Northwest seeks back-to-back D2 titles
By DAVID MERRILL/DAILY FORUM
Northwest Missouri State University’s Nick Hess celebrates after the Bearcat defense makes a big stop against Ferris State in the NCAA Semifinal on Saturday. Northwest won 35-20.
The Northwest Missouri State University football team is hoping to make it a perfect three for three against North Alabama.
As opposed to the previous two meetings (2005 and 2008), this is for the NCAA Division II National Championship. Northwest and North Alabama met in the NCAA semifinals the previous two meetings.
Kickoff at Sporting Park in Kansas City is set for 3 p.m. Saturday.
Bearcat head coach Adam Dorrel is glad to be back in Kansas City, where his team won the title last season.
He said the experience is first class.
“They do a fabulous job with the venue,” he said. “Last year was our first time being down here and I was very impressed with the leadership of the NCAA and the football committee and of course the people over at Sporting Park did a great job of hosting the event.”
Not only is Kansas City full of Northwest alums, but the Bearcats have plenty of Kansas City natives on their roster.
Senior Kevin Berg is one of seven Northwest players from the Kansas City area. He played prep football at Rockhurst High School and is glad to be able to play his final game at home.
“It’s very awesome to be able to come back to Kansas City,” he said. “Last year’s game was unbelievable. I fully expect the Bearcat fans to come out in full force tomorrow. It’s going to be good to play in Kansas City one last time.”
Injury questions
The Bearcats’ training room had a higher capacity after the 35-20 victory over Ferris State last weekend.
Senior cornerback Marcus Jones, senior wide receiver George Sehl, senior defensive tackle Collin Bevins, and senior quarterback Kyle Zimmerman all left the game due to injuries. Jones and Sehl will not be able to go against North Alabama while Zimmerman and Bevins remain game-time decisions.
Dorrel said they have been working hard all week to try and get on the field, but he has to be prepared for all scenarios.
“We’ve been working with them all week and our approach on that is to go worst-case-scenario,” he said. “We have to get everybody else mentally ready to play and if they play, it’s a bonus. It’s certainly one of those things where we’re confident with everyone on our football team.”
Maryville native Jonathan Baker stepped in at quarterback and helped lead the Bearcats the rest of the way after Zimmerman went out last week.
Schmidt proving to be
a jack-of-all-trades
With injuries to his teammates, junior wide receiver Randy Schmidt took on a bigger role in last week’s game and may be called on to do so again.
Schmidt is an Eldridge, Iowa native who played quarterback at North Scott High School. He has lined up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the Bearcats this season.
Schmidt is fifth on the team in total offense through his 12 games played.
He has 228 yards rushing on 39 carries and 15 catches for 254 yards. Schmidt has one touchdown catch, one touchdown pass, and two rushing touchdowns.
Schmidt said his background as a quarterback helped him feel more comfortable.
“Coming in as quarterback definitely helped boost my confidence when my number is called to go behind center,” he said. “When I line up at receiver, I still have that confidence there. I’ve been working on that for the past couple of seasons.”
Schmidt often takes the wildcat snaps for the Bearcats.
He said he likes the change of pace.
“It’s definitely a faster pace,” he said. “I enjoy and I just try to make the most of my opportunities back there.”
The coaching staff has taken notice of Schmidt’s versatility.
“I hate the word gamer, but Randy is a gamer,” Dorrel said. “Coach (Rich) Wright always jokes that if you pop some popcorn and there’s funnel cake smell in the air, Randy always plays really well. He’s a very dynamic athlete. His ability to process information and make a good decision is what has always made him great. He’s a great weapon.”
Facing another
tough quarterback
The Northwest Missouri State defense will once again be focused on the opposing quarterback as the main source of offense for its opponent.
Lions quarterback Jacob Tucker has thrown for 2,661 yards and 21 touchdowns this season while rushing for 16 and gaining 1,143 yards on the ground. He has completed better than 60 percent of his passes.
Bevins said the defense will have to be at its best for four quarters.
“He’s a really good player who does a lot with his feet,” Bevins said. “He does just about everything for their offense, so slowing him down is our focal point.”
North Alabama on defense
Dorrel was also complimentary of the Lions’ defense.
“Their defensive backs have great speed,” Dorrel said. “When we throw the ball, it can’t be in a gray area, or else it will get intercepted. You’ve got to be able to block their Mike linebackers (Eddrick Harris and Darius Wright). They are extremely physical kids. You also have to be able to double-team their offensive linemen because they are great pass rushers.”
The Lions have held opponents to just 13 points per game this season and give up just 129 rush yards per game.
Heading into the game …
— The Lions have two running backs who average better than five yards per carry. Damon Cox has eight rushing touchdowns, while Ray Beasley has four.
—Dre Hall and Julius Jones are the top targets for Tucker, with nine and seven touchdown catches respectively.
— The Bearcats have won 29 straight games, a program record. Grand Valley State holds the Division II record with 40 straight wins.
— Northwest is chasing its sixth national championship. The Bearcats are 46-15 in 21 NCAA postseason appearances.
