ST. JOSEPH – A rivalry that has taken place at least once every season since 1981 gets a new wrinkle in 2018. For the first time since 1990, Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri will meet in the season opener when the Griffons travel to No. 5 Northwest Thursday night.

Only twice in the history of the series have the teams met in the first game of the season. It happened in back-to-back years during Missouri Western’s first two seasons as a member of the MIAA: 1989 and 1990. It will be the first time in three years the teams didn’t meet in the regular season finale. Northwest won 24-10 in St. Joseph in week nine of the 2015 season, the last time the rivals didn’t end the season against one another.

The timing of the rivalry game this season is far from the only story line. A shuffle of the MIAA schedule in 2018 left Missouri Western opening up its 49th season against three-straight opponents ranked inside the top-20 of the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Poll. Northwest, and the Griffons’ week two opponent Fort Hays State, enter the season tied for No. 5. Central Missouri, the Griffons’ week three opponent, debuted at No. 18 this season. Missouri Western’s first three opponents also finished as the top three football programs in the MIAA one season ago. Fort Hays State claimed the crown with Northwest finishing second, one game ahead of Central Missouri.

Missouri Western’s Matt Williamson and Northwest’s Rich Wright both begin their second year as head coaches this season. Williamson went 4-7 in his first season leading his alma mater. The two-time All-MIAA defensive lineman will have two new play callers on his staff in 2018. Dave Brown was hired as offensive coordinator in the offseason after Chet Pobolish was named head coach at Southwestern Oklahoma State. Brown was most recently quarterbacks coach at Colorado State-Pueblo, but is familiar with the MIAA having graduated from Central Missouri and getting his start in coaching at UCM as a student and graduate assistant. Last year’s offensive line coach and fellow MWSU alum, Patrick St. Louis will be the co-offensive coordinator in an offense that will feature the pistol in 2018. Brown had two stints at Nevada, including time when Colin Kaepernick illustrated the potential of the rare style. Justin Richter was elevated to defensive coordinator after one season as defensive backs coach. New to the staff in 2018 as linebackers coach, Gary Salgado will be the co-defensive coordinator after working under former Northwest Missouri assistant Will Wagner at Angelo State the past five seasons. Also new to the coaching staff in 2018 is running backs coach and special teams coordinator Andre Crenshaw. The former Oregon running back has had coaching stops at Dakota Wesleyan, Morehead State and Tennessee Tech.

The Griffon coaching staff will take nine returning offensive starters and six with starting experience on defense into Maryville. After having 11 players earn 12 All-MIAA honors in 2017, Williamson will see five of those Griffons on the field at Bearcat Stadium along with the return of 2016 second team All-MIAA linebacker James Huskey.
Some new names Griffon fans can expect to be hearing about in 2018 include James Bailey Jr. (running back), Marquis Caldwell (defensive lineman), Vayante Copeland (defensive back), Joe Horn Jr. (wide receiver), Damon Roberts (defensive end) and Donavan Lukens (defensive end). All those but Lukens transferred to MWSU for 2018. Bailey totaled more than 2,400 total yards as a dual-threat QB at William Chrisman before redshirting at Western Illinois last season. Copeland started seven games over two seasons as a corner at Michigan State. Horn. Jr. is the son of New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame receiver Joe Horn and the nephew of Griffon defensive line coach Scorpio Horn. Lukens showed promising signs during the spring game after redshirting last season and will figure into the mix on the defensive line along with Caldwell, Roberts, Kyle Dumler and another Arnold Crayton.

Northwest went 9-3 last season in Wright’s first season as head coach. The longtime Northwest assistant coach has 11 total returning starters, but will be searching for a new starting quarterback in 2018. Jadyn Kowalski is the returning leading passer for the team, completing one pass for 38 yards last season. Shawn Bane Jr. was one of the top receivers in the MIAA last season and returns after catching 51 passes for 675 yards and six TDs in 2017. Austin Eskew had 10 tackles for loss and six sacks last year and returns in 2018.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TAILGATE AT NORTHWEST
Bring your grills, Griffon flags and other tailgating essentials and join members of the MWSU Alumni Association in Maryville Thursday before the game. Griffon tailgating begins at 3 p.m. in Lot number 26 across from the Administration Building. THIS IS A NEW LOCATION!!

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western volleyball team is back in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll after a 4-0 start to the 2018 season.

Missouri Western reached No. 21 in the first regular season version of the poll. After finishing the 2017 season at No. 25, the Griffons debuted as the top team receiving votes outside the top-15 in the AVCA Division II Preseason Poll. A 4-0 weekend with four sweeps of teams with winning 2017 records at last weekend’s Illinois Springfield Capital Classic vaulted MWSU up to No. 21 in the poll. Stephanie Doak, Lauren Murphy and Rachel Losch were named to the Capital Classic All-Tournament Team.

The Griffons head to the Colorado Premier Challenge this weekend where they’ll open the prestigious event at No. 10 Regis. Missouri Western’s entry into the top 25 left seven of the 12 teams in this weekend’s pool-play style tournament ranked in the poll. Three others were receiving votes, including the Griffons Friday afternoon opponent, Angelo State.

— MWSU Athletics —

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western senior kicker Tyler Basch was named to the Fred Mitchell Award 2018 Kickoff Watch List. The Fred Mitchell Award is an annual postseason award presented to the nation’s top non-FBS collegiate place-kicker for performance on the field and in the community.

Over 750 kickers across the nation are eligible for the Fred Mitchell Award. Basch was one of only 34 kickers named to the Preseason Watch List. The list includes kickers from 22 states and two countries, representing FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA institutions. Basch was the lone MIAA representative on the list and one of just 11 from NCAA Division II members. The full list released by the Fred Mitchell Award can be viewed here.

Basch enters the 2018 season as one of the top returning kickers in the nation. The 2017 second team All-MIAA selection led the MIAA with 17 (17-20) made field goals last season. Basch was also named MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week after going 4-for-4 against Lindenwood in week six. Basch was perfect from inside 40 yards, going 10-for-10 on attempts from those distances. Two of his three missed field goal attempts were from beyond 50 yards.

The watch list for the Fred Mitchell Award is released in August. Top performers are recognized monthly during the college football season, with the winner announced in mid-December.

— MWSU Athletics —

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Four matches and four sweeps for the Missouri Western volleyball team on the opening weekend of the season at the Illinois Springfield Capital Classic. Missouri Western swept Illinois Springfield and Walsh on Saturday to start the season perfect.

ON THE DAY
Missouri Western hit a modest .260 on the day but held its two opponents to a .105 attack percentage. The Griffons recorded seven services aces over the two matches and had 11 total blocks. Stephanie Doak led the team with 25 kills and four of the aces. Doak also had three blocks. Shellby Taylor had 18 kills and five total blocks. Lauren Murphy had 72 assists, averaging 12 per set. Audrey Keim led the team with 28 digs. Tiana Butler had 27.

AT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD
After taking a back-and-forth first set, 25-23, Missouri Western was in danger of dropping its first set of the season in the second. Illinois Springfield staked a 20-17 lead that prompted a MWSU timeout. The break sparked a late run by the Griffons that resulted in another 25-23 Griffon win. Missouri Western held off a late charge by the Prairie Stars to seal the sweep, 25-22. Doak had 13 kills and three total blocks in the match. Shellby Taylor added 10 kills on a .391 percentage with two blocks. Tiana Butler led the team with a career-high 20 digs.

VS WALSH
Missouri Western held Walsh to a .000 hitting percentage in the match. In a 25-9 second set, the Griffons hit.444 with just two total errors, one attack and one service. Doak added 12 kills in the second match of the day along with three aces. Lauren Murphy had 34 assists and 10 digs. Ali Tauchen hit .438 with nine kills and added four blocks.

UP NEXT
Missouri Western heads to one of the top NCAA Division II volleyball classics when the team plays in the Colorado Premier Challenge. The Griffons open at co-host Regis on Aug. 31 before taking on Angelo State later in the day. The event is bracketed after the first day, so the Griffons’ Sept. 1 opponents will be determined based on the day one results.

— MWSU Athletics —

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Missouri Western volleyball team began its 2018 season much like it ended the 2017 regular season. Missouri Western made quick work of Cedarville (3-0) and McKendree (3-0) to go 2-0 at the Illinois Springfield Capital Classic.

THE DAY
On the day, Missouri Western hit .416 as a team while holding its opponents to a .064 hitting percentage. The Griffons averaged 13.3 kills per set while allowing just 8.8. Sam Duncan had a breakout performance, totaling 20 kills and hitting .340. Shellby Taylor had 15 kills and hit .682 on the day with four total blocks. Audrey Keim posted 38 digs, starting both matches at Libero.

VS. CEDARVILLE
The Griffons opened the day by taking care of Cedarville, 25-17, 25-12 and 25-11 to take the first match of the season. Sam Duncan led MWSU with a career-high 12 kills and Audrey Keim posted a career-high 19 digs in the sweep of Cedarville. The Griffons hit .500 in each of the first two sets and .391 in the third to hit .467 in the match. They held Cedarville to a .030 hitting percentage.

VS. MCKENDREE
An 18-5 rally in the first set against McKendree set the tone for a 25-14, 25-15, 25-20 win in the afternoon match for MWSU. The Griffons hit .372 against McKendree and limited the Bearcats to a .097 hitting percentage, including -.125 in the first set. Murphy posted 34 assists in game two. Stephanie Doak led the Griffons with 11 kills while Keim matched her game one personal-best with 19 digs.

UP NEXT
The Griffons play two more matches in Springfield on Saturday, taking on host Illinois Springfield at 1 p.m. before wrapping the opening weekend against Walsh at 5:30 p.m.

— MWSU Athletics —