MIAA championship, NCAA spots at stake as Central Missouri plays Northwest Missouri
A tip of the cap to the MIAA’s football schedule maker.
The final week of the regular season brings a full slate of games, and it just so happens to align the league’s top two teams Saturday when undefeated Central Missouri visits second-place Northwest Missouri State at 1:30 p.m.
The Mules raised a trophy after last weekend’s 73-6 victory over Lincoln. The outcome gave Central no worse than a share of their first MIAA championship since 2003. At stake this weekend is the program’s first outright conference title since 1988.
Central, off to the first 10-0 start in the program’s 120-year history, is led by quarterback Brook Bolles, whose family knows something about football success in the MIAA. Bolles’ two older brothers, Brady and Blake, each won an NCAA Division II championship as a starting quarterback for Northwest.
Brook Bolles is having an outstanding season, leading Division II in touchdown passes with 37 and yards passing (3,296).
Northwest is bidding for a share of its 30th MIAA title. The six-time NCAA Division II-champion Bearcats (9-1) won their first six games this season before falling at Nebraska-Kearney.
Central is ranked No. 9 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. Northwest is No. 12.
Also in play is positioning on the NCAA championship bracket. The Mules are ranked second and the Bearcats sixth. The top seven teams from the region are selected for the 28-team NCAA tournament.
If both teams are part of the field, a postseason rematch would be possible.
The game will be broadcast by the NCAA and available on their social media platforms on Facebook and on Twitter.