Bearcats return off bye week for matchup with RiverHawks
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Northwest senior running back Jadon Brady carries the ball on Oct. 19 at Bearcat Stadium against Central Missouri.
MARYVILLE, Mo. — The Northeastern State RiverHawks began a hiatus from MIAA football this season to rebuild the competitiveness of their football program in hopes of eventually returning to being a full MIAA member.
This season is a transition year with the team still playing a full MIAA schedule of non-conference games — with only Pittsburg State taking the RiverHawks off the schedule. The rebuild seems to be progressing well in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
“They are a completely different roster on both sides of the ball,” Northwest coach Rich Wright said. “They’ve got really good skill offensively. They are flying around on defense. And (the head coach) has them playing with some confidence.”
The RiverHawks built a 31-14 lead at halftime against Missouri Western before losing 33-31. They had a 20-3 halftime lead over Missouri Southern before losing 27-20. They’ve picked up lopsided wins over Lincoln (Mo.) and Lincoln (Calif.).
The stunner was two weeks ago with Northeastern State building a 40-14 lead with 47 seconds left in the second quarter over then-undefeated Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos rallied for a 64-57 win in a game that opened eyes across the nation.
“One of the things that stuck out to me in the UCO game was that going into the game, UCO had only turned the ball over six times on the season,” Wright said. “Four turnovers later and a blocked punt, those are the things that can get you beat.”
Northeastern State is clearly an improved squad in the first year of the Darin Chiaverini era. Chiaverini played in the NFL as a receiver for Cleveland, Dallas and Atlanta.
Chiaverini was the offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado for five years and briefly was the interim head coach. He then worked as an offensive analyst at UCLA.
Chiaverini brought his quarterback from junior college at Chaffey College with Dereun Dortch. Dortch has thrown for 1,158 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has run for 165 yards and four scores.
Ramon McKinney Jr., has run for 353 yards on 6.8 yards per carry this season. Deuce Robinson (431 yards, four touchdowns) and Cameron Woods (394 yards and five touchdowns) are the RiverHawks top receivers.
Defensively, linebacker Clavon Caine has 46 tackles, two sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss this season. Defensive lineman Jarveon Williams has 33 tackles, 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. Defensive back Jordan Richburg has three interceptions.
“They get a lot of turnovers,” Northwest receiver Eric Richardson said. “They get a lot of turnovers, so holding onto that ball, winning that turnover battle and executing what we have to do. A lot of their turnovers are little things that could’ve been fixed or little nicks in the offense that shouldn’t happen.”
Northwest is set to promote mental health awareness on Saturday with a helmet sticker with the national 988 phone number for access to mental health crisis services. Senior linebacker Andrew Dumas is an intern with the Wellness Services department at Northwest.
“During my time working at the Wellness Center, I’ve seen how important it is to focus on mental health,” Dumas said in a Bearcat press release. “Whether people are dealing with stress, anxiety or just need a space to talk, I’ve learned how valuable it is to listen and support them. It’s not just about addressing physical concerns but making sure people feel heard and understood on a deeper level. For me, it’s been rewarding to help create that environment where people feel safe and supported in their mental health journey.”
The game will kick off at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
