Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats
By Chris Mazzocco
The coaches choose Northwest Missouri State as the favorite
to win the MIAA at the July 31 MIAA media day in Kansas City. NWMSU
returns a large core group of players but will look considerably
different with key losses due to graduation.
For the first time in what seems like forever the receiving
corps will be void of anyone named Rector.
“That’s to bad,” Coach Mel Tjeerdsma said jokingly. “We
miss those guys, but we think we have some outstanding young men
coming up with a lot of ability.”
E.J. Falkner, Kendal Wright, and Rapheal Robinson all had a
wealth of playing time last season and impressed their coaches down
the stretch. Wright, a red shirt sophomore, will most likely assume
the #1 wide receiver position. Junior E.J. Falkner will make the
transition from a secondary receiver to an every down receiver,
which Coach Tjeerdsma says “he is ready for”. Red shirt sophomores
Luke Basengtson and Abe Qauod as well as senior transfer Ryan Clift
will join the red shirt sophomore Robinson in the battle for the
remainder of WR slots.
Under center will be a new face for the 11-4 Bearcats of a
year ago. Second team all conference quarterback Josh Lamberson has
moved on to the National Indoor Football League playing for the
River City Rage. Waiting in the wings is a pair of talented young
quarterbacks that Coach Tjeerdsma is not ready to make a decision on
quite yet. Junior Josh Mathews looks to have a slight advantage over
Joel Osborn, a red shirt sophomore, coming into the beginning of
fall practices. Mathews brings experience to the table after taking
over the signal caller duties in the final five games of the 2004
season after Lamberson was sidelined with a hip injury. Coach
Tjeerdsma said Mathews had an excellent spring were as Osborn was
hampered with a nagging shoulder injury.
Losing Rector and Lamberson is not however Tjeerdsma’s
biggest concern.
“Our offensive line is probably our biggest concern because
we loose three very good players,” Coach Tjeerdsma explains.
Those departing offensive lineman include Keith Holden,
Jordan Wilcox, and Eric Hoyt. All three earned all conference honors
last season as 2nd team, honorable mention, and honorable
mention respectively.
Senior Joe Holtzclaw and junior Reid Kirby are the two
holdovers from the Bearcats O-line. Adam Schroeder, a junior, spent
most of the year as a back up but gained valuable starting
experience with starts in the national semi finals and championship
game last season. The versatile junior Tom Pestock saw more time on
the depleted defensive line late last year after spending the
majority of the regular season as a back up offensive lineman.
Pestock as well as fifth year senior Gabe Frank and four transfers
will compete for the final starting spots. Those transfers include
Kyle Dunn (North Iowa Area C.C.), Adam Barr (Butte (Calif) C.C.),
Jeremy Davis (Univ. of Houston), and Steve Stroh (Moorpark College)
Coach Tjeerdsma hinted to the possibility of the favorites
to start as being Holtzclaw, Kirby, Schroeder, Frank, and the final
spot most likely being filled by one of the transfers. Don’t be
surprised to even see two transfers starting Sept. 2 at home against
Minnesota State.
Xavier Omon took more handoffs last season than any other
running back in NWMSU history in a single season. The junior running
back had a school record 309 rushing attempts on his way to being
named 2nd team all MIAA in his sophomore campaign. That
number of attempts may decrease a few carries per game as red shirt
freshman LaRon Council will see some playing time after an
outstanding spring. Also helping to lighten the load and add depth
are red shirt sophomore Brad Gregg, and senior Zach Sherman. Gregg,
Sherman, and red shirt freshman Josh Maschmeier will battle to fill
the FB position left vacant by the graduated Darren Roberts.
Mike Peterson returns for his junior year at NWMSU.
Peterson received all MIAA honorable mention honors last season and
returns as the top returning pass catcher in 06. Junior Jon Goss,
sophomore Josh Gannon, and red shirt freshman Kyle Kreifels will
compete for the back up tight end position adding depth behind
Peterson.
The most recognizable absence on the defense will most
likely be All American defensive end Dave Tollefson. Tollefson still
wears green but this training camp it will be a Green Bay Packers
uniform after they drafted him in the 7th round of the
2006 NFL draft. The other three members of the defensive line are
ready to take up the slack left by Tollefson. Returning are senior
Ryan Walters, senior Kyle Kaiser, and junior Dallas Flynn.
Coach Tjeerdsma describes Kaiser as a “solid, solid, solid
player”. He also loves Kaiser’s motor. “He played a lot last year,
we like to rotate the defensive line but we didn’t rotate him much.”
Walters and Flynn are both recovering from shoulder
injuries that required surgery to fix. Tjeerdsma reports both look
very good coming into the fall practice session and will be ready to
practice right away.
In contention for the final defensive line spot are
sophomore Ramsey Athieh, fellow classmate Brett Harding, and a
number of transfers. Transfers include sophomore Ryan Binkley (
Univ. of Nebraska), and juniors Dominic Foli (Moorpark (Ca)
College), T.J. Kaatmann (Eastern Illinois), and Terry Bilbro
(Bakersfield Ca.).
Ben Harness leads an experienced group returning at
linebacker. Harness, a senior 2nd team all conference
selection a year ago will play along side Jarred Erspamer. Coach
Tjeerdsma believes Erspamer “didn’t get the recognition he deserved
last season and should have a break out season.” Junior Tommy Miller
saw a great deal of playing time last season and will likely get a
starting job. Thomas Smith, a senior transfer from Northern Colorado
coming off a knee injury should round out the LB corp.
Four cornerbacks with experience will be competing for two
starting spots. Quinten Womack, a senior was a 2nd team
all conference selection last season. Junior Brandon Clayton was the
starter for the first five games until knee surgery ended his
season. In Claytons absence Senior Darcell Clark and Diezeas Calbert,
a senior, earned valuable playing time. All four young men will
report healthy and comprise one of the deepest secondary in the MIAA.
That secondary strength and depth continues on into the
safeties positions. Three of the top four safeties return from the
05 season. Brandon Pratt returns for his senior season as the
starting free safety. His back up and fellow classmate Tyler Martin
also returns. Chris Termini, a junior, played a back up roll last
year and looks to be the front-runner for the starting strong
safety.
NWMSU will open the season at home against Minnesota State.
The Bearcats will meet the Gorillas at Kansas City’s Arrowhead
Stadium for the 5th annual Fall Classic Nov. 4.
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