MIAA Preview: Central Missouri
JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Central Missouri coach Josh Lamberson works the sideline on Oct. 19, 2024, at Bearcat Stadium.
EMPORIA, Kan. — The Central Missouri Mules had a headline-grabbing offseason. It began with quarterback Zach Zebrowski being awarded his second-straight Harlon Hill Trophy, capping his phenomenal 2-year run in Warrensburg.
“We will play with a quarterback this year,” Lamberson joked. “His name will not be Zach Zebrowski. I am extremely proud of the guys we have in that room and the battle that they have had. One of the things that we have emphasized is to be them.
“Zach was Zach, and he did some pretty incredible things. You can get in trouble if you try to emulate what he did and use that as a barometer for success. That is an unrealistic barometer for success in a lot of different ways. We have really encouraged our guys to be them.”
The Zebrowski era helped kick-start Josh Lamberson’s tenure as head coach, but the second big headline of the offseason was one that Lamberson and the Mules hope will continue to bring sustained success moving forward.
Central Missouri gave up 453.4 yards per game and 33.7 points per game last season. At Northwest Missouri State Rich Wright’s defense gave up 25 points per game and an MIAA-leading 297.8 yards per game.
Lamberson made the move to upgrade the defense by hiring the best defensive free agent coach in Division-II after Wright was dismissed as the Bearcat head coach. Wright goes from Maryville to Warrensburg alongside special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach Neil Novak.
The most experienced portion of the defense is the linebacking core with Austin Bressler (74 tackles), Isaac Montgomery (35 tackles) and Drew Kaufman (38 tackles) back.
Garrett Hormann also is back after only four games last season at linebacker after 59 tackles in 2023.
“Coach Wright has been great,” Hormann said. “He has brought a new mentality to our defense, I feel like. We are going to play tough. We are going to play fast. We are going to get after it. It has been that mindset since spring ball and I think that the guys are excited.”
The secondary is led by Talon Sanders returning after 60 tackles last season following his transfer from Eastern New Mexico.
Wright’s specialty over the years has been his ability to develop defensive linemen with Super Bowl winners Dave Tollefson and Matt Longacre among those along with his most recent NFL lineman Sam Roberts.
Central Missouri’s top returner this season on the defensive line is Michael Harris, who transferred from Southeast Missouri State. Harris had 18 tackles, and a sack and a half last season.
Offensively, the deepest position on the team has become running back where LaAngelo Bell was elevated into a starting role after injuries. As a freshman he ran for 547 yards and six touchdowns.
The Mules added a pair of transfer backs with Northwest Missouri State’s Tank Young and Wayne State’s Latravious Boyd. Young was Second Team All-MIAA last season with 608 yards rushing and 341 yards receiving.
Boyd was Second Team All-Northern Sun at Wayne State with 651 yards of total offense and 10 total touchdowns as a sophomore.
At receiver, Jack Pospisil is the leader of that group with 697 yards and four touchdowns last season. Hogan Wasson had 616 yards and two touchdowns last season.
The receiver room also added a former Bearcat with Jake Weber, who had 482 yards last year.
At tight end, Bo Reeves is back as a senior.
The offensive line is breaking in some new faces, but senior Luke Karns is back as the leader of that group.
Quarterback is the ultimate question mark with Zebrowski’s record-setting numbers leaving a void. Lamberson did bring in Southern Utah transfer Jordan Pachot.
“It has been great learning new stuff about different people,” Pospisil said. “A lot of the receiver room is new as well, so we’ve been getting those guys in the right places and doing the right things, and getting the quarterbacks to match it. It has been a journey, but it has been awesome. … I couldn’t be more excited to go into fall camp with the group that we’ve got.”
Pachot started seven games at Missouri State in 2023 and threw for 2,285 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In 2024, he only threw four passes at Southern Utah.
The Mules open the season with a long road trip to Delta State before hosting RMAC co-favorite Colorado State-Pueblo.
“We get such great non-conference games throughout the schedule, that I think it is really exciting for Division-II,” Lamberson said. “And at the end of the day, what you want to put out for Division-II is you want a great product. And I think that is what people are going to see early on in the season in these non-conference games. Great football games and it is going to represent Division-II really well.”
