By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
It’s rivalry week once again.
The annual Highway 71 showdown between Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri State on the gridiron comes up on Saturday at Spratt Stadium at 1 p.m.
While Northwest has had the upper hand in this series for the last decade, the aura surrounding this year’s matchup feels a bit different.
The Griffons, ranked No. 21 in the media poll, winners of five straight, sitting at 5-1 on the season, come in as the favorites on paper for the first time in years.
Under first-year head coach Tyler Fenwick, Missouri Western has been on a recent tear, most recently winning at Washburn in dominant fashion Saturday, 61-21.
As great as the season has been so far, Fenwick knows beating the team in green is always a formidable challenge.
"There's going to be somewhere around 75 plays we're going to run on offense and (Northwest) is going to run the same," Fenwick said Monday on the Hey Coach! Show on the MIAA Network.
"Whoever makes the fewest mistakes throughout the game is going to win the game. We have to make sure we're prepared enough that we make fewer mistakes than they do."
Northwest stumbled out of the gate this year, starting the season 1-2 for the first time since 2003.
Their starting quarterback, Mike Hohensee, went down with injury in week two against Emporia State - a night where the Bearcats threw six total picks and lost to the Hornets 33-13 in Bearcat Stadium.
But, Hohensee’s back under center and the Bearcats have righted the ship for the most part, beating Central Oklahoma in Maryville last week 34-21, improving Northwest’s record to 3-3.
Head coach Rich Wright is proud of the resiliency his team has shown so far this year.
"I've been really proud of this group," Wright told KFEQ Radio. "The one thing we never lost is our energy and care for one another. We didn't waiver when things got hard. We tell our kids all the time - that's indicative of life. There's going to be times when you get knocked down. What defines character is your ability and will to get back up."
The Bearcats will have their hands full on Saturday. Missouri Western is the top scoring and rushing offense in the MIAA. They lead the league in sacks and blocked kicks as well.
Wright describes the Griffons as balanced.
"Really multiple with what they do," Wright said. "They have some ball hawks on the (defensive) back end. On special teams, they've created some big plays. Whether it was a blocked field goal against Central Missouri. A blocked punt against Washburn last week. Just different plays they've made throughout the season. It's a well balanced football team and we're going to have to play very well to come out with a win."
On the flipside, Northwest is stout defensively. The Bearcats are second in the league in sacks, they’re first in the league and ninth in the country in stopping the run. They’ve also forced 12 turnovers.
Fenwick says their offense can’t be overlooked, either.
"The MIAA is good," Fenwick said. "When (Hohensee) is in there, they seem to move it a little better. Seems to be more controlled. Defensively, they're big, physical and fast. They've been running the same defense for years and years and they all know it."
It’s been 11 years since Missouri Western has beaten Northwest. The Bearcats have won the last nine meetings.
The last time Missouri Western won, it was November 2012. Bearcat Stadium. 11th-ranked Western. Fourth-ranked Northwest. Griffons come back from a 17-point deficit to stun Northwest 21-20 and win the MIAA outright.
Missouri Western’s offensive coordinator that day was none other than Tyler Fenwick.
Fenwick is back in the black and gold, having picked up a decade of head coaching experience since leaving Missouri Western after the 2012 season.
He knows it’s been awhile. He knows it’s a rivalry. He knows the spotlight is on Missouri Western in a way that it just hasn’t been for at least a little while.
But in the mind of Fenwick, in the mind of the Griffons, this is just another game.
"At the end of the day, at 1 o'clock on Saturday, it's game time. It's a 120-yard field. You have 11 guys on each side of the ball, and you go play."
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