on Channel 610 – every Wednesday at 11:30 AM & 12:35 AM and also this coming Wednesday at 6:30 PM.
Suddenlink Channel 3 or in HD on Channel 603 – every Wednesday at 6 & 10 PM.
— MWSU Sports Information —
The Missouri Western football team opens the 2011 season next Thursday at Spratt Stadium as they host Pittsburg State at 6 PM.
To help raise awareness and excitement for the upcoming season, several Griffon Football student-athletes will be at eight different Griffon Corporate sponsors throughout the city this Saturday, August 27th meeting and greeting fans, handing out posters and schedule cards and even giving away a few tickets to the home opener.
Locations and times are as follows:
Hy-Vee – 9 AM – 12 PM
Applebee’s – 11 AM – 2 PM
Chick-Fil-A – 11 AM – 2 PM
Cheddar’s – 11 AM – 2 PM
North Belt Wendy’s – 11 AM – 2 PM
Mr. Goodcents – 11 AM – 2 PM
Middle McDonald’s – 11 AM – 2 PM
East Hills Mall – 11 AM – 2 PM
— MWSU News Release —
Adrian Thomas has signed a contract to play with 08 Stockholm for the upcoming season. Thomas a 5-10, 185-pound guard played last season with Missouri Western. He played in 23 games with 19 starts averaging 8.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.52 assists per game. He shot 49.3-percent (70-142) from the field and 40.0-percent (28-70) from long range. Thomas had a career high 18 points three different times, which includes his last game as a Griffon in the MIAA tournament against #19 Fort Hays State where he went 5-for-7 from long range.
Adrian joins a long list of former Griffons to continue their basketball career professionally – some former Griffons who are currently playing professionaly include Larry Taylor (Brazil), Demarius Bolds (England), Jason Warren (Lithuania) and Lonnell Johnson (United States).
— MWSU Sports Information —
Northwest Missouri State University’s Department of Athletics has tallied the final numbers and is pleased to announce the 10 players who fans voted for as a part of this year’s Fall Classic X.
Fans were given the chance to vote for their favorite players from the previous nine meetings between Northwest and Pittsburg State. Voting ended Aug. 20, and each program’s All-Decade Team will be recognized during the Fall Classic along with other individuals who have been instrumental in the success of the annual contest.
The All-Decade Team for Northwest includes: running back Xavier Omon (2004-07), defensive back Myles Burnsides (2006-09), wide receiver Jake Soy (2009-10), running back LaRon Council (2007-09), wide receiver Jamaica Rector (2003-04), quarterback Josh Lamberson (2003-05), defensive lineman Dave Tollefson (2004-05), wide receiver Mike Peterson (2005-07), linebacker Jared Erspamer (2004-07), and wide receiver Kendall Wright (2006-08).
Northwest carries a 7-2 record into the 2011 meeting and is the winner of five straight at Arrowhead. The Bearcats held off a late rally from the Gorillas in last year’s meeting to claim a- 22-16- win.
Fall Classic X at Arrowhead Stadium is Oct. 1. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
All-Decade Team Notes:
The top vote getter for the Bearcats was current San Francisco 49er, Xavier Omon … WR Jake Soy is the only current Bearcat to be voted to the All-Decade Team … Rector was the only member to play in the inaugural Fall Classic in 2002 … Rector also holds the third highest total for receiving yards in the series, behind All-Decade Team member Kendall Wright, and Rector’s younger brother, Andre Rector … Maryville native Myles Burnsides is the only four-year member on the All-Decade Team.
— NWMSU Sports Information —
Northwest Missouri State University men’s and women’s cross country teams begin the season ranked in the top 10 of the United States Track and Field Coaches and Cross Country Association preseason poll as announced by the organization today.
Head Coach Scott Lorek’s men’s team will open the season at No. 7 after a sixth place finish in 2010. East Central (Okla.) holds the top spot as last year’s regional champion, Central Missouri checks in at No. 2. Cameron sits at No. 3, followed by Eastern New Mexico at No. 4 and Harding stands at No. 5. Harding enters the South Central Region as a member of the Great American Conference, which is in its first year of existence.
Missouri Southern checks in at No. 6 while Pittsburg State follows the Bearcats at No. 8. Southwest Baptist and perennial powerhouse Abilene Christian rounds out the final two spots.
The Northwest women’s team will start the season one spot behind where they finished last year at No. 6. Midwestern State holds the top spot while MIAA Champion- Missouri Southern follows the Mustangs at No. 2. Truman State is No. 3 with Harding at No. 4, and Pittsburg State rounds out the top five.
Both the men and women will kick off their seasons Sept. 9 on their home course, Mozingo Lake, at the Northwest Bearcat Open.
— NWMSU Sports Information —
