Page 6

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Sports

P.O. Box 188, Maryville, MO, 64468

Maryville Daily Forum

QUOTABLE
Neither one of those two guys knows what
average means. They want to be great in everything they do. Theyve got a lot of character and
have a bright future.
-Maryville football coach Matt Webb
on Northwest signees Jacob Cacek
and Brody McMahon

660-562-2424

jlawrence@maryvilledailyforum.com

Bearcat football
inks 32 freshmen

Marqus Andrews | 6-3 | 230 | TE | Blue Springs

Andrews, a two-year starter at Blue Springs High
School, earned second team all-conference and second
team all-area. He was placed on the Presidential Honor Roll four years running. He was coached by Kellly
Donohoe and his mother is Michelle Andrews.
Cole Bixler | 6-1 | 200 | LB | Omaha, Nebraska
Bixler was named Defensive Lineman of the Year as a
first team all-metro performer at Omaha North. He was
also an academic all-state honoree under head coach
Larry Martin. His parents are Steve Bixler and Trish
Haniszewski.
Jamaal Brazil | 6-0 | 200 | LB | Kansas City
Brazil earned first team all-conference and first team
all-district honors at Park Hill High School under head
coach Josh Hood. His parents are Candice and Alvin
Burns and Darwin Brazil.

JASON LAWRENCE/DAILY FORUM

Running mates

Maryville fullback Brody McMahon (34) and offensive lineman Jacob Cacek (76) will spend another five years together, as
the duo signed Wednesday to play college football at Northwest as part of a 32-man signing class.

Pull of home too much for

Maryvilles Cacek, McMahon
Spoofhound all-staters pick Northwest on signing day
By JASON LAWRENCE
Managing editor

Maryville High School has not been

your average high school in terms of
football production the last several
years. The Spoofhounds won back-toback Class 3 state titles in 2012 and
2013 and won the first 12 games of the
2014 season before losing to eventual
state champion Oak Grove in the state
quarterfinals.
It has not had your average college
football player turnout either, as two
more Spoofhounds signed National
Letters of Intent Wednesday to stay
home and play for Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State.
College coaches want players
in their programs that know what it
takes to win and know what success
is, Maryville head coach Matt Webb
said. Anytime you have success, it

definitely bodes well because college

coaches want that same environment at
their universities and Northwest is no
different. They obviously know how
to win and know what success is and
those guys will fit in well there because
of some philosophical things that are
the same but when you have the
wins and losses to kind of back it up,
it means a lot.
Fullback Brody McMahon, a threetime first team All-State pick and the
2013 Class 3 Offensive Player of the
Year, and offensive lineman Jacob
Cacek, a two-time first team All-State
selection committed on National Signing Day, giving the Bearcats seven former Spoofhounds on their roster.
Were very fortunate to be in a
town where we have a great high
school football program. That program
right now and what theyre doing out
there, we feel like theyre advanced

for a high school football program,

Northwest head coach Adam Dorrel
said. I feel like theyre gonna be
good assets here. They understand the
culture here, they grew up in it. Sometimes that hometown deal can backfire
on you because a kid wants to get
out of town. Knock on wood, those
Maryville kids feel strongly about us
and what were doing that they want
to be a part of it, and were thankful
for it.
Cacek and McMahon will join linebacker Cole Forney, defensive lineman
Caleb Mather, quarterback Jonathan
Baker, safety Trent Nally and offensive lineman Jackson Morrison in the
townie ranks next fall.
Its always more fun when you go
to a football game and can look and
see those guys for the next few years,
Webb said. Its fun to be able to say
See DUO, Page 7

Dorrel locks up big class for 2015

By JASON LAWRENCE
Managing editor

After losing 21 seniors following a

10-2 campaign that ended with a 25-21
loss to Minnesota Duluth in the NCAA
Division II playoffs, Northwest football coach Adam Dorrel announced on
Wednesday the 32 high school seniors
that make up the 2015 recruiting class.
This year was such a big recruiting class for us with graduating 21 seniors, Dorrel said. We literally took
one kid at least at every position. We
had a kicker, a punter and a long snapper in there. We had a need to fill at
every position, some more than others.
Im just excited and pleased with
our guys effort. I feel like weve met
all our needs. I feel like we got a great
group. Im very excited about our
class. Theyre really good athletes, but
they met the other criteria. Theyre
good people and theyre good students.
Dorrel said two of the areas of need
his coaching staff identified were linebacker where the Bearcats graduate All-MIAA performers Eric Reimer
and D.J. Gnader as well as Cody Matthewson and tight end, a position
vacated by the graduation of All-Conference performer Marcus Wright and
Alex Visk.
Northwest signed five linebackers
and four players who project as tight
ends at the collegiate level to Nation-

al Letters of Intent on
signed a trio of defenWednesday.
sive backs, including a
In our mind, the
pair Liberty North
two positions we really
cornerback KiAndre
had to address this year
Pugh, son of former
were linebacker and
Northwest
corner
tight end. I thought we
Charlie Pugh (1996did that. I thought we
99), and Kearney
hit a home run at both of
safety Jake Gassman
those positions, Dorrel
whom Dorrel said
said. Those are the
could play sooner rathtwo places we really felt
er than later in both the
like we couldnt miss on
secondary and as kick
this year, and we cerand punt returners.
tainly didnt do that at
Dorrel said approxiall.
mately 97 percent of
Adam Dorrel
Once
again,
the
true freshmen redshirt,
Bearcats also bolstered
but that all of them
the trenches, inking five offensive have the opportunity during fall praclinemen and five defensive linemen, tice to show a redshirt is not necessary.
including four defensive ends to help
They basically have 13 practices to
bolster a unit that was led by Matt Lon- show that theyre better than the guys
gacre, the two-time MIAA Defensive here, he said. If they dont, then
Player of the Year, who has exhausted theyll move into that redshirt categohis eligibility and is currently training ry.
for a shot at the NFL.
Northwest also shored up its special
Also on the offensive side of the teams, picking up commitments from
ball, Northwest signed three running a punter, kicker and long snapper. Dorbacks, a quarterback, two wide receiv- rel said long snapper Michael Sorfoners and a fullback.
den, from Harlan, Iowa, could open
After not taking a quarterback in last the 2015 season at the position and
years class and losing their top three punter Matt Thorman, from Roeland
pass catchers to graduation as well as Park, Kansas, could see the field early
starting running back Robert Burton as well as All-MIAA performer Kyle
III, those were all areas Dorrels team Goodburn graduated. Goodburn also
addressed this offseason.
hails from Roeland Park, but attended
See BEARCATS, Page 7
Defensively, the Bearcats also

Jacob Cacek | 6-3 | 285 | OL | Maryville

Cacek was tabbed a first team all-state performer in
his junior and senior seasons, while also earning first
team all-district twice. Under head coach Matt Webb,
Cacek made the first team All-Midland Empire Conference team twice as an offensive lineman, once as a
defensive lineman as well All-MEC second team as a
defensive lineman in his junior season. His parents are
Jay and Janet Cacek.
Christopher Cam Cornelius | 5-10 | 186 | RB
Palatine, Illinois
Cornelius earned the MSL West Division Player of the
Year award as a running back at Palatine High School,
nabbing all-conference and all-area honors and an allstate honorable mention as a senior. He was coached
by Rick Splitt and his parents are Christopher and Michelle Cornelius.
Zack DeWitt | 6-3 | 175 | K | Jacksonville, Illinois
DeWitt was named honorable mention all-conference
as a senior and academic All-Central State Eight Conference twice in football and three times in soccer. A
member of the National English Honor Society, DeWitt was placed on the High Honor Roll and carries a
4.2 GPA. His coach was Mike Grounds and his parents
are Justin and Jennifer DeWitt.
Mike Ehlke | 6-5 | 230 | DE
Little Chute, Wisconsin
Ehlke was a unanimous first team all-conference player at Little Chute High School and a first team all-state
performer. He was named first team all-area as a team
captain under coach Brian Ryczkowaski. His father is
Vern Ehlke.
Anthony Enriquez | 6-4 | 275 | OL | Kansas City
Enriquez was named a first team all-state performer at
Park Hill High School and a Blue-Grey All-America
player. He made the Elite 81 second team, first team
all-district, first team all-conference and honorable
mention all-metro under coach Josh Hood. Kim Enriquez is his mother.
Jake Gassman | 5-11 | 190 | FS, KR, PR | Kearney
At Kearney High School, Gassman made first team
all-state as a returner, as well as first team all-district
at free safety. He was coached by Greg Jones and his
parents are John and Vicki Gassman.
TyDarrius Griffin | 6-1 | 270 | OL | St. Louis
Griffin was tabbed conference offensive lineman of the
year at Hazelwood West High School as a first team
all-conference performer while also making second
team all-state and second team all-metro. He earned
2014 All-America honors under head coach Carl Reed.
Tommie and Markesha Dabney are his parents.
Andy Hessler | 6-0 | 220 | LB | Hartland, Wisconsin
As a three-year starter at Arrowhead High School, Hessler helped lead the team to two state titles while being
named first team all-state and earning all-conference
honors twice. He was named first team all-region, first
team all-county and earned all-area honors in a pair of
seasons under coach Greg Malling. Jim and Lynn Hessler are his parents.
Jayden Johnson | 6-5 | 200 | QB | Stanwood, Iowa
Johnson is a two-time district MVP from North Cedar
High School, earning first team all-state honors from
IowaPreps.com in 2014 and second team all-state honors from the Des Moines Register in his senior season.
He was named Player of the Year last season by the
Quad City Times under head coach Charlie Feller. His
parents are Jerry and Karrie Johnson.
Eli Keller | 6-2 | 215 | LB | Kearney, Nebraska
Under head coach Brandon Cool at Kearney High
School, Keller was named an all-academic team honoree. His parents are Terri and RJ Keller, and he is the
younger brother of former Northwest volleyball player
Mackie Keller.
Jordan Klingman | 6-5 | 205 | TE | Nashua, Iowa
Klingman garnered first team all-state honors at Nashua-Plainfield High School and was named district
Defensive Player of the Year. He earned academic

See FOOTBALL, Page 7