Bearcat program guys come up big in Hays
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Northwest celebrates with David Jacquez (46) after the senior linebacker broke up a 2-point conversion play in the end zone with less than two minutes left in Hays, Kansas.
HAYS, Mo. — Cody Simoncic and David Jacquez are guys that any program would love to have. The only two linebackers in the 2022 Northwest recruiting class came in with plenty of accolades.
Simoncic, the brother of then-Washburn starting quarterback Kellen Simoncic, was the Class 4 Defensive Player of the Year at Smithville under now-William Jewell head coach Jason Ambroson. Jacquez was also a First Team All-State selection at Fort Osage.
“Me and him have been here since our freshman year and we’ve been grinding together, so I love it,” Jacquez said.
Snaps at linebacker were hard to come by at Northwest with guys like Ben Einess, Carter Edwards and Parker Bowen in the class in front of them. Both redshirted in 2022 and Jacquez did not get on the field for three seasons. Over those first three seasons in the program, Simoncic only had five tackles.
Then going into their junior seasons, neither were in line to start and there was a head coaching change with defensive-minded Rich Wright leaving and offensive-minded John McMenamin coming in. In the transfer-portal era, that is usually a sure sign that a player will be leaving the program, but not with Simoncic and Jacquez.
“It is a special honor,” Jacquez said. “Bearcat football is renowned football in the MIAA. To me, me actually being able to play is crazy. I love it. I know it is the same thing for Cody. Cody has been waiting for his turn for a little bit.”
Neither player started as juniors, but both saw role increases with Simoncic becoming the team’s fourth linebacker and recording 13 tackles, and Jacquez becoming the team’s top special teamer with 10 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
“Both those guys are fifth-year seniors where this is their first year starting and have just been tremendous kids,” McMenamin said. “You just don’t see that very often where guys stick around for five years if they aren’t playing. That is the neat part about being a Bearcat.”
That led into their senior seasons where they started side-by-side at linebacker in the opener against Texas A&M Kingsville. After the bye week, freshman Eli Bertz was inserted into the starting lineup in the place of Jacquez.
In the sixth game of the season, Simoncic and Jacquez’s patience was rewarded with the two biggest plays of the game in a 24-23 win over Fort Hays State on the road.
“That was a great football game,” McMenamin said.
Fort Hays State took a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter on a 66-yard pass from Kody Guy to Ayden Robinson-Wayne. They for forced a 3-and-out by Northwest to get ball back just inside the 2-minute timeout.
On the first play of the ensuing drive, Simoncic broke on a swing pass and dove for an interception.
“Cody made the play of the game in my opinion,” McMenamin said.
On the next play, Zechariah Owens hit Trevor Spady for 39-yard gain. Quincy Torry capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to retake a 17-14 lead at halftime.
The Tigers opened the third quarter with a field goal to even the game at 17-17.
Northwest immediately answered with Owens finding Tommy Hutsler for 17 yards and Cooper Warren taking advantage of a misdirection play with a 26-yard run. Owens found Warren for a third-and-7 conversion and then hit Xavier Horn in the corner of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown.
“Nerves were definitely amped up,” Horn said. “It was a play drawn up for me. When they called that play, I was a little amped up, but I saw that ball in the air and knew that wherever the ball was thrown, I had to go and get it.”
This is Horn’s first year playing college football. The relative of former Bearcat star Willie Horn and member of the track and field team came to the football staff last spring about playing football.
Horn injured his rotator cuff in the spring and it took away his spring camp. He returned for the fall, but with the Bearcats depth at receiver, McMenamin unsure if Horn would factor in this season.
“He is one who is a different speed,” McMenamin said. “This is his first year playing football and was a track kid. … He had a great game.”
That changed when top speed threat Jaidyn Doss was injured against Central Oklahoma. On Saturday, Horn caught a 52-yard bomb from Owen on the second play from scrimmage then added the touchdown later on.
“Gotta show appreciation to receiver coach (Mark) Wright,” Horn said. “… It is awesome to have a quarterback like Z. He is a true leader. He stays persistent. Persistence is key and Z just exemplifies that. Just a true playmaker and it is awesome to be his receiver.”
Fort Hays State threatened on the first possession of the fourth quarter, but on a fourth-and-1 from the 11, AG Floyd got the handoff and was stuffed by the entire Bearcat front seven led by Elijah Wray and Simoncic.
On the play, Maguire Richman had Floyd wrapped up from behind and as the Bearcats pushed the pile back, it rolled up on Richman, who dislocated his ankle. That put Jacquez in for the remainder of the game.
“It is kinda scary just because you don’t want to see that at all,” Jacquez said. “You don’t want to see your teammate go down at all, but other guys around me were telling me ‘you are ready, you are ready, you can do this.’ Teammates are a big thing. They boost your confidence by ten-fold and that is want they did.”
After Hays bent but didn’t break defensively, the Tigers went on a 10-play, 73-yard drive — converting three long third downs with the third being a 7-yard touchdown to Robinson-Wayne.
The Tigers went for the win and a 2-point conversion. Guy rolled to his right on a misdirection and threw back to the left to tight end Noah Bruce. The throw was placed perfectly and Bruce rose up and had the ball in both hands. Antwon Jenkins and Jacquez weren’t fooled though and while Jenkins swiped down on Bruce’s arms, Jacquez raked the ball out for an incompletion.
“’Twon was able to punch his hands down,” Jacquez explained. “And I was able to rake it. It was just so much easier with the teamwork.”
His classmate, teammate and friend couldn’t help but enjoy it for Jacquez.
“To see him make a big-time play like that,” Simoncic said. “He has worked his whole career for that kind of moment. It worked out. It paid off.”
Northwest was able to run the clock down to 18 seconds before they punted, and on Hays’ one desperation play, Jacquez fittingly ended the game with a tackle on a 5-yard completion.
Torry led the offense with 20 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Owens was 9-for-16 for 131 yards and a touchdown while adding 44 yards with his feet. Horn had his two catches for 65 yards and a score.
The Bearcats are back on the road next week to play Nebraska-Kearney before returning home for Homecoming against undefeated Emporia State on Halloween.
