MIAA Preview: Lamberson working to build Mules back up
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Central Missouri head coach Josh Lamberson greets quarterback Cedric Case as he leaves the field on September 17 against Northwest Missouri State in Maryville.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Central Missouri has traditionally been one of the powerhouse programs in the MIAA, but after two-straight 4-win seasons gave the Mules their first back-to-back losing seasons since 1996-1997, the pressure is on for the Mules to make strides in 2023.
The good news is that the 1997 season was the first year of the Willie Fritz era and the Mules improved to 8-3 in the second year and Fritz finished his Mules tenure with a 67 percent winning percentage. If Warrensburg and Josh Lamberson could sign up for that Year 2 right now, I’m sure they would.
“Just touching on last year’s season, there was a lot of new,” Lamberson said. “There were a lot of moving parts to what we went through last year just trying to get to know the people in the building — trying to get to know players, trying to get to know coaches, trying to get to know a place. The first year of any endeavor is always a difficult one. There is a huge learning curve that goes along with that.”
The Mules had the seventh ranked offense and ninth ranked defense in the MIAA a season ago. The bright side for the offense was the growth of the passing game which was third in the MIAA led by quarterback Cedric Case.
“One big thing that came from this offseason is the relationship with Ced outside of football,” leading receiver Arkell Smith said. “I’ve gotten to know him as a man and what gets him going. He is a great dude. … I think he can be a top quarterback in this league for us.”
Case goes into his junior season after throwing for 2,620 yards last season with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Mules have the MIAA’s leading returning receiver with Smith coming off a season with 718 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
While the offense showed its quality in the passing game, the rushing attack was ranked 10th in the conference. Avian Thomas led the backfield in production despite playing just eight games with his 268 yards. His return should help the ground game make strides.
On the offensive line, Gabe Clark and Liam Wortmann return for a unit looking to be stronger this season.
It starts in the trenches for the hopes of the Mule defense. Senior David Olajiga is originally from London, England, and made a big impact for the Mules last season earning All-MIAA First Team honors.
Other players that Central Missouri is counting on the defensive line include Joshua Bean, Weston King and Ryan Jones.
The linebacking core is deep with Isaac Montgomery, Cale Miller and Azaiah Bello leading the way. The secondary is headlined by Noah Blair, Curtis Appleton II and Jaden Dawson.
“Last year was about establishing culture,” Appleton said. “The beginning culture with a new head coach and a new staff — and we did that. This year is about improvement. We know what we want to be, now it’s about showing what we are.”
Central Missouri added Northwest Missouri State graduate Greg Jones as its defensive coordinator this offseason.
“It brings out a competitive nature in everyone,” Appleton said. “And again, we all have a common goal. He didn’t come here to lose. … We got a goal to dominate.”
Central Missouri will open the season on Thursday, August 31, with a road trip to Missouri Western. Last season’s matchup was an instant classic that the Mules won 40-37 in double overtime.
“I’m extremely proud of the work and the commitment that they’ve put in,” Lamberson said. “And excited to see the results this fall.”
Circled on the Calendar
The beginning of Central Missouri’s schedule is brutal. After playing Missouri Western, the Mules play Central Oklahoma, Pittsburg State, Washburn, Northwest Missouri State and Nebraska-Kearney. As it stands right now, Central Missouri will be the underdog in all of those games.
If the Mules don’t want to have a big hole dug right away, they need to find a way to get a win at Missouri Western to begin the season. Central Missouri is regarded higher in the preseason polls than Missouri Western, but road games in the MIAA are tough, especially night games.
Quotable
“In any endeavor that you embark on that is important to you, you start with the people. I really feel like we’ve been able to surround ourselves from top to bottom — all the way up to our new administration, all the way down to the player level — with elite people. I was taught at a very young age that if you surround yourself with elite people, usually elite things happen and that is what we are trying to do at the University of Central Missouri.” ~ Josh Lamberson
