CON V ERGING CA MPUS & COMMU NIT Y
NORTHWEST MISSOURIAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025
MARYVILLE, MISSOURI
NWMISSOURINEWS.COM
VOL. 114, NO. 7
@NWMSPORTS
MITCHELL HARVEY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Northwest football head coach John McMenamin celebrates the share of the MIAA conference trophy in the Bearcats’ 38-7 win over Missouri Western State University Nov. 8. The Bearcats share the conference title with Pittsburg State University after their 27-14 loss to the Gorillas Nov. 15.
Northwest football enters postseason C
OLIVIA WALLACE Sports Editor | @_oliviawallace_
oming in at 9-2 (8-1 MIAA) on the season, the No. 14 Bearcat football team has made the 2025 Division II playoffs — coming in as the underdogs. All season, the team embraced the “underdog mentality,” with the majority of the coaching staff joining the program alongside first-year head coach John McMenamin in late 2024. Prior to the 2025 season, the Bearcats lost playoff contention following a 35-30 defeat against Central Missouri University Oct. 19, 2024. This year, it’s a different team, only letting up two losses during the regular season. McMenamin came into the prestige program and turned it around to be an MIAA top contender, defeating all but one opponent in the conference — Pittsburg State University. Looking ahead to the matchup against regional conference No. 1 seed
Harding University Bison, the Bearcats have their biggest challenge yet — taking down a team that succeeds with a triple-option play. “I think if we stop the run, we’ll be alright,” McMenamin said. “That puts an importance on possessions, and that’s another team (Harding University) with a great culture that knows how to win. You’ve got to play good football, and we know how to do that as well.” McMenamin is going into the game with high expectations of putting up a fight against the Bison. Prior to the game, 23 Bearcats have been awarded with MIAA achievements, including McMenamin earning Head Coach of the Year. Out of the 23, two were named the leaders in their respective categories: redshirt freshman quarterback Zechariah Owens earned Co-Freshman of the Year, and senior defensive tackle Clayton Power earned Defensive Lineman of the Year.
SEE PLAYOFFS | A4
MITCHELL HARVEY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Northwest football sophomore running back Te’Shaun Porter runs past his blockers during the Bearcats’ 27-14 loss to Pittsburg State University Nov. 15.
Maryville shuts out opponent for district title, anticipates state play LEAH COX Asst. Sports Editor | @byleahcox
ALLY JEFFRIES PHOTOGRAPHER
Maryville High School football senior running back Sadler Viau celebrates after the first touchdown of a 34-0 win against the Richmond High School Spartans Nov. 14.
AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1914.
The Maryville Spoofhound football team (9-2) stepped onto the field of the Hound Pound with the weight of tradition on its back. The team reinforced that legacy with a Class 3 District 8 Championship win against the Richmond High School Spartans (8-3) Nov. 14. Maryville held Richmond scoreless, putting up a 34-0 win. Head coach Matt Webb said the team’s performance reflected both the pride and pressure that come with being a part of the Spoofhound football program. “That’s the expectations of Spoofhound football…and I’m very happy for our kids to reach this point,” Webb said. “You don’t ever take these things for granted. To talk about how we fight, cherish every one of these, because they don’t just happen — the kids really work for it.” Maryville’s defense set the tone from the start forcing a turnover on the 9-yard line. Senior running back and defensive end Sadler Viau, on his third run of the night, gave Maryville a 7-0 lead. A key moment of the game was when junior quarterback Jackson Dredge connected with Ziegler for a 25-
yard receiving touchdown to open up the second quarter. Ziegler snagged back-to-back interceptions on consecutive Spartan drives. Viau capitalized on the second interception, with a 32-yard rushing touchdown, making the score 21-0. “Our offense was pretty slow coming out the gate, so we knew we had to turn up on defense and actually make the big plays,” Ziegler said. The Spoofhounds carried their momentum into the second half, where Viau found himself running into the end zone once again, giving the team a 28-0 lead. He ended the game with three touchdowns and 169 rushing yards. The team put the game away with a pick-six from junior linebacker Luke Allen making the final score 34-0. “That (Allen’s pick-six) was huge,” Webb said. “You could see how much confidence our kids were playing with at that point. For a defensive lineman to make that play in a district championship — that’s special.” The team now advances to the Class 3 State Tournament quarterfinals, to face the St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School Guardians (9-3) and look to snap the Guardians’ seven-game win streak. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Nov. 22 at Lee’s Summit High School.
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