By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
KANSAS CITY - Matt Williamson has been raising the standard for Missouri Western football.
Entering his fifth season in 2021, Williamson has guided the Griffons to a 20-15 record during his tenure, including a 9-3 mark in 2019 - the first nine-win season for the program since 2012.
Just a few months after an impressive 35-14 win over Henderson State in the Live United Bowl in December 2019, the second straight bowl win for Missouri Western, the world shut down due to COVID-19 and the MIAA football season was canceled as a result.
About 17 months later, as one might imagine, there's still plenty of unknowns.
"No one really knows, a little bit, what's going to happen this year," Williamson said. "Who's going to be good and who has these special players and who has these transfers. It's been kind of hush-hush. It's a huge poker face. I know what we have, and I'm excited to open up our package and show everyone what we got."
The Griffons are picked to finish 5th in the 12-member MIAA by the league's coaches and are picked 4th by the media.
Williamson returns nine total starters and 34 letter winners from the 2019 team, including three of the top four tacklers on defense and three of the top four receivers on offense.
What's more, Missouri Western brings over seven fifth-year seniors from the 2020 roster and signed a class of 29 players this past February, including three transfers - quarterback Ty Baker (Missouri State), offensive lineman P.J. Braun (Stephen F. Austin) and tight end Nathan Midkiff (Wayne State College).
"We've had our whole football team, including our true freshmen, 123 kids, on campus since June 1," Williamson said. "Just the commitment level to come out and work, press themselves, get better at their craft and the game of football, it's been fun to watch."
Despite a canceled MIAA season, Missouri Western played two games last fall - one at No. 11 Central Arkansas (L 52-10) from the FCS ranks and another against league rival Pittsburg State (L 20-7) at Spratt Stadium.
The Griffs had scheduled games against West Texas A&M and Nebraska-Kearney in November, but both were canceled.
Regardless of result, Williamson said those two games were valuable experiences for the team, particularly for the seven true freshmen who got to play in them.
"We went (to Central Arkansas) with about 65 percent of our starters," Williamson said. "If we had a full team, I was going down there ready to compete. For them to see that and be challenged at that level, it only raises you if you're a good competitor, and I believe we have a lot of good competitors in our football program."
The 2021 schedule is a return to normal, with 11 MIAA games on the docket. Missouri Western opens the season at Central Oklahoma on Thursday, September 2 at 7 p.m.
There's a greater sense of excitement, but also of the unknown, heading into this fall, but there's one thing that senior linebacker Evan Chohon and the rest of the Griffons can appreciate - the chance to play for championships and the chance to continue raising the standard.
"It's nice to be able to play for something," Chohon said, "and the possibility to play for a natty (national title). I think the players are excited to be playing against some other teams in the conference."
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