By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western piled up 534 yards of offense and shut down Northeastern State all day long on defense in a 44-0 win over the Riverhawks at Spratt Stadium Saturday in the Rogers Pharmacy Hall of Fame game.
The Griffons (7-2) scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the first half to take control and go up 34-0 at halftime.
Missouri Western added 10 more points in the second half and held Northeastern State (1-8) to just 76 total yards in the whole game.
The Griffons were balanced on offense all day, racking up 252 passing yards and 282 more on the ground.
Running back Jared Scott had six carries for 74 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Armani Edden was 12-for-18 through the air for 154 yards and two scores.
Edden's backup, Reagan Jones, played most of the second half and completed 8-of-9 passes for 98 yards and a score. He also rushed for 19 yards.
Jonas Bennett caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Carey had six grabs for 69 yards and a score - his first of the season.
Linebacker Anthony Villenueva had seven total tackles to lead the Griffons defensively.
Missouri Western dominated time of possession 34:07 - 25:53. The Griffons achieved 26 first downs compared to just seven by Northeastern State.
Saturday's win marks the first shutout win over Northeastern State since 2014, and Missouri Western is now 13-0 against the Riverhawks all time.
The seven wins are also the most in a single season for the Griffons since 2019.
Missouri Western stays home next Saturday for a big game against No. 2 Pittsburg State (9-0). Kickoff in that game is set for 1 p.m. Coverage starts at noon on KFEQ Radio (680, 95.3).
The Gorillas beat Sioux Falls in Pittsburg, KS Saturday, 55-6.
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