NWMSU Uses Bye Week to Prepare for Playoff Run

By David Boyce

Before playing its final regular-season football game last week, Northwest Missouri already had a NCAA Division II playoff spot and fourth straight MIAA title locked up.

Senior cornerback E.J. Hawkins and senior defensive Sean Paddock played anyway despite having injuries that previously sidelined them.

After Northwest Missouri soundly beat Central Missouri 56-14, defensive coordinator Scott Bostwick called them and sophomore cornerback Ryan Jones the MVPs of the game because of their willingness to play hurt.

"It is kind of tough, but you want to be with the guys," Hawkins said of playing hurt. "You don't want to let them down. Your friends are out there. It means a lot to them. You can make a difference in a ball game.

"You may not be a 100 percent, but you can get the job done."

It's that mentality that has led the Bearcats to four straight undefeated seasons in conference play and their fourth straight first-round bye in the playoffs.

As much as Hawkins and Paddock enjoy playing football games, they certainly welcome this week off to prepare for the winner of the Abilene Christian-Midwestern State first-round game.

"It is great to get a week not only to heal up but also just to take advantage of some extra study on our opponents and stuff like that," Paddock said. "Even though we don't know who we will play, we will prepare for both teams and at least have a head start."

A week off in Bearcat land doesn't mean a week of taking it easy. The main reason they have made four straight trips to the NCAA Division II championship game is because they prepare for every situation.

Northwest Missouri has a pretty good grasp of what Abilene Christian does. The Bearcats have played Abilene Christian three times in the last two seasons.

Midwestern State has garnered attention because of the strong way it has finished the season.

The Bearcats realize that whoever they face it will be a stern challenge. They want to be ready.

"We really try to focus in the weight room, get healthy and also get our bodies ready to make that push in the playoffs," Paddock said. "We have to take it one game at a time but we have our sights set kind of on the end.

"We know we can't take this week off if we want to get there. We have to use this time to our advantage and get better."

Northwest Missouri still has some unfinished business to take care of. As any follower of the Bearcats knows, Northwest Missouri has lost the last four Division II championship games.

Obviously, the 2009 team is different from the previous four with different personalities.

But as much as the current team embraces the successful legacy during the Mel Tjeerdsma era, they also have to deal with losing heartbreakers in the title game.

Like their coach, the players handle it all in a philosophical manner.

"You can't change what happened in the past, but you can effect what happens in the future," Hawkins said.

"For me, the past is not even worth talking about unless you are talking about past games and what the team you are playing did in past games and watching film. That's what I'm worried about, otherwise I'm looking forward to the next game."

Paddock is pretty much the same way.

"I try to focus on the next team we play," Paddock said. "You don't have a lot of success when you think about the past. We like to focus on the future and the opponent coming up. I will dwell on the things we've done up to this point when I'm done playing ball."

And this senior class has so much to be proud of. They went four straight seasons without losing a conference game. They have played in three title games with an opportunity for one more.

They really know what it means to stick together through the good times and times of adversity.

The injury bug hit the Bearcats hard on defense this season and they still found ways to win and shut opponents down in crucial moments.

The defense has a couple of great things going in their favor as the playoffs approach. They are getting healthy and the offense is nearly putting up basketball scores.

"It seems like our offense is on fire right now," Hawkins said. "It seems like they are clicking on all cylinders at the right time.

"I think it would be pretty difficult to game plan against our offense. You have a lot of skill position players and the O-line is great. I think it would be a tough job to play against them."

Upcoming playoff opponents will find out that it is just plain tough to play against Northwest Missouri.

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.