Northwest Missouri wins showdown with Central Missouri for share of MIAA crown
It all came down to one game. And when that’s the scenario, Northwest Missouri football is so often the victor.
As far as the MIAA title is concerned, though, there are two that will share that distinction.
Northwest Missouri beat previously undefeated Central Missouri 45-23 in Maryville, Mo., on Saturday, and the two teams tied at 10-1 for the Mid-America Athletic Association championship.
The tone for this one was set on the very first play from scrimmage.
On first-and-10 from the 25, Central Missouri quarterback Brook Bolles was picked off by Northwest’s Trey Washington at the 50-yard line.
Bearcats QB Braden Wright completed two consecutive passes, and then Northwest ran the ball into the end zone on Justin Ranker’s 7-yard scamper to go up 7-0.
Northwest Missouri, which came into the game ranked No. 12 in Division II, never looked back. Northwest had a lead of 21-3 early in the second quarter, 28-17 at the half and tacked on 17 fourth-quarter points in keeping the No. 9 Mules in the rear-view mirror.
Bolles’ first-possession interception was one of four he threw on the day. He completed 19 off 44 passes for 364 yards, with two touchdowns and the four picks. The Bearcats had him pressured all game and sacked him eight times.
Northwest Missouri ran for 236 yards, led by Wright’s 86 yards in eight carries with two TDs— Wright as a passer was 15 for 33 for 183 yards with no interceptions.
Washington picked off two of those Bolles passes overall, and Jackson Barnes had the other two.
Washington also scored a TD for the Bearcats on a play where Bolles was sacked and fumbled. Washington ended up with the ball (after the recovery by Brody Buck) and carried the ball the final 26 yards for the score that put Northwest up 28-10 in the second quarter.
Northwest’s share of the MIAA crown is the program’s 30th conference title. Central Missouri has now had at least a share of that championship title nine times, most recently in 2003.