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Central Geared Up for Saturday's High Stakes
By David Boyce
One more victory and the Central Missouri football team returns to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the first time since 2002.
All the Mules have to do is beat Northwest Missouri Saturday afternoon at Bearcat Stadium, a place where Northwest Missouri is 27-1 since 2005. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
It's a task as daunting for any MIAA team as playing for a national championship.
Northwest Missouri, 9-1, has put a Bearcat claw grasp on the MIAA the last four years, leaving no room for anybody else at the top.
Central Missouri, 8-2 and ranked sixth in Super Region 4, will try to snap Northwest Missouri's 36-game winning streak in regular-season MIAA games.
The seniors at Northwest Missouri are attempting to cap their MIAA careers without ever losing a conference game.
So much seems to be stacked against the Mules, who are trying to hang onto the sixth and final spot for the playoffs.
"We just got to ball out," said senior wide receiver Bobby Guillory. "That's our last game of the season and it will determine if we go to the playoffs or not. Everybody is going to bring their A game.
"We have to come in with our minds straight and get out there and play ball like we know how to play."
The Mules will tell you there is something new about this year's team. They are a little different from the 2007 and 2008 teams that finished 7-4.
"This team is the new Mules," said junior cornerback Kor'Ree Manson. "That's how we look at it. The teams we beat we beat with the new Mules."
And what does that mean?
Central Missouri is playing together, smart and coming up with plays in the fourth quarter that win games.
"We battled through adversity all year," junior quarterback Eric Czerniewski said. "Defense played great when we needed them to. The offense made some plays when it needed to.
"It feels great to be on this type of team and having a chance to go to the playoffs. We were 6-0 at home. We will see what happens on the road."
The Mules understand they will have to play better than they did the previous two weeks in wins over Nebraska-Omaha and Missouri Southern.
"I tell our guys Mules don't beat the Mules," Central Missouri coach Willie Fritz said. "We want to limit penalties and mental mistakes. We haven't done that the last two weeks.
"A great club like Northwest you can't make those mistakes and win. They will capitalize on you. We don't have to play a perfect game, but we have to play a good game for four quarters."
Central Missouri players are prepared to do just that in the biggest late-season game they have played in since arriving at Central Missouri.
The Mules aren't taking the position they are in for granted. Not many teams who will line up Saturday for the last week of regular-season Division II football are in this position.
"It is definitely fun," junior running back Anthony Stewart said. "A lot of teams don't have a lot to play for this time of the year and we do. It is real special to us and we are going to take advantage of it."
The stakes are definitely high for Central Missouri. A win and the Mules are in. A loss and Central Missouri could be headed to the Mineral Water Bowl in Excelsior Springs or the Kanza Bowl in Topeka.
As nice as those two postseason bowl games are, every MIAA football player wants to reach the Division II playoffs and get the opportunity to play for the national championship.
"I honestly love pressure," Guillory said. "A lot of the guys on this team love pressure, too. They are not going to break. We pull together we have a big muscle group who is not going to run away from anybody. We are going to be on the field battling."
The Mules will be battling against the best.
Northwest Missouri has reached the Division II championship game the last four years.
The Bearcats have a pedigree of winning in November. The last time Northwest Missouri lost a game in November was Nov. 27, 2004 when Pittsburg State won 50-36 in Pittsburg, Kan., in the Division II playoffs.
And the last time Northwest Missouri lost at home in November was Nov. 30, 2002 against Northern Colorado in the playoffs.
But the Mules aren't intimidated.
"The way we look it at right now is it is the best against the best," Manson said.
"We have to bring our A game because Northwest is the top dog."
Fun facts: Last year Northwest Missouri running back LaRon Council rushed for 189 yards, including 99-yard touchdown run against Central Missouri...Northwest Missouri has won five straight against Central Missouri...Central Missouri is 5-0 in games it has scored first.
Offensive player to watch: Central Missouri senior wide receiver Bobby Guillory will need to make some big plays. Last week he caught a touchdown and ran for another. He needs that type of game again because Northwest Missouri sophomore wide receiver Jake Soy is likely to score at least one touchdown. Soy has an incredible 19 touchdown receptions this season. It's a MIAA record.
Defensive player to watch: Northwest Missouri senior safety Myles Burnsides is a game-changing playmaker on defense. He seems to make interceptions at important times. He's a leader and one of the reasons why the Bearcats haven't lost a conference game in his four seasons.
Key to the game: Central Missouri must stay away from turnovers. The Mules could survive one turnover, but if they give the ball away two or more times they will have a very difficult time winning.
Last meeting: Northwest Missouri won 20-13 in Warrensburg, Mo., on Oct. 11, 2008.
To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.
