With a little more than eight minutes to play in the game and with Missouri Western up by two, the defenseive lineman gave his team the final score.

The Bearcats defeated the Griffons 35-29 Saturday at Spratt Stadium and now take on Midwestern State this Saturday in Wichita Falls, Texas.

“I’ve never scored a touchdown before in my life playing football,” Longacre said. “And I saw that football, and we were down, and I picked it up and ran as fast as I could and made sure that ball was not going to come out so we could get that score. It was big.”

Just after Todd Adolf missed a 26-yard field goal attempt, and the Griffons crowd erupted into a roar, the Bearcats snatched back momentum on the very next play.

Travis Partridge took the low snap, which was supposed to be a design run, and tried to make a play out of it. That’s when the Bearcats D-Line took their second opportunity at a turnover and jumped on him. Just as the ball squirted out, Longacre picked it up and saw nothing in front of him but the end zone.

With 8:01 to play in the game, Northwest took its first lead of the game.

“The effort that we gave today — to have a first quarter like we had and not quit — we were resilient for three hours,” said Bearcats coach Adam Dorrel, who is in his first year at the helm. “I thought our defense was just phenomenal today.”

Western jumped out to a quick 16-0 lead before anybody could blink. The first play of the game saw quarterback Trevor Adams throw a side pass to James Franklin, but the ball was sent backwards, immediately picked up by Griffons Ben Jackson, who returned it to the one-yard-line. Partridge ran a quarterback sneak on the next play to take a 7-0 lead.

The next two possessions for the Bearcats both ended in turnovers, as Shane Simpson took an interception back for a score on the third turnover, which ended the scoring route.

“We certainly had some things that we left out there,” Griffons coach Jerry Partridge said. “We just missed tackles on some of those bigger plays.”

Up 16-0 after kicker Greg Zuerlein missed the point-after-try, Northwest finally settled down and scored on a 51-yard touchdown to David Mosley. Zuerlein connected on two more field goals after he nailed a school record 58-yarder in the first quarter. He made a 57-yard field goal followed by a 52-yard field goal to mark the score at 22-7 before halftime.

Perhaps the biggest play for Northwest in the first half occurred by its defensive line, just as the final touchdown did.

At the one-yard-line, Western’s running back Michael Hill took a delayed handoff from the quarterback, only to be met by a pack of Bearcats and fumbled. Northwest came up with the ball, which could have essentially put the Griffons up 26-7 and make a comeback that much harder for Northwest (10-2).

“We probably should have burned a timeout and ran a quarterback sneak,” Jerry Partridge said. “Honestly that might have been the game right there. We were going to punch it away at that point, we just didn’t do it. It has nothing to do with (Michael Hill); I wouldn’t trade No. 22 for anybody in America.”

The second half was a complete 180 for the Bearcats, as they scored 21 unanswered points to win the game and move on to Wichita Falls to play undefeated Midwestern.

Jerry Partridge pointed to his fake punt decision in the second half as the momentum changer. Up 22-7, the Griffons decided to fake a punt at midfield, but came up four-yards shy and turned the ball over.

From there, Northwest scored on a 35-yard run by Franklin. Follwing that touchdown, Western score on a 38-yard run by Derek Libby. Northwest answered with a 66-yard touchdown, a 20-yard touchdown and Longacre’s score to give the Bearcats the victory.

The win gives the Bearcats a playoff win over Western for the second straight year. Last season, Northwest defeated Western in the playoffs despite being down 17-0 at the half. Two years in a row Western was up double-digits at halftime; two years in a row, the same outcome for the Griffons – a loss.

Western ends the year tying the school record with nine wins. The Griffons, once 2-2, fought an uphill battle just to make it to the playoffs, as they won seven straight, including a victory two weeks to the day over their rival — Northwest. Still, the Griffons see only better opportunities awaiting them, as they bring back a core of juniors that take three years of post-season experience with them. Hill, Jackson, David Bass, Ben Pister and Tarrell Downing, as well as their starting O-Line and and much of their defense all return for the Griffons to try at winning a playoff game and perhaps move on further.

“Missouri Western will certainly be back next year with our huge senior class,” Partridge said. “I got a really good football team coming back next year. I just hate it for the seniors.”

Zuerlein, who has a D-II record for most consecutive field goals made, as well as a college record at all levels for 50-plus field goals made (9) agrees with his coach. Zuerlein, a senior, looks to be kicking on Sundays now.

“(Western) is a great place to be,” Zuerlein said. “I wished I had more eligibility to play here, cause I really like it and they’re going to do great things in the future.”

Photos by: Jason Brown

Missouri Western defeated Northwest Missouri State 31-28 less than two weeks ago. The game is still fresh in both teams’ memories, but for two different reasons.

The loss moved Northwest from a potential No. 2 seed down to bottom No. 6. A win last Saturday jumped it above Abilene Christian, but the Bearcats still have to travel on the road for two straight weeks, possibly all three if they continue to win.

Western, on the other hand, have been playing every game since week four like it’s a playoff game, and they had to.

After starting the season 2-2, Western has won seven straight games. Perhaps an underrated statistic in the wins is the fact that the Griffons pulled out several wins on the road, and they did well in the second half. Unlike Northwest, Western has been in a fight for four quarters in almost every game, and although it is great to defeat every team by 50 points, it may not help a team in the end. The Griffons know if the game is close in the fourth quarter, they can pull out the win, because they have done so several times this season.

The Griffons defeated the Bearcats on Nov. 5 by a slim three-point margin. With the win, they put themselves in the playoffs and a home game. Had they lost, they would have probably played in the Mineral Water Bowl. Saturday another win sends them to Wichita Falls, Texas to play Midwestern State. A loss sends Northwest to Wichita Falls. What will it be?

Yes, the Griffons are the underdog, and yes they did beat the Bearcats. But does it really matter at this point? The winner out of this game will probably be the favorite to play in the Super Region 4 final. Opposite is Pittsburg State, Washburn and Abilene. If everything plays out like it’s supposed to, perhaps the Griffons can rematch the Gorillas. Anybody remember week one?

Well, forget it. That was a long time ago.

On Saturday, November 12 the Griffon Football team beat Fort Hays making their final record 8-2. The Griffons are now secured in the playoffs.

The Griffons were down early, but shut out Fort Hays State in the second half on their way to a 55-17 victory Saturday in Hays, Kan.

Western, sitting at 8-2 for the third time in the past five season, looked to assure itself a playoff spot. Unlike in the years prior, the Griffons did just that.

In 2007, Western went to Kirksville and lost 37-28 to Truman State. Two years later, it hosted Nebraska-Omaha, but couldn’t submit a bid there either, as it lost 30-21.

Knowing this, the Griffons dominated the Tigers, though the first quarter was a little slower than they would have liked.

Tigers running back Andre Smith took the first play from scrimmage up the middle for 77 yards, down to the three-yard-line. The next play, Smith ran it in for a score. 18 seconds into the game, the Griffons were down 7-0.

“Our defense was a little lethargic at the beginning,” cornerback Ben Jackson said. “We got things corrected after Washburn, and we’re starting to fire on all cylinders when we have to.”

Travis Partridge drove his team 50 yards on its first drive, before running in a four-yard touchdown tie the game at seven. The Tigers capped off a seven-play drive with another touchdown by Smith to mark the score 14-7.

“We knew they were going to have a burst of energy,” Partridge said. “We knew they weren’t going to be able to stop us and we knew our defense was going to get it done eventually.”

Michael Hill continued to make plays when his team needed him to. Hill, who finished with 182 yards on the ground, scored three of Western’s four first half touchdowns. The junior averaged over seven yards per-carry and led the team in receptions with three.

“Michael Hill had a great game,” coached Jerry Partridge said. “The drive before the half was the huge drive. We just shoved is down their throat and it set the tone at the end of the half.”

On that drive, Western covered 61 yards on nine plays. Hill had seven carries for 50 yards and scored his final touchdown, which put the Griffons up 28-17 before halftime. All season the Griffons have relied on their run game. This game was no different, as Western had 434 yards on the ground.

None of the players were on the 2007 team, but the 2009 season remains in their memories. Senior Adam Clausen said the big difference between those two teams and this year’s is the bounce back Western experienced from the first game of the season, a 34-7 loss to Pittsburg State.

“When we get our backs on the ropes, even during games, we’re just resilient; we know we’re going to fight back and play for 60 minutes every Saturday,” Clausen said. “[Travis] has come so far since that game. It’s night and day from what kind of quarterback he was in that game until now.”

One of the key contributors this season compared to years past has been kicker Greg Zuerlein, a senior transfer from Nebraska-Omaha. He tallied two field goals to give him 18 consecutive field goals made, which breaks the Division II record. The Griffon Indoor Sports Complex may have played a role in recruiting him.

“[The facilities] helped us out with Greg Zuerlein, no doubt it helped,” Jerry Partridge said.

The Griffons now wait their destiny. Though nothing is guaranteed just yet, Western had a No. 4 seed heading into Saturday’s game. Western looks to host its first playoff game ever, which seemed like a far stretch for a team that was once 2-2.

Western bounced back against Hays, once tied 14-14, the same way it did in the season. The Griffons have been on a roll, winning seven straight, just as it ended the game against Hays — 34 unanswered points.

Jackson ended any hope Hays had when he took a 35-yard interception back for a score, giving Western a 42-17 lead early in the second half.

“I got my hands on the ball, and I was just thinking end zone,” Jackson said. “Our defense is starting roll right when its supposed to.”

The No. 2 seed heading into Saturday, Washburn, lost its season finale to Central Missouri to end the regular season, tying the Ichabods with Northwest Missouri State and Western, all at 9-2.

Western finds its fate out at 3:30 today at the Fulkerson Center located on campus.

“I think we’ll be a four; it’s tough to guess,” Partridge said. “It will be Abeliene Christian or Northwest [at home]. It feels great. It’s unbelievable.”

Sport: Football

Year: Sophomore

Position: Quarterback

Stats this week: Completions — 12; Total Yards — 217; Touchdowns — 2

Partridge led a come-from-behind victory and put Missouri Western in position to not only make the playoffs, but host a playoff game after it defeated Northwest Missouri State. Partridge, who had zero turnovers, dusted off a 51-yard run in the third quarter to start a comeback that would eventually end up in the win column. Down 14-3 at one time, Partridge took part in two of the three scores by the Griffons, who won 31-28.

He put his head down and let his emotions clear. The sophomore quarterback had just pulled off one of the greatest upsets in Missouri Western football history.

Down at the half, Partridge led a turnover-free game, and pulled his team together when it needed him to; for the first time in his short career, he looked like a leader.

“This means everything,” Partridge said. “There’s a lot of emotion involved, and that’s a team victory if there’s ever one. It’s gigantic.”

Partridge had help from a great defensive game plan, as well as players Jack Long and Ben Jackson, who played one of the better games they’ve played all year. The defense not only prevented Northwest Missouri State from scoring its 56 points-per-game average, but Western cut it in half — 28.

Still, the game changed when the quarterback had the ball down by eight. Partridge stepped back to throw, but slid through the pocket and ran the ball 51-yards down field. On that run, the momentum switched and the fans erupted.

A few plays later, a one-yard run by Michael Hill and a two-point conversion pass from Partridge to Reggie Jordan tied the game. From there, Partridge connected on a two-yard touchdown to Adam Clausen, marking the score 28-21. And from there, Greg Zuerlein nailed a school record 58-yard field goal. Just like that, a 31-28 victory over Northwest gave Partridge and his family one of their biggest victories.

“It feels amazing,” Partridge said. “It’s surreal. I don’t want this feeling to end.”

The day has ended, but the memory will always be in his mind. He watched several quarterbacks go up against the Bearcats, and almost all of them have failed. But his first start, Partridge didn’t fail. He succeeded, and nobody can take that away from him.

“Honestly, I keep stopping and [wondering] is this a dream?” Partridge said. “I’ve had this dream so many times in my life.”

Travis Partridge (12) throws deep down field against Northwest Missouri State, in which Missouri Western was victorious. Final score 31-28

“It was a hard-fought game,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “I didn’t feel like we had it won until the very end. We played as good as we could play.”

The victory snaps an eight year losing streak for the Griffons against Northwest.

“It feels great to get Coach P. that win again,” Defensive Back Ben Jackson said. “We hit him with the Gatorade after the game, and it’s just a rival. It’s always good to beat your cross-town rival.”

“I think we believed the whole time; we believed the whole week,” safety Jack Long said. “Coach has been preaching to believe it and we all did.”

The Bearcats high-powered offense was on display early as they scored on their first two possessions. Northwest led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter. The Griffon defense forced three punts and gave up no points in the second quarter.

“Down 14-3, I don’t think anybody flinched at all,” Long said. “I think we were ready to go the whole time. It’s a long football game.”

The Griffon offense was able to put together their first touchdown drive midway through the second quarter. Travis Partridge hit Adam Clausen and Reggie Jordan for gains of 20 and 14. Partridge dove the ball into the end zone on a one-yard run to make the score 14-10. Greg Zuerlein added a 53-yard field goal to make the score 14-13 at half time.

“The second quarter was awesome, and that’s really where the momentum changed,” coach Partridge said. “They had total command of that game for a little bit. Our second quarter defense put us back in that football game.”

The Bearcats’ James Franklin broke off a 37-yard run early in the third quarter to give Northwest a 21-13 lead. Partridge responded by getting loose for a 51-yard run to start the Griffons’ drive. He completed a pass to Jordan for 19 yards and then Michael Hill ran it in the end zone. Partridge connected with Jordan again on the two-point-conversion to tie the game up at 21.

Jeremy Weston intercepted a pass from Trevor Adams on the next possession to give the Griffons the ball at Northwest’s 42-yard-line. The Griffons offense took advantage as they moved the ball up the field, and Partridge hit Clausen for a two-yard touchdown pass to give the Griffons a 28-21 advantage. Northwest tied the game at 28 on a three-yard run by Jordan Simmons.

Zuerlein hit a 58-yard field goal to put the Griffons on top 31-28 with 11 seconds left in the third quarter. The kick is the longest in Western history, breaking the record Zuerlein set earlier in the year of 57 yards.

“Coach gave me a chance, and I had a good snap, good hold, and I made it,” said Zuerlein, who has made an MIAA record 16 consecutive field goals. “I didn’t think that I hit it the best. I had some luck, I guess.”

Zuerlein made all three of his field goal attempts on the day.

“We need points every time,” Travis Partridge said. “There’s no point to force things. Other teams have to force things but we will just be safe and take the three points.”

The Griffons pulled off a huge goal line stand to start the fourth quarter after Northwest got the ball inside the five-yard-line. With the ball at the one on fourth down, Northwest elected to go for it instead of taking a field goal that would have tied the game. The play resulted in David Bass dragging the back down for a three-yard loss and a turnover on downs for the Bearcats.

“I’m sure they are regretting the decision to go for it now,” Long said. “I felt that if we stopped them right there, we would swing the momentum so much that they wouldn’t be able to come back from something like that, and it held true.”

Long recovered a fumble on the next Northwest drive. The Griffons continued to run clock and punted the ball back to Northwest with 2:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. The defense held tough and forced a fourth down and six. Jackson, who was beat deep early in the game, tackled the receiver one-yard short of the first down to secure the victory for the Griffons.

“As soon as I tackled him, I knew he was short, and I knew that was our game right there,” Jackson said. “As a DB, you got to have a short memory, and in the end I ended up making a nice play for the team.”

Jackson led the Griffons in tackles with 12.

Travis Partridge is 1-0 against Northwest as the starting quarterback of the Griffons. Growing up with Griffon football, beating his rival is a dream come true.

“There’s been great quarterbacks before me that have never had a chance to beat them,” Partridge said. “I’ve had this dream so many times in my life — it just feels surreal. There’s a lot of emotion involved. It feels amazing.”

Partridge threw for 111 yards and a touchdown and ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on the day.  The Griffon offense had no turnovers in the game.

“Travis played great. He’s a very good competitor,” coach Partridge said.

Clausen led the Griffons in receiving with 52 yards, and Hill ran for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The Griffons improve to 8-2 on the season and 6-2 in the MIAA conference. They will take on Fort Hays State next Saturday in the final game of the regular season. The possibility of a home playoff game exists with a win.

Photo by Jason Brown

Fans rush the field as the clock winded down in Missouri Western's win over North West Missouri State University Saturday.

Photos of last year’s game against Northwest. Western was shut out for the first time in thirteen years in an embarrassing 42-0 loss.

“It is our hated rival, and we are always amped up for this game,” safety Jack Long said. “It’s going to be an intense game, no matter what, every year.”

Northwest (8-1) is the No. 3 ranked team in the American Football Coaches Association top 25 and the No. 3 ranked team in the region. Western (7-2) is ranked No. 25 in the AFCA top 25 and No.7 in the region. Only the top six teams in the region will get into the playoffs.

“We realize it’s a contending football team and a team that’s in front of us, and we want to win the game,” Coach Jerry Partridge said. “Our playoff hopes are affected by it, but I don’t think they necessarily hinge on it. Certainly a win helps our chances and a loss hurts.”

Breaking either team’s stadium attendance record is nothing out of the ordinary for the annual game between the Griffons and the Bearcats. The game set the record for attendance at Northwest last year with a crowd of 10,800. In 2009 a crowd of 10,129 showed up Spratt Stadium and set the attendance record, which was broke by the Chiefs training camp with 10,727.

“Our fans sometimes need to create the excitement for us too,” Partridge said. “I want our student section to get here and get wild and crazy and do whatever they can to motivate our players and have a good time.”

This year’s contest between the two teams have the potential to see the Spratt Stadium attendance record broken again. Safety Shane Simpson can picture fans rushing the field following a big victory.

“The home crowd is always going to be good,” safety Shane Simpson said. “We feed off energy from the crowd a lot and we are at Spratt, so it’s going to be a perfect set up for whatever is going to happen.”

Northwest holds a 20-10 all-time advantage in the series, including beating the Griffons two times last season. The second game between the schools last year ended the Griffons’ season as Northwest edged Western 28-24 in the playoffs. The two schools are less than 40 minutes apart and are bitter rivals, competing for state funds off the field and regional supremacy on the field.

“Sometimes we put too much into it, to be honest with you, the community and the school does, which creates extra pressure on the kids,” Partridge said. “I think the kids want to win the game because it’s the next game for them.”

Partridge is more concerned with stopping a potent Northwest offense that averages 56 points and 560 yards per game.

“That’s the biggest concern to me,” Partridge said. “Can we stop them? No. But I hope we can slow them down enough to score more points than they do.”

“We just don’t want to give up the big plays,” Simpson said. “If we can just stay over the top and not let anything over the top of us, it will be a close game.”

Saturday is the last regular season home game for the Griffons, which means it’s senior night for Long, Adam Clausen, Isaac Collins, Greg Zuerlein, Nic Burrell, Jake Buckwalter, Kip Peters, Cody Kremer, Thomas Madget, David Fowler, Oliver Pryor, Jesse Engelken and Matt Speaks.

The game will be televised live by the MIAA television network and starts at 2 p.m.

Missouri Western — Offense: Michael Hill is coming off his best rushing game of his career. The MIAA Offensive Player of the Week will see a tougher matchup against Northwest, but giving him the ball will make the Bearcats respect the Griffons run game. This, in turn, could allow Partridge some time to make good efficient passes against a suspect pass coverage the Bearcats have. Playmakers like Tarrell Downing should also give Western plenty of chances to advance the football down field. Defense: David Bass and Ben Pister must put pressure on Christopher. If they can steadily be in the backfield, it will disrupt many of his throws. This could give Jeremy Weston and the rest of the secondary opportunities for some turnovers. Special Teams: It’s not a secret the Greg Zuerlein is the best kicker in the MIAA. He currently has made 13 straight field goals. Though that won’t beat Northwest, having great field position each drive will. But the less of Scott Groner fans see, the better off the Griffons might be.

Missouri Western plays its Highway 71 rivals Saturday afternoon at Spratt Stadium, a game anticipating a record number attendance. But how many fans will be there that sport black and gold? Definitely more than ever, as the student body will not just sit on their hands and fans will storm the stadium. But what about the people outside of Western?

Not only will green swoop down 40 miles from Maryville to see a game that would all but clinch the winner a playoff birth, but perhaps steal the fans of St. Joseph, and turn whatever loyalty and team spirit residing in their hearts green as well.

It’s not out of the question to ask if St. Joseph is Northwest’s hometown. Controversial? Yes, but what rivalry games aren’t? This game is bigger than it has been before, and that includes last season’s playoff game. Why? Years down the line can be affected by the outcome of Saturday’s game.

As of now, St. Joseph doesn’t exactly stampede the parking lots at Western Saturday afternoons. But the majority of them don’t head up to Maryville either. Now that the game has this sort of “win or go home” scenario, fans finally have the opportunity to see both teams play for stakes higher than before, right here in St. Joseph.

So when Todd Adolf or Greg Zuerlein kick off Saturday, there should be well over a thousand fans that just want to see football, that just want to see two teams play to the whistle blows. If this is the case, and Western pulls out the win, the fans that leave Saturday’s game will want to see them more. If Northwest wins, St. Joseph will once again wait to see the Bearcats play on television, deep into November, hoping that they keep advancing. Because the Griffons might not be there.

When Western announced Kurt McGuffin was the new director of athletics, he referred to Western becoming St. Joseph’s team, not just the Griffons. A win Saturday will be a huge step.

Name: Michael Hill

Sport: Football

Year: Junior

Position: Running Back

Stats this week: Rushes — 41; Yards — 246; Receptions — 4; Touchdowns — 1

Hill broke the school record for most rushing attempts Saturday in Bolivar, Mo. Hill’s 41 carries gave him the school record and also helped Western win its fifth straight game. Hill, who won MIAA Offensive Player of the Week, also averaged six yards per carry.

Missouri Western dominated over Truman State at the Homecoming game with the final score being 45 to 7.

“We stepped up when we needed to step up,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “I thought it was just a solid start-to-finish victory.”

Reggie Jordan scored the first two touchdowns for the Griffons. The first one came on a fake punt play that fooled the Truman defense and resulted in Jordan running the ball up the sideline for 64 yards and the score with three minutes left in the first quarter.

“It was very wide open actually,” Jordan said. “I could have jogged into the end zone.”

Early in the second quarter, Jordan caught a four yard pass from Travis Partridge that put the Griffons on top 14-0.

Tarrell Downing scored on an electrifying 80-yard touchdown late in the second quarter. Partridge hit Downing ten yards down the field after scrambling outside the pocket, Downing put a spin move on the defensive back and was off to the races to put the Griffons up 24-0 at the half. Downing had a big day, finishing with 171 receiving yards and a touchdown.

“We have some guys who can catch the short ones, make people miss and turn them into big plays. Tarrell did that,” said coach Partridge. “That’s the type of player I expect Tarrell to be.”

Michael Hill ran for 95 yards, 4.3 yards per carry and a third quarter touchdown that put the Griffon up 31-0. Hill had a 26-yard touchdown called back because of holding early in the first quarter.

Travis Partridge threw for 278 yards on 15-24 passing, three touchdowns and two interceptions on the day. He threw a bomb to Derek Libby for a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter to put the Griffons up 38-0.

“I see Travis progressing more and more every week,” Downing said.  “It’s showing in the stats and in the game.”

The defense shut the Bulldogs out for most of the night before they scored their only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Nic Burrell led the Griffons in tackles with 9, followed by Jeremy Weston and Shane Simpson with 7.  Simpson also intercepted a pass late in the first quarter.

“Our defense is good. I really put them up against any defense in the league,” Travis Partridge said. “They pick us up every time we make a mistake. There is really no pressure because we know they are going to get it done.”

Greg Zuerlein hit his only field goal attempt of the day from 29 yards out and made all five of his extra point attempts.

Jerrin Walton scored the final touchdown late in the game on a 29 yard run to make the score 45-7.

The Griffon had 632 yards of total offense on the day.

“I wanted to make sure we closed out the right way. Our defense deserved the seven point total,” coach Partridge said.

The Griffons improve to 6-2 on the season and 5-2 in MIAA conference play.

What about this year’s soccer team? Kyle Inman sure thinks highly of them. And why not? The freshman are playing above expectations, and Missouri Western will see most of this team for the next few years.

On Thursday they played against Northwest Missouri State. They lost 5-1, as Northwest ran up the score like it were in the BCS, trying to leap frog somebody into National Championship contention.

Of course the game was tied at the half; it wouldn’t be a Western soccer game if that had not occurred. Next up was coach Chad Edwards’ alma matter — Missouri Southern State. Western lost this game as well, putting the MIAA tournament in doubt.

K.C. Ramsell hasn’t scored since the fifth game, but she is still finding ways to put the ball in position; the freshman just isn’t hitting the shot on goal as much. If Ramsell, Erin Widrig and a few other key players can score, and Kelly Voigts can continue to stand pat as goalie, the final two weeks of the regular season can see improvement.

Western plays Fort Hays State, Washburn and Emporia State next. The Griffons defeated those last two teams on the road, now they have them at home. It’s simple: Western wins the three games, it makes the tournament. If not, better luck next year.

Volleyball, never sub in until you have to

After losing three straight, the losses continued. The Griffons fell 3-1 to Hays on Friday.

Then another road game occurred when the Griffons went to Joplin to play Southern. The Griffons finally snapped the loss streak,
winning 3-0 against the Lions.

Before further analysis can occur, people must take a second and look at what Frederick has been able to do over the past three years he has been at the helm for the Griffons.

After the 2010 team finished the season with an 12-17 record, the Griffons saw three seniors graduate. Coach Cory Frederick said he would recruit hard and hard enough he did.

Sarah Fauble is making her presence known. She is like Todd Fuller to the Griffon News: very underrated.

This team also has great chemistry. Tahler Johnston is a great player. Alex Behnke is too, but both will graduate after the season. They’ll be alright.

Considering Stephanie Hattey is only going to be a better player in the next couple years, as well as Shelby Corkill and Sarah Fauble, leadership and skill shouldn’t be a problem. If only this team can take advantage of the rest of this year’s schedule, people will realize the talent they have. They also have terrific coaching, including Cory Gove, stat keeper.

Another football column 

I think I’ve written a few too many columns about Western football already this season. The players and coaches probably agree.

But does it really matter? It’s not like we’ve overwhelmed them with columns in the past.

Regarding Western’s three-game win streak, it will continue. Am I guaranteeing it? No. Am I saying it? Yes (Dwayne Bowe). Come on, if the Griffons blow a chance at improving their record to 7-2 before Halloween, it will be a monumental upset. It should make SportsCenter’s Not Top 10 list.

Despite losing to the teams they were supposed to lose to and beating the teams they were supposed to beat, the Griffons won somewhat toss-up games against Southern and Emporia. That has to be encouraging to Jerry Partridge and his staff, considering there was always “that one game” where Western would lose and jeopardize a post-season appearance.

Saturday, Western traveled to Emporia and held on to a hard-fought 22-16 victory. Western had to earn the win, and, in all seriousness, it knew that going into Emporia, because the Hornets do not lay down for any opponent. Homecoming is next.

Befriending the Enemy 

I work for the Griffon News, this is obvious. But, I also take part in the newspaper from across the town: The St. Joseph News-Press.

As an employee there, I can’t work for the Griffon News 24/7. I can only work for them 16/4 and 24/3. The other 8/4 I am a News-Press employee. Confused? Now you know how I feel.

I befriend the enemy. I play both sides. I’m like Ashton Kutcher cheating on his wife. Except, I don’t know who Demi Moore is in this situation.

I’m put in positions many times where I have to work downtown and cannot attend games. Thanks goes to my Editor-In-Chief (Dave Hon) and my boss Ross Martin (Western alum, ‘05), who understand this.

Anyway, it’s rough. Last Thursday, when Western played rival Northwest, I was unable to work for the Griffon News. I had to attend the game on behalf of the News-Press.

I had to cover Northwest for the most part, especially since it won and forward Victoria Von Mende scored a team record 10 goals this season. I still talked to the Griffon News staff who attended, including the Break Away guy, Jason Brown. I couldn’t tweet the game to the GriffonNewsCom followers, but instead, NPSportsNow followers received the game updates.

Last Saturday, this is even better, I had to attend a state quarterfinal softball game, and could not make a trip to Emporia. I then sent a tweet out to GriffonNewsCom followers to follow NPSportsNow for updates.

Oh, it’s worse: This Saturday, when everybody is attending Homecoming events and the football game, I will be at District Cross Country, covering local high school Central trying to pave its way to state. They may, because they have those Bachman twins. But anyway, scheduling conflicts again occur.

A Little Inside Info

I don’t wear glasses. Many people know this, but I needed a pair in order to take my picture.

This isn’t the News-Press, where, when they write a column, they are submitted into the paper with a full body length photo of them looking up, so that their shoes are the size of pebbles. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about.

But here we have to use a real mug shot (and not a Dave Williams type of mug shot, where you actually have a reason to look eccentric).

So instead of my picture focusing on my face and who I am, I needed an object to distract the reader. Insert Prof. Bob Bergland’s glasses. Instantly, my face became a hit. Not two hours after print people were asking me about the photo.

Since I am unable to grow a beard at this point in my life, and Bergland will not let me barrow his goatee, I need a new disguise. Any help?

One last note: My computer at the Griffon News in use, so I am taking this opportunity to type from Blair Stalder’s. The only reason why I mention this: Stalder needs a reference every now and then. Everyone knows Stalder doesn’t receive enough credit. “Stadler” on the other hand …

Four days after the citation, Pister did not play during the loss to Washburn. He also sat out two games last year, one against Mesa State and the other against Washburn, one due to injury.

Last spring, Pister was arrested on Jan. 29 for third-degree assault and second-degree burglary charges.  The arrest was related to a fight that allegedly took place between the football and baseball teams. According to a Feb. 2 article on newspressnow.com, the complainants said that a group that included Western football players assaulted them. In May, a municipal judge ordered Pister to pay a $200 fine for assault.

Head Coach Jerry Partridge declined to comment on Pister’s DWI citation.

“Anything that happens with our kids is going to be handled in house, and I’m not going to comment on it in public,” he said.

Pister is a physical education major who is a redshirted junior. He played for St. Joseph Central High School where he was two time All-state. This season, Pister has 5.5 sacks, one interception and 26 tackles.

According to the Athletics Department Drug and Alcohol Policy, the first misdemeanor or felony conviction related to alcohol would result in the notification of the head coach, athlete and the athlete’s parents or guardian. That athlete is also required to seek counseling independent of the athletic department.  The student athlete would also be subject to disciplinary actions through Student Affairs.

Associate Athletic Director Patsy Smith said that on top of the department’s policy, head coaches have their own policy.

“Each of our sports have certain rules within their sport that could differ from sport to sport and how a coach deals with things,” Smith said.

Smith said that she and former Athletic Director Dave Williams were addressing some concerns with the drug and alcohol policy — specifically the repercussions of a second incident. According to the policy, student athletes who have a second incident not only have to seek further counseling, but are also suspended for 90 days.

“Because sports vary in how long their season is, perhaps you’d look at a percentage of games rather than a number of days,” she said.

According to the Athletics Department Drug and Alcohol Policy, Western athletes must undergo drug and alcohol abuse awareness training. The policy states, “Missouri Western State University will provide an education program to inform our student-participants of the inherent hazards of abusing these substances.  It is our goal to promote the physical and psychological well-being of the MWSU student-participant.”

Zuerlein attempts one of the five field goals he made on Oct. 1 against Missouri Southern . The senior has an opportunity to move on to the next level, as scouts of NFL teams have already asked about him.

“He is going to be in an NFL camp next fall,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “We have had a lot of NFL teams come through, and that’s the feedback that I’m getting,”

When the University of Nebraska-Omaha announced it was shutting down its football program, it was news to Zuerlein.

“I was shocked, and I didn’t have any forewarning or anything,” Zuerlein said. “I was surprised at their decision to shut down the program.”

Partridge wasted no time in pursuing the strong-legged field goal kicker after MIAA teams were cleared to go after former UNO players.

“He was the first call I made,” Partridge said. “I just knew what kind of a weapon he was and what a special football player he is, because of how well he kicks.”

Zuerlein chose Western because he admired the athletic facilities and because of the way he had seen the coaches develop kickers in the past.

“Specifically the kicking coach Jay White,” Zuerlein said. “He has helped a lot of the kickers get better here, and I thought he could help me, so that was the biggest thing.”

Zuerlein was a three-time all-conference selection at UNO. He hit 136 field goals in his three-year-career, with a long of 52 yards. He holds the school record for consecutive extra point conversions with 61 straight. He also has a school record of 131 PATs made in his career.

In 2010, what would have been Zuerlein’s senior year, he suffered a torn labrum in the hip and was forced to sit out the season with a medical red-shirt.

“I was just kicking, and I felt a pop, and I couldn’t kick anymore,” Zuerlein said. “Now I’m getting back into the swing of things. I’ve had some setbacks, but I’m finally getting back to being 100 percent.”

Zuerlein has already impacted the Western record books after playing five games. Against Missouri Southern State, he set the school record for longest field goal with 57 yards and tied the record for field goals made in a game with five.

Zuerlein is 13-14 in field goal attempts on the season, including 4-4 from over 50 yards. That type of leg strength is exactly what professional teams look for in a kicker.

“I would definitely like to play football after college, but that’s mainly on the back burner for me right now,” said Zuerlein. “I just want to do what I can here and see what happens.”

Being able to depend on getting three points whenever the team can’t convert on third down is a great safety-net for the Griffon offense. Zuerlein leads the Griffons in scoring with 56 points on the season.

“When we start getting into his range we kind of start pulling the reins back a little bit, and it’s been effective,” Partridge said. “He has been a great teammate to the kids, and he’s just a great kicker.”

Coming to a new school, Zuerlein admits he did not know what to expect, but everything has gone well for him so far at Western.

“I love it here; it’s awesome,” Zuerlein said. “From the coaches to the players, everything is great. I feel like I have really been accepted into the program.”

Michael Hill stands far in the backfield as Travis Partridge kneels down and runs down the clock after a long day of running the ball versus Missouri Southern State University.

“Michael is a good, quiet leader by example,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “He does what’s right, and I think he is one of the most respected kids on the team.”

Hill was born and raised in St. Joseph and started playing football at the young age of eight.

“I used to always get in fights when I was little, so my mom said I needed to get into something, so she got me into football,” Hill said.

Hill starred at Central High School in St. Joseph as a three-year-starter and a two-time All-District back. Although Hill always knew about Missouri Western, he was unsure where he would play after high school.

“At first, it’s like you want to get away from home,” Hill said. “But after my first year and getting to know everybody here, I just felt good and knew that this was a good place. I like playing here; it’s my home and I just feel free here. ”

Hill takes on the role of RA in the dorms where he is in charge of the suites and works at the desk.

“I wanted to get involved more and be more than just a football player,” Hill said. “Just in case football ends for me I want to get my professional skills up and have something to put on my resume.”

On the gridiron, Hill’s resume as a Griffon is already impressive. As a freshman, he accumulated 792 yards on 180 carries, averaging 4.4 yards-per-carry and scored eight touchdowns. His success continued during his sophomore season as he racked up 704 yards on the ground and five touchdowns.

“He is a really good player and a very explosive athlete,” Partridge said. “A very strong, powerful, complete player. He’s a good receiver, a good blocker and a good runner.”

In Hill’s first two years he was forced to split carries with other upperclassmen, but this season, as a junior, the starting running back position is all his, and he is taking advantage.

“The first thing I’m thinking is you have to score and get no negative rushes,” Hill said. “Play every down like it’s your last.”

Averaging a remarkable 4.9 yards-per-carry with five touchdowns, Hill has 562 rushing yards and 114 receiving yards on the season, including three touchdowns in the first half of last week’s game against Lincoln.

“I always prepared like I was the starter,” said Hill. “It’s cool to be starting but at the same time I know these other guys can do close to what I can do. We are all different types of running backs.”

Hill is one of five Griffons who are from St. Joseph and currently hold down starting positions on the team.

“We realize it’s important that the community supports us and we certainly want to support them back,” Partridge said. “Hill really, surprisingly, didn’t get recruited very hard by other schools, which is shocking, but I’m glad he didn’t.”

Michael Hill stiff arms a Lincoln defender, then breaking a large run in the second quarter Saturday, October 8th.

Western defeated Lincoln (Mo.) 81-20 Saturday at Spratt Stadium. It was the second year in a row in which the Griffons put up 81 points against the Blue Tigers.

Alli’s block, which was returned 98 yards by the freshman in the second quarter, put the Griffons up 19-6. Had the extra point block not occurred, Lincoln would have been down by just 10.

In the very next play Tarrell Downing returned his second touchdown, which put the Griffons up by 20, doubling a score which might have been.

“Coach Bell did a great job of finding the weakness in the special teams,” Alli said. “I just did what Shane and J West taught me.”

Alli, who is becoming a fan favorite with his special teams play and big hits, recorded five tackles, had a quarterback pressure and a hit against Lincoln’s Robert Redmond to go with his block touchdown return.

“I know one thing’s for sure: If I got caught, Coach P. would have never let it down.”

Western started the game with Downing’s first return, a punt that he first dropped. After he picked up the football, Downing made two moves to speed his way through a big hole to go 72 yards for the score.

“The kickoff return was a really big one,” said coach Jerry Partridge, before giving credit to the other big special teams player . “Yomi took the time to block an extra point and run it back. It was a big play.”

A few minutes later, running back Michael Hill scored on a 53-yard pass from Travis Partridge.

After Western added a field goal, Lincoln scored a one-yard-touchdown from Deon Brock. The Blue Tigers were inside the 1o-yard-line after Travis Partridge threw an interception to pre-season All American O’Hara Fluellen.

“He hesitated a little bit,” Jerry Partridge said of his first-year starting quarterback.

The ensuing extra point was then blocked by Alli, and he returned it all the way for the Griffons own two point, which turned the game by three points in favor of the Griffons.

Western scored three more touchdowns to end the half up 43-6, two of the scores were by Hill. One was from 13 yards out, and the other was on a 44-yard scamper.

“I think Coach P. could have went in there and run the ball through those holes,” Hill said. “I really didn’t do nothing. I caught the ball on the screen and just ran straight. The same with the other one.”

The special teams didn’t miss a beat as Downing’s two returns helped Western jump out to its big halftime lead.

“I had great blocking in front of me,” Downing said. “[This is] a confidence booster. We just got to keep on keeping on.”

Western scored 38 points in the second half, as much of the backups came in to finish the game. Zuerlein hit a 50- and a 51-yard field goal to put him at 4-4 on kicks more than 50 yards on the season. He is also a perfect 7-7 on field goals 40 yards or more. His only miss this season was a 29-yard field late in the game against Central Missouri, a game in which Western won 23-6.

The Griffons scored seven different ways Saturday (punt return, kickoff return, extra point return, run, pass, interception return and field goal) on their way to the 61 point victory.

Western tied its own record of points scored in a game. Last season, the Griffons won 81-14 over Lincoln.

Western (3-2) fell behind early, after Southern (1-3) scored on a 1-yard-touchdown run by Steven Sumpter.

Western’s Greg Zuerlein connected on three straight field goal attempts on the next three drives, including a Western record 57-yard try, breaking the previous record of 54. Zuerlein tied a school record with five field goals.

Up 9-7, Travis Partridge hit receiver Adam Clausen in stride for an 8-yard score to give the Griffons a two score lead, 16-7.

After halftime, Western was up 16-10 when Jerry Partridge decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 from the 46-yard-line. The Griffons ran a sneak and Travis Partridge ran up the middle, pounding his way through the hole before breaking loose. He would score on the run to give Western a 22-10 lead midway through the third. The 46-yard-touchdown was Partridge’s second touchdown run this season.

Western didn’t look back. There were two interceptions in the second half, one by Jeremy Weston and the other by Shane Simpson, as well as two more touchdowns gave Western a 35-23 victory, which now pulls the Griffons even at 2-2 in the conference.

David Bass had another two-sack game, giving him nine on the season. Weston recorded his third interception. Michael Hill ran for 125 yards on 21 carries, and Partridge had 96 yards on the ground as well as completing 50 percent of his passes for 120 yards.

Western lost kickoff return specialist and starting receiver T.J. Fannin for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. The loss hurts the Griffons as he was the leading receiver on the team with 13 receptions heading into Saturday’s game. Also, cornerback Marcus Thompson broke his leg early in the first half, and he too will miss the remainder of the season.

Western returns home next week to play Lincoln (Mo.).

Other scores in the MIAA: In a battle between the top two teams in the MIAA, No. 16 Pittsburg State played No. 1 Northwest Missouri State in the annual Fall Classic game at Arrowhead in Kansas City, Mo. Pittsburg, once down 28-6, scored 29 straight points on its way to a 38-35 upset victory and ended Northwest’s 49-game conference win streak. Fort Hays State defeated Lincoln 24-21. No. 9 Washburn remains undefeated after a 41-20 victory over Emporia State. No. 18 Central Missouri topped non-conference opponent Arkansas Tech 42-16 and Truman State beat McKendree.

Missouri Western football is knee-deep in its regular season schedule. Four games in with only two wins, all indications are that the Griffons need to win six out of their next seven games to have a chance at another post-season appearance.

But Western may be on the uprise. With some heads looking down at the quarterback, Travis Partridge led a 12 play, 70-yard drive to signify his presence with the Griffons is needed. Before the drive, Western looked shot. It was down by two touchdowns, and the offense didn’t appear able to amount to a comeback.

Although the Griffons comeback did fall short, that drive alone stood out for many reasons. For one, the job of the quarterback isn’t simple, but one of the main areas a quarterback needs to be successful in is third-down- and fourth-down-conversions.

Partridge nailed a third down, 7-yard strike to TJ Fannin on the Griffon side of the field. Three plays later, on fourth-and-1, Partridge ran for a first.

His most impressive play came when he hit wide receiver Tyron Crockum for a touchdown. Not only did it give Western a serious shot at winning a nationally televised game, on the road against a top-10 opponent, but the ball zipped past the defender’s hand. If the ball was thrown any differently, an interception would have ended the night, and more criticism would come.

One question remains about the offense, and it is not the quarterback. Why is the offensive coordinator still running what seems to be over 90 percent of the plays out of the shotgun? Michael Hill is an old-school type of running back. He is averaging four yards a carry. Is the shotgun really needed? And it’s not like Western’s receivers have outstanding numbers right now.

Fannin leads the team with 13 receptions, and no other receiver has double-digit catches. If the offensive line can help give Partridge more time to throw, perhaps the team can justify its play calls.

Until then, the Griffons should give 100 percent effort Saturday afternoon, when they head to Joplin, Mo. to take on Missouri Southern. Because they know every game is the most important game of the week, and they must take it one game at a time.

In 2005, the same year Fannin graduated from high school, Hurricane Katrina forced him and his family to relocate to Missouri.

“I have been evacuated from probably 15 hurricanes in my life,” Fannin said. “I just thought this was another evacuation, but they weren’t letting people back in the state for a month or two this time.”

But this wasn’t just another evacuation. The city was ruined. Where Fannin lived was destroyed by wind damage, and 20 minutes down the road there was 40 feet of water.  Some of his friends lost their homes.

Fannin’s parents are originally from Missouri and decided to make the permanent move after being back here for a couple of months. Fannin’s heart was still in New Orleans, and he didn’t want to be in Missouri, away from everything he knew.

He went back on his own and began working and living in a FEMA trailer, which is a government-issued trailer given to victims of the hurricanes that sit in front of their homes and run off propane and electricity from the house. They have become part of the cultural landscape of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

“It was 5 or 6 feet by 15 to 20 feet,” Fannin said. “We would run out of propane all the time. There were times during the winter when we didn’t have any propane at all.”

The trailer Fannin was living in was in front of his best friend’s grandmother’s house. She decided that she didn’t want them living there anymore and cut off the electricity to the trailer. At that point, Fannin was living in a FEMA trailer with no propane or electricity.

Fannin went back to Missouri and attended a community college. He grew tired of it and decided to go back to New Orleans. He planned to work for a while and then walk on to a football team and go to school there, but money and living situations forced him to move back to Missouri with his parents.  He met a girl that encouraged him to go to school, and he started looking for a place to play football.

“I wanted to play for a really good school,” Fannin said. “I sent my highlight tape out to a bunch of places, and it came down to here and Northwest (Missouri State).”

The choice became an easy one when the coach of Northwest told Fannin that they only allowed two players to walk on each year, so he shouldn’t even bother.

“Western let me know that they wanted me here and were happy to have me,” Fannin said. “When I got here they had a locker ready for me and everything. It was like God sending me a message, telling me this is where I was supposed to be: this is my new home.”

Fannin’s greatest gift on the football field is his world-class speed. He has been clocked running the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, which is very impressive for any level of athlete.

“He is obviously very fast,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “His running ability is so great that he can catch the short ones and make things happen after the catch. When he catches the ball he turns into a running back out there.”

Fannin misses his two sisters, two nieces, a nephew and his many friends who are in Louisiana and still visits when he can.

“It’s tough watching your best friends get married and have kids and you can’t be there, but it is what it is,” Fannin said. “Never would have thought I would be playing football at Missouri Western. I had never even heard of it, but it worked out great, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

When you run as fast as Fannin does, there is always a chance at having a future in professional football.

“I’d go play anywhere, really. I’d play arena football, Canadian football. Why not? To be making money to play football would be really cool. It’s a game,” Fannin said.

Western was up by three at halftime but let the lead squander away as they lost 41-20.

“They had big conversion plays [in the second half],” Partridge said. “We did wear down a little bit. Some of Washburn’s technique wore us down.”

The Griffons showed how well they could adapt on the road against a top-10 team, even when things weren’t exactly going their way.

Western had three turnovers in the first half, but still held a tight lead, 13-10.

“We played pretty good in the first half,” Partridge said, though he admitted Western still had problems. ”We did a lot of mindless things.”

Travis Partridge impressed the coach as well. Partridge was making his first road start of his collegiate career.

“One of the brighter spots of the football game was how he played.”

Travis kept his composure throughout the game. Even though he has faced skeptical criticism, Partridge showed he can play against an MIAA opponent on the road.

“In the first half we came out playing,” Partridge said. “We just didn’t get it done. There was not one thing I know that we could have done.”

In the second half, Western (2-2) fell behind after two big touchdown drives by Washburn (4-0). The Ichabods came out primed. They scored on a five play, 57 yard drive and then on an 11 play, 60 yard drive to tire out Western’s defense and keep Travis Partridge and company off the field.

“We were really not a smart football team tonight,” Jerry Partridge said.

Travis didn’t connect with his receivers for much of the third quarter. The Griffons went three-and-out, and then Partridge gave Washburn its biggest break of the game.

The Ichabods, up by four midway through the third, backed their pass coverage up. Playing off of wide receiver Tarrell Downing, Partridge sailed the pass too high, and Ichabods cornerback Devon Connors snatched the ball out of the air. The pass put Washburn in great field position to set up the next touchdown. Eventually, it would add a field goal to up the lead to two scores.

Partridge didn’t let the crowd, nor the 14-point predicament Western had in the fourth, affect his play. He stayed tough and drove the Griffons from their own 30-yard-line down to the seven. From there, he zipped a pass through Washburn’s defenders coverage to Tyron Crockum for the score. This put the Griffons down by a touchdown with 9:17 left in the ballgame.

Western’s defense couldn’t hold up against pre-season All American quarterback Dane Simoneau and his prolific offense.

“We just gave up some big plays in the second half,” cornerback Ben Jackson said. “We just didn’t play [Missouri Western] football.”

Jackson wasn’t on the field when the Griffons were down by seven late in the fourth. Instead, Marcus Thompson stepped in at right cornerback, but couldn’t handle the receivers he was put up against.

He was flagged for pass interference, which moved Washburn inside the 30-yard-line. And a few plays later, the Ichabods ended Western’s hope at a victory.

“They got a couple big runs,” Jackson said. “Passing wise, maybe we gave up a little bit over the top, but that’s on the secondary. We’ll come back harder.”

Washburn faked a run on third-and-goal from its three-yard-line, and delivered a strike towards Thompson’s side as wide receiver Ronnell Garner caught a pass in the back of the end zone. With 6:47 left on the clock, Washburn again found itself up by two scores.

“They made some great plays, and they’re a really good football team,” Jerry Partridge said.

Western gave up just eight yards on the ground in the first half, but in the third quarter alone had 207 total yards. Western had just four yards passing in the quarter.

The loss hurts the Griffons, not just because they find themselves at 2-2, but also because they have to go on the road again next week to battle Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.

Western was without starting defensive end Ben Pister, who was suspended for disciplinary reasons. He will return for the Griffons next week, and they need him. Western did record two sacks on the day, but the pass rush wasn’t there, and it was noticeable in the second half. Jerry Partridge compared Washburn’s offense to Pittsburg State’s, as the misdirection plays in the second half hurt the Griffons.

With only two wins in four games, the Griffons find themselves in a must-win mode as they look to make it back to the playoffs. Last season, they fell to rival Northwest Missouri State in the first round, though the Griffons did make it in with three losses.

Downing had three receptions for 61 yards. Adam Clausen caught an 11-yard-touchdown to put Western up 13-10 towards the end of the second half.

Simoneau shook off a bad first-half performance to end up with 360 yards through the air. Another pre-season All American, defensive end David Bass, recorded a sack in this third straight game. The game was broadcast on national television (CBS Sports Network).

All Photos by: Jason Brown

Name: Michael Hill

Sport: Football

Year: Junior

Position: Running Back

Stats this week: Rushes — 19; Yards — 91; Touchdowns — 2

Hill opened up this year as the true starting running back for the Griffons, and has done a solid job so far. Against Langston, Hill rushed for a score and added another, this time as a receiver, in the third quarter.

But once that fan looks at the numbers and notices the competition was not the best, then they begin to question how good this Griffons team will really be.

The first part of the game was a slow start – not a lot of action for the offense – but the defense and special teams were making plays to keep the fans into the game. It seemed as though Western had the field goal kicker out there on the field more than the offense.

The defense made some excellent plays to keep this game a shutout from the beginning. Three interceptions and three fumble recoveries were plenty to keep the momentum going for the team, and with the help of special teams, it was only a matter of time before the offense would take off and begin to put up numbers.

Going into halftime with a strong lead was not good enough for the Griffons. In the third quarter, 21 points were added to the score to boast the differential to 40. The team was beginning to function well on all cylinders. Running the ball became the main strategy for Western. The scheme was working well, so they stuck to it throughout the quarter. The Griffons completed every one of their possessions in the quarter, where in the first half 4-7 possessions resulted in field goals.

Michael Hill had an average game. Nothing stellar took place, but he was a constant worry on this Langston University defense. Hill averaged 4.6 yards a carry, moving the ball in for three scores throughout the game showed his hard work had paid off, even though his numbers were nothing to boast about. Hill ran for under 100 yards and received another 13.

One standout player who kept popping up through the game was CB Isaac Collins, who was making plays on special teams and on the defensive side of the ball. With a blocked punt and the recovery taken all the way to the Langston seven yard line Collins was able to set the Griffons up for their first score of the game.

Early in the fourth quarter Collins was able to make a great interception in a very timely manner. It was the deepest Langston had made it into Griffon territory and while knocking on the door of the red zone, Collins was able to snag an opportunity away quickly.

For the most part, the team did look stellar to this 2-0 Langston team, but the one part of the team that looked weak to everyone was the Griffons quarterback. Travis Partridge seemed to be having problems making smart plays from the get-go of this game. Partridge seemed as though he could not throw on the run, nor could he complete a pass to a player in motion.

In the opening minutes of the third quarter, a 53 yard reception was made by Tarrell Downing. On paper the play looks like a great score, but in reality the receiver had to stop his momentum to come back for the ball, then make a great turn up the field for the score. Partridge never looked completely confident in the pocket. During scramble situations it seemed as though he was unsure of what choices to make.

Throwing for a 50 percent completion rate was not a great showing from this young quarterback against a team of Langston’s quality. With the 18 offensive plays in the third quarter, 11 rushes and seven passes were attempted. The third quarter was such a large success due mainly to the running scheme brought together by the coaches.

This Western team has the ability to have a great season, but with QB questions already being brought up by fans and players, it makes one question: What will happen? If the accuracy questions are brought to light and fixed for this Thursday’s game, then the team will have nothing to worry about except making a run for the playoffs.

But on Saturday, Western defeated Langston University 47-0 at Spratt Stadium, a game which sets up a tough matchup on Thursday at Washburn, who, as of Saturday, is ranked No. 13 according to the America Football Coaches Association.

“We played well,” coach Jerry Partridge said. “I felt pretty good about it. A couple plays bothered me.”

Western started out slow, as they went into half up 19-0. In the third quarter is where the game turned in the Griffon’s favor.

“We’ve really played well in the second half all year.”

Travis Partridge went 7-for-19 for 105 yards and one touchdown in the first half. His shaky performance changed in the second half, as he led the team on three scoring drives in a row. The Griffons first play from scrimmage in the second half — a 53-yard strike to Tarrell Downing — was a touchdown. From there, Western pounded its way to another touchdown behind junior running back Michael Hill.

The Griffons scored for the third time in the third quarter when Partridge ran a quarterback sneak up the middle for a 1-yard-touchdown as Western [2-1] went up 40-0 over Langston.

“There was no difference in our attitude from the first to the second half; we just executed,” said Partridge, who was making just his third career start. “After getting three under my belt, the game is starting to slow down. It’s fun.”

Partridge was a perfect 5-for-5 in the second half.

The starters were taken out after the last touchdown, as Western has to have a sufficient amount of rest before it’s next game. On Thursday, on national television in Topeka, Kan., Washburn awaits.

“[Washburn] is real important. We have to send a message to this team and the other teams in the MIAA,” David Bass said. He registered another pair of sacks to go along with his four-sack performance last week when Western upset No. 12 Central Missouri 23-6. The defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown since the second-to-last play in the opening week against Pittsburg State.

Western’s offense didn’t perform well in the first half, though they had a 19-0 lead. Four times Western had the Lions inside the 20-yard-line, but could only come away with 12 points [four field goals].

“We didn’t run the ball well down there,” Jerry Partridge said. “We didn’t cash in; we left some points out there.”

Special teams played a valuable role for Western as well. Yomi Alli and Isaac Collins both blocked punts in the first half to set up great field position for Western. Collins also had his second career interception early in the fourth quarter. The senior said it was exciting to be able to contribute, on both defense and special teams.

“We knew that they were a little bit weaker on the edges,” Collins said. “So we had a couple twist that were going on, to confuse them a little bit on who they were suppose to block.”

Western’s special teams also faked a punt and a field goal because they felt Langston [2-1] wouldn’t look for it. The fake punt saw Reggie Jordan take the snap to the left side and dust out a 57-yard run. He had two receptions for 56 yards to go with his long run.

Hill had 20 carriers for 92 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Jerrin Walton saw a lot of playing time late in the game. He complete two passes but ran seven times. This marked the first shutout for the Griffons in nine seasons.

Western will play it’s third MIAA game Thursday at 7 p.m at Washburn. It will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Other scores in the MIAA from the weekend’s contest: Central squeaked out a seven point win over Emporia State, 45-38. Northwest Missouri State again pounded its opponent and improved to 3-0 as they defeated Lincoln [Mo.] 73-7. Washburn, just like the other two games, went on the road and won 30-14 against Missouri Southern State. Washburn is now 3-0 on the year. Southwest Baptist and Pittsburg made it five out of six for the road teams this week in the division as Baptist won 30-28 over Fort Hays State and the Gorillas surprisingly had trouble from Truman State. They won 27-26 to stay undefeated. All three were MIAA games.

All Photos By: Jason Brown

Griffon co-captains and starting safeties Jack Long and Shane Simpson have been in the national spotlight since saving the life of a young boy days before the Griffon’s home opener.

17-month-old Liam Snook was accidentally locked in a hot car and was suffering from heat stroke when Long and Simpson drove by. They noticed the boy’s grandmother frantically and unsuccessfully trying to break out the windows with a hammer. Not understanding why she was doing this, the duo kept driving, but then decided the scene didn’t look right.

They turned the car around and Simpson broke out the window with one swing. The boy’s life was saved. The heroes then went back to check on the boy later on that day to make sure everything was alright.

“The family was definitely grateful. We were just trying to be good human beings,” Simpson said. “It’s a humbling, good experience and it’s just crazy how fast it’s blown up.”

The feel-good story hit national coverage from every major network in the country including ESPN, CNN, NBC and FOX.

The family wanted to give the pair a monetary reward, but the two football heroes turned her down. NCAA regulations won’t allow them to even be treated to dinner, and the guys didn’t feel they deserved a reward anyway.  Saving a life and being lauded for their good deed is enough for them.

“Mostly teachers bring it up in class and a couple people walking around,” Simpson said. “It’s not too crazy. Facebook is really what’s been blowing up, going crazy everywhere.”

The original story, broke by Ryan Menley [Western Director of Athletic Video Production] through a YouTube video that now has 166,000 views.

“I thought that it would get regional play, but when I saw it on the main page of ESPN, that’s when I thought this might go big,” Menley said. “It made a great story because the woman was able to talk about it. It’s a feel good story and people need to know what these kids did.”

People don’t have to look very hard to find stories of college football arrests and other negative stories in the news, and Long credits that for the reason the story went national.

“I’m absolutely positive that’s why. People told us that when we were being interviewed that they were glad there was something positive about college athletes,” Long said. “It kind of counter balances all the negative stuff in the press.”

This story will be remembered and talked about for a long time. The two are thankful for the attention that they have received and feel they were just doing what any decent human being would do.

“I just want to say thank you and we appreciate it from everybody and everyone giving us respect for doing the right thing,” Long said.

Missouri Western football heard all week from the media and the people around them that they looked awful. It was a disaster, a performance that people couldn’t believe was the same team that made the playoffs a year ago. But it was. It was a game that could let a coach know where he stands and how he is perceived by the “true” fans, as well as his first-time quarterback. Until they played again.

Western did what they needed to do to keep the fans from not selling out on them so early in the season. The Griffons defeated a better team, according to AFCA’s rankings, this past Saturday. Rankings can easily be misleading, especially in the pre-season. How else can Pittsburg State, unranked, defeat the Griffons; yet Central Missouri lose?

Coach Jerry Partridge said after his team’s win over Central Missouri that his team just plays football, that Western doesn’t look at wins and losses to determine how they play, nor do they look at how good other teams are that they play. This was determined to be true as his team dominated both sides of the field against the Mules, the same way Pittsburg defeated them on opening weekend.

For people to bash both of the Partridges over one game was senseless. That game looked bad from every angle, but that didn’t mean the whole season would turn out that way. In one game, Western’s season was supposed to be determined as well as the play of a sophomore quarterback who was making his first start, which happened to be an MIAA opponent?

Now, for people to think because they beat the No. 12 team in the country, and Partridge shredded the defense with rigid force as he implemented total excitement in a crowd that hadn’t sounded as loud in two seasons with one 68-yard-touchdown, that this team is far better than week one might not stand true either.

It was two teams with two different game plans, and a team that wasn’t nearly as prepared week one, or motivated, as they were in week two. Now, as the season continues, Western must play as they did against Central, behind pre-season All-American defensive end David Bass and the defensive line, who lived up to the hype finally. If they do that, the football season won’t be as bad as it appeared to be heading after week one.

Bass had four sacks and tied the Griffon’s single-game sack record as Western [1-1] upset No. 12 ranked Central Missouri 23-6 Saturday at Spratt Stadium.

The Mules had no answer for Western’s pass rush, as the team combined for seven sacks and forced three turnovers in a defensive battle. Western’s offense was more calm than Central’s, and it showed.

With 4:55 to go in the first quarter, Travis Partridge stepped back and surveyed the field, only to fake the pass coverage and not throw the ball deep. Unlike last week, Partridge scrambled down field and used his legs to move the ball.

Seconds later, his decision to tuck the ball looked more proficient as he ran to the south end zone for a 68-yard-touchdown. As the crowd began to erupt, so did the Griffon’s sideline, as they knew they could beat Central [1-1] on both sides of the field.

“It was great and the receivers down field blocked, so I had an easy job,” Partridge said. “We all woke up and we just knew we was gonna do it.”

Partridge went 14-26 for 109 yards and one touchdown, but one key stat that changed from last week’s loss to Pittsburg State was the turnovers. Partridge had zero.

“[Last week] it was a little bit anxious and jitters and I was unsure about things. Week two I already knew what it was, and we knew what we needed to do, and we got it done.”

Western’s only turnover came midway through the third quarter when wide receiver T.J. Fannin fumbled the ball at mid field. Still, its defense held the Mules off from scoring a touchdown, forcing them to settle for a field goal. Bass said in a way he thanked Pittsburg State for last week’s game.

“That loss last week kind of motivated us,” said Bass, a pre-season All-American. “I’m just glad we’re back.”

Coach Jerry Partridge said that it was a dominate performance by the defense, and the first game was more of a system product that troubled the Griffons than his actual team.

“Pittsburg does a great job of the option,” Partridge said. “[Central] was our type of offense where you go after.”

After last week’s disappointment, Western came into Saturday’s contest with a lot to prove. With 6,251 people in attendance, it had the stage to do so.

“I’m just glad [the crowd] stuck with us after last week, and I’m glad we can put up a good showing,” said Ben Pister, who had two sacks to go along with his first career interception. He also tied linebacker Tom Madget for a team high of eight tackles.

Although the players and coaches said this wasn’t any more of a must-win game than others, they performed like it was, much to the pleasure of the crowd. If Western had dropped to 0-2, it would have been the first time in over 10 years that they hit that mark, and that was something Jerry Partridge couldn’t let happen.

“I never sensed a doubt on this football team all week long.”

Jeremy Weston intercepted the ball two times in the second half. Weston went up against the Mules’ talented wide-out Jamar Howard, who caught five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in last weeks 42-24 win over Missouri Southern. Saturday night, Howard was held to 37 yards receiving.

“[The defensive line] made our job easy,” Weston said. “Stay over the top was all we were preaching all week.”

To go with Bass’ four sacks, he had three pass defenses and three other quarterback pressures. Bass said that it was a team effort though.

“I thank the other 10 people who was out there on defense, most of them could have been coverage sacks and the others could have been from my three other lineman putting pressure.”

Michael Hill rushed 25 times for 113 yards. He had a 33-yard run to the left side in the fourth quarter. This looked to be the first time Central’s traveling fans realized their team might lose the game.

“It’s a boost for our team to know we can move the ball and stop the opposing team,” Hill said.

This season is the first time Hill is being used as a full-time starter. He helped Western rush for 238 yards compared to the Mules’ 20.

Tarrell Downing caught a 14-yard-touchdown reception with 2:38 to go in the first half. Downing ran a slant route from the left side of the field as Travis Partridge threw a perfect spiral to his target. It was Downing’s first touchdown of the season as well as Partridge’s first collegiate touchdown pass.

Western battles its first non-conference opponent, Langston University, this Saturday at Spratt Stadium. Langston is undefeated in two games this season.

Other scores in the MIAA from the weekend’s contest: Washburn, now 2-0, defeated Lincoln [Mo] 66-26 last Thursday. Truman, coming off a 62 point home loss to Northwest Missouri, beat Fort Hays State 36-31. Northwest improved to 2-0 as it handled Sioux Falls 52-17 and Pittsburg matched Northwest and Washburn with a mark of 2-0, as it defeated Emporia State 38-14. Pittsburg is the only MIAA school that has two division wins.

The same look as we saw most of the time Partridge takes another sack.

Penalties, sacks, chaos: it wasn’t pretty. Missouri Western dropped its season opener against MIAA opponent Pittsburg State Thursday night at Spratt Stadium 34-7.

Western’s defense was unable to control the Gorilla’s pistol offense, which controlled the game from beginning to end. It was supposed to be a coming out party for sophomore quarterback Travis Partridge. This game was supposed to prove that Western belonged in the top 25 AFCA ranking, but nothing could go right for the Griffons.

The Griffons opened the game by throwing the ball, surprisingly. Coach Jerry Partridge was not afraid to let his son and quarterback set the tempo between the two rivals. But after a few failed plays, Western had to the punt the ball. And that’s when it started.

John Brown returned the punt 84 yards for the first score of the game. Zac Dickey and company didn’t even see the field before their team was ahead 7-0.

“Coverage just broke down,” Jerry Partridge said. “We have to start doing our job; that killed us in the first half quite a bit.”

Western’s woes didn’t end there. Shortly after that play, Western went three-and-out, giving Dickey the ball and a chance to go up by two scores.

Dickey, a former redshirt at Oklahoma State, wouldn’t let up one bit in pounding the football right at Western’s defense. Though his first drive ended in a punt, he made sure they would score on his next opportunity, as Western surrendered an eight play, 81 yard drive that took less than three minutes.

“It’s very frustrating,” said junior defensive back Jeremy Weston. “It’s smash mouth football. When you don’t know where they’re gonna come from, they like to throw the ball, it’s frustrating.”

Weston recorded six tackles in the physical matchup, which saw both teams play very ruggedly at times. The style of play that was witnessed by over 5,000 fans proved to favor the Gorillas, as they quickly turned the game into a blowout.

Western [0-1] started the second quarter with a little momentum after running back Michael Hill had a 12 yard and the Griffons moved into Pittsburg [1-0] territory. But on fourth and 13, Western called for a pass, and it was snagged out of the air by Gorillas defensive back Elijah Olabode. Travis Partridge would go on to turn the ball over two more times, one inside the five yard line when he tried to run the ball in for a touchdown.

“Those first couple of drives, I’m not going to lie, things were moving very fast,” Partridge said. “But this was a team effort. When you only put up seven points in a football game, it’s all wrong.”

Partridge was sacked five times in the night and pressured many more. On one particular play in the second quarter, Partridge’s helmet was ripped off while he was laying on the ground, but no penalty was thrown. Coach Partridge said that he was told by the ref that his helmet came off a few times prior to that point. Given the nature of this particular night, it wasn’t going to be called anyways.

Not only could Western not function well on the field, but off the field they ran into problems as well.

“The head sets went down again,” Partridge said. “Communication was a pivotal thing that kind of cost us in a couple spots.”

Partridge pointed to the end of the first half, while his team was down 21-0 with less than two minutes to play, that without the head set he was not able to let his team know to run out the clock and go into halftime. Instead, Travis Partridge threw two straight incompletions and was sacked, which gave the ball back to Pittsburg with enough time to drive down field and score a touchdown.

“We got our butts kicked, period. But that’s football,” Jerry Partridge said. Western was called for nine penalties which resulted in 140 yards.

The Gorilla’s wide receiver Brown, a transfer from Coffeyville Community College, ended the night with four receptions for 70 yards, while Dickey continued what he left off from last season, registering 140 rushing yards and 114 yards threw the air.

Western’s lone score came late in the fourth quarter, when backup running back Dominic Thomas returned a punt return 60 yards, making sure Western would not let Pittsburg shut them out on their home field.

Western plays another division opponent next week, Central Missouri. Western hosts them next Saturday at Spratt Stadium, and Travis Partridge says the team won’t and can’t let this game be in their heads, stating that the team will move forward from Thursday night.

Central Missouri [1-0] ranks in the top 15 in the AFCA poll as of Thursday night. They defeated Missouri Southern 42-24.

Other MIAA scores from Thursday include Fort Hays State defeating Emporia State 27-17 and Northwest Missouri State went on the road and pounded Truman State 65-3. Washburn did not open the season against an MIAA opponent, instead they defeated Sioux Falls 33-17 while Lincoln [Mo.] plays Saturday against Avila University.

All photos by Jason Brown:

The Griffons were picked to finish fourth in the MIAA coaches poll and landed three spots outside the top 25 in the AFCA Division II coaches poll.

Coach Jerry Partridge says being ranked in that position isn’t anything out of the ordinary for the Griffons.

“I don’t really read too much into it, and I don’t think our kids do either,” Partridge said. “We are used to being on the outside looking in on the top 25. We lost a great player in Drew Newhart, so that’s part of the reason for the ranking.”

Newhart was a four-year-starter at quarterback who threw for close to 11,000 yards in his Western career. He will be replaced by Sophomore Travis Partridge, a 6’4” 230 pound athlete from Savannah.

Explosive running back Michael Hill will be one of the biggest weapons for the Griffons on offense this season. A Returning all-MIAA honorable mention, Hill is a 6’0” 205 pound junior half-back that has averaged over four yards-per-carry in both of his seasons as a Griffon. He has the opportunity to break out even more in 2011 because he won’t be splitting caries with another back like he has in the past.

“I wouldn’t trade Michael Hill for any back in the league,” Partridge.  “He’s got to stay healthy, and that’s up to the offensive line. I have a lot of faith in Michael. He is a class individual. He’s even a better person than he is a player.”

A strong core at the wide-receiver position should help ease the transition for quarterback Travis Partridge. The Griffons return three out of their top four wide-outs from last season. Tarrell Downing, Adam Clausen and T.J. Fannin headline a deep group at the position. The trio combined for ten touchdowns last season.

“We have great talent, a lot of athleticism on offense,” Hill said. “I have confidence in Travis Partridge and everything that we got.”

Defense is a big strength for the Griffons. Western returns all-MIAA conference performer safety Jack Long,  and alongside him will be ultra-athletic Shane Simpson.

“I think our starting safety’s are outstanding,” Partridge said. “I think our defense will be pretty good. They run well and are physical and have a bit of a nasty streak.”

Defensive end Junior David Bass will look to build on a very successful 2010 that netted him eight sacks and two interceptions. Ben Pister will be at the other defensive end position, while John Brown and Austin Baska will make up the rest of the defensive line.

“The biggest strength of our team is the D-line. We call them death row: you don’t want to go down there,” said Long, who led the team in tackles with 75 and caught two interceptions last season. “Our Defensive ends are physical, and the inside guys are strong and athletic for their position.”

According to Coach Partridge, another strength of the team that people might overlook is the special teams unit.

“I think our specialists are very good, and I think our return team will be very good,” he said.

The Griffons will begin the season against MIAA conference opponent Pittsburg State at 6 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Spratt Stadium.

Mead’s decision to play football turned out to be one of the best he has ever made, because his talent on the field caused him to get noticed by many schools.

“My junior year of high school, I started to get looks from people because of the success I had on the field,” Mead said.

His attraction got him invited to camps around the area, which got him noticed even more.

“Once the universities were calling, I realized that I would get my college education paid for,” Mead said.

Mead was right because he got the opportunity to play at his hometown college, Missouri Western State University. The school that he picked was only 15 minutes away from home and it was convenient for him and his family.

“I like being home,” Mead said. “I didn’t even consider a huge change and it has been great ever since.”

Mead was recruited by a good number of schools, and everyone’s interest for him was high. He was at the top of MIAA schools list, and they recognized his talents.
“I got recruited heavily by MIAA schools; Washburn, Central and Northwest were some of them,” Mead said.

He had another talent that made schools want him even more. He also played basketball while in high school and was recruited for that as well. He played two sports coming into college, and that was another reason for him to pick Missouri Western.

“As part of my visit for football, I also got take to take part in basketball as well,” Mead said.

Mead got to play on both the football and basketball team a couple of years ago here at Western. That is quite an accomplishment for an athlete. The majority are only good at one sport, but Mead was different than the normal athlete.

“The coach was pretty adamant and wanted me to come out for the basketball team,” Mead said.

Even though he played two sports, he said this was his best year academically. It caused Mead to work harder in the classroom. Playing two sports was hard to overcome at times because of the commitment he had to show for both teams.

“It was very difficult because in football we made it the Mineral Water Bowl that year, and in basketball, I had some games before that,” Mead said. “It was really difficult to get in basketball shape because of football.”
Even though it was difficult that year for him juggling two sports, nothing was as difficult as what was to come for him his senior year. In practice Mead suffered a concussion that was serious enough to knock him out for the entire season. The concussion occurred at a night practice, according to former teammate and quarterback Barron Bradshaw. Bradshaw said the concussion was due to a safety colliding with Mead.
“Mead was laying there motionless and we couldn’t even think about football,” Bradshaw said.

The practice was cut short, due to the severity of the situation. The focus was on Mead, who had to have medical attention for the injury.
The injury for Mead caused him to have to sit out from doing much activity.

His head injury had to be examined by someone with a great knowledge in this field, so he had to go to a specialist in Pennsylvania. This was a tough time in his life, and according to him, he did not even care about football anymore at that point.

The people who helped motivate him were among his family and one of his coaches; Coach Bell. He found a way helped reverse the bad thinking that had occurred in Mead’s mind.
“Coach Bell was helpful to me and positive about the whole thing,” Mead said. “He made the situation easier for me.”

Missouri Western looked like they were back to the same team just like in the beginning of the season, putting together 42 points in a convincing win. The team struggled at the beginning of the game, only putting up 6 points in the first quarter by two field goals. That changed in the second quarter, when running back Thomas Hodges scored the first touchdown from one yard out.

Andrew Mead catches a touchdown pass from Drew Newhart in Saturday’s 42-14 win over Emporia State. Photo | Jason Brown

“There was great blocking by the offensive line, and you feed off of it”, Hodges said.

Quarterback Drew Newhart also agreed with Hodges with the offensive line play. He also had a big day, throwing the ball for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

“The offensive line set the tempo throughout the game,” Newhart said.

He got to hit Andrew Mead many times in the passing game, thanks to the offensive line. Mead had great finishing stats, catching 11 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

“Mead’s a great receiver and when he is open, I try to get the ball to him as much as possible,” Newhart said.

The person that was getting a lot of the credit for the other player’s big day was offensive lineman Stephen Jones. He talked about if the offensive line does their part, then it should not be a problem for any other position on the offense to do theirs.

“If we give the quarterback and running back time, we are going to make plays,” Jones said.

The team played really well at home, and Coach Partridge gave some credit to the home field, and felt it could have been the home field advantage.

“Maybe it’s just being at home being a part of it,” Partridge said.

The offense for the past three to four weeks has not played up to par where they could have been, and as a result has led to some of the losses the team has had. A portion of the bad play has been on the road, including low scoring by the offense. According to Partridge, this is the reason why the play has been bad.

“We have not played very well on the road, especially the last three appearances,” Partridge said.

As to why the offense played so well, Partridge said the team was in a more relaxed state.

“We took it off a little bit, and we were more relaxed,” Partridge said.

The defense was another strong point as they held Emporia to 14 points for the game.

If the team wins out, they have a chance of making the playoffs this year, something they have not done since 2006.

Western was the number one ranked scoring offense in Division II football entering the Northwest game. However, after being shut out, they are now ranked 13.

Western will now be turning their focus to Truman State to rebound and win on Homecoming. The Griffons still boast one of the top offenses in the country and will be facing a Bulldog team that has lost the last three games after starting the season 2-0.

If you go by national rankings, this game will not be a defensive struggle. The Griffons are ranked 91 in total defense, while Truman State is ranked 122. The edge obviously has to go to Western even though they are very low in the national rankings.

The defense will need to play a better game all around to add another notch to their belts.

Newhart and Co. will need to have pick it up on offense this week. Last week, the Griffons only managed 167 yards of total offense with 119 of those yards coming through the air. Mike Hill carried the ball 10 times for only 35 yards on the day.

The passing game has been a strong point all season for Western and they will look to carve the 122 ranked defense in the country to rebound this week. However, they will need to minimize the turnovers after Newhart threw two interceptions last week along with no touchdown passes.

Turnovers have been a strong aspect of the team so far. They are ranked 13 in the nation in turnover margin, averaging nearly two more takeaways per game than giveaways.

In all statistical categories, Missouri Western has the advantage over Truman State. However, in college football, any team can beat any team on any given
day.

The game got out of hand early beginning with Senior Andrew Mead’s touchdown catch from Senior Drew Newhart, which made it 10-0. From that point on Missouri Western continued to score at will throughout the game.

Photo | Jason Brown

“I scored three (touchdowns), three times in my career,” Mead said. “I really didn’t realize that it was the record, but it was a lot of fun. Drew was finding me early.”

Mead was a big threat for Newhart but everyone was clicking on all cylinders all day. Newhart seemed to be spreading the ball out with ease. He finished 16 of 21, 150 yards and four touchdowns. His stats could have been higher, but he was benched in the second half due to the score.

The running attack was on as well. with all the running backs combining for 322 yards. The runner of the day was Dalton Krysa with 207 yards and three touchdowns.

“Good offensive line play was executed well, all the backs ran hard no doubt. They played big all game, which allowed the offense to do so well,” head coach Jerry Partridge said.

The offense has been great so far, but so has the defense as the past two teams combined to just 17 points. The defensive line is getting pressure on the quarterbacks. The defensive backs are covering and doing their jobs covering the backfield, which resulted in Lincoln’s starting quarterback to throw for negative one yard. He could not do anything, which ultimately resulted in the nasty 81-14 loss.

“The defensive performance was good and they had to first make a couple of adjustments, move somebody out here a little bit after that it was a pretty good defensive performance,” Shane Simpson said.

That was actually an understatement because they dominated Lincoln the whole day.

The Griffons should not have anything to worry about if they continue to build off the past two performances.

Western’s next game is against 14th ranked Washburn Sept. 18 at Washburn.

“We’re going to have to look at the film and we will have to get real physical because Washburn is a very physical football team,” Partridge said.

“You always set long term goals, but you always have to keep it at more immediate increments, and that is to win every week,” Partridge said. “That’s the way we go about our business. Our goals are to win every week and to win the league.”

Last season, Western finished up 9-3 and was consistently ranked in the top 25 poll throughout the year. The Griffons started off the season 6-0 until they lost to Northwest Missouri, who was ranked second nationally at the time. Western made it to the Mineral Water Bowl and defeated Augustana College 34-21.

The experience the Griffons have at many positions will be one of the most important elements this fall in creating a winning team.

“We have a lot of starters that are seniors and most, if not all, the starters have either started before or have gotten valuable playing time,” senior offensive lineman, Andy Gilmore, said.

The MIAA has always been a challenging conference, and Partridge mentioned the importance of the Griffons being ready to compete every week. One of Western’s biggest challenges will be beating Northwest, a constant dominator of the MIAA.

“We have a very difficult league,” Partridge said. “Every week is a battle. Northwest is definitely a juggernaut that is very difficult to derail.”

“Every year, we want to win the conference,” Partridge said. “I think we’re capable of doing it. We’ve got to beat Northwest Missouri State, and we need somebody else to beat Northwest Missouri State also.”

Quarterbacks

At the quarterback position, the Griffons will rely on experienced Senior Drew Newhart (Cameron, Mo.) to lead.

“You have a quarterback in Drew Newhart that very capably can become the all time leading passer in the conference’s history,” Partridge said. “And Drew also has a chance to pass Missouri Western’s all time passing leader.”

Last season, Newhart started in all 12 games and completed 62.7 percent of his passes. He threw for 3,034 yards on 217 completions and 31 touchdown passes. Newhart led the MIAA in several categories throughout the season and was named All-MIAA honorable mention. Sophomore Tyron Crockum (Pasadena, Calif.), freshmen Travis Partridge (Savannah, Mo.) and Nick Anderson (Excelsior Springs, Mo.) will be looked upon as strong backup quarterbacks for the Griffons.

Sophomore Mike Hill (St. Joseph) and Senior Thomas Hodges (Raymore, Mo.) will be the key Griffon running backs this season. Hodges rushed for 925 yards last season, completing nine touchdowns. Hodges was also named All-MIAA honorable mention for his efforts in 2009. Hill rushed for 828 yards and completed eight touchdowns. Sophomore Octavius Thomas (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) will be the third man at the running back position.

“Both running backs have played a bunch,” Partridge said. “Hodges has a chance to pass our school’s all time leading rusher.”
Western also has a strong receiving core that comes with a lot of experience. After missing the 2009 season due to injury, Andrew Mead will return to the team in the fall to lead the receivers. Mead led the 2008 squad with 52 catches for 598 yards and four touchdowns and is hoping to improve those numbers for his final season.

“We have a lot of experience in the receiving core with Andrew Mead,” Partridge said. “You want to see those kinds of kids finish up their careers with a big splash.”

Other receivers that Western will look to will be junior Adam Clausen (Kansas City) and Crockum. Clausen finished up the 2009 campaign with 666 yards and eight touchdowns.

Partridge mentioned that in terms of experience, the offensive line probably has the most new players. After losing All-MIAA first team center Nathan Martin last season, Western has a big hole to fill. Junior Andy Gilmore (St. Joseph) will be the one to take Martin’s place and lead the offensive line.

“O-Line-wise, there’s probably a lack of experience in a couple spots – that would be my concern,” Partridge said. “Andy’s an experienced football player, but he’s never played center.”
Western will also look to younger players such as Brian Chiles (Lee’s Summit), Colt Schulte (Bagnell, Mo.), and Macon Allan (King City) to help out.

“Our O-Line is going to be straight, but the overall experience level is not great.” Partridge said. “But, we have some very talented young men that we think are going to be special football players.”

The defensive line and linebackers also comes with many experienced players. Senior Sean Whiters (Kansas City) will lead the way for the Griffons, as All-MIAA selection Whiters finished last season with 68 total tackles and 38 solo stops to go along with 4.5 tackles for a loss. Matt Glades (Galena, Kan.), Tom Madget (St. Joseph), and Shane Simpson (Blue Springs, Mo.) also finished the 2009 campaign strong and will see plenty of action in 2010.

The special teams, tight ends, and secondary will also come back strong for the Griffons in 2010. Senior Brad Beckwith (Cameron, Mo.) is coming off a strong 2009 season, setting the school record with a 53-yard field goal against Washburn and coming through for the Griffons in clutch situations. Several different tight ends will see action this fall, including Kip Peters (Highland, Kan.), David Fowler (Unionville, Mo.), Justin White (St. Louis), Billy Babcock (Stewartsville, Mo.), and Reggie Jordan (Hazelwood, Mo.). The Griffon secondary also has several strong returners, including Nate Bruto (Kansas City), who finished with two interceptions and a fumble return last year. Ian Thompson (Fullerton, Calif.) and Shane Simpson each finished with four interceptions last season, as well. Jeremy Weston (St. Joseph), Ben Jackson (Chino Hills, Calif.), Chris Sandoval, Isaac Collins (Savannah), and Jack Long (Parkville, Mo.) will also battle for spots this fall.

Overall, the experience and depth of all the positions will be

“We just have experience everywhere,” Partridge said. “I wouldn’t say that there’s anything that concerns me overall. We’re strong everywhere. You can’t list something that we’re not going to be strong at.”

Western’s overall strength and talent should help them have another great year in 2010. Partridge mentioned that if the Griffons take things one week at a time, bigger goals such as a beating Northwest, winning the league, and getting a playoff berth will come.

“We expect to compete at the highest level day in and day out,” Senior wide receiver, Andrew Mead, said. “With the combination of talent and experience, this football team possesses the the ability to play in December.”

Partridge mentioned that recruiting mostly from the Midwest is a part of the program’s strategy.

“It’s kind of our philosophy to get kids from the Midwest,” Partridge said. “We tell kids that it’s good football, retention rates are going to be better, it’s easier to judge what you can recruit against and who you can go against, and it costs less money to recruit from the Midwest than flying them in from all over the place.”

However, among all of the local products, only one recruit is from St. Joseph. Jared Fox, a defensive back from Central High School, will be joining the team in the fall.

Head coach Jerry Partridge announced the signing of 23 new football recruits for the 2010 season at a press conference on Feb. 3. Photo by Dave Hon

After the recruits got through physical testing on their visitation day, they got a tour of the new Chiefs facility. Partridge thought that seeing this building, even though it isn’t completely finished, was a big factor.

“I think it helped, no doubt about it,” Partridge aid. “It wasn’t as flashy and fancy is it’s going to be next year. But it was a factor, no question. Last year it helped a little, this year it helped quite a bit, and next year is going to be when it really helps – when you’re going to be able and walk in and see it and not just talk about it.”

Partridge thought it was difficult to pick out players from the bunch with more talent than the others.

“It’s always hard to say who’s the star of the class,” Partridge said.

The coaching staff doesn’t see any recruits that will make an immediate impact.

“I think we can redshirt them all,” Partridge said. “I don’t think any of those kids will crack the lineup right away.”

Overall, Partridge and the rest of Western’s staff and players have a good feeling about this recruiting class.

“You never know how many you’re going to sign when you get started on this thing,” Partridge said.

“There’s so many dollars you have and you try to get as many as you can for the amount of money you have. I feel pretty good about what we’ve accomplished. We felt like we did what we did what we needed to do.”

Junior lineman Andy Gilmore agreed.

“The class is really good,” Gilmore said. “I think we signed a lot of kids that will eventually help us win.”

Western is also hoping to get a few more local players to walk on and a few Junior College transfers to complete the recruiting class.

Photo | Marty Ayers

The redshirt freshman running back Hill knows that the dual system is of great benefit to the team.

“The system helps because one can come in right after the other,” Hill said. “That’s hard on the defense to adjust to. If you look at past games, you can see that.”

Another thing that is hard to adjust to is going from being the man to sharing the load. Hodges, a junior, was a conference player of the year in high school, and Hill was an All-State running back for Central High School here in Saint Joseph. Some might think that the two high school studs would have problems sharing duties, or that the two would form an unhealthy rivalry. But Hodges and Hill are proving that the two can co-exist.

“We have a friendly rivalry,” Hodges said. “I mean, there is no question we want to score as much as possible and when we see the other guy score, you just think to yourself ‘alright, now I have to get one.’ We always encourage each other and try to help each other out as best we can.”

The younger Hill had to get used to the idea but has seen the benefits of splitting carries.

“Sharing the ball, at first I didn’t think that I would like it,” Hill said. “After the first game, I realized that it would help the team out a lot and we could both do our thing. Now, I don’t care at all about sharing the ball, especially with Thomas. He’s a great guy and a good running back.”

Offensive coordinator Tyler Fenwick can attest to the fact that the two do, in fact, get along and enjoy playing with each other.

“They get along really well. They cheer for each other, they want to see each other do good,” Fenwick said. “For guys that have to share the ball, they get along.”

Getting used to the fact that the two would be used sparingly might have been easy for the two. But taking their game to the level that it is now took hard work. Both backs have put in tons of time into helping the Griffons ground game move up the MIAA statistics board. Hill’s year of redshirting definitely helped him in preparing for the 2009 season.

“My redshirt year I came in and learned that the game was faster and guys were bigger,” Hill said. “They were not only big, but they could move too. I also got better as a player, because I was on the scout team offense, and we got to go against the number one defense.”

As for Hodges, he accredits his jump in productiveness to his off season regiment.

“This summer I laid off the weight lifting to lose some weight, which has helped,” Hodges said. “I tried to run a lot. You have to be able to run to play this game, and it always seems like when I look back at games I see plays where if I was just a little faster I would have been able to score.”

Griffon quarterback Drew Newhart appreciates the time his teammates put in knowing that the end result will help the team’s offensive attack.

“They allow the offense to stay balanced and keep the defense on their toes,” Newhart said. “They both are great teammates that come to practice every day.”

One day while practicing, the two made up a nickname for their selves. The H-train. H for Hill and Hodges. With the progression both runners have made this season, the two can carry the Griffons to a National Championship, and opposing players into the end zone.

Western win came from a combined front that included running backs Hodges and Hill, along with wide receiver Cedric Houston scored for a touchdown in the game.

Hill’s touchdown was the result defensive back Shane Simpson’s interception.

Kicker Brad Beckwith had three field goals to help Western win as well.

Emporia only score came from an interception by Emporia’s defensive back Travis Brook when Western’s quarterback Drew Newhart threw under pressure from Emporia’s defense. The Hornet would capitalize on that play and score a touchdown several plays later. They tried for a 2 point conversion but failed.  

This makes Western 8-2 overall and 6-2 in the MIAA conference.

The end score doesn’t represent the way Missouri Western dominated on homecoming weekend. The offense had a great day at the office rushing for 223 yards on 49 attempts from the line of scrimmage. The Griffon’s passing game was just as impressive as their running game. Junior Quarterback Drew Newhart threw for 246 yards, had four touchdowns: three passing and one running and completed 18 of the 26 passes he threw on the day. The offensive line dominated the Mules’ defensive line, allowing no sacks on the quarterback. The only thing that would bring Newhart down on Saturday was losing homecoming king.

The receiving corps for the Griffons made big plays all day long. Ferrell McGhee caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, Kip Peters hauled in a pass from 16 yards out and Cedric Houston erased some dropped passes early in the game with a four-yard touchdown catch.

Photo | Marty Ayers

Junior linebacker Sean Whiters believes that Western’s defense could be a big key in helping the Griffons improved play.

“We’re motivated on defense,” Whiters said. “We have a very good and efficient offense. If we can just slow down the other team and stop them, we’re going beat them more often than not.”

The win over Central Missouri was a big win because of the playoff implications and also huge for Western psyche. The polls had Central Missouri ranked one spot over the Griffons and every year it seems that the Mules are favored to beat the Griffons. Head coach Jerry Partridge doesn’t mind the lack of respect the team gets.

“It feels great to upset them for a seventh year in a row,” Partridge said.

Partridge also doesn’t mind the fact that the team is peaking at just the right time of year.

“It was a really complete game by us,” Partridge said. “Coaches did a good job of preparing them, the offensive line played great and Newhart made some good decisions. We just have to keep going.”

A big part of keeping it going is Newhart. Newhart believes that the team is still growing and believes that they have played their most complete game of the season.

“Running backs played well, offensive line played well and our receivers made huge plays,” Newhart said. “Coaches prepared us well. We kept them on their toes and they didn’t know what was coming.”

The Griffons take on the 2-5 Missouri Southern State Lions next week in Spratt Stadium at 1:30 p.m.

Western dominated the first period with good possessions and movement and Nebraska-Omaha did the same during the second period. Neither team balked at the challenge of taking the game to its full 110 minutes.

Head coach Jeff Hansen thought the team played well.

“We played a good game against a team that’s 7th in the region, who are right on the cusp of playing in the National Tournament,” Hansen said. “We all wanted to win, but it was a good effort.”

The Griffons controlled the pace during the first period, with the majority of the play centered in Maverick territory. The first goal of the game came at 6:47, when Audrey Henderson escaped her defender, stole the ball from the Nebraska-Omaha goalkeeper and scored with a kick from the 10-yard line into an empty net.

Photo | Mathew Fowler

Griffon goalkeeper Jenna Weis played a great game, finishing with four saves. However, she was not happy with the goal the Mavericks scored.

“I’m a little disappointed with the goal. I think I hesitated a bit which led to the corner kick,” Weis said. “But I thought we played a good game, and I was happy with our performance.”

During the second period, the teams swapped roles with Missouri Western being pressured for most of the period. The Griffons defended well but were not able to get many possessions. The Mavericks had seven corner kicks during the second period but were not able to capitalize on them, and Coach Hansen was increasingly surprised as the game wore on.

“To be honest, we dodged a bullet; we got away with one,” Hansen said. “If you had told me we had given away 11 corner kicks in the first two periods, I would have said we were not playing well.”

Both teams looked tired toward the end of the second period, but neither team gave up any openings, and they were both held scoreless.

The first overtime was uneventful with neither team taking control. During a shot attempt by the Mavericks, Missouri Western’s goalkeeper, Jenna Weis, was hit by an opposing player and sent to the ground. Fortunately, Weis was able to get up and continue play. The last seconds ticked off the clock and the Griffons headed into the final overtime.

The Griffons continued to play their hardest in a battle of wills. By the second overtime, eight players had over 100 minutes of field time. The game came down to a last second corner kick by Nebraska-Omaha. Western and UNO players crowded around as the ball soared into the pack, glanced off a Western player’s head and sailed clear. The horn sounded, and the game ended.

The Griffons’ record after Thursday’s game is 5-9-1, 3-7-1 MIAA. Western will hope for revenge against Emporia State this Friday after losing to the Hornets in their first meeting of the year. The game will be at Emporia on Oct. 29 at 4:00 p.m.

The Griffons showed that they can respond to adversity after dropping their first loss to Northwest and coming back with a vengeance.

“After the last game it was easy to bounce back because we really wanted to win a game,” junior offensive lineman Andy Gilmore said. “Obviously that was our first loss and our first time to see what a loss feels like. I think we wanted to get back on the winning track.”

According to head coach Jerry Partridge, the team’s ability to respond had a lot to do with leadership.

Photo | Ryan Richardson

Although the Griffons played a great game all around, Western’s defense gave a spectacular performance. The defense limited the Bulldogs to negative nine yards in the first half, sacked Truman’s quarterback five times and forced two turnovers. Most of the yardage that the Bulldogs did manage to gain came in the fourth quarter against the Griffon’s second and third string defenders.

“That was one of the best defensive performances we’ve ever had here,” Partridge said.

The defense took control in the first half and helped the Griffons to go into the locker room up 28-0. Touchdowns from Mike Hill, Thomas Hodges, Adam Clausen and a punt return from Cedric Houston gave the Griffons the advantage.

After another touchdown from Mike Hill to open up the second half put Western up 35-0, Truman outscored the Griffons the rest of the way 14-3. Brad Beckwith finished off the game with a 24 yard field goal to put Western up 38-14 and lead them to victory.

After this win, the Griffons improve to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the MIAA. This Saturday they will take on 14th ranked Central Missouri in Spratt Stadium at 1:30 p.m. for homecoming. Western is currently ranked 15th and tied with Central for second in the MIAA.

Missouri Western’s main goal is to limit their silly mistakes which should lead to success.
We can’t turn the football over again and we can’t give up big plays on defense,” Partridge said. “That’s kind of our problem.”

Quarterback Drew Newhart, who leads the MIAA in passing efficiency and finished Saturday completing 16 of 25 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, agreed that if the Griffons can limit their turnovers, they will be successful.

“We just need to work on the little things and take care of the football and I think we’ll be okay for Saturday,” Newhart said.

This was evident in the first quarter of play when both teams combined for a whopping 35 points. Fort Hays quarterback Mike Garrison hit senior running back Jacob Irvin for a 7-yard touchdown. The Griffons would strike back like the empire with a drive that averaged 10 yards a play. They capped off the drive with an 8-yard run from Thomas Hodges.

The Tigers would score next after wide out O.J. Murdock caught a touchdown pass for 39 yards. Hodges would answer the call again and rumble his way in to the end zone from three yards out. The action continued when Fort Hays scored from 23 yards out with no time left on the clock.

The second quarter saw a little bit more defense from the Griffons and a little bit of luck. Western was able to get in good field position after the Tigers muffed a punt. With the ball at the goal line, quarterback Drew Newhart pulled off a quarterback dive. Newhart would later give the Griffons the lead with a 49-yard touchdown pass to speedster Cedric Houston. Western’s kicker Brad Beckwith missed the extra point on that touchdown which would leave them with a six point lead. The Tigers would manage to get a field goal to make the score at the half 27-24.

Western came out the second half looking to take control of the game. Newhart hooked up with Houston for a 14- yard touchdown pass giving them the biggest lead of the game. Fort Hays tried to answer back with a drive of their own but with the ball at the Griffons’ ten, Garrison threw a pick to sophomore safety Nate Bruto. Bruto then ran it back 100 yards putting the game at a safe distance.

The Griffons were well prepared for this close encounter with the Tigers and a lot of the credit goes to the coaching staff.

“Our coaches have prepared us well each week, and us as an offense are clicking, having fun and playing physical,” Newhart said.

Offense lineman Andrew Gilmore, who helped the Griffons gain 147 yards on the ground, feels the same way as his quarterback.

“Each week we have been given a different look by the (opposing) defense, but we have great coaches and have come into games with a great game plan. We are prepared to win each week,” Gilmore said.

“Newhart is unbelievable so he just needs to keep doing that.”

The Griffons will try to stay unbeaten against the Washburn Ichabods on Hall of Fame/Family Day weekend. To do that, they need to slow down the Ichabods high powered offense, which scored 54 their last time out. Missouri Western will face Washburn on Sat., Sept. 12 at 6:00 p.m. in Spratt Stadium.

Robinson, a 2006 graduate, made the Indianapolis Colts team for the second straight season. The tight end played 15 games last season and finished with 19 receptions and 166 yards.

Allen, who graduated in 2008, found out he made the team for the St. Louis Rams on Saturday, Sept. 5. During his time at Missouri Western, he started 48 games and was an AFCA All-American his senior year.

Having two Griffons in the NFL is huge for the Missouri Western football program.

“It’s a great thing,” head coach Jerry Partridge said. “It’s great to be represented on national TV, especially Gijon because he starts. Any time they’re doing the national telecast with the starting lineups, you hear ‘Gijon Robinson from Missouri Western State University.’ So that’s great advertisement for our school.”

According to Partridge, having that kind of exposure is great for recruiting purposes.

“When we’re talking to kids who want to come here we can say that we have two in the NFL,” Partridge said. “It’s great for prospective athletes looking at Missouri Western.”

Allen feels that Partridge and his other coaches at Missouri Western gave a strong foundation to build on.

“Western has contributed tremendously to my growth and success,” Allen said. “I lifted a lot of weights and gained over 80 pounds from high school to my senior year of college. I’ve learned a lot of from the coaches at there.”

Partridge and the rest of the coaching staff and team are extremely proud of Robinson and Allen and their accomplishments.

“It’s great to see those two make it,” Partridge said. “The pride of a coach toward a player is huge. They’re almost like sons, and to see them grow from high school kids into the men they are and to be pro football players, it’s just amazing.”

NFL caliber players don’t come along every day, especially from Division II schools. It takes a lot of talent to make it into the pro football world, and Allen realizes how hard it is to achieve what him and Robinson have.

“It feels pretty good just because of the limited number of guys that have made it this far,” Allen said. “So far it’s only me and Gijon that have made it to the regular season, so it’s a big blessing to have made it this far. We want to do Missouri Western proud.”

With the talent that the now 3-0 Missouri Western football team possesses, the future is bright for other Griffons to possibly go pro as well.

“We have kids who are capable,” Partridge said. “Down the road, who knows.”

The Griffons started off the 2009 campaign with a convincing rout of the Northern State University, defeating the Wolves 49-14.

Western scored all of their points in the first half. The Griffons drove the ball down the field with precision, scoring on the first four plays of the game.

The first drive took only seven plays as junior quarterback Drew Newhart connected with sophomore tight end David Fowler. That was the first touchdown of the game and also the first of what Griffons fans hope will be many touchdowns for Fowler.

The remainder of the first quarter was more of the same for the Griffons. The Griffon defense kept the ball in the capable hands of Newhart and his receivers continued to get open for him as he hit Adam Clausen and Cedric Houston for touchdowns before the end of the first quarter.

The Griffons capped off the first quarter with a nice run from redshirt freshman Michael Hill. Hill looked impressive in his debut for Western, gashing the Wolves for 71 yards. The only blemish of the half came when the Wolves recovered a long snap that went over the head of freshman punter Austin Barnes.

The second quarter saw more of the same from the Griffons. Newhart found Clausen in the back of the end zone again and would tie the Missouri Western single game record for touchdown passes with a pass to Ferrell McGhee.

University City product Barron Bradshaw would take control of the offense after that point. Bradshaw ended the scoring barrage by stepping up into the pocket and throwing a 68 yard floater to Houston.

The Griffons ball-hawking defense would take control from that point on not giving up a touchdown till 11:46 in the fourth quarter. Western had four forced turnover–two of those were picks

Sophomore wide receiver Adam Clausen catches a pass in the end zone to score during the Griffon’s 49-14 win over the Northern State Wolves. Photo: Matthew Fowler

from freshman cornerback Jeremy Watson.

With a huge victory like this, sometimes it’s hard to keep everything in perspective. But the Griffons seem like they won’t be having that problem.

“We just wanted to come out and play hard and have fun,” Newhart said. “Forty-nine points is 49 points. We just wanted to click on offense and try to play mistake-free football. We still have things to work on. We can’t be content winning our first game.”

Offensive lineman Andrew Gilmore feels the same.

“I think there is always room for improvement,” Gilmore said. “I don’t think any team can say they don’t need to get better even after a blow out. We just need to keep out-working our opponents every week.”

The Griffons know that they are in for a long season and will need to improve even with this great showing. Senior Nathan Martin knows that and hopes to build on the win.

“As a member of the offense, especially an offensive lineman, it always feels good when your teammates get into the end zone, especially when they do it seven times,” Martin said. “It shows what we are capable of.”

Griffon fans hope that the team will be capable of another big win Saturday, Sept. 5 when they play Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo.

Last week, when that cannon went off, it was just not an ordinary football beginning, but the next battle in an ongoing rivalry pitting our football team against theirs. It was quite different in atmosphere than when they were here.

Yes, there was a lot of spirit and excitement in the atmosphere last year when they came and battled us on our turf, but it paled in comparison to last week when we went to their turf.

Besides the aforementioned cannon going off,  there was the crowd cheering “B-E-A-R-C-A-T-S” with their cheer squad as they waved the flags with that letter, the crowd  screaming “first down” when the announcer asked for it, a mascot that knows how to excite a crowd and a marching band that knows how to play and dance.

That is the kind of atmosphere that makes a great football game even better.  It may not be indicative of all their games but it is still a show.

Last year, we did not have nearly that much excitement and it is disappointing.

Maybe the other teams in the MIAA conference do not put on a show like that but Northwest is our rival and we are losing the war against them at everything, including this.

Yes their stadium is newer and cooler looking, but we could have just the same atmosphere as they have if we try and want it, but it seems that unfortunately, we don’t.

If we want to be a big, important, and equal rival to Northwest, we need to show that kind of enthusiasm. It can start at the football game.

We have some of those elements Northwest has, but we need to step it up several notches and its starts with the crowd. Our football team can draw in a crowd, but the sport, public relations, music, and cheer squad people need to help build that level of enthusiasm and keep it going throughout the game.

I am not asking for a dancing marching band, but a marching band that can entertain the crowd, not do the standard boring marching band routine.

I am not asking for an improvement to our stadium (all though that would be nice).

I am definitely not asking for a canon going off every time our team scores a touchdown.

What I am asking is more show in the game. Yes, the game is the primary focus of the event, but it could be as entertaining, or even better than Northwest if we take the necessary steps to do so. With that we can start battling Northwest and their encroachment and dominance in our territory.

Beginning March 24, the public will be able to get a first hand look at the 2008 Griffons, as spring football practice begins. The main purpose of spring practice is to shake cob webs and work on fundamental techniques. Offensive coordinator Tyler Fenwick agrees,

“Spring practice works on the fundamental things like tackling, blocking, getting used to the schemes and getting the player’s minds back into the game,” Fenwick said.

Aside from fundamentals, spring practice also allows coaches to analyze the heart and determination of the hard hitting players who desire to earn a starting spot in the fall. 

Although Western parted ways with 13 seniors in 2007, expectations remain high in 2008. Such a task should be easy work for a team whose roster boasts an abundance of talent and leadership.

Leadership is an important factor for winning in any sport. Head coach Jerry Partridge has no worries and is confident in his team’s leadership abilities.

“We have some good leaders back. Roger Allen is a leader who was a captain last year and Sylvester Gibson has stepped up to a leadership role. For the receiving core, Andrew Mead is a leadership type of kid, Thomas Hodges is a leader and our quarterbacks are leaders, Barron Bradshaw and Drew Newhart,” Partridge said.  

A leader is someone who holds influence over others. It is a demanding job and holds many responsibilities. For two players on the team, Barron Bradshaw and Andrew Mead, being a leader comes naturally.

“Anytime you become a leader, it’s a huge responsibility. You’re an important guy the team looks up to, especially in big play, big game situations. Being a leader means a lot, but all I can do is lead by example,” Bradshaw commented. Spring practice means high competitiveness among the players. To Mead, it’s the perfect time to exhibit his leadership ability.

“Especially in the springtime, I just want to go out and compete at the highest level and try to establish myself as someone the younger kids can look up to. Basically, I’m just trying to help our team get better,” Mead said.
This was the first of 15 practices at Spratt Stadium.  

Before this victory the Griffons last win was a 61-53 over Central Missouri on January 16. The Griffons played as a team  and this helped them win the game.

In the game, the Griffons were balanced in scoring. Jay McFarland had 15 points and six rebounds, Lonnel Johnson scored 16 points and Gus Moss added 13 points off the bench. They also shot well from the free throw line in the game as they went 23-29.

With this victory, the Griffons moved into a ninth place tie with Truman State in the conference. The Griffons still have to play catch up to make the conference tournament. They trail Washburn and Pittsburg State by two games a piece.
On Wednesday, the Griffons put up a good fight against No. 15 Southwest Baptist, as they lost 84-72. Southwest Baptist swept the season series from the Griffons for the second season in a row. The team struggled defensively by giving up 84 points.

The Griffons were led in scoring in the ball game by Reggie Bunch who put in 23 points, while Johnson contributed 14.
The Griffons took a lead into the half, but turnovers in the second half that led to easy lay-ups cost the Griffons the game. They played a close competitive game with the best team in the MIAA, which is a moral victory.

Ending the losing streak was big for the Griffons. They can now concentrate on trying to make the conference tournament. They will lead to play full games instead of one strong half and one weak half.

Against the Hornets, the Griffons played strong even falling behind 15-0 to start the game. The Griffons stuck to their game plan and took a 28-28 tie into the half against the Hornets.

The Griffons haven’t been playing close in their losses, losing by an average of 14.8 points per contest. That’s why finally winning and keeping it close against the highly ranked Bearcats was big for the Griffons.

The Griffons will head back on the road next week as they will travel to face the Pittsburg State Gorillas, who is a spot in front of the Griffons in the conference standings. They will also travel to face the Fort Hays State Tigers, who is currently sitting at fourth in the conference.    

The St. Joe Ravens are a semi-professional, eight on eight football ball team that play on an outdoor field, as opposed to playing indoors in an arena. They belong to the CPFL, or Central Plains Football League and have been around the area for years.

Unfortunately, not too many people are familiar with the CPFL, or even knew the St. Joe Ravens even existed. To the many that do not get a chance to play college football, the St. Joe Ravens may be your alternative.  

General Manager, Head Coach and current Missouri Western non-traditional student, John Gillock, brings opportunity to the St. Joseph area and currently to at least 10 Missouri Western students. How do you know if semi-professional football is right for you? According to Coach Gillock it’s all about exposure.

 ”It’s mainly for those looking for exposure and that are looking to make it to the next level,” Gillock said. “I recommend any player that either wants to get looked at by a college, an arena team, or anyone that still has a love for football or wants to play.”

Although the players are not paid, eligibility is not an issue when playing semi-pro football. “Players pay a fee to play and to be eligible, so they will not lose any NCAA eligibility,” Gillock said.

For two Missouri Western students and key players, Marcellus Stewart and Ro’Tez Irby, the St. Joe Ravens gives them a chance to develop and display their talents in hopes of opening more doors in football.

“You get experience and possibly get looked at by Arena Football League and National Football League scouts searching for new talent, making this a very good opportunity,” Stewart says.

To Irby, the Ravens are not only an experience tool, but also a positive outlet to stay out of trouble. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something with my life. I don’t want to end up like my uncle or my cousin who are in jail, so I feel like this is giving me something productive to do, I feel great when I’m doing this,” Irby said.

With optimistic hopes for the year, the St. Joe Ravens are preparing for their pre-season game against the Sioux City Bandits on Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m. 

For more information on the St. Joe Ravens, visit the website www.cpflfootball.com/stjoeravens. It gives the team schedule and information about the members of the team. The website also gives information about the Central Plains league, which is the league that the Ravens play in.
 

They signed 24 high school players, 22 from the state of Missouri and four from St. Joseph. The Griffons signed three athletes from Central High School. From Central, they signed Michael Hill a running back, who had 746 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns his senior year.

They also signed Ben Pister, also from Central who played linebacker and was two-time all state during his high school career. The last player they signed from Central was Jeremy Weston who played both wide receiver and defensive back during high school.

The only other local player they signed was Dan Ritter from Lafeyette High School. Ritter played linebacker at Lafeyette and was a four-year letter winner. Head coach Jerry Partridge knows adding local players is good for the fan base.
“Hopefully will have towns coming to watch us play,” Partridge said.

The only two out-of-state recruits the Griffons signed were Matt Fairchild from Kansas and Ben Jackson from California. Fairchild who is from Andale, Kan., plays linebacker and is the all-time leading tackler in Andale High School history. Jackson who is from Chino Hills, Calif., plays defensive back and had 80 tackles in his two-year varsity career.

 The biggest focus for the Griffons this recruiting class was offensive line. They signed seven offensive linemen all from the state of Missouri. Colt Schulte (6-6, 315), Ethan Tabbert (6-3, 235) and Kyle Hoyt (6-2 235) are the core of the strong offensive linemen class.

 ”That’s a credit to our coaches and our offensive line coach that kids want to come here,” Partridge said.  “Those are seven kids that we think are going to be good football players.”

The Griffons are coming off a successful season were they went 9-3 and won the Mineral Water Bowl. They were also 6-3 in the MIAA conference play. Defensive Coordinator Regi Trotter believes the recent success has helped the Griffons in recruiting.

“The success has really helped us, especially in local recruiting,” Trotter said. “Guys aren’t looking to leave, they are looking to stay around here and that is a good thing for Western.”

The Griffons also added four people who transferred at the semester. The four players they added were Matt Glades (6-1, 215) linebacker who transferred from Fort Scott Community College in Kan., Andrew Jones (6-2 225) linebacker who transferred from Missouri State, Ian Thompson (5-10, 185) defensive back who transferred from Fullerton Community College in Calif., and Christian Sandoval (6-0 210) free safety from LA Pierce. The Griffons will also look to add more players through the junior college ranks. 

The athletes the Griffons added will look to help the team in the future. Though many will take a red shirt for next season, some might see immediate playing time. The Griffons loaded up with local talent. They are trying to get the top talent from St. Joseph every year. Though with all recruiting classes only time will tell if this class was a success.

The Missouri Western Griffons struggled throughout the 42nd annual Mineral Water Bowl hounded by cold, rainy weather but were able to pull out a 20-13 victory over Wayne State. The Wildcats — who hail from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference’s (NISC) —met the Griffons at Tiger Stadium in the annual battle that pits the best non-playoff team from their respective conference.

Western came into the game 8-3 fresh off of a demoralizing defeat to Truman State in the final week of the season to end their playoff hopes, while Wayne State came in with a 7-4 record.

Western’s head coach Jerry Partridge said that it was a typical Mineral Water Bowl —evenly matched teams playing in bitter weather.

“We had just enough turnovers to get them stopped and we made just enough plays on offense to score and we won the game,” said Partridge.

Offensively, both teams were struggling throughout the game trying to gain and keep the lead. The only score of the half happened when Western quarterback Drew Newhart threw an 11-yard pass to wide receiver Andrew Mead at the beginning of the second quarter.

The first half was marked with a lackluster performance by both teams with the inability to convert on third down or score on their minimal opportunities in the red zone.
As the second half began, the rain started to come down, soaking the 1,500 fans, and providing another obstacle for both teams to overcome.

The Wildcats finally answered Western’s score with a touchdown of their own late in the third quarter.

Their celebration was cut short by a 55-yard touchdown run by freshman running back La’Darrian Page on Western’s next possession.

 “I had a couple of big runs and the coach said ‘stick with it and you will break one eventually’ and I made a real effort to put in a couple of juke moves to get in the end zone,” said Page.

Page, who rushed for 147 yards, averaged 9.8 per carry and won the offensive MVP of the game, impressing Wayne State head coach Dan McLaughlin along the way.
“That little ‘back, we knew he was good but he is special; that little freshman, he is tough,” McLaughlin said.

Western added another three points with a Mineral Water Bowl record 48-yard field goal by kicker Dustin Strickler making the score 17-7.
Western’s special team also made two other crucial plays.

Punter Jamie Hanson kicked a 76-yard punt that the Wildcats were not expecting.

“We called a timeout thinking that we were going to get a decent field position but bang we were on the 6 or 7 yard line,” said McLaughlin.

The special team also gave Western a crucial first down with a fake punt pass to free safety J.R. Graham who ran for 32 yards.
“They had that look,” Partridge said.

That “look” was the Wildcats lining up to block the punt.

The defense also played a critical role, especially in the waning minutes of the contest.

The score was 20-13 and the Wildcats were hunting for another score to tie the game when the defense put an end to the threat.

“Their defense adjusted to what we wanted to do. I thought they did a great job adjusting to what our game plan was defensively,” McLaughlin said.

Senior linebacker Jacob Schoonover was awarded the defensive MVP of the game after tallying 14 tackles and one sack.

“The defense played well,” said Schoonover.  “The biggest thing that stuck out was a lot of our guys make some big hits.”

With less than five minutes to go in the game, Western opened the door for Wayne State to comeback when Drew Newhart fumbled on the Wildcats’ 18, Newhart went 14 of 29 passing for 146 yards.

The Wildcats then steadily marched down the field trying to get into the end zone.

Everybody in the stadium held their collective breath, seeing what the Wildcats’ offense would do.

With the game on the line and the Wildcats on Western’s 22-yard line, defensive lineman Andrew Gilmore provided a crucial play by sacking the Wildcats quarterback, his second of the game.

This caused the Wildcats to try to score on fourth and five but the pass rush from Western’s defensive tackle Soane Etu caused the Wildcats’ quarterback to throw and incomplete pass.

Western gained the ball and ran down the clock for their fourth victory in the Mineral Water Bowl, the third in the last five years.

Another Griffon football season came to a close Saturday and after a roller coaster of a season, Missouri Western’s general on the field has received some well-deserved recognition.

Drew Newhart was recently named the MIAA conference Freshman of the Year.  Newhart threw for 21 touchdowns, only 10 interceptions and over 2,000 yards this year.  He had the fourth highest passer rating in the conference during regular season play at 148.4 and completed 58.9% of his passes (139-236.)  Numbers like these are very strong, especially for a freshman.  Newhart was also an All-MIAA honorable mention selection, but credits his success to his teammates.

“It’s a team accomplishment really,” Newhart said. “It takes everyone to do that.  The o-line did a great job this year and the receivers always made big plays so it’s definitely a credit to them too.”

 

The freshman signal-caller led a highly ranked offensive unit full of young weapons. His 148.4 efficiency rating ranks third among all Division II freshman quarterbacks. Newhart has great poise and leadership, something that is very rare for a freshman.  Qualities like these along with his quick feet and even quicker release gives Newhart the ability to simply make things happen out on the field.  His play has guided the Griffons to a 9-3 record this year. It is the fourth time in five years that the Griffons have won at least nine games in a season.

Newhart is a very good quarterback, but as a freshman, he has a lot of time to develop into one of the best.  Running back Thomas Hodges is also a freshman and appreciates Newhart’s play.

“There’s a lot of good quarterbacks out there,” Hodges said.  “But one thing that drew has over all of them is that he has this great knack for making plays.”

Newhart’s play making ability a lot of time provided the spark for the Griffon offense.  Averaging 37.1 points per game, the Griffon scoring attack was packed with many big plays.  Some of Newhart’s highlights included a 94 yard touchdown hook up with Cedric Houston against Fort Hays State, which is the second longest scoring strike in Griffon history.  Newhart also threw for a career high four touchdown passes and 321 yards in a 52-21 victory over Emporia State.  Newhart’s numbers were near the top of the conference in nearly every category.  Head Coach Jerry Partridge is very proud of his quarterback’s play this year.

“There are a lot of good quarterbacks in this conference, but I wouldn’t trade Drew for any of them,” Partridge said.

Newhart was the leader of the team. Even as a Freshman he gained the respect of his teammates quickly.

The way Newhart captained this very young and very talented squad had many skeptics and believers alike talking about his play.  MIAA Freshman of the Year is one of three prized player awards given at the end of every year along with Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.  But this is just the beginning of the Newhart era.  After nearly leading the Griffons to a playoff berth in his first season under the reigns, Griffon fans are excited for what’s to come in the future.  Drew Newhart is equally excited.

“We’re only going to get better so we’re looking forward for things to come,” Newhart said.

Newhart will be one of many returning starters to the team next year. Along with Newhart the team will return Thomas Hodges, La’Darrian Page, Andrew Mead, Andrew Gilmore and many others. Next years team will be full of experienced players ready to make a run at a championship.

Both teams struggled in the first-half of the game, with Western scoring the only scoring opportunity of the half with a touchdown pass from quarterback Newhart, to wide receiver,  Mead.

In the second-half, Missouri Western put on 13 more points to counter the Wildcats’ 13 points.

Three of Western’s points were scored with a 48-yard field goal by kicker Dustin Strickler, a record for the Mineral Water Bowl series. He also had 30-yard field goal.

Running Back La’Darrian Page had a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to help Western win over the Wildcats.

Western’s punter, Jamie Hanson, also broke a record with a 76 yard punt from Western’s 15 yard line to WSC’s 9 yard line.

Western’s Page was named offensive player MVP and Linebacker Jacob Schoonover was defensive MVP of the game. 

This slip up by the Griffons not only costs them a home playoff game, but maybe the playoffs all-together. The Mineral Water Bowl may even be in doubt because of the debacle at Truman State 37-28.

“The hardest part of this game is we could have gone deep into the playoffs if we won,” Jarrett Morris, a junior cornerback for the Griffons said. “Our offense was playing great and our defense had been getting turnovers all season long.”

The Griffons played a great first half other than the last minute of the second quarter. With a minute left in the half, the Griffons held a 28-14 lead. This was the beginning of the end of any success for the Griffons.

In that minute span before halftime, Truman State scored nine points and took the momentum of the game away from the Griffons who had consistently put together long scoring drives in the first half.

The Griffons started the second half strong, but after a penalty on their first drive, on a fourth down conversion attempt, the Griffons were forced to a field goal try.

Instead of stretching a 28-23 game to 31-23, someone on the coaching staff of made a bad choice that changed the possible outcome of the game. One of the coaches decided to fake the field goal and Dustin Strickler couldn’t make a first down on the play, so the Griffons turned the ball over.

This was the big momentum changer in the game. After the fake field goal, the Griffons had no more scoring attempts until the final drive of the game when an interception was thrown in the end zone to end any chance of a Missouri Western comeback.

After stopping the fake field goal, Truman State marched their offense down the field for a touchdown, which made the game 29-28. Truman went for a two-point conversion to make the lead 31-28.

The game would have been tied if the field goal had been kicked, instead of the score being tied; Truman took the lead and never gave it up.

“All phases of our game broke down,” said Allen. “It was a team loss and extremely disappointing. While Truman made adjustments to what we were doing to them, we made stupid mistakes.”
All of the games Missouri Western has lost this season had come when the Griffon offense could not put up more than 30 points in the game.

It was not all the defenses fault in this game though. They played hard in the second half and kept Truman out of the end zone after turnovers had given the Bulldogs great field position.
The story of the game was the Griffons weren’t able to get the job done on the road, in a game against a team they should beat, to go to the playoffs and have the first home playoff game in school history.

The team is young and there is always next year but this loss was a hard one to take, resulting in higher efficiency.”

The recent success of the Griffon football squad can be credited to the running game of an already potent offense.  With a dominant offensive line and the freshman one-two punch of running backs Thomas Hodges and La’Darrian Page, the Griffon rushing attack has helped Missouri Western finish 8-3 in the regular season.  Although the playoffs are not a possibility, the Griffons have had a pretty successful year.  A trip to the Mineral Water Bowl is now on the horizon.

This season, the two have combined for over 1,800 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.  Page and Hodges have worked together to become a duo that teams in the MIAA have had a hard time stopping.  Two running back offenses have become a regular thing in football these days.  It is now almost a necessity because the game has developed into such a physical sport, constantly wearing down running backs.  Missouri Western’s team is no exception, and is working to their advantage.  Head coach Jerry Partridge appreciates his running game.

“They’re both very effective and it’s great to have them,” Partridge said.

Hodges is considered the more bruising, powerful back of the two, bringing the thunder.  Page brings quickness and speed delivering the lightning strike of the offense.  Although the two backs have contrasting running styles, but they both work together to make a very valuable rushing attack. 

 There is no other way to describe La’Darrian Page on the football field other than a playmaker.  Every time he touches the ball there is a chance that the crowd will see another Griffon touchdown.

 “If I can get past the linebackers I think I can score,” Page said.

   Page’s favorite NFL running back ever is Barry Sanders and you can see glimpses of that in his own explosive play.  With a 5-8, 160 lb. frame, Page may seem small, but he plays with the heart of a lion.  Offensive lineman Roger Allen recently dubbed LP “Lil’ Spiderman.”  Page’s quickness and agility like Spiderman make it no easy task to bring him down. 

Hodges said he would rather be the X-Men’s Juggernaut though.  When you watch Thomas Hodges run the football you notice two things at first, strength and determination.  As you watch more, you will discover that powerful running style of the 5-10, 220 lb. freshman is complimented by exceptional speed.  His favorite running back is Walter Payton, who immortalized the number 34 jersey that Hodges wears every Saturday.  Hodges runs with the same intensity that Payton brought to the game, always fighting for every yard.  Hodges doesn’t always make the big play, but he is effective and always gets the job done.

“I always try to get up field and get as much as I can,” Hodges said.

The two running back system helps keep both running backs fresh and provides other opportunities as well.  Having the luxury of two good running backs, especially with contrasting styles such as these, opens things up in the offense.  Page has the ability to get to outside and split the defense which give Hodges more of a chance to get yards up the middle.  Hodges hammers around inside for awhile and teams put more players in the box, this frees up Page to make a play outside.

Another difference in the two running backs is their personality.  Page is laid back, cool and soft-spoken.  Hodges has an outgoing, crazy and comical personality.

For Halloween this year, Hodges hid in a trash can and jumped out as teammates walked by to scare them.  Coach Partridge and the rest of the team enjoy both their personalities.

 “They’re popular guys,” Partridge said.  “Everybody likes them.”

What was a fun regular season is now over.  Missouri Western made a valiant effort to reach the playoffs for the second straight year but unfortunately fell short.  Both Hodges and Page mentioned that the highlight of their season was defeating conference foe Pitt. State at the Jungle this year.  The Griffons have developed into a MIAA powerhouse that is consistently one of the top teams in the conference.

La’Darrian Page and Thomas Hodges are both very good players and a lot of fun to watch.  Unfortunately if you haven’t made it to see them play yet, you have missed your chance for the year.  Don’t sweat it though; perhaps the most exciting thing about the deadly St. Joseph Squall tandem is that it’s only just the beginning.  Both players are only freshman, so it’s a storm that won’t blow over any time soon.

 With post-season play hanging in the balance, Missouri Western (8-2 overall, 6-2 conference) overcame a stubborn Mules team with some clutch, impressive special teams play.

 After one half of play the Griffons looked like they had total control of the game thanks to some tough defense and a key interception by senior Griffon linebacker Jacob Schoonover, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.  

However, early in the third quarter, Central (6-4 overall, 5-3 conference) punched in to the end zone with a 2-yard run from running back Jeremy Braden.  The score capped a 14-play, 6:20 drive that brought the Mules back within a score.  On the very next possession for Central, it only took them one play and a two-point conversion to tie up the game at 21.
“We were so close, so many times to getting into position to kick a field goal and putting the icing on it, we just never did,” Western coach Jerry Partridge said.  “To Central’s credit, they continued to battle, scratch and claw.”

The Griffons were not about to go down quietly however.  On their next possession, Ferrell McGhee set up the offense with an excellent kick return to the 50 yard line. Then, the offense only needed two outstanding throws from backup quarterback Barron Bradshaw to put his team back in the lead.  Bradshaw, who came in for an injured Drew Newhart, went two plays for 50 yards, and capped the drive with a 26 yard completion to sophomore tight-end Billy Babcock.

“I think what helped us out was Ferrell’s return that put us in good field position,” Bradshaw said.  “And to come in and, I guess you could say throw the game-winning touchdown, it’s something you dream about as a kid.”

 Western’s special teams weren’t done yet though.   After the Griffon’s defense held tough to force a Central punt, senior Jacob Schoonover decided one touchdown on senior day wasn’t enough.  He blocked the punt and ran the loose ball in for his second score of the day to put the Griffons back up by two scores.

 “I can’t explain how it feels,” Schoonover said. “It feels very good to know I contributed, but it wasn’t just me; we had a lot of guys stepping up and making plays.”
 The Mules threatened one last time in this back and forth game, but Missouri Western was finally able to get the running game going to seal the victory.  Running back La’Darrian Page, who finished the day with 129 yards rushing, kept the Central offense on the sidelines with four rushes, including one 38 yard run and a 29 yard scamper into the end zone.
 “Our running game started clickin’, and little ‘Spider Man’ LP squirted out for a touchdown,” offensive lineman Roger Allen said. 

 The victory was the fifth in a row for Missouri Western, and it was the fifth straight against a tough Central Missouri team. 

 The win also almost guarantees a playoff birth for the Griffons, barring a complete meltdown against a struggling 5-5 Truman State team.

Missouri Western’s defense played a big role in the Griffons, 37-9 victory as they held the Fort Hays Tigers to just 208 total yards of offense.

The Griffons (4-2) got on the board early when lineback­er Jacob Schoonover intercepted a pass and ran it back 26 yards to put the Griffons on the scoreboard. La’Darrian Page added a 14-yard touchdown run to put the Griffons up 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Griffons improved to 3-0 on the road this season. Cornerback Jarrett Morris contributes their success on the road to the coaching staff.

“The coaches put it in our minds that to be a good team you must win on the road,” Morris said.

In the second quarter, Drew Newhart threw a 94-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Houston. That play was the sec­ond longest pass play in the history of Western football. The Tigers would add a field goal and recover a fumble in the end zone to make the score 20-9 at halftime.
The Griffons defense, after struggling last week against Washburn, bounced back in a big way against the Tigers, giving up only three points as a defense. Defensive Coordinator Regi Trotter thought the defense showed signs of maturity.

“Guys are starting to figure it out, we are starting to play up to our capabilities,” Trotter said.

Quarterback Drew Newhart had a career day. He passed for a career high 277 yards and also had career high in pass attempts with 32. Newhart believed ball con­trol helped the Griffons win the game.

“Offensively we had long drives to keep the momentum in our favor,” Newhart said.

The Griffons outscored the Tigers 17-0 in the second half. The Griffons would get another touchdown from Page as he scored from 26 yards out. Barron Bradshaw would throw a late touchdown to Anthony Anderson and Dustin Strickler added a field goal in the second half to make the final score 37-9.

The Griffons had a hard week of practice and Morris believes that harder practices in the future will equal to success.

“We need to practice harder and harder to keep getting better each week,” Morris said.
 
The Griffons will look to build off this victory, and keep momentum going into the homecoming game against Southwest Baptist. Trotter believes the team is building on these victories.

“We have been getting better and better each week; we keep improving,” Trotter said.

The Griffons need to finish this season strong to make another playoff appearance. They will start that run by facing Southwest Baptist this next weekend.

“We thought we could run over this team,” Chauncy Mayfield, strong safety for the Griffons said. “We shouldn’t sleep on any team. We got to play like its Northwest or Pitt State every week. We have to bring that same emotion every week.”

Washburn ran the ball 60 times for 293 yards and starting tailback for the Ichabods, Ra’Shawn Mosely, ran for 210 yards by himself.

“Mosely ran hard,” Seth Hane, middle linebacker for the Griffons said. “The coaches for Washburn had some good schemes against us and took advantage of one-on-one blocking up front.”

In the last three games against Northwest, Pitt State and Washburn, the Griffon defense has given up 1,444 yards of total offense and 749 of those yards have come on the ground.

The Griffons’ defense did make a play that could have turned the game around. When linebacker Robert Bishop forced a fumble, the ball was picked up by cornerback Jarrett Morris who returned it for a touchdown, making the score 31-24 with 2:40 left in the game.

The Griffons were down by only seven and needed a stop or to recover an onside kick.

“We thought about an onside kick for a second,” Jerry Partridge, head coach of the Griffons said. “We put Dustin Strickler in to kick. He’s our best pooch kick guy, but the wind was at our back and the ball went to far.”

The idea behind a pooch kick is for the ball to travel about 30 yards in the air and land in a vacant space where a Griffon could recover the ball, but the ball was kicked too deep and was caught easily by the deep returner for the Ichabods.

The Ichabod offense took the field after the deep kick and ran the ball twice. Each run was for more than 10 yards, effectively ending a miserable game for the Griffons.

Four of the top five tacklers for the Griffons were defensive backs, which means the Ichabod running backs were getting into the secondary way too much.

“We have to play our assignments, tackle better and play together,” Mayfield said.

“When I caught that ball, it felt wonderful,” said Houston. “The heat, the crowd, it all meant nothing after that catch.”

That catch gave the Griffons 38-32 lead over the No. 7 team in the nation, which became 39-32 with a Dustin Strickler extra point to cap off the win against all odds.

The Griffons’ defense gave Missouri Western the opportunity to win after the offense stalled with 1:30 left on the clock. Pitt State was in their two-minute offense, trying to march down the field with less than a minute left.

 Defensive lineman Etu Soane made made the play of the game when he hit Pitt State quarterback Mark Smith from behind, knocking the ball loose from the quarterback’s grasp.

The ball seemed to be on the rolling on the ground forever as madness broke out to recover the football. Players were diving on top of players to build a mass of humanity in search of the ball. If the other team had it, they would do anything to pry it from their hands.

At the bottom of the pile, with the ball, in the right spot at the perfect time, was first year defensive lineman Martin Lane. As the bodies were sorted through by the officials Lane, got up, jumped around in celebration and held the ball up where everyone could see it.

“We had a twist called and our guys got the job done,” Regi Trotter, defensive coordinator for the Griffons said. “I was just hoping for a turnover. A stop would have been great, but a turnover in that situation is even better.”

“The Jungle” that was once the hardest place for the Griffons to win, was now silent other than one corner of the stadium where the Griffon faithful sat.

The Griffons had not won at Pitt State since 1984 and the head coach of the Griffons, Jerry Partridge, had not won a game in “The Jungle” in his tenure at Missouri Western.

The young Griffons team showed their ability and remarkable composure to win in a tough environment.
“We knew it was going to be a tough win and just wanted to come out here and play our hardest to get the W,” said La’Darrian Page, one of the two running backs for the Griffons.

The Griffons offense was led by the running back combination of  “Thunder,” Thomas Hodges and “Lightening,” La’Darrian Page. Both backs ran for 155 yards, so the combination of Page and Hodges had 310 of the Griffons’ 469 yards worth of offensive production.

“Hodges and I came into this game knowing that we were going to have to get it done on the ground,” said Page. “We pounded the ball, made good decisions and held onto the football all day long. At the end of the day it got us a win.”

The unsung heroes of the game were the offensive linemen who opened up huge holes for the tandem of Hodges and Page to run through.

“The offensive line was terrific,” Page said. “It’s the best they’ve played all year. The offense moves and scores off of what they do up front.”

Houston was another go-to guy during the game. He had two touchdowns and made dazzling plays throughout the second half of the football game when the pressure was at its highest.

He had an amazing punt return on an all out block by the Griffons, which means he had no blockers down field and made something out of nothing. He caught a screen, broke at least three tackles, reversed field twice and scored a touchdown from about 30 yards out. His biggest play of the game came at the most crucial part: the end. He ran a stop and go to perfection, the corner bit on the stop route as Houston ran by, quarterback Drew Newhart threw a perfect pass right on Houston’s hands and the game was over.

Griffons win.

Once, every other year, the campus of Missouri Western State University comes to life as the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri travel down to compete in a heated rivalry game on the field of Spratt Stadium.  The fans proudly display their black and boldly wear their gold; they show up early to barbecue and haze the passing NWMSU fans.  MWSU students and alumni squeeze into Spratt Memorial stadium like sardines, just for a chance to cheer on their Griffon football team.  For one day, every other year, the common observer can look out into the crowd of black and gold and say that there is a football game going on at MWSU.

The problem is that the following week, or the week after that, when Washburn, SW Baptist, or any other division II NCAA football team comes to town, the campus turns back into plain-old boring Missouri Western.  A passerby would often have a hard time distinguishing whether it was a college football game or just a high school junior varsity scrimmage. 

This year a record breaking 9,007 people crammed inside the fences around MWSU’s football field to see the Griffons take on their rival NWMSU.  Regardless of how the game turned out, it was exciting to sit in the crowd and experience what it feels like to be at a game where the crowd shows pride in their school. 

As of 2005 Missouri Western is a state recognized university.  It’s time we start to show some pride in our athletics.  A good place to look might be just across the field next time NWMSU comes to town.  This year they lost their opening game and they still brought nearly as many fans to the big rivalry game as Missouri Western did.  Anyone who has traveled to Maryville to watch a football game knows what I’m talking about.  They show pride in their team every single week, win or lose.

For those who haven’t been paying attention, we have a team to be proud of right now.  Just last year the Griffon football team finished with a very impressive 9-3 record, and they made an appearance in the NCAA-II playoffs.  There has never been a better time to be a MWSU student and fan.  Saturday, September 9, Washburn is coming to town.  Be proud to be a Griffon and get out to cheer for our football team against somebody other that Northwest. 

This team showed they’re not waiting a few years to be good; they’re a playoff team now.

I watched redshirt freshman Thomas Hodges bull doze his way down the field for long run after long run. He ended up having 155 yards on the game, but that number could have easily been over 200 if a couple of his runs hadn’t been called back because of penalties.

Hodges dislocated his shoulder in the third quarter on a run play along the sideline, came out popped it back into place and kept playing. If that doesn’t show a bit of toughness, I don’t know what does.

La’Darrian Page limped off the play before Hodges got hurt, came limping back into the game as Hodges held his arm in pain, then ran for a long touchdown.

Page use smooth moves, quickness and speed to elude Pitt defenders all game long. Page had two long carries in a row for touchdowns in the third quarter where he slipped out of tackles, made people miss then used his speed to get to the endzone.

Keep in mind these players are freshman and will be around for three more years.

Quarterback Drew Newhart maybe didn’t have the greatest game, but he made a perfect throw to sophomore wide receiver Cedric Houston to win the game. He came up with the big play when the Griffons needed it the most.

Houston, as mentioned before, is a sophomore. Every time he touched the ball against Pitt, he did something spectacular with it. He was reversing fields, making people miss and doing whatever he needed to do for the team to win.

Pherrell Mcgee, a redshirt sophomore reciever, looked good as well on returns. He took the opening kickoff of the game 51 yards into Pitt State territory. That return led to a touchdown for the Griffons on the opening drive.

The most promising thing I saw about him was on a ball he didn’t catch though. He ran a post on a third down play, knew he was about to get hit  hard and went all out for it. Like I said before, he didn’t catch it, but the willingness to take the hit in order to catch the ball was apparent to anyone who was watching.

On defense, Brad Davidson, a redshirt sophomore, was all over the field. He made crucial tackles and sacks the entire game and showed leadership on the defensive line.
Redshirt freshman cornerback Kendall Davis ended the game with an interception in the endzone. He now has three interceptions on the season and is one of the leaders in the MIAA for interceptions so far this season.

If the Griffons look this good now, it won’t be too long before they are competing for championships. In fact, they are ready to compete now.

After the Griffons received the opening kickoff, there was still a buzz in the air as quarterback Drew Newhart completed the first pass of the game to wide-receiver Andrew Mead.  Unfortunately, that was the ed of the excitement as a northwest defender quickly drilled Mead, jarring the football loose.  Northwest recovered the football, and Missouri Western was not able to recover the quarter.

“That fumble the very first play of the game definitely sparked some momentum from them. It’s definitely hard to take, but you’ve got to live and learn,” Mead said.  “But at the same time, me, I can’t be doing that as a leader on this team; I can’t be putting the football on the ground.”

The Bearcats would go on to score three consecutive, unanswered touchdowns in the first quarter alone. The Northwest offense was led by senior running back Xavier Omon, who rushed for a total of 120 yards, and adding another 56 yards receiving. Junior quarterback Joel Osborn was also impressive throwing for 287 yards, completing 19 of 26 attempts. 

“Everybody was just gellin’. Osborn did a great job. He’s worked so hard. He deserved this,” Omon said. “We’re a great team; when we’re playing well, we’re a great team.”

Northwest struck first in the second quarter as well with a 13 yard touchdown pass from Osborn to tight-end Greg Applegate to complete their opening 28 unanswered points. 

Finally, with only six minutes and thirty-three seconds left in the half, Missouri Western got on the scoreboard with an eight yard pass from Newhart to Mead.  Newhart finished the game 15-27 with 152 passing, and Mead led in receiving with 125 yards.

However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the dominating performance of the Northwest Bearcats’ physical offense.

“I thought we got out-physicalled a little bit, and at this stage, where we’re stopping the run, we’ve got to score points more often than what we’re doing,” coach Jerry Partridge said.  “We just didn’t handle the early flurry of punches and momentum.  But I thought the second half we competed well,  hung in there and battled and we put a respectable showing.”

The Griffons began to mount a comeback in the third quarter by forcing Northwest into a quick three and out.  The teams traded possessions for a while until Missouri Western pounded the ball into the end-zone with a run by freshman running back Thomas Hodges.  Hodges finished with a team leading 56 yards rushing and one touchdown. 

In the end, the Griffons just weren’t able to respond to the blazingly fast Northwest start. The early turnovers are what put the Griffons in a deep hole early. The Bearcats add another tally in the win column of this historical rivalry with the Griffons, which Northwest now leads 16-11.

The Griffons go to Pittsburg State University, one of the hardest places to play in Division II football, next Saturday. Pittsburg State is always one of the best teams in the conference. This will be another tough game for the young Griffons.

The Missouri Western football team lost Saturday night to Northwest Missouri State University, 44-20.

In the 1st quarter, Northwest scored 3 unanswered touchdowns; 2 were within the first 6 minutes of the game. A fumble by Missouri Western lead to one of those touchdowns.

After allowing Northwest to score 28 unanswered points, Missouri Western finally scored a touchdown with a reception by No. 7, Andrew Mead, in the 2nd quarter.

Missouri Western’s second touchdown came from a rushing touchdown in the 3rd quarter by running back Thomas Hodges, narrowing the score gap to 28-14.

The last Missouri Western touchdown was a reception by Mead in the 4th quarter. Missouri Western failed to make a 2-point conversion off of that touchdown. The score was 38-20.

Northwest, however, would answer that touchdown by another of their own making the final score 44-20. They missed the ensuing field goal kick.

Other highlights of the game:

Drew Newhart, Missouri Western’s quarterback, was sacked 3 times in a drive late in the 4th quarter.

An on-side kick by Northwest led to them scoring the last touchdown of the game.

Missouri Western football is now 2-1 for the season.

Click for more photos of the game

More details and images to come.

The Missouri Western football team will look to build off last year’s successful season. The football team broke through and made their first playoff appearance last year. Many of the main players from last year’s team have graduated, so the team will look to younger players to step up.

The team will have a big challenge to start off conference play. The Griffon’s first three conference games are against Northwest,then Pittsburg State and Washburn who are the best teams in the MIAA. Head coach Jerry Partridge has
pushed his players extra hard to get ready for the tough schedule.

“That is why we have had such a tough camp because we are trying to push our kids to get ready for that,” Partridge said.

The team does bring back players off last year’s squad. The entire offensive
line returns including first team all conference lineman Roger Allen. On the defensive side of the ball the team returns six starters including first team all-MIAA J.R. Graham.

The football team has new offensive and defensive coordinators as well. There
has been an adjustment for both coaches, but for Trotter the adjustment was a little more challenging.

“It’s been an adjustment because of the late notice getting the job, but I think it is going well,” Trotter said.

The strength of the offensive is going to be the offensive line. The wide receivers will also play a big role under the offensive game plan. Fenwick believes that for the offense to be successful the receivers will have to
step up and make plays.

“With Brooks gone someone will have to step up and be that guy,” Fenwick said.
“We have a couple guys that can fill that role.”

The defensive strength will be the two returning safeties. J.R. Graham and
Chauncey Mayfield will look to provide senior leadership to a young defensive team. Linebacker Seth Hane will also return to help bolster the defense.

Some may look at this year’s team as being in rebuilding mode. The team
does not feel that way. Sophomore wide receiver Andrew Mead would like to
continue the success they had last year.

“We would love to go back to the playoffs and be competitive in conference,”
Mead said.

Freshman will play a big role on this team. Freshman defensive lineman Andrew Gilmore is a probable starter on the defensive line. There are also two freshmen battling it out for the starting quarterback position. The two players vying for that spot are Barron Bradshaw and Drew Newhart.

The special teams should be one of the strengths of the team. The team returns
kicker Dustin Strickler and punter Jamie Hanson, they were both all league performers last year. Partridge knows this will be solid at those positions.

“We have great specialists returning for our team,” Partridge said.

The football team will balance youth with experienced players and try to get back
to the playoffs. Getting to post season play is the main goal of the football team.

The team will rely on new players at many positions. They will need those players
to step up and fill the void left by last year’s departing players.

The starting quarterback position for the football team is still up in the air. The competition is between Barron Bradshaw and Drew Newhart. Both are good athletes and neither quarterback has made this an easy decision for the
football coaching staff.

Drew Newhart is a local product from Cameron, Missouri were he was the quarterback of the state championship teams for Cameron. He is listed at 6’0” 185 pounds.

Barron Bradshaw is an instate product from St.. Louis, Missouri. He is known for his great arm strength. He is listed at 6’2” 196 pounds.

As I stated before Bradshaw’s biggest strength is his arm strength and his leadership ability.Newhart’s strengths are his mobility and he is a little quicker than Bradshaw. The race between the two quarterbacks is dead even. Both quarterbacks are well liked by their teammates and show great leadership skills.

This year could also end up like last year and both quarterbacks could see playing time. Either way they go I believe either quarterback can be successful and lead the Griffons to great success.

Putting together a depth chart is like putting a puzzle together.Each piece has to fit together. Starters from last year’s team leaving gave opportunities to players to grab a starting spot.

Another position for opportunity is the wide receiver position. With Jarrett Brooks departure it has opened up for guys to step up into a bigger role. Players that could fill this role are Andrew Mead, Joey Harris, Anthony Anderson and Zach Sharp.

For the team to be successful this upcoming season young guys are going to have to step up and be playmakers. Young guys like Andrew Gilmore, Kendall Davis, Demarcus Trotter and Thomas Hodges. The team maybe young, but they are athletic and have a strong core of senior leadership.

The mix of young guys and returning players is what makes this team interesting. Watching this team this year will be exciting. It will be interesting to see how the team adapts to the new coordinators and also see how the new starters adapt
to their new roles. No matter what the outcomes of the games this team will be young and exciting to watch this season.

This is the highest honor a student athlete can achieve at Missouri Western. It stands for leadership and having special qualities that most people only dream to possess.

Lindsey Predovich, a pitcher and infielder for the softball team here at Missouri Western was the winner of the female athlete of the year award. She leads her team in batting average hitting .366, is one of the best pitchers in the conference with a 2.32 earned run average and strikes out almost eight batters a game, which is good enough for second in the conference.

Leon Douglas was the male athlete of the year for Missouri Western. His accomplishments include being named to the MIAA All-Conference team, starting Academic All-American team and many others that he has received in the past few months that have nothing to do with sports.

“It’s an honor to win this award,” said Leon Douglas. “I remember the first Athlete of the Year awards banquet I went to as a freshman. I wanted to be that person who wins the award and represents the school and athletic program in a good way.”

Both of the recipients do excalty that and are keeping the tradition of great student athletes alive at Missouri Western.

2 Detroit Lions-Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech
Wide receiver may not be Detroit’s most pressing need, but they cannot pass on the best player in the draft.

3 Cleveland Browns-Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma
Even with Peterson’s injury problems in college Cleveland takes the best running back in the draft.

4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Gaines Adams DE Clemson
Tampa Bay picks Adams in hopes that he becomes the next Simeon Rice.

5 Arizona Cardinals-Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin
Arizona gets their left tackle to help protect last years first round pick Matt Leinart.

6 Washington Redskins-Amobi Okoye DT Louisville
Washington takes the 19-year-old defensive tackle to address their defensive line need.

7 Minnesota Vikings-Leon Hall CB Michigan
Minnesota needs a cornerback and they get the best cornerback in the draft.

8 Atlanta Falcons-LaRon Landry S LSU
Along with DeAngelo Hall could make one of the best secondaries in the league.

9 Miami Dolphins-Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame
Miami gets their quarterback of the future with the pick of Quinn.

10 Houston Texans-Levi Brown OT Penn State
Houston drafts left tackle to help protect newly acquired quarterback Matt Schaub.

11 San Francisco 49ers-Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
San Francisco lacked consistent pass rush last year and they hope Anderson can help solve that problem.

12 Buffalo Bills-Patrick Willis LB Mississippi
Willis is a fast and athletic linebacker who can make an immediate impact for the Bills.

13 St. Louis Rams-Alan Branch DT Michigan
St. Louis has had problems drafting defensive tackles in the past. They hope Branch is the answer for them at that spot.

14 Carolina Panthers-Greg Olsen TE Miami
Carolina has long needed a playmaking tight end and Olsen is a playmaker.

15 Pittsburgh Steelers-Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh will go with the local product Revis to shore up their secondary woes.

16 Green Bay Packers-Marshawn Lynch RB California
Green Bay will replace Ahman Green with the athletic Lynch.

17 Jacksonville Jaguars-Adam Carriker DE Nebraska
Jacksonville needs a strong defensive lineman and Carriker fits that mold.

18 Cincinnati Bengals-Lawrence Timmons LB Florida State
Cincinnati will help out their linebacker core by drafting Timmons.

19 Tennessee Titans-Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
Right now Tennessee’s wide receiver core consists of Justin Gage and David Givens a receiver is a must for them in round one.

20 New York Giants-Joe Staley OT Central Michigan
Staley could be a starter for New York on opening day with their left tackle David Diehl not seeming to be a permanent solution.

21 Denver Broncos-Jarvis Moss DE Florida
Denver is in need of a pass rushing defensive end and Moss’s athletic ability makes him the pick here.

22 Dallas Cowboys-Ted Ginn Jr. Ohio State
The playmaking ability of Ginn will be too much for Jerry Jones to pass up at this pick.

23 Kansas City Chiefs-Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
Kansas City is desperate for good defensive tackle and they hope Harrell pans out better than the Ryan Sims disaster.

24 New England Patriots-Paul Posluszny LB Penn State
New England needs to bolster their linebacker core and in Posluszny they get a high class player.

25 New York Jets-Aaron Ross CB Texas
New York needs a cornerback to help out in the secondary and Ross is the third best cornerback in the draft.

26 Philadelphia Eagles- Michael Griffin S Texas
Philadelphia will look to add a safety to go along with pro bowler Brian Dawkins and with Griffin they get a good solid safety.

27 New Orleans Saints- Chris Houston CB Arkansas
Though the Saints were solid against the pass last season they lacked a true number one at cornerback. They hope Houston may develop into one someday.

28 New England Patriots- Reggie Nelson S Florida
The safety core is on shaky ground with ageless wonder Rodney Harrison leading the way. Nelson adds youth to the position.

29 Baltimore Ravens-Ryan Kalil C USC
Baltimore will look offensive line to help protect Steve McNair.

30 San Diego Chargers- Robert Meachem WR Tennessee
San Diego’s receiving core caught zero touchdowns last year. They hope a playmaker like Meachem can change that.

31 Chicago Bears- John Beason LB Miami
With the whole Lance Briggs saga the Bears will go linebacker and select a solid player in Beason.

32 Indianapolis Colts- DeMarcus Tyler DT NC State
They get a big powerful defensive lineman that should help the run defense.

Robinson could become the third player from Missouri Western to get drafted in the NFL draft. The other two being, John Fisher a defensive back who was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round in 1996 and Vince Thomson a defensive end who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round in 1985.

There have been many Division II athletes that have had successful careers in the NFL. Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, Andre Reed, and Harry Carson to name a few that have been successful.

Even if Robinson goes undrafted, which I don’t think he will, he still could easily make a team. Antonio Gates went undrafted and I’d say he is doing pretty well for his self.

Being undrafted though is undoubtedly disappointing, but it gives a player freedom to sign were they would like to sign.

The reason I believe Robinson will get drafted is because of the combine he had. Robinson ran a 4.71 40 yard dash which was the second fastest 40 time for the tight ends. He was right behind Greg Olsen of the University of Miami.

Also weighing in at 255 pounds made him one of the bigger tight ends there. This is a good thing because blocking is one of Robinson’s best attributes.

I am not saying Robinson is the next Gates or anything like that, but I believe he is good enough to get drafted. Robinson getting drafted would not only be good for him, but would shed a positive light on the football program. I am sure recruiting would be helped if Robinson was drafted.

There is no doubt that NFL draft weekend is special for all involved. I hope it’s special for Robinson and we get to see his name scroll on the bottom of ESPN.

Despite the fact that Western has lost many key players, hopes are still high for the future. Head coach Jerry Partridge is optimistic about the freshman class coming in and also several players who are returning. “We have a great class of young players and they are all going to have to step up.”

The main thing the team lacks going into spring training is experience. This is something which will hopefully be sorted out through spring ball. “We want to have an idea of who’s ready and who’s not and hopefully the kids will get better,” said Partridge. After spring training, the team hopes to have the players confident and more experienced.

One of the major places the team lost seniors was on the defensive line. However, Western wisely recruited heavily for the defensive line. “We’ve recruited to that spot more than any other and the young kids are just gonna have to step up,” said Partridge.

Leadership is not much of a question for the team heading into the future. “We have veteran wide receivers as well as offensive lineman who will provide leadership,” said Partridge.

However, the defense will have valuable leadership as well. “We have linebackers who have played a lot of football,” said Partridge. The team will not lack confidence going into next season.

There are still many strengths on the team going into spring. One of the key strengths is an offensive line who has everyone returning. This will surely play a factor in helping a young quarterback develop and give him a chance to do well. “Really our only weakness is inexperience,” said Partridge. Coach Partridge as well as the rest of the team are confident in their ability to be a good team. Experience is the only weakness and it will come with time.

Missouri Western head coach Jerry Partridge announced the signing of 25 high school football players. The team signed 7 players from local schools.

Among them was defensive linemen Andrew Gilmore from Benton High School.

He is considered the gem of the recruiting class. He is 6’0 285 lb. and has a vertical leap of 28 in. He will be in competition for a starting spot next year.

“Andrew is a kid that has a great deal of potential to play next year,” Partridge said.

Other area players that will play for the Griffons include Central High School’s quarterback Casey Siela and linebacker Tom Madget. From Savannah High School they signed defensive back’s Isaac Collins and Dustin Williams. The Griffons also signed Buchanan’s tight end Jesse Engelken and Cameron High School’s defensive lineman Aaron Fritz.

The Griffons also signed 3 athletes from the state of Iowa. They are running back Sean Ratliff, defensive lineman Ryan Katch and offensive lineman Joseph Bailey. Katch will also be in competition for a spot on the defensive lineman.

The main focus of this year’s recruiting class was defensive line. After losing the four horsemen to graduation they need to reload at that position.

They signed 6 defensive linemen and are looking to get more through the junior college ranks. The group of defensive linemen that were signed is a solid group.

“This is a very good defensive line class we signed,” Partridge said.

The Griffons are coming off one of the best years in Missouri Western football history. They tied the record for most wins in a season last year and they also made their first playoff appearance in school history.

The senior class that just left won a record 32 games over a 4-year span. Replacing them will be a tough task. Getting a good recruiting class was another step in order to keep the program on the right path.

This recruiting class along with last years will play a huge role in the team’s future success. The Griffons are hoping that the players they have along with recruits they are bringing in can keep the winning tradition going here at Missouri Western.

The Griffons have to get leadership out of receiver Joey Harris and safety J.R. Graham to lead the younger players back.

Most of the football recruits will red shirt their freshman year to gain experience and get time in the weight room.

Gilmore has the skills to play as a freshman and the Griffon defense may need him. All four starting defensive lineman on last year’s team were seniors and will be gone next year.

“It would be exciting to go out and be able to compete right away,” said Gilmore. “I want to go out and fight for that spot.”

His size allows him to be productive on the football field. A 6’0 ft 285 pound frame makes him a force on the defense.

Western football coach Jerry Partridge loves the physical skills that Gilmore brings to the table.

“His physical test numbers were ridiculous,” said Partridge. “He is ready to play.”

Signing Gilmore is a sign that Western is starting to close the area borders as more local players are deciding to come to Western. The last two recruiting classes have featured area players.

Gilmore wasn’t really interested when Western started recruiting him. The presence of other area players may be what changed his mind.

“I loved my official visit,” said Gilmore. “It was fun seeing everyone I know.”

The talent at area high schools has caught the eye of Partridge. Gilmore’s teammate at Benton, Demetrius Davis, has committed to Nebraska.

“There has really been at upshoot of talent at Benton,” said Partridge. “I was able to see Andy live and he just embarrasses people.”

The success of the Western football team has helped them on the recruiting front. Some potential recruits are excited by the opportunity to win a national championship.

Gilmore is eager to help the Griffons repeat last season’s success.

A solid work ethic is one thing that separates Gilmore from other players. He is willing to work harder than anyone else. This is one reason for his extraordinary physical skills.

Signing Gilmore was a must for Western after losing so many starters from last year’s defense. Western will have to use Gilmore and some junior college transfers to fill the holes at defensive line. The future of western looks bright after the last two recruiting classes.

“We will play well and our kids will work hard,” said Partridge.

The Missouri Western football team had the most successful season in the history of the program. The team went 9-3 and lost in the first round of the playoffs by two points. This is the first time the Griffons have ever gone to the playoffs, and the team looks to build on last year and land another solid class.

Last year’s recruiting class was the biggest in head coach Jerry Partridge’s tenure. The team landed thirty recruits; such players headlined the class as Drew Newhart, Eric Anderson, Nick Blackburn, Brad Beckwith and several others.

When it comes to recruiting, a team can either go after high school athletes or junior college/transfer athletes. The right mixes of both types of athletes are important to good recruiting, Partridge said.

A position that the team will look to address through the junior college/transfer level is the defensive line position. All of the starting defensive line from last year were seniors and won’t be back next year, so this will be a priority.

They are looking to add depth to an already strong core. In the past, Missouri Western has signed players from California, Texas, Kansas, Iowa and Florida, but the bulk of their recruiting class has always been centered in Missouri. All thirty of last years recruits came from the state of Missouri.

The hardest part of recruiting is convincing a recruit that your school is the best fit for him. The question is why should a recruit pick Missouri Western over other schools?

By choosing Missouri Western they can receive a first-class education, attend a campus that is relatively new and enjoy a team that has winning tradition.

“They can get a quality education and win football games,” Partridge said.

Current player Eric Anderson, who is a freshman wide receiver on the football team, said the reason he chose Missouri Western was that the coaching staff was easy to talk to.

“The coaches were very open, and they made me feel at home,” Anderson said.

The Griffons lost 15 players to graduation. The key losses are Jarrett Brooks, Michael Cobbins, John Fisher, Jeremiah White, Greg Carbin, Jamison Burns, Ahmad Spry, Jon Miller, Brad Kester and Gijon Robinson. All of these players made first of second team, all MIAA or honorable mention.

This year’s recruiting class will play a big role in the team’s future success.

Next year’s team is looking to build on the success of what last year’s team accomplished. They have a solid core of returning players to fill gaps left by graduation.

“A great senior class just left, but we have kids that can step in and play for us,” Partridge said.

The recruiting class they are ready to sign with are the players they already have in the program; the future is looking bright for the Missouri Western football team’s future.

Robinson has been invited to play in the Texas vs. the Nation all-star game. The game in its first year will be played on Feb. 2 in El Paso, Texas at Sun Bowl stadium.

It will feature many of the nation’s top players who are looking to get some national exposure. Robinson is looking for some of that national attention to increase his chances of being drafted by an NFL team. He will be playing against some of the best players in the country, including Oklahoma quarterback Paul Thompson.

“Hopefully playing in this game will get me some recognition as one of the top athletes in the nation,” Robinson said.

Many college players will use this game to show off their talents for NFL scouts. Many scouts will be there to look at players for NFL franchises. Impressing one of these scouts could earn a player an individual workout with a team.

“A lot of NFL scouts will be there to watch this game,” Robinson said. “I want to show them what I can do for any team that will need a tight end in the upcoming draft.”

Proving himself against some of the top players in the nation will help Robinson’s chances of getting drafted or signing a free agent contract after the draft. Playing well in this game will show that he is one of the top players in the country at any division.

Robinson was second on the team in receptions last season with 25. Only wide receiver Jarrett Brooks had more with 49. Robinson had 253 yards receiving and one touchdown. He averaged 10.1 yards per catch.

His receiving skills aren’t the only reasons Robinson was invited to play in the game; his outstanding blocking ability is what sets him apart from everyone else.

“I think my blocking ability is one of the reasons I got invited to play in this game,” Robinson said.

Finding a tight end with the ability to get open and block is rare. Many teams use different tight ends in running and passing situations. Having the ability to do both will help Robinson’s NFL stock.

Although Robinson is going to play in the game, he wasn’t the first person in his family to know about it.

“They called my dad first, and then my dad called and told me,” Robinson said. “I just prayed to God and thanked him for the opportunity.”

He is trying to lose games for his team because that is all he knows. He has thrown six interceptions in three playoff games, so the defense that has played mediocre all season, has had to step up.

The Colts’ defense only gave up a total of 14-points in the first two playoff games then went to back to the old defense that could make anyone throw up with disgust.

The Colts have been less than dominant the whole playoffs and other than one game, the offense has looked miserable.

Against the Ravens, Manning only had a 39.6 quarterback rating and completed only 50 percent the whole game. Yes, I know the Ravens have the best defense in the league, but they are the most comparable team to the Bears that the Colts played in the playoffs.

The Bears played the best offense in the league last week which was the Saints, not the Colts. Chicago caused four fumbles, recovered three of them, got a safety and had one interception of quarterback Drew Brees that, in effect, ended any comeback hopes for New Orleans.

All Rex Grossman has to do in passing situations is throw the ball to Bernard Berrian. He doesn’t even have to look at anyone else. He is the most explosive player on the offense and always seems to be open. He needs to touch the ball about 10 times. Six catches, a couple reverses, and line him up in the back field a couple of times and give him the ball.

The question of who has the best running game is going to be a huge part of the game. Will Cedric Benson and Tomas Jones run better than Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes?

I think the Bears have a significant edge. Thomas Jones is averaging 94.5 yards and Benson is averaging another 52.5 yards a game during the playoffs.

These numbers could jump substantially against a Colts’ defense that gave up 173 yards a game in the regular season. That was good enough for worst in the NFL.

Last, but not least, Devin Hester has the ability to turn around any game. His return against the Cardinals changed the whole game. His team was dead in the water until that play. After the return, his team caught on fire. They just needed something to go right. Once Hester’s punt return happened, the flood gates opened and the Bears went on to win the game .

He reminds me of Desmond Howard who used to play for the Green Bay Packers when they went to their Super Bowls a few years back. He won the MVP of the Super Bowl because of the things he did as a return specialist.

The Bears have a lot of game breaking players too so don’t just right them off because Peyton Manning is the golden child and he is so great… just like Dan Marino.

Anyway, I believe the final score will be 27-17 Bears and the game will be controlled by the Bears defense. Just like at Tennessee, Peyton Manning will be put up against a Florida Gator (Rex Grossman) and lose, as he has his whole career.

Many people have resisted calling Manning an all-time great quarterback because he hasn’t been able to win the big game and get to the Super Bowl. That changed after the Colts defeated the New England Patriots to advance to Super Bowl XLI.

This Super Bowl will feature one of this year’s best defenses against this generation’s best offense. The Colts offense has been piling up record-breaking statistics for the past five years, but the team has always been held back by its mediocre defense. Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison became the NFLs all-time leading combination in passing touchdowns this season.

It looked like the defense would cost Manning his shot at a Super Bowl yet again after the Jaguars ran over the Colts with 375 rushing yards in the final weeks of the regular season, but the return of Bob Sanders has turned things around for the Colts in the playoffs.

Sanders has played Superman for the Colts in the playoffs. He has single-handedly improved the league’s worst rushing defense. He missed most of the regular season with a knee injury.

He returned for the start of the playoffs and helped the Colts hold both Larry Johnson and Jamal Lewis under 100 yards rushing. Johnson and Lewis are two of the NFLs top rushers.

While the quarterback is the strength of the Colts, it is the weakness of the Chicago Bears. Rex Grossman started out the season as one of the top quarterbacks in the league but that great start was just a mirage.

Grossman had the third worst interception total in the NFL with 20 and had a fumbling problem for much of the season. He had a passer rating of under five in one game.

The Bears reached the Super Bowl because of defense and a little stick of dynamite known as Devin Hester. The Bears have the third best defense in the NFL. They only allowed 15.9 points per game. When Grossman turned the ball over, the defense was able to pick him up and keep the other team out of the end zone.

Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is the defensive leader for the Bears. He led the team with 142 tackles and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He stops the other team from getting yards on the ground.

Hester set an NFL record for returns for touchdowns in a single season with six. The former Miami Hurricane star has great speed and has turned games in the Bears favor with a punt or kick return many times this season. If the Bears are to win this game, it will be because of a big play by number 23.

Enough discussion about the participating teams; let’s get to a prediction. Although the Bears have the third best overall defense, their pass defense was only ranked 11th out of 32 teams. This plays right into the Colts strength.

The Colts have the second and third leading receivers in the NFL in Harrison and Reggie Wayne. Harrison had 1,366 yards while Wayne compiled 1,310. Team them with Manning, and that spells disaster for the Bears.

The Colts passing game will not be the demise of the Bears though. The fall of the Bears will be because of Grossman. He gets nervous and panics when he gets pressure in the pocket. When someone gets in his face, he makes mistakes. Whether it’s a costly interception or a fumble on a sack by all pro defensive end Dwight Freeney, Grossman will turn the ball over.

My final prediction, the Colts passing game and Grossman’s mistakes are too much for the Bears defense to overcome. The Colts win the game 31-17.

U-WIRE ST. LOUIS – Think you’re a big sports fan? Let me test your knowledge. True or false: Two Mondays ago, former Dallas Cowboy and current ESPN analyst Michael Irvin questioned whether current Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s athleticism could be traced to the presence of African blood in his family lineage.

I know what you’re thinking: This must be a trick question. After all, I wouldn’t be cruel enough to make this up, and the media never sleeps on this sort of racial rubbish, right? Wrong.

Explaining how Romo outplayed Peyton Manning the day before, Irvin, who is black, pointed toward the quarterback’s unassuming athleticism.

“I don’t know if there are some brothers in that line somewhere if his great-great-greatgrandmother ran over in the hood or something went down.”

Fellow ESPN employee Dan Patrick, on whose nationally syndicated radio show Irvin was appearing, gave the former all-pro a chance to realize the mistake he was making. He asked,

“That’s the only way to be a great athlete?”

Laughing to himself, Irvin replied, “No, that’s not the only way, but it’s certainly one way.” Still laughing, Irvin went on: “[Maybe his] great-great-great-great-Grandma pulled one of them studs up outta the barn [and said], ‘Come here for a second.”

What, you missed it? Don’t worry, you weren’t the only one. In fact, if you follow the various major sports media outlets, anything past a brief mention of the story was nowhere to be found.

How can this be? Obviously, ESPN is in no hurry to place their dirty laundry on display, so it’s no surprise that Irvin’s actions were never cause for fodder with ESPN’s various afternoonanchors. But the boys from Connecticut weren’t the only ones to ignore Irvin.

An Internet search on the topic will lead you to a few blogs and message boards, but that’s it. Most newspapers, including The Saint Louis Post Dispatch, skipped the story entirely.

It’s hard to believe that society has suddenly loosened up on racially sensitive comments to the point that statements like Irvin’s are no longer newsworthy.

Heck, just three years ago Rush Limbaugh was forced to resign from his post at ESPN amid a storm of controversy after he suggested that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan

McNabb was given too much credit for his team’s victory on account of the national media’s eagerness to see the success of a black quarterback.

Long time sports commentator Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder was fired by CBS after 12 years on the job after suggesting to a reporter in 1988 that African Americans were bred to be

better athletes during the Civil War era. He said, “During the slave period, the slave owner would breed his big black with his big woman so that he would have a big black kid that’s where it all started.”

Sound a little familiar?

Yet Irvin wasn’t fired or even suspended by ESPN.

There is clearly a double standard at work. Imagine this obviously ridiculous scenario: John Elway appears on the same show and playfully suggests that Byron Leftwich’s improved decision-making skills on the field were a result of his great-grandmother’s choice to sleep with a white, plantation owner. Suddenly we have a headline story, no doubt about it.

As for Irvin, he offered this explanation to Michael McCarthy of USA Today: “It’s clear I was joking around. But I understand my comments were inappropriate. I apologize for those comments. I need to learn how to better draw the line between bringing people into the locker room and the boundaries I should not go past as a broadcaster.”

You got it, Michael. Just like wet towel snapping and Icy Hot in jock straps, racial stereotypes have no business leaving the locker room.

I’d like to imagine [that] eventually they’d be left out of locker room culture, too. The double standard that has allowed Irvin to keep his job is prejudice, cut and dry. Keeping Irvin around only makes the situation worse. For this to happen, ESPN must have the courage to fire Michael Irvin.

The Missouri Western football team went 9-3 this season, but more importantly we made the playoffs. An early playoff loss to Midwestern State was disappointing, but the path is set for future success.

In past years, they have never gotten the respect from the rankings or our opponents. That improved a little this season. For years Griffon football has knocked on the door of the playoffs, but were never let in. This year, although still lacking respect, they had the chance. Many say this was a “magical season” with come from behind victories and last second wins. This was no magical season. Just because MWSU made it to the playoffs doesn’t mean that luck played a part of the great season or it was a fluke. This was Griffon football. This was a team led by a great core group of seniors that got the job done. Yes, they played close games to weaker opponents, but they won. Griffon Football is on the rise.

There is always an excuse of why the Griffons win. Somehow everybody chooses us to finish fifth in the MIAA every season, and every season Missouri Western proves them wrong. Every season UCM is picked above us, and every season we beat them. They were never supposed to beat Pitt State, but they did.

It started many years ago, there were many great wins and many low times. Eventually, it all came together. The Max Experience passed, and the new turf was installed. This excited fans and students began to come to games. They were in the rankings most, if not the whole season. They stepped up to the challenge and won. Everybody was excited about football and a run at the National Championship. Then it came to a sudden end with a disappointing loss, but don’t give up on the Griffons. We are here to stay and will be back for many years to come.

So, don’t just support us until we lose. Support athletics through the good and the bad times. Basketball, not just football, deserves your support. These athletes are representatives of your school. The more support the better.

The Western football team came together in a circle of prayer and defeat as the Washburn University marching band sang its lulling victorious anthem in nearby stands.

With a final score of 16-3, the Griffons surrendered its six game winning streak to the Washburn Ichabods at Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kan., last Saturday afternoon in front of 6,010 mixed fans.

The Western men are now 9-2 overall, and 7-2 within the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

Washburn moves to 7-4 overall, and 6-3 in the MIAA. Nevertheless the Griffs are still playoff material, and the No. 5 seed set to play next Saturday afternoon in a one-and-out playoff game.

Head Coach Jerry Partridge feels that the loss can be contributed to the fact that Washburn has an excellent defense, and Western failed to take advantage of certain opportunities such as dropped passes, over throws and missed kicks. Partridge said that the team had not faced a defense like Washburn’s in a long time.

“You’ve got to give Washburn credit for the job that they did,” Partridge said.

After the 1:00 p.m. kick off, the Griffons and Ichabods fought relentlessly throughout the first quarter with neither team unable to penetrate the defensive lines for a score.

Western ended the scoreless game after more than five minutes of play in the second quarter. Freshmen kicker Dustin Strickler’s 24-yard field goal sailed through the yellow posts for the only three points Western would be able to get during the entire game.

Although the Griffons gained 270 total offensive yards while the Ichabods fell short at 250- yards, the Ichabods averaged a 4.7 gain per play while the Griffs only averaged 3.8 per play. Senior Gijon Robinson feels that there is no one else to blame but themselves.

“We beat ourselves,” Robinson said. “They didn’t do anything to us that we didn’t allow them to do.”

Through a series of unfortunate plays that statement was proven. WU made its way onto the scoreboard when Western fumbled a punt snap and recovered it in the end zone just to be tackled by a WU player for a safety, which set the score at 3-2 for the first half.

In the third quarter Washburn broke through the Western defensive line for a touchdown, and follow it by with a completed two-point conversion.

Only minutes later Washburn marched into the Western end zone to set the final score at 16-3, due to the fact that Griffon defenders denied their second attempt at a two-point conversion.

The defense tried its hardest to limit the Ichabods scoring opportunities, and succeeded by not letting them back into the end zone for the remaining nine minutes of the third quarter, and the entirety of the fourth quarter.

Senior linebackers John Matthew Fisher and Ahmad Spry lead the Griffs in tackles with eight a piece. Fisher had five solo efforts while Spry had four solos.

Junior Chauncey Mayfield followed Fisher in the number of solo tackles, and a total of six. Senior Michael Cobbins also had six tackles with senior Sirraj Muhammad following close behind with four tackles.

Senior Jonathan Miller, freshman Chris Pulver and junior Jacob Schoonover assisted the team with three tackles apiece.

Schoonover felt the jaws of defeat just the same as his fellow teammates, but looked to the optimistic aspects of the game.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Schoonover said. “We can’t put the blame on them; that’s what tears teams apart and that’s what keeps you from going further in the season.”

Going further is exactly what the Griffon men have in mind. Western will take the time to mend offensive wounds before leaving for Witcha Falls, Tex., to play in their playoff game scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18. Western (No. 5) will show its strength starting at the 12:00 p.m. kick off against the No. 4 seed Midwestern State (9-2), whom Western has never played before. Partridge has a positive forecast.

“As soon as you count us out that’s when we probably rise up,” Partridge said.

The Griffs defeated Fort Hays State 24-10 last Saturday afternoon. The Griffons now cart a record of 9-1 overall, and 7-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Fort Hays falls to 1-9 overall, and 1-7 in the MIAA.

Head Coach Jerry Partridge feels that even though the offensive line is a little bruised due to the fact that several key players have gone down with injuries, they are learning how to patch the line and win games.

“The weaponry we have on offense [we] could play with anyone in America,” Partridge said. “The problem at this moment, we’re letting everyone in America play with us.”

Western’s offense proved its power by marching down the field to score two touchdowns within the early stages of the first quarter. Senior Jamison Burns picked up 65 rushing yards on nine carries, and the first two touchdowns for the Griffs, while Senior Jeremiah White picked up 105 yards on 17 carries.

All-American White surpassed the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the second time.

FHSU was limited to one field goal at the end of the half, which left the score at 14-3.

Fort Hays and Western came back with into the game with victory aspirations. It was Western who was able to succeed with those dreams. Senior Jarrett Brooks brought in a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but not before freshman Dustin Strickler kicked a 31-yard field goal in the latter part of the third quarter.

With only 18 seconds left in the game Fort Hays was unable to leave the score 24-3. In one final attempt, FHSU penetrated the defense and brought the score to its final.

Burns feels that it is an exciting feeling to have nine wins, which is something that Western has not b done before in a regular season.

“It’s an exciting thing to see that we’re all coming together and we’re winning,” Burns said. “That’s crazy to me. I’m just still taking it all in.”

While Burns and the team are still accepting the fact they have nine wins, it is time to focus on small obstacles.

The Griffs will take to the road this Saturday, and travel to Topeka, Kan. for a Washburn face-off scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Western will fight for its winning record, and a chance to bring the playoffs to Western’s turf.

Despite a shaky fourth quarter, Western walked away with a 24-21 victory over Southwest Baptist University at its own Plaster Stadium.

The Griffs move one step closer to playoff aspirations with an 8-1 overall record, and 6-1 in the MIAA. The Southwest Bearcats fall to 1-8 overall, and 1-6 in MIAA play.

Although the Bearcats are in the bottom of the MIAA standing, they were able to shut down the Griffon defense and offense in the fourth quarter of the game. Head coach Jerry Partridge feels the team played great defensively throughout the first three-quarters, but broke down during the fourth.

“We’re not hitting on all four cylinders,” Partridge said.

Senior Jeremiah White marched into the Bearcat end zone with a 2-yard run for the first touchdown of the game, and then again in the third quarter with a 4-yard touchdown. In between White’s run of the ball, senior Jamison Burns brought in a 2-yard touchdown, and averaged 55 rushing yards.

As the last half of the third quarter drew to an end, Western led with a 21-0 score. The Bearcats stepped it up within the last few seconds of the third quarter to put a halt to Western’s shutout fantasy. SBU made its way into the Griffon end zone one more time before the Griffs retaliated.

Western drove the ball into Bearcat territory, but they were unable to pull together for another touchdown. Freshman kicker Dustin Strickler brought in three points before SBU scored yet another touchdown to leave the score at 24-21.

The last minutes were the most crucial moments of the entire game. The Bearcats worked themselves into the Western red zone yet again, but on a third down play into the end zone J.R. Graham was smacked square in the chest with the interception with only 54 seconds left in the game.

“I [was] just so tired,” Graham said. “I just fell to the ground holding on, and glad I caught it.”

After the unexpected turn of events Western ran the clock out, and came away with the win. Although Graham literally saved the team from “the jaws of defeat,” as Partridge once said, he has his priorities in order.

“Our goal is to make it to the playoffs,” Graham said. “But yet we have to worry about next week. We’ve got Fort Hayes at home, and we don’t lose at home.”

That’s exactly why Western will take the next week to prepare for the game against Fort Hayes University set for Nov. 4, at 2:00 p.m., on Griffon turf.

Despite the cold and rainy playing conditions the Griffs stepped it up and defeated the Hornets of Emporia State 24-12. Western now carries the record of 7-1 overall, which is the best season record they have had since 1981.

The Griffons are now 6-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while the Hornets fall to 3-5 overall, and 2-4 in the MIAA.

In the beginning

Emporia got on the score board early in the first quarter after blocking Western’s punt, which gave the Hornets a good position on the Griffs’ three yard line. Two plays later the Hornets marched into the end zone for a touchdown, but were unable to connect the twopoint conversion play. The 6-0 score lasted throughout the first half, and half of the third quarter.

Head coach Jerry Partridge feels that his team did out- play Emporia by picking up 441 net yards on 69 plays, verses Emporia’s 255 net yards on 61 plays. However, a series of Western errors let ESU stay on top for the first half.

“We out- played them and we’re better than them,” Partridge said. “Just the way it went early: J.R. Graham has back spasms before the game, the weather kept our crowd away. Everything that could go wrong was going wrong.”

Western gave up the blocked punt and Senior J.R. Graham dropped a pass, which in both cases resulted in ESU possession. Partridge feels that the wind was a factor as well as the wetness.

“We still out gained them by 200 yards and that’s why we won the game,” Partridge said. “We dominated the line of scrimmage.”

The turning point

The shift of possession occurred in the latter part of the third quarter when freshman kicker Dustin Strickler took the field in order to attempt a 27- yard field goal, but little did he know the series of events that would soon follow.

“It was kind of a crazy little play off to the deep right of the end zone,” Strickler said.

Strickler lined up for the kick and fired away, but unfortunately the powerful kick was blocked by Emporia’s junior A.J. Franklin.

In the next few seconds of the game Western proved that talent and luck ran together. Fellow teammate and ball holder, freshman Daniel Eidson, immediately recovered at the ten yard line. Because the ball did not cross the line of scrimmage, Eidson acted upon quarterback instincts and connected a pass to sophomore Gijon Robinson in the end zone for Western’s first touchdown.

Robinson said that he heard the fire call, which tells the players to get ready for a pass, and he saw the opportunity to sneak into the end zone without the ESU defenders noticing.

“I’m back there waving my hand and he throws it to me,” Robinson said. “I just had to remind myself I have to catch this ball no matter.”

Although Eidson’s pass was not a pretty spiral due to the misty weather conditions, it found its way into Robinson’s hands. Eidson played quarterback during his high school years at Camdenton High School in Osage Beach, Mo. Eidson said that on any other sunny day that play would have never taken place, but as things played out his only thoughts were how to get the ball into the end zone.

“I had it in my mind for sure to run it,” Eidson said. “But then I saw Gijon in the back of the end zone just waving to me. So I threw the ugliest ball I have ever thrown in my life and he caught it.”

As for Partridge he saw all too familiar circumstances, and felt the same as he did when he watched senior Jarrett Brooks score the last second touchdown in the previous game.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Partridge said.

Disbelief or not, the Griffs found their momentum after Strickler scored the point after a kick which was made for a leading score of 7-6.

The finishing touches

The Western defenders took charge while the offense watched from the sidelines. With a combination of senior defenders John Matthew Fisher, Ahmad Spry, Brad Kester, Michael Cobbins and junior defender J.R. Graham the Hornets were to limited only one more touch down.

Western ended the third quarter with a Strickler field goal from 34 yards out setting the score at 10-6. The pace picked up in the fourth quarter as well as the scoring.

Senior running back Jeremiah White made his first score of the game at 10:47 in the final quarter on a 5- yard run into the end zone. White did not start the game due to team issues that were undisclosed, but once he got in he was on fire and picked up 111 rushing yards.

After more than seven minutes of play, starting quarterback senior Matt Landess connected a nine-yard pass to Brooks for a touchdown. On both touchdowns Strickler brought in the extra point to set Western further ahead of ESU with a 24-6 lead.

The Hornets made one last drive before the end of the game, and at 1:36 they found their way into Western’s end zone. Regardless of Emporia’s efforts, time ran out leaving Western with another winning notch to add to their record.

Partridge feels that a successful team needs a good combination of luck and talent in order to win games.

“We’re good,” Partridge said. “And when luck happens you win games.”

The Western men will perfect their talent this week in order to face off against the Southwest Baptist Bearcats in Bolivar, Mo., this Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

This may be the best team Missouri Western has ever had. Where is the fan support? We are 7-1 rated, second in the regional poll, which we would have a home game as of right now and we are ranked 14 in the nation.

We still get the minimum fan support! We can’t even fill our small stadium with enough fans for one side much less the tiny visitors side. It’s kind of embarrassing.

The people who went to the Northwest game saw the atmosphere that we should be creating around our program. Get excited about this opportunity to be a part of our team as we make a run at the playoffs.

We need your help! We can make our stadium hostile and loud, but we need fans to come to the games.

Try to find a way to make it to the Saturday games and support the team as we try to get to the national championship game.

Don’t wait to jump on our bandwagon. We are good now! Come to the games and be a part of the game and the team. Help us win ball games!

You can really make the difference between a win and a loss when playoff time comes around. We like having fans yell and scream and say crazy things at the opponent. It pumps us up and makes us play that much harder.

Anyway, I hope this will make you think about your decisions for the weekend. Put off going home to Kansas City for the weekend. You can go home anytime. People of St. Joseph, where have you been? The games are basically free of charge! COME!

Everyone now pays for the Max Experience in their tuition so take advantage of it or the extra money you are spending to come to this college is not getting used.

Our team plays college football like it is meant to be played. Hard and with a lot of emotion plus, we win. What more do you want from us? Our last home game is Nov. 4, where will you be?

Western trailed by one point for most of the fourth quarter. However, senior quarterback Matt Landess was able to connect a pass to senior Jarrett Brooks from 43 yards out. With only six seconds left in the game, Brooks finished the play by running the ball into the end zone, which secured Western with a 6-1 overall record.

Western is now positioned at 4-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, while Missouri Southern falls to 3-4 overall and 1-4 in the MIAA.

Head coach Jerry Partridge feels that the team was lucky and fortunate that they were able to come with the win. He said that sometimes in every football team’s season a game like this must occur.

“We snatched victory from the jaws of defeat,” Partridge said.

The Griffon men came out of the gate ready for a fight, but the team was not firing on all its cylinders. Western showed the same quarterback shuffle routine as they did last game by starting with senior Michael Burton, and ending with Matt Landess. Burton went 5-of- 12 passing attempts for 51 yards, while Landess went 10-of-23 for 137 yards.

The Griffs were able to put the first three points on the board with a 32-yard field goal from sophomore Dustin Strickler, but Southern answered back with a touchdown and a field goal.

Strickler was able to make it back onto the field for a 27-yard field goal, which gave Western a trailing score of 10-6 at the end of the half. After the game, Strickler came up with his own plan of attack for the next game.

“We definitely just need to start pouncing on teams right from the beginning,” Strickler said. “We kind of give them a little room here and there, and we just need to get out a head of them right from the get go.”

Although Partridge said that there were a couple of turnovers that could have been avoided, he doesn’t contribute all the blame to the players for the trailing score through out the game.

“I don’t want to say it was us,” Partridge said. “Missouri Southern played well. I think you kind of take away from what they did. They played hard and I knew that was going to happen.”

Southern and Western battled it out during the second half. The Griffs were not only able to break away with a lead, but senior running back Jamison Burns broke Western’s single
game longest run with a 97-yard touchdown.

“I had to get in the end zone,” Burns said.

Burns was not the only one itching to get into the end zone through out the game. Southern was able to force their way into Western’s end zone just before the third quarter ended, which left the score at 17-13. Strickler picked up three more points for Western at the beginning of the fourth quarter with a 38-yard field goal.

Although Southern was not able to score again, the Western defense was put to the test for the last quarter of the game to keep the score at 17-16. Senior Chauncey Mayfield walked away from the game with all time personal high of 12 tackles, while junior J.R. Graham came in a close second with 11 tackles.

Brooks feels that it was a group effort that the team was able to overcome and pull out with the win. Although he had an amazing catch and run into the end zone, he would not have been there were it not for the defense.

“It feels good, but it all started when our defense made a good stop,” Brooks said.

Southern’s offense were able to get close enough to attempt field goals, but they could not seem to get past seniors Leon Douglas and Jon Miller, who both were able to block those attempted points. Brooks was suspended last game due to an arrested in Maryville, but was glad to be back on the starting line.

“It feels great just to be back with my teammates,” Brooks said.

The Western men will regroup after traveling for two consecutive weekends over the next week, and make their next appearance at Spratt Memorial Stadium. The Griffs are preparing to take on Emporia State at 2:00 p.m. with a home field advantage, and a Homecoming Celebration.

Video of the win over Missouri Southern: Multimedia

Senior running back Jeremiah White takes the part of thunder, while senior Jamison Burns fills the role of lightning.

White likes to wear down the defense and deal out punishment as the game goes on. He gets stronger later in the game as the defense gets tired. He is very tough to bring down.

“I don’t like to get tackled,” said White. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

His punishing style makes him very effective in goal line and short yardage situations. When the team has a lead, White can pound the ball up the middle and slowly watch the clock tick away. He can be effective even if the defense knows a run is coming.

While White uses power, Burns unleashes great speed to bust big plays. He uses his speed to get into the open field and outrun the defense. Once he gets into open space, he looks to the end zone.

“I want to get to the end zone as fast as I can,” said Burns. “I have pretty good speed and can out run some people.”

Burns is a great weapon when the Griffons are behind or need a big play. He is a threat to break a big run on every play and can pick yards in a hurry. He can also turn a short pass play into a big gain.

Western’s one-two punch can really cause problems for an opposing defense. The defense can be kept off balance by a good combination of speed and power.

A successful running game has played a key role in the Griffon’s season. Moving the ball on the ground early can open things up for the rest of the offense.

The thunder and lightning reference comes from the running styles of the two seniors. White’s powerful style is like the loud boom of thunder and Burns is fast like a flash of lightning.

They have had solid seasons and contributed a great amount to the success of the team. Both backs understand how well they compliment each other.

“I’ve got the speed and Jeremiah’s got the jukes,” said Burns. “I’m working on my jukes though so I can get up there with Jeremiah.”

The team will look to get good production from both backs as the season continues. These two seniors will need to perform well while the Griffons fight their way toward the post season.

Last Sunday showed the start of rookie quarterbacks by Arizona, Tampa Bay and Tennessee. Along with these greenhorns, back up quarterbacks from Kansas City, Minnesota and Miami stepped up to the challenge in their Week 5 match ups.

Of the starting rookies, none managed to walk away with a win, and of the back up quarterbacks, two were victorious. Damon Huard trumped Matt Leinhart’s chances of winning his first NFL start by leading the Chiefs to victory 23-20. Minnesota Vikings third string QB Brad Johnson lead his team on a fourth quarter rally to beat Detroit 26-17. But Miami back up QB Joey Harrington was no match for Tom Brady and the New England powerhouse, who defeated the Dolphins 20-10.

But it was not only young quarterbacks that had chances to earn their stripes, along with players, some teams got their feet wet with rookie coaches.

NFC teams from New Orleans, St. Louis and Minnesota have all shown improvement over their 2005 season records with their new coaches, not to mention all three teams won their Week 5 games.

Right now, teams are finding hope in backup and rookie players after suffering devastating losses to injuries. Priest Holmes was removed from the Chiefs playable list, leaving Larry Johnson to pick up the slack. After giving up one fumble and a turnover on a disputable call, the question remains, can he fill the shoes left in Holmes’ absence?

But don’t forget about Huard, who has played well after Trent Green’s concussion in Week 1. Huard has managed to help keep the team at a .500 winning percentage, but how long will it hold?

And where does the rest of the NFL stand? Is the turnover rate of players in the league on the rise due to injuries? Or do players simply need to be put out to pasture after a certain length of time?

One place that people are focusing on as of late is Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre. Favre is a sixteen-year veteran of the NFL and has in the past been a great quarterback. But after some lackluster performances thus far, his heroic stature may be fading away. And things don’t seem to be getting much better, Green Bay is currently 1-4 for the season, the most embarrassing statistic being that they are 0-3 at Lambeau Field, their home turf and “crown jewel of the National Football League” as proclaimed by the fields official web site.

Perhaps the biggest question that still looms, is the league at a threshold? Are we about to see an overhaul of the line-ups fans hold near and dear?

With twelve weeks left in the regular season and big name rookies like Reggie Bush and Vince Young in the mix, the decision is still up in the air, but if younger players and coaches come forward and accept the challenges at hand, my guess would be that things are about to change.

Now I’m not saying that the league is going to be clear cut so a new crop of athletes can rise to the occasion, but I do think some very important changes are on the horizon, changes that will mostly effect big name coaching staffs and starting quarterbacks.

It’s just like the saying goes, out twenty-two points, plus triple-word-score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game’s over. I’m outta here, with the old and in with the new.

This victory marked the fourth consecutive season the Griffs have managed to defeat the Central Mules.

Western is now 5-1 overall, and 3-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The Mules fall to 3-3 overall, and 1-3 in the MIAA.

Coach Partridge feels that this is a great victory for the team because it sets the team with a good record.

“We’re in position to do some good things,” Partridge said.

Although the team was one starting wide receiver short, the Griffs came together to dig up the win.

Senior Jarrett Brooks was unable to participate in Saturday’s game because of a Sept. 28 arrest in Maryville, Mo. Brooks was charged with driving with a suspended license, improper registration and having an open container in a vehicle. Brooks watched his team struggle through the first half, and felt the repercussions of his incident.

“It’s stressful because you want to be out there so bad helping your teammates,” Brooks said.

Partridge feels that the team really stepped up their game even though they were short a star starter. Brooks is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 17, at 1:30 p.m. Brooks may have been suspended from last Saturday’s game, but Partridge confirms his future playing days.

“When Jarrett Brooks doesn’t play for you it’s a huge loss,” Partridge said. “As far as I’m concerned, he’ll be back next week.”

Despite the loss, Western came out and put points on the board. Freshman Andrew Mead was able to score in the first quarter from 24 yards out.

Senior Michael Burton started as quarterback for the Griffons first half, while Senior Matt Landess finished up the second half. The dynamic duo went 13-of-27 for 173 yards.

Senior All-American Jeremiah White felt both quarterbacks complimented each other and got things done.

“They both get the job done,” White said.

White also helped compliment the offense by stomping through the Mules defense to pick up 147 total yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.

Western ended the first half with a ten-point deficit, but came back after the half and dominated the field. The Griffs did not allow the Mules to score for the rest of the Game.

The defense shut down the Mule offense by holding them to only 13 rushing yards through out the second half.

Junior Jacob Schoonover led the defense with a total of nine tackles, while junior J.R. Graham picked up eight tackles. Senior Leon Douglas did his part by collecting six tackles including two sacks.

Western appears to have found a winning alignment within the offense and defense, and will continue tweaking it until the season ends in a national victory.

On Oct. 14, Western will pack up to travel to Joplin, Mo., for a 2:00 p.m. scuffle against Missouri Southern who have a 3-3 overall record, and 1-3 in MIAA play.

Video of the win over Central Missouri: Multimedia

Western defeated the Truman Bulldogs 38-13 last Saturday afternoon. The Griffs recovered from last weekend’s loss against Northwest Missouri State by securing the Truman victory early in the game and setting the team’s record at 4-1, and 2-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Association. The Truman Bulldogs fall to 1-4, and 1-2 within the MIAA.

Western not only set a season record, but also enabled head coach Jerry Partridge to take on the title of the coach with the most wins in Western’s history. This honor means that Partridge, with 66 wins, surpassed the late former Western head coach Rob Hicklin. Partridge contributes the honor to the efforts of the team as a whole including players’ performance and a good coaching staff.

“It means a lot,” Partridge said. “There’s a lot of good players and a lot of good coaches that are a part of this.”

The Griffons showed proof of the team coaching ability when they scored the first ten points of the game. Sophomore Dustin Strickler started the game with a 39-yard field goal in the first quarter and freshman Ferrell McGhee made his first career touchdown on a seven-yard pass from returning quarterback Michael Burton.

The Truman Bulldogs drove the ball 59 yards on eight plays, but was only able to pull off a 37-yard field goal to finally get some points on the board at 9:02 in the second quarter.

Senior All-American Jeremiah White made an impressive recovery from last weekend’s career low of 44 yards. White pushed through the Bulldog’s defense picking up 109 rushing yards on 19 carries. He scored two touchdowns for the Griffons, one of which was a 62-yard pass from Burton. White has successfully rushed for 100 or more yards in the last 15 of 17 games.

“That’s all we worked on during practice,” White said. “To get the offense going and try to keep the defense off the field; make big plays.”

In between White’s run on the field, TSU came up with yet another field goal from 31 yards out in the third quarter setting the score at 24-6.

At 3:50 into the fourth quarter TSU connected a 34-yard pass to Ryan Bonner for the Bulldogs first touchdown. Western responded four minutes later with 57-yard drive on eight plays and a 27-yard touchdown pass to junior Joey Harris for a 31-13 ball game. Harris racked up 51 receiving yards on three carries.

White and Harris were not the only players burning up the field. Senior Jamison Burns collected 71 rushing yards on ten carries, and the last touchdown in the game on a five-yard carry.

Senior Jarrett Brooks pulled his weight by picking up 17 rushing yards, and an even more impressive 75 receiving yards on four carries. The big plays through out the game were made possible by returning quarterback senior Michael Burton. Senior Matt Landess was unable to fill the position because of missed practices due to illness. Burton returned to his position last Saturday, and after working out the kinks made some big plays. Burton completed 13 of 20 passes resulting in a total of 214 yards and three touchdowns.

“It felt real good to be back out there,” Burton said.

There is no doubt that the offense was at the top of their game, but the defense is the reason the Griffs held such a mighty lead. Even though Truman was able to march into the Griffon red zone more than once, the defenders were able to hold the Bulldogs to only one touchdown and two field goals.

“We kept them out of the end zone,” Partridge said.

Junior J.R. Graham led the defense with nine tackles, three of which were solo efforts. Seniors Sirraj Muhammad, Ahmad Miller and Jonathan Miller helped the Griffs by collecting six tackles apiece. It appears that five was a very lucky number for seniors Leon Douglas, John Matthew Fisher, Michael Cobbins and junior Seth Hane, who each got five tackles.

Partridge feels the team has had a very rigorous schedule so far, but feels the team executed the win so well that it created a breather for them.

“Our kids kind of just came out and did it real business like,” Partridge said.

The Western men will have to go back to the office and study, as well as practice, for the next meeting they have scheduled on Oct. 7, in Warrensburg, Mo., against Central Missouri State who’s record is 3-2.

Related content: The Quarterback Question; Partridge gets a win and makes history; Video coverage of the win; White scores on a 69-yard pass; Flash slideshow of the win

Partridge has won 66 games in his ten year career at Western, which sets him one point higher than his former head coach, the late Rob Hicklin.

“I wish he would have been here,” Partridge said.

Hicklin passed away on Sept. 1, at the age of 69 due to a heart attack and stroke he suffered in late Aug. Hicklin was Western’s second football coach, and spent 12 years coaching starting in 1974.

Partridge learned from his old coach, and followed in his foot steps.

“It means a lot,” Partridge said.

This victory represents the strength of the team as a whole. Senior Michael Burton feels that Partridge, along with the entire coaching staff, are very worthy of the
title.

“He totally deserves this,” Burton said. “The whole coaching staff too is as much a part of this as he is, and I’m sure he would be the first one to tell you that.”

Partridge will now remain the winningest coach in Western history until one day he is surpassed, maybe even by one of his own players. No matter his victory, Partridge will always remember his old friend and coach as the victor.

“When he passed away he was still the winningest coach,” Partridge said.

Related content: The Quarterback Question??; Griffons, White run over Truman State

Six players that played last year are back to help the Griffons collect some wins. They include Brady Rabatin, Brad Hankins, Jay White, Brett Pettigrew Marques Salmond and Tony Matzke. These players bring their experience and excellence to the Griffon coaching staff.

Salmond has experience in both college and arena football. His South Dakota team went 17-0 last season. Salmond says that college football and arena ball are different.

He said you have to get used to arena football. The game is faster, the field is smaller and the rules are different. The change in the game wasn’t why Salmond came back to Missouri Western; he needed his degree.

“I came back for school and money,” Salmond said.

Many athletes’ eligibility is done before they get their degree. Coaching is a way to get experience, a paycheck and an education.

One obstacle these coaches have to overcome is the urge to play.

“Every time we play I want to suit up,” Salmond said.

Instead he stands on the sidelines. As a result, he sees the game from a different perspective.

“I can see the whole play develop because now I’m a spectator,” Salmond said. “It was harder to see the play when I played, because everybody was in motion.”

Coaches are not only the ones who have to adjust. Returning players now have former teammates as coaches. Just ask staring linebacker Seth Hane.

“It’s weird when I hear a freshman say ‘Coach Matzke’ or ‘Coach White,’” Hane said.

Although it’s weird, Hanes feels the advice these coaches give is not hard to take or follow.

“Guys like Matzke know a lot about every team we play,” Hane said. “He played against them for four years so he knows what he’s talking about.”

Salmond believes that as the roles change so do his thoughts about coaches.

“I have a lot more respect for coaches and what they do for the team,” Salmond said. “They put in hours of work each week to game plan.”

This is something that Salmond is going to have to look forward to, but it will be a few years until then.

“After I graduate, I’m going to see how far football takes me,” Salmond said. “After that, I’m going to go back to California to coach.”

The new coaches are giving extra eyes to the players on and off the field. What seems to be a win, win situation could help produce more victories for the Griffon football team.

Football players hired as coaches – image

Senior Matt Landess, who has started for Western in the last two games, had missed two practices last week due to strep throat. The coaching staff felt that Burton was the best candidate to fill the starting quarterback position for the Truman game.

“It felt real good to be back out there,” Burton said.

Burton had not started the last two games prior to the Bulldog fight. Burton was injured during the St. Cloud game on Sept. 9, but has since recovered and has been waiting patiently to regain his position.

Landess is now recovering well from his illness, and the big question on everyone’s minds is, “Which quarterback will continue to start for Western?”

“If both of us play then that’s great,” Burton said. “We’re both pretty much different quarterbacks. That just gives just more for the defenses were going to be facing to try to prepare for.”

Partridge feels that Burton and Landess are both very talented and strong players in different ways. This should not be looked upon as a controversy or problem for the team.

“It’s not a controversy,” Partridge said. “We’ve got two options that can play well. It’s more a quarterback question.”

He feels that the word controversy sends the message that this situation is negative when really it’s how the system works.

“You lose your job because of injury or sickness,” Partridge said.

In both situations each player has stepped up to the challenge and pulled through for the team in big ways. For the next week the two will practice as hard as they can. Partridge will meet with the quarterback coach to discuss exactly which quarterback is ready for the game.

—

Related content: Partridge gets a win and makes history; Griffons, White run over Truman State

The Griffons traveled to Maryville last Saturday afternoon for a head to head meeting with the NWMSU Bearcats. The Griffs were defeated 24-21 by the undefeated Bearcats.

The loss moved the Griffons to a 3-1 season record, and 1-1 in the MIAA. NWMSU is 4-0 as of now, and stand at 2-0 in MIAA play.

The two teams took the field at in an electrically charged Bearcat Stadium filled with 8,900 fans. The noises generated from the sea of green mixed with portions of golden and black were of NFL magnitudes. Head coach Jerry Partridge feels this aspect might have been a factor that contributed to the loss.

“I think another big factor was the crowd noise,” Partridge said. “It’s hard when you don’t get to play in this atmosphere all the time to respond. It’s easy to play when everybody is for you.”

The Western men fed off of this energy in the early stages of the game and were able to hold Northwest to a short four play series. The Griffs blocked an attempted punt, and MWSU junior Chauncey Mayfield, came up with the recovery for a first down at the Bearcats 30-yard line. Although Western was revved up, they were not able to capitalize on the field advantage. The Bearcats put a stop to Western’s charge by ending a 4-8 conversion. The two opponents battled up and down the field for the full 15 minutes with no results.

At 9:50 in the second quarter Northwest was the first team to break through the defensive line with a completed six yard pass to NWMSU Josh Gannan. The Bearcats did not leave the score at 7-0 for too long. Northwest broke through again with a one yard run by star running back Xavier Omon to set the score at 14-0 with only 3:06 remaining in the half.

Western had to work fast into order to retaliate with a 34-yard completion to senior Jarrett Brooks from senior Jeremiah White in a halfback option play. Sophomore Dustin Strickler secured the 14-7 game score for the first half with the point after kicked.

The third quarter was a grueling match, which began with Western going three and out on a series. The Griffs were not able to get the punt off, leaving Northwest only 13 yards away from the end zone. Omon set the score 21-7 with a one yard run.

Northwest’s Omon picked up 144 rushing yards while Western’s own star running back, all-American White, was held to a mere 44 yards. White has rushed for 100 yards or more in each game this season. Partridge feels that there was a combination of factors that went into White’s performance including the number of people they put on the scrimmage line, missed openings and failed blocks.

Senior Leon Douglas feels that the reason Omon broke through their line of scrimmage so many times is because they weren’t tackling as they should have been.

“There were periods time in the game where he was just almost gliding through our defense,” Douglas said.

Even though White was not at his peak performance and Omon was on fire, the Griffs mustered up enough energy to drive the ball 79 yards within nine plays. Senior Matt Landess connected a 25-yard pass to junior Joey Harris. Harris was able to catch the ball off of a Northwest defender’s back, while Strickler brought in the point after for a tied 21-21 score.

The Griffon defense worked hard to keep the Bearcats out of the end zone. Safety Mayfield lead the way with a career high 11 tackles, nine of which were solo efforts. Senior John Mathew Fisher did his part by chalking down nine tackles, including six solos. Senior Michael Cobbins set his record at seven tackles, while senior linebackers Siraaj Muhammad, Douglas and junior Seth Hane got six tackles a piece.

Due to the efforts of the defense the Griffons and Bearcats ended the third quarter with a tied score. The fourth quarter was a full on fight for the victory. The teams went back and fourth with three and out series until the Bearcats got within range to kick a 41-yard field goal to set the score to 24-21 with only 4:16 remaining in the game.

The final stages of the game were nearing and Western had possession. With only 4:05 minutes left in the game the men attempted to drive the ball 79 yards. Unfortunately, after a few failed plays, the Bearcats intercepted a pass intended for freshman wide receiver, Andrew Mead. The Griffs were unable to recover due to the fact that there was only a little over a minute left in the game when Northwest began their drive.

The loss was difficult for the players to swallow as they walked off of the field, but all thoughts were focused on how to learn from this experience. Douglas felt this was the best way to cope with the loss.

“It’s just one game,” Douglas said. “We have seven more games so it’s a bright future ahead of us. We just have to take this and file it in the back and just remember how we played, and we can get better.”

Partridge feels that the loss is a disappointment, but the team should not dwell too much over the defeat. The team needs take this loss and learn from it.

“What are we going to do from here?” Partridge said. “Are we going to let this game beat us over and over again or are we going to rise up and keep that as the one lost? We got some tough games on our schedule still [and] it starts next Saturday with Truman [State University].”

The Griffons have plans to review all of the films from the game in order to repair the breakdowns the team had offensively and defensively. Western will make their next appearance at Spratt Stadium playing against Truman State on Sept. 30, at 2:00 p.m. The game is also considered the Family Day and the Hall of Fame game, in which four players will be inducted.

View video of the Northwest/Missouri Western game: Multimedia; Flash slideshow of the game

This rings true for one Missouri Western linebacker.

Senior football player John Matthew Fisher is playing in his fourth and final season for Western.

Head Coach Jerry Partridge said Fisher has grown a lot over the years, especially in the confidence department.

“He’s grown so much as a person,” Partridge said. “He’s more confident, believe it or not. When you’re a good looking guy like that, and you’re big and strong, and you’re a good player, a lot of people wouldn’t think confidence would be an issue. But when it comes to some times, when adults are getting on him, men adults especially, sometimes he would not handle it as well as he should or at least he would lose his confidence instead of understanding it was constructive. He’s become such a good player. He’s very smart and he’s just one of the better linebackers in our league.”

Fisher said that through football his boost in confidence helps him not only on the field but off the field as well.

“I think I have grown a lot in the last four years,” Fisher said. “I think through friends and experience the most though. Through football I’ve become ore confident and more self assured, and in my personal life I just have grown closer to friends and family that I think I took for granted when I was younger.”

Even though Fisher said his confidence has grown he said he still gets pre-game jitters.

“I don’t think I’ll ever not have them [jitters] but I listen to country music to calm me to a degree and just try to go through plays and defenses in my head to take my mind off the nerves,” Fisher said. “But I think the jitters keep me grounded and help me to never over look someone or something. The more nervous I am, the more I prepare and concentrate for the game.”

Fisher’s football career started in high school where he was a linebacker at Central High School in St. Joseph.

Fisher was an all-conference selection. Fisher was also named all-city two times and all-area in his senior season.

“At first what drove me was that all my friends were doing it and I loved sports,” Fisher said. “After I got into it I loved the contact of the sport and found I had a knack for it. Then after being involved in it, it was clear that the friendships and memories you make while putting your body through such an extreme sport can’t be done doing anything else.”

In Fisher’s spare time, it would be likely to find him dressed in camouflage gear, with a rifle, in the good old outdoors.

“I love to hunt,” Fisher said. “I mean whatever is open I’m probably hunting it with my dad and uncle. It’s something I could do year round and every day without any complaints.”

Fisher will be completing his degree in Criminal Justice but said he would like gain experience in the field of coaching at Western.

“Where I see myself is still up in the air,” Fisher said.

Partridge feels the same way Fisher does about what’s in store for his life after football and college.

“I think Fish is pretty realistic and I’m not sure exactly what he wants to become,” Partridge said. “I know that he loves to hunt and fish and I can see him becoming a professional in that area to be honest with you.”

Tony Matzke, former teammate and one of Fisher’s good friends off the field, is now coaching him on the field.

“Fisher is looking good on the field,” Matzke said. “He is the most experienced linebacker being a three year veteran. We joke around a lot but when it gets down to being serious he listens to the advice I give him.”

Matzke said that Fisher was a great teammate and it was fun being able to play next to him. Both Matzke and Partridge said that Fisher has become a great leader over the years.

Fisher’s words of wisdom for future Western football players: “Advice is simple, enjoy the ride and always be ready because you never know when it will be your chance to put on a black helmet.”

Fisher said once the season ends, the memories and friends will still continue on.

“I will take away a lot of friends and memories more than just football,” Fisher said. I’ll remember the pranks, like Anbesol in the mouth piece, the jokes and the down time we all shared while being teammates the most. The wins are great but those will fade, but hopefully the friendships won’t.”

Fisher hopes the team has a great season.

—

Dorothy Charles is also a writer for GoGriffons.com.

Although the Western men ranked in the No. 23 seat, they are now at 3-0 for the season, and 1-0 within the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The defeat left the Pitt State Gorillas at 2-1 and 0-1 in the MIAA.

The Griffon men took the field at 6 p.m. and dominated the turf from the start. The Gorillas began the first series of the game that ended in a fumble and a recovery by Griffon junior defensive back J.R. Graham on the 29-yard line. The Griffs got the ball to the one-yard line and senior running back Jeremiah White finished the series by running the ball in for the touchdown.

The completion of the point after kick set Western to a 7-0 lead at just 9:54 into the first quarter. The Griffons have been unable to get the first points on the scoreboard for the past seven games.

The Gorillas may have let the first score slide by, but they retaliated by driving the ball 81 yards, resulting in a touchdown and a tied score. Western answered PSU by firing off three touchdown plays in a row.

Replacement quarterback junior Matt Landess not only connected on passes for the touchdowns, but also ran in the ball from the one-yard line to set the score at 14-7. Landess filled in for the injured senior Michael Burton as the starting quarterback. He went 12-of-20 for 204 yards through the air. It is still undecided whether or not Burton will return next week as the starter or whether Landess will remain in the position.

After another fumble by the Gorillas, Landess connected a handoff to senior running back Jamison Burns for a two-yard into the end zone.

Although Landess may or may not be the official starting quarterback, the dynamics of the team are falling it place.

“We knew we could do it,” Landess said. “It was just a matter of going out there and getting a few breaks. We recovered that onside kick and just kept rolling.”

The onside kick happened during Western’s punt return when freshman wide receiver Andrew Mead recovered the ball on a high bounce. After a short series White pushed through the defense again for a one-yard carry to set the score at a 28-7 lead. White picked up a total of 112 rushing yards on 23 carries.

“This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time, getting both the running backs going and also the quarterback,” White said. “We’re going to be good this year.”

The Gorillas came back into the game with 7:54 remaining in the half with a touchdown by Germaine Race. Western fired right back with an 80-yard drive resulting in a Burns touchdown. On top of the two scores for Burns, he picked up 75 rushing yards.

PSU was able to score one last time before the half, but the Griffs scrambled down the field and sophomore Dustin Strickler kicked a 29-yard field goal to set the final halftime score at 38-21.

Senior Jarrett Brooks started the second half when Landess connected a 34-yard to the receiver for a touchdown.

In the final stages of the game senior Brad Kester intercepted a pass from the Gorillas, in addition to his three tackles. Kester was injured on the play and taken off the field on a stretcher. He only received minor injuries, which include five stitches above his left eye. Kester will return to his starting position upon clearance of his physician.

In Kester’s presence and absence the defense held the Gorillas back. Senior Michael Cobbins lead the defense with eight tackles, six of which were unassisted. Junior Chauncey Mayfield and Graham each did their part by chalking down six tackles apiece.

The Griffons pulled together and we’re able to get in one more field goal by Strickler.

With what energy was left, PSU mustered up enough to complete two series that both resulted in touchdown setting the final score at 48-35.

The Western men rushed for a total of 261 yards on 47 attempts compaired to PSU’s 175 rushing yards.

Coach Jerry Partridge feels that the team knew they were capable of coming out and playing the way that they did. His expectations were definitely met, but there are still areas that need work in order to come up with a victory against Northwest.

Defensively, Partridge feels that the team could be a little bit more on their game. Partridge will have to determine soon who will take the starting position as quarterback, but until then the team and him will bask in the glory of victory.

“Our kids just made plays,” Partridge said. “Even though we didn’t stop them well, we had some turnovers that helped us. We beat an awfully good football team.”

The Western men will take to the turf for some serious practice and training in order to go on the road and head to head with big-time No. 2 ranked rival Northwest Missouri State in Maryville. The battle is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 23.

View video of the win against the Gorillas: Multimedia

The first 2006 home football game kicked off last Saturday evening, and the Griffon men got off to a late start. The Huskies were able to fire off a fourth down touchdown in the early stages of the first quarter. St. Cloud stepped it up again by intercepting a Western pass to run it back for a touchdown setting the score at 14-0.

The Griffons fought back with a 62-yard drive ending when Burton connected a pass to red-shirted freshman Andrew Mead for his first career touchdown. The point after was blocked which set the score 14-6. Mead was very pleased with his performance and glad that the play came together.

“It was amazing,” Mead said. “Seeing the ref throw his arms up and say touchdown, there’s nothing better in my life.”

Senior linebacker Siraaj Mohammad took charge of the defense when he blocked a punt by the Huskies in order for sophomore Zach Sharp to run it in for a touchdown. Burton was able to run the ball in for a two-point conversion and brought the score to 14 – 14. Burton was injured during the play, but continued on in the game.

When the Griffs took the field for the next offensive drive, Burton made it to the fourth play before his injury took him out of the game. With Burton out for the rest of the game that meant backup quarterback junior Matt Landess had to lead the team.

Although getting off to a shaky start, Landess proved he had all of the ingredients to be a starting quarterback by passing 13-of-23 for 150 yards, and completing two touchdown passes to sophomore Anthony Anderson to secure the win and record of 2-0.

Senior running back Jeremiah White contributed to Western’s offense domination by rushing for 100 yards on 21 carries. Senior wide receiver Jarrett Brooks set the bar for receiving passes with 95 yards on six caught passes.

Landess was not bothered all that much about the pressure that was put on his shoulders, but more at the speed of the game. He said after he got in there and fell into sync with the other players things slowed down a bit. Despite a few errors, Landess is prepared to start the next game if Burton is not able to play because of his shoulder injury.

“I feel good,” Landess said. “Obviously I want to play.”

Burton injured his non-throwing shoulder and elbow during the conversion and series afterward. X-rays and therapy are scheduled sometime this week, but it is unknown exactly what the next step will be. Burton as well as head coach Jerry Partridge feel that Landess will start at the next game.

Partridge feels that the team has different aspects of their game that they need to improve upon in order to dominate throughout each series. One area that needs work is the deficit the Griffs found themselves in through the first stages of the game as well as turnovers.

“If we’re behind that doesn’t mean we’re out of it,” Partridge said.

Although there were some weaknesses, Partridge feels that there are positive aspects with the special teams, defense and a large part of the offense. The offense was able to bring in a total of 350 yards, with 230 in the air and 150 on the ground. A huge part of the offensive power was Landess coming into the game as well as other players showing what they were made out of.

“Offensively Matt Landess stepped up big,” Partridge said. “I was pleased with Matt’s throwing; he gave us some big throws.”

The Western men agree with Partridge that Landess did a great job under the circumstances.

The Western defenders were on top of their game by holding the Huskies to only 267 yards out of 67 plays. The Griffs were able to intercept two passes in order to compensate for the interception touchdown in the first quarter. Another fighting aspect was that senior middle linebacker John Mathew Fisher set the record for tackles by bringing down 11 Huskies.

The Western men have gone two games with a deficit of scores. The Griffons played Central Oklahoma on Aug. 31, and eventually pulled in a 32-29 win. The team will prepare for their next home game against Pittsburg State University on Sept. 16, at 6 p.m.

View video of the win against the Huskies: Multimedia

Football and soccer players now have new green, yellow, black and white turf to squish their cleats into. The track resurfacing was also part of phase one of the Max Experience, a student fee referendum passed in March.

Both teams started practicing on the new turf over two weeks ago and the most common response from those individuals was, “I love it.”

The cost of the track and turf together will total between $750,000 and $800,000 which is on budget. Gumbo, a type of soil that traps water, was found while putting in the sub-base. The soil had to be solidified which cost an an extra $9,000. The turf’s lifespan runs about eight to 12 years. This turf has an eight year warranty and is expected to last the whole eight years.

Michelle Polk, a returning soccer player, says she really likes the turf because it’s faster compared to grass.

“I like it a lot, it’s a lot faster pace and it’s the maximum footage we’re allowed to have,” Polk said. “So I think it gets us in shape pretty well for other fields that we will be playing on.”

Even though the new turf helps players with speed, having the maximum footage allowed might take more effort.

The soccer team will now host their home games at Spratt Stadium rather than having to play on bumpy ground at the Riverside Soccer Complex.

“It helps that the turf is flat and we don’t have a bunch of potholes and that cuts down on injury which we can’t have right now because of our few numbers.”

From kicking balls around to catching them in the air, football is seeing the biggest difference.

Football’s head coach Jerry Partridge says he can see a difference in his team now that they are able to practice on the same field they play on.

“It seems like over there in the practice field it’s kind of in a valley and the heat gets trapped down in there and it just seems like the attitude is a lot better when you’re in the stadium,” Partridge said.

Partridge said the turf is a truer surface and you don’t have to worry about getting ruts like in grass. The turf is able to be used whether the sun is shining or is being hit by rain drops. “You can practice under the lights and under the heat without it being hot and get out there when it’s cooler and have the lights on and not tear your field up,” Partridge said.

Partridge said another positive would be that his players feel like they’re faster.

Even though the new turf has many positives there are still some negatives.

“I think there’s some more abrasions,” Partridge said. “It seems like to me there’s a few more muscle pulls just because it’s almost like being on a beach to a certain extinct. I’m a little nervous about some of the knee injuries and ankle injuries that could happen because I think their feet can get caught.”

The turf was just one part of phase one. The track was resurfaced and won’t be made of rubber any longer. Now that the track and turf is completed Athletic Director Mark Linder hopes not only athletes use the new track and turf but students as well.

He has expectations that students use it play intramural sports, and as a place to set up booths, outdoor conventions and concerts.

“I’m excited. They have the first project completed and on time,” Linder said. “Hopefully the students see it and are excited about it and know they can get out there and use it. Student groups will be able to reserve it and have functions out there.” Students don’t only have advantages outside of games there are many positives during home games.

“The benefit package is in place and ready to go,” Linder said. “We already have the bus trip lined up for the Central Missouri State University football game for the students; we have the website set up for people declare their four immediate family members.”

The benefit package also includes two free concession stand items at the student concession stand. Students will also be able to use their flex dollars at the concession stand after their two items.

What’s next on the priority tree? That is up to the students. “We need to make sure that we know what our annual revenue stream is going to be. We need to make sure we can pay for the benefit package and then pay for the turf,” Linder said. “Once we get close to paying off the turf, we’ll probably look at a new floor in the arena, which is starting to buckle. We probably need to move that up on the priority tree.”

Missouri Western fronted the money for the contruction of phase one which will be paid back when the student fees are collected.

Linder says they don’t want to get ahead of themselves and will take the time it takes to pay off this first phase.

“If it takes three semesters to pay it then that means we can start a project earlier, if it takes 12 semesters to pay for what we spent then we don’t start the next phase until 12 semesters. A lot depends on enrollment,” Linder said.

On Saturday, August 29, there will be a “Tough the Turf” kickoff party from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students, staff, faculty and members of the community will be able to watch football practice and meet the Griffon athletes.

The Max Experience was approved by the student body on March 9, with 75 percent voting yes out of 754. Students pay $5 per credit hour up to 12 hours.

View video of the new turf: Multimedia

The Griffon men finished the 2005 season with a record of 9-3 overall and 6-2 within the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, landing them in a tie for the No.2 position within the conference.

The men have been ranked at the No. 5 position for the upcoming season as a result, and will kick off the season on Aug. 31, by taking to the road to play tough competitor Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla.

Jerry Partridge will resume his position as head football coach for the tenth consecutive year. Over the years Partridge has learned that there is much more that goes into the game than just the numbers and records.

He feels that every season is a week to week obstacle course that the team has to take one game at a time.

“There is so much more to measure the success other than win/loss records,” Partridge said.

Partridge feels that one of the main successes he has achieved this year is that 75–80% of his squad are veterans and have played under the lights and pressure of the stadium. Partridge is very confident in each player to go out there and get the job, while showing the younger and newer players how it’s done.

“That’s what you always worry about,” Partridge said. “Kids can be great players, kids can be great athletes and be physical and want to go out there and play the game then they freeze.”

There are several different aspects to take into consideration when trying to align a winning team.

Partridge said that the offense and defense aspects are at a very good standing point, and the only concern is the depth and mobility of the team in case of injuries.

No matter what happens, Partridge believes that his team is ready for the challenges and ready to win some games.

“It’s going to be great football all year long,” Partridge said.

Agreeing with Partridge is senior Gijon Robinson who has resumed his position as starting tight end for the Griffons, and has every desire to end his college football career with victories. He is one of the four returning First Team All-Conference players, which include running back Jeremiah White, defensive end Michael Cobbins and cornerback Greg Carbin.

Robinson feels that this year the team will focus a great deal of time on team unity as well as striving for perfection in all aspects of the game.

“My expectations are for us to have a great season on offense and defense,” Robinson said. “We have a great chance at making it to the playoffs.”

In order for the Western football team to reach playoff aspirations Robinson says that the team is working hard at polishing up on all of the basics and making sure the incoming players are learning as well.

Fellow teammate junior Joey Harris, who is a wide receiver for the Griffons, coincides with Robinson as far as the team unity and togetherness as one of their strongest aspects. Harris best describes the team’s goals and attitude in one phrase: “We want to win it all.”

View the 2006 Griffon Football Schedule