2024 HOMECOMING 2024 HOMECOMING 2024 HOMECOMING
University celebrates 100 years of Homecomings
It was 1920s America — an era scandalized by prohibition and women’s suffrage, but equally high in spirit, earning nicknames such as the Jazz Age and the Roaring ‘20s.
It was the same period when Bearcats first got together to celebrate school spirit; Northwest held its first-ever Homecoming in 1924.
The Philomathean Society, once a prominent literary society at the University, began hosting its own “Home Coming” celebrations in 1914. It held its eleventh “Home Coming” in 1924.
But something new came about that year as well. The first school-wide Homecoming took place at Northwest on Friday, Oct. 10, 1924. It was called “The First Great Homecoming Day” in a 1924 edition of The Green and White Courier.
The University is celebrating the 100th Homecoming this year the week of Oct. 13-19. This year, the Homecoming theme is “A Century of Homecomings,” or, “decades.” Junior Riley Steele, the executive chair for Homecoming royalty and the variety show, said this year’s theme is special in its connection to the first Homecoming 100 years ago.
He said each student organization has chosen
a decade to depict in festivities through the weekend. Each group can represent that decade through their respective parade floats, dancing clowns routines or variety show skits, among other events.
“I think the 100th Homecoming symbolizes all of the progression that Northwest has made within the past 100 years,” Steele said. “I think this theme is so special to us because it kind of shows that Northwest started from a point, and we can kind of see it progress throughout the years.”
Steele said one way students can be involved in the Homecoming process is by joining a committee. He first started on a committee his freshman year and has served on the Homecoming Executive Board ever since.
Homecoming general body meetings are held at 4 p.m. every Wednesday in Colden Hall 3400. Steele said attending those meetings is a great way to learn about the different committees and what they do for Homecoming Week. Steele encourages students to get involved in Homecoming festivities, even if it only means attending an event.
“I would just say, definitely come to the events,” Steele said. “Although we’re not doing too terribly much different, other than the theme, we do have some fun tricks and surprises up our sleeves, so definitely come and show up.”
Executive Chair for Public Relations and Communications Sarah Linder checks the size of a Homecoming shirt Oct. 3 in the J.W. Jones Student Union.
SAVANNAH ATHY-SEDBROOK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Freshman Student Senate Rep. Rashelle Taylor paints a homecoming banner during preparation Oct. 7. The design of the banner is intended to illustrate the 100th Northwest homecoming.
LANEY PACE MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER
Senior Mason Sipe practices his drum set for the bands upcoming homecoming performance Oct. 8. The band will perform along Fourth Street prior to its halftime show at the Northwest football game.
NATHAN VANDRUFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tau Kappa Epsilon - Delta Nu Chapter and Alpha Sigma Alpha - Phi Phi Chapter members get together and rehearse their skit Oct. 3 for Homecoming. NATHAN NODA PHOTOGRAPHER
COURT CANDIDATES COURT CANDIDATES COURT CANDIDATES
DEVRIES
Northwest student Deep Shikha raises the Indian flag during the International Flag Raising Ceremony Oct. 20, 2023 at the Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza.
Northwest's on-campus childcare, school system chosen as philanthropy
LANEY PACE
Missourian Photographer | @TheMissourian
Northwest Homecoming is around the corner, and philanthropy is a huge part of the celebratory week. Philanthropy at Northwest focuses on developing and stewarding resources for the University and its students.
This year’s Homecoming philanthropies are Northwest’s very own Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families. Both of these organizations are assisting in raising money and gathering donations during Homecoming week.
The Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center on campus both offer high-quality education to young students in Maryville.
Horace Mann enrolls children in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade, and the Leet Center for Children and Families offers an early child care center for children 1 year old to 3 years old and preschool for children ages 3 to 5. Horace Mann and the Leet Center
also serve as a benefit for students a part of Northwest’s School of Education. Offering a low student-toteacher ratio, college students are able to receive a more impactful learning experience in the process of becoming educators themselves.
These two organizations focus intensively on innovative and interactive teaching practices accompanied with individualized instruction by dedicated faculty and staff. Horace Mann and the Leet Center are located in the Everett W. Brown Education Hall near the center of campus.
This Homecoming, Horace Mann and the Leet Center are collecting donations to support families who need financial assistance in aiding tuition costs for any current and future students.
This is being put in place in hopes to relieve the financial stress parents and students go through in the process of paying for their schooling. Additionally, any extra funds will go toward providing classroom supplies and learning tools.
FRINK MCKENNA GRIMMER
Renovations cause International Flag Raising Ceremony location to move
DAUGHERTY Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
Every Homecoming, Northwest holds its International Flag-Raising Ceremony. Despite being moved from its usual location — the Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza — due to ongoing construction on campus, the event will still be held this Oct. 18.
The International Flag-Raising Ceremony walking parade will start at 1:45 p.m. and go down College Park Drive, leading from the B.D. Owens Library to the Ron Houston Performing Arts Center. It will last until 3 p.m. Spectators are invited to participate by lining the sidewalks for the parade and following students to the Performing Arts Center.
Following this parade, the Northwest International Involvement Center will be hosting an International Alumni Reception, acting as a reunion for international Bearcats to see each other once again. The alumni reception will be held at the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Northwest takes in over 2,000 international students per year, according to a University news release. Making up 11% of the student body, this included students from 34 countries — most coming from India, Nepal, Nigeria and South Africa.
Events like the International Flag-Raising Ceremony are designed to allow international students to express themselves and highlight their countries in a celebration of diversity and culture at Northwest.
The first-ever International Flag Raising Ceremony happened 26 years ago during the fall semester of 1998. Its initial purpose was to pay tribute to the completion of the Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza earlier that same year.
The Plaza was built to celebrate Northwest’s students and alumni who have come from all over the world. Featured at one end is a granite wall with the names of everyone who donated to help build the Plaza. The wall also features five clocks, displaying Maryville’s time — U.S. Central Time — and four other international time zones.
DYLAN
DECADES OF TRADITION
Sorority sister talks first pep season as new member, events
During Northwest’s 100th Homecoming this fall, Fraternity & Sorority Life will play a major role in the festivities. There are five National Panhellenic Conference sororities on campus, and all will participate in the Homecoming activities this year.
Sororities begin preparing as early as April, when the theme is announced. They typically appoint one or more members as Homecoming chairs to organize committees, coordinate with the seven fraternities on campus and plan out what events their respective organizations will participate in. Each sorority chapter will pair with different fraternities or organizations to help with the workload.
Jalopy, float, dancing clowns, banner, papier-mâché, sidewalk chalk, skit, donation creation — these are events sororities can sign up for. They can sign up for as many or as few as they like.
We at Alpha Delta Pi - Theta Alpha Chapter, specifically, decided not to participate in jalopy or float this year, allowing us to focus more on other events. Since we aren’t doing those events, we won’t be paired with a fraternity and will enter all events on our own.
Since it’s my first year being in a sorority and participating in Homecoming, it has been ex-
citing to watch how the process works. My chapter requires 12 service hours for all of Homecoming events this year. Our respective committee chairs set certain times when preparation will take place, and members can choose what times will work best for them.
The theme is decades, and Alpha Delta Pi chose the 40s. I’m on the papier-mâché committee, so all our heads will be centered around significant events that happened at Northwest during the 40s. Alpha Delta Pi won first place in papier-mâché last year, so we’re trying to keep that momentum going. Each event has a deadline it must be completed by and will be judged to decide placements.
Most of our prep work takes place in our chapter room in Roberta Hall. Prior to the creation of the papier-mâché heads, our committee chair also submitted our plan and a drawing with it.
Despite the workload, working together with all the sisters on our projects is a great time to bond and get to know other girls in the chapter, especially as a new soroity member.
Homecoming is also a great way to foster community and friendly competition within the Panhellenic community. I’m excited to go out and support all of our events during Homecoming weekend, as well as the other chapters’.
Homecoming events underway, fraternity plans for celebration
Homecoming is a special occasion for all of the Northwest faithful. However, being in a fraternity during this time allows members to really get involved and participate in the worthwhile experience. I am a part of Pi Kappa Alpha - Mu Phi Chapter fraternity, and being a junior, myself, I have been a part of three homecomings so far. It is always a good time at the start of the year that we look forward to. Fraternities and sororities are paired up to put together a float for the parade that represents their own chapters, the organizations they worked with and the theme of Homecoming that year. This year, the theme for the floats is “Decades.” The process is a long one and takes a lot of teamwork and effort with everyone involved. As a Pike we are paired with sorority Sigma Sigma Sigma - Alpha Epsilon Chapter and fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa - Epsilon Nu Chapter. Depending on the chapter, each member is required to put in a week’s worth of helping out on the float, which can be roughly five to 10 hours a week. In Pike we have a mandatory 6 hours of float help per week. Working on a float
is a way to interact with the other Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations you are working with on something that will make everyone proud when seeing the finished product during parade day. Float preparation involves pomping, which is folding and making balls out of tissue paper. Once they are separated into colors, they are glued to the float to make a color-specific design to match the theme. There is also a group of builders who cut and measure wood to attach to the trailer and make the fl oat itself that the papers are then glued to.
These events are an amazing opportunity to grow brotherhood within a fraternity and the friendships of other FSL organizations that you are working with.
During the Homecoming parade, fraternities participate in a float-building competition and also a jalopy. The competition is for bragging rights and the best float design award. The papiermâché head and banner competitions are where you make heads from scratch matching a certain theme and a banner where the best designs win. Everything has a competitive side to it, and growing the competition means more fun during this exciting week.
Walkout Day to begin with Bell of ‘48 ringing, students urged to participate
ANNA BAILEY Asst. News Editor | @AmBailey1
To commence Walkout Day and the beginning of Homecoming weekend, the Bell of ‘48 will ring at 8 a.m. on the Friday before Homecoming — a Northwest tradition dating back to 1948.
This bronze memorial bell, located between the Memorial Bell Tower and the Administration Building, was a donation presented to the University by the class of 1948. This gift was chosen to honor all of the soldiers who fought and lost their lives during World War II. More specifically, it was for those who fought that had attended Northwest or lived in Northwest Missouri.
This year, President Lance Tatum and Student Senate Executive President Chloe DeVries will ring the bell to continue this long-running tradition, Oct. 18. As well as celebrating the beginning of Home-
coming weekend, the Bell of ‘48 will also sound throughout the year for various successes the school chooses to recognize, including the welcoming of new students at Convocation and the graduation of current students. It has also been rung in honor of several people who have died on a local, state and national level.
Following the ringing of the bell, students will participate in Walkout Day. Walkout Day is a tradition where all students’ classes are canceled the Friday prior to the Homecoming parade and football game. As well as the ringing of the Bell of ‘48, at 2 p.m., the annual flag raising ceremony will begin at the B.D. Owens Library before parading to the Ron Houston Performing Arts Center.
The ringing of this special bell at Northwest is a tradition that will continue for years to come. Not only to celebrate the beginnings of Homecoming, but also to honor the people who have impacted Northwest in the past and the present.
President Lance Tatum stands alongside Former Student Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi as she rings the Bell of ‘48 at 8 a.m. Oct. 20, 2023.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
KAITLYN LISKO Sports Editor | @kaitlynmlisko
Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon - Mo Lambda Chapter scream as they greet new members during Bid Day Sept. 11.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Junior Sloane McAdams hugs senior Anna Rosehart after new members of Sigma Sigma Sigma - Alpha Epsilon Chapter ran home during Bid Day Sept. 9.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Annual Walkout Day tradition to occur
ZOEY SMITH
Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
Walkout Day is a long-standing tradition held by Northwest. It allows students a day off from classes before Homecoming the following day.
Walkout Day falls on Oct. 18 this year, organized by the Student Activities Council. The tradition has been in place since 1915 and started with students who skipped classes to enjoy a three-day homecoming weekend.
Oct. 18
Day for Walk-Out Day organized by Student Activities Council
It happens to fall right after most midterms have finished, allowing students to use their time to do anything other than school. This could include finishing projects being created for the Homecoming parade or the Variety Show that takes place, or simply using the time to relax.
There will be a Ringing of the Bell of ‘48, as well as an International Flag-Raising Ceremony. SAC will also be handing out Walkout Day T-shirts on the second floor of the J.W. Jones Student Union that morning.
For the shirts, it is very common for them to run out early, as they are free. The majority of students in the past have woken up early just to wait in line and get one before they run out. They typically start handing out
shirts as early as 8 a.m.
This event is not just for students but also for the faculty. On this day, they can get a break from their classes and catch up on grading, or, simi-
lar to students, do anything except for school work. It is also a chance for prospective new students to see a unique look at a potential college through guided tours, hosted by SAC.
Parade to showcase over 100 entries, welcomes participation
TREY HOUCHIN
Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
The month of October marks the annual Homecoming parade held every year at Northwest. This year, the Homecoming parade starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the corner of Ray Avenue and College Avenue.
Homecoming at Northwest is a weeklong celebration from Oct. 13-19 that features not only a parade, but also special events, royalty, entertainment, a football game and many opportunities for the community to show its Bearcat spirit.
The Homecoming parade will last roughly an hour and a half and is open for the public to watch along the sidewalks of Fourth Street, up through where the parade ends at Main Street.
The parade features over 100 entries of bands and floats sponsored by the University, student and community organizations, area schools and local businesses. Each band or float features its own significance, and each student organization float will represent a different decade to go along with the theme.
The parade is also a competitive event for county-local high school marching bands — including an exhibition from the Bearcat Marching Band — to showcase their skills down Fourth Street.
Homecoming parade entry information
On-campus competition-specific entries are due at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, which include
entries for dancing clowns, jalopy, papier-mâché heads and campus organization floats. Oncampus walk-on entries are due 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, which is the final call.
Off-campus entries must be turned in by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18. After that date, entries will still be accepted as space allows for it in the Homecoming parade, but acceptance is not guaranteed. All registration and entry forms for the parade can be filled out on the Northwest campus website, underneath Homecoming parade entry forms.
The Homecoming parade is an introduction to fall, and with all the festivities and the football game, it is a week of tradition like no other for this year’s Homecoming at Northwest.
Bearcat Traditions Visit Day has reached capacity on the amount of students who are attending. Due to this, there will be a full group of soon-to-be high school graduates who will
be roaming the campus and observing the student body on one of their most spirited days. Walkout Day is one of the many events planned for the upcoming Homecoming weekend.
PARADE DEADLINES
entries due 5 p.m. Oct. 11. On-campus walk-on entries due 5 p.m. Oct. 18. Off-campus entries due 11:59 p.m. Oct. 18.
Northwest junior Anna Ringel looks at free stickers offered by the Student Activities Council on Walkout Day October 20, 2023.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Support those in natural disasters
SAVANNAH ATHYSEDBROOK Editor-in-Chief @SavannahAS2
Right now, my best friend is living in Jacksonville, Florida. At the time of Hurricane Helene I had no idea she was on the opposite side of the state, not in the direct path.
However, as social media went on about the size compared to Hurricane Katrina, the amount of damage done, and even talk of alligators swimming up flooded streets, I became incredibly worried.
I was lucky to learn someone I love wasn’t in danger, but not everyone can say the same. The Category 4 storm impacted six states, raking up a death toll of at least 230 people and causing damage more than 500 miles inland. Affected states include Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
While this storm was a deadly disaster of combined flooding, wind speed, storm surge and rainfall, the effects and loss will be felt long after the sky clears. People have lost their homes, their families and their lives. It’s not one tragic event — it’s a series of them.
In the aftermath of the storm, the support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has now surpassed $210 million according to a FEMA news release. The agency has shipped over 15.6 million meals, 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and 505,000 tarps to affected areas. It is now preparing for a category 5 storm, Hurricane Milton.
As Florida issues evacuations in preparation for the storm to make landfall in the Tampa and Cedar Key area as early as Oct. 9, please heed my advice.
A lot of people, myself included at times, may feel helpless after a disaster hits. It’s important to do your part before, during and after. The impact of a hurricane, or any disaster, lasts far beyond the actual emergency itself.
We must stand by FEMA, American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other local organizations providing disaster relief. Help and support are not only needed in the initial weeks, but far beyond and even before the storm begins. This doesn’t have to mean donating tens of thousands of dollars, but simply $5 when you have it to spare or even volunteering your time instead.
You don’t have to be the person rescuing and evacuating people to be of help. Locally, the Missouri Hope Disaster Simulation Oct. 10-13 is an amazing way to help those training to respond to disasters prepare for those scenarios.
Personally, my friends and I will be attending Missouri Hope to role-play as victims in the disaster simulation. While this is a controlled environment, it allows trainees and students studying emergency disaster management to practice how they would respond in a true disaster situation.
I will never be trained to pull people out of debris in the aftermath of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake, but I’m happy to help make sure the people that will have an opportunity to hone their skills as emergency responders.
THE STROLLER:
Your Bearcat despises all types of soup
When asked the question, “What do you hate?” sometimes I struggle to come up with an answer. I thought about it and I know now — soup. I know what you’re thinking, and yes I really hate soup. No, there’s not a specific type of soup. All soups are awful. You cannot convince me soggy food in a broth that doesn’t stay hot the whole time you’re eating it is good. I do not care if it’s the middle
of winter and I’ve never been colder in my entire life, do not try to give me soup.
Every time I tell someone I don’t like soup, it’s like I’ve ruined their life. They always take personal offense, like I just told them I hate their mom.
I will throw a fit in public before I eat soup. This is the thing I feel most strongly about. This is the hill I will die on.
When my mom would make soup, I’d go to bed hun-
gry. I don’t think I’ve eaten soup since I was in middle school and I have no plans to change that. I think in my past life, soup personally offended me somehow because I have never had stronger feelings for anything other than my hatred for soup. I know hate is a strong word, but I truly despise soup. Now if you’re one of those people who asks “Well, is cereal soup?” obviously
not, but I haven’t had cereal in several years either, so your argument doesn’t work against me. Stop supporting the monstrosity that is soup — it’s just seriously not good. I don’t care that the weather is going to get colder soon. No season is soup season.
Parasocial relationships are unhealthy, don’t rely on them
We live in a time when social media comes first. Almost everyone is active on some platform, whether they are producing content or not.
Having access to many people in the world can make it easier for us to connect with others. That being said, celebrities are not our friends. Unless you know them personally and call them up — which most of us can’t say — they do not know you or owe you anything.
Having a parasocial relationship — a one-sided connection with someone they don’t actually know — with someone famous is just creepy and most of the time they don’t want that either. It’s an unhealthy way of living. Do not be reliant on one-way relationships.
We see a lot of celebrities oversharing on the internet, but that’s because they can’t keep anything to themselves with the prying eyes of paparazzi or news sources and now, even regular people. Their sharing
YOUR VIEW:
Do you trust celebrities?
of personal information does not translate into a friendship. You do not know them.
Most celebrities have a whole team of people behind them building their personas. You are not seeing the real version of these people, which means you cannot build a genuine relationship with someone you don’t truly know.
This means people also need to stop getting so upset when something goes wrong. For example, singer and songwriter Chappell Roan has canceled a few of her shows with little notice. Yes, this sucks and yes, this is her job, she has an expectation of performance on her, but she is still a person.
Placing her or any other celebrities on a pedestal is just going to hurt you in the end. We can almost guarantee they do not care what you think or that your feelings are hurt. Do we believe it was not great that she canceled a show people were
“I guess I trust celebrities to do their jobs, to do what they’re famous for. But other than that, I don’t know. I think the media has a lot of play on to what the public sees, so it can be interpreted differently.”
traveling for? Yes, but we also know that she can do that and has every right to.
We should all be hesitant to place anyone on a pedestal, we’ve seen recently that celebrities are not always good people. All of social media is blowing up with more and more information and conspiracies about the P. Diddy (Sean Combs) situation.
He is being charged with sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution and possibly other things. P. Diddy is not above the law and neither should any other famous person be.
There has been an alleged list of celebrities who went to his parties, with each list revealing different and new celebrities’ names. People are legitimately upset over this list and saying even if it’s true they will still support these celebrities.
“I don’t have any reason to not trust a celebrity. I mean, maybe some of their visions or something I wouldn’t trust but I don’t know, it’s kind of a tough question. But I would just trust them for the reason that they haven’t given me a reason not too.”
“I really don’t trust what celebrities say. I mean like, they’re just people who are good at a skill, that doesn’t make them trustworthy people.”
OUR VIEW:
ANNA CASE CARTOONIST
CAMRYN BRADY
The Stroller has been a tradition since 1918 and does not reflect the views of the Northwest Missourian.
PAIGE DEVOY Sophmore Biology
“Beetlejuice” sequel disappoints, leaves much to be desired
ZOEY SMITH
Missourian Reporter | @TheMissourian
The 80’s bore multiple fun and charming films, the bulk of which have become cult classics in their roughly 45 years of existence. One of those beloved films is “Beetlejuice”. “Beetlejuice” has since been a staple of the spooky season.
As for its recent sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has yet to come close to its predecessor’s appeal.
The movie itself is not horrible. The acting was perfectly fine, in some cases phenomenal, and the delivery and general plot of the movie were interesting at the
very least. However, the conflicts were messy and the choices made for the characters were disappointing.
The entire reason the movie exists to begin with, Beetlejuice himself, played by Micheal Keaton, did an OK job bringing back a character a lot of people loved in all his creepy glory. However, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to allow him to be the hopeless romantic villain he was meant to be.
His relationship with Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder, was a primary conflict throughout the movie; however, this had a simple fix that made the two-hour run time seem unbelievable.
Lydia Deetz as I remember
her from the original, was passionate, hard-headed and untamable.
The Lydia Deetz I saw in the new movie was a shell of what she once was. My first issue with her character has to do with her job as a TV show host who exploits the ghosts that only she can see. That is the exact antithesis of what Lydia stood for.
My second issue was her relationship with her daughter, Astrid Deetz, played by Jenna Ortega.
While I am not entirely surprised that Lydia is not the type of parent who dotes on and hugs her children 24/7, I am quite shocked at the fact that she does not stand toe-totoe with her when they argue.
Lydia lets her daughter walk all over her.
This is a fact that does not go unnoticed by the star of the show, Delia Deetz, played by Catherine O’Hara. Delia has not changed whatsoever. She is the light at the end of the tunnel.
As for the characters that didn’t match up to the past iterations of themselves, I don’t blame the actors. Most of this movie’s issues I blame Tim Burton. Burton is the kind of director known for his creep factor in movies. However, in the case of this movie, he lacked everything that makes his other movies great.
There was something about the original that made it so funny and charming, yet the
sequel lacked these qualities immensely. Burton’s movies The Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands and even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had more whimsy in their first fifteen minutes than this movie. Maybe he is losing his touch in old age or maybe he isn’t all that great with sequels. In which case, the ending to this sequel should stay the end. I have to say it was quite the disappointment. I love Beetlejuice and was pretty darn excited about a new one. However, I must implore you not to waste your money. Not that you asked my opinion, but I’m giving it to you anyway.
The Editorial Board loves Homecoming
Savannah Athy-Sedbrook:
I love Homecoming. It feels like fall outside, I can drink hot chocolate in peace, the campus is buzzing with school spirit and it’s finally time for me to purchase a ticket to the Variety Show. By far, this is the best Homecoming tradition Northwest offers. I love a good show, and watching skits Fraternity and Sorority Life members put together always makes me giggle. It’s even better when I arrive early enough for a seat in the front. Worth it every time. Sitting in the seats laughing with my friends about the ridiculous plots unfolding in front of us is permanently ingrained in my brain. From a gem hunt to Bobby attending school, the acts always nail it.
Hannah Claywell:
What’s my favorite part of Homecoming? Let me tell you. It’s probably all the free stuff we get as students. There’s nothing like waking up at 7 a.m. to stand in line for hours for a free T-shirt and the Walkout Day bags. Don’t even get me started on the parade. You’re telling me I — 20 years old — get to sit outside and eat some candy? Sign me up. There are always some sort of stickers to pick up — I already have a Homecoming coaster.
I’m a broke college student, so I will take all the free stuff I can. Thank you Northwest for making this possible for me and other broke students.
Dakota Oswalt:
My favorite Homecoming activity is Walkout Day. Who doesn’t love a free day off from classes? I love using the time to celebrate other Homecoming festivities, get caught up on homework and most importantly — sleep in. Also, it’s always nice to have this three-day weekend in the middle of the semes-
ter to take time for myself. Life gets busy, especially at this time of year, so it’s always important to take care of yourself and your well-being.
Anna Bailey:
For me, Homecoming is a time that reminds me of family. For as long as I can remember, I have been coming to Northwest Homecoming. My mom, grandparents and countless other family members are Northwest Alum so this festive weekend, for me, is about more than just the school. I have memories from my childhood scrounging around at the parade for the throne candy and then going to the game, knowing nothing about football, and hanging out with my cousins. I’d have to say my favorite aspect of Homecoming is the time I spend with loved ones because of the fond memories I have…and my grandmother’s baked potato soup.
Kaitlyn Lisko:
Although this will be my first Homecoming at Northwest, my expectations are already set extremely high. Since I got to campus, I’ve been hearing chatter about Walkout Day, the free shirts and the band coming to wake the residence halls up in the middle of the night. All of those things sound very intriguing, but the thing I’m most looking forward to is seeing all of my sorority — Alpha Delta Pi’s — hard work on Homecoming events come to life. After several hours in our chapter room dipping old newspapers in a flour and water mixture, seeing my sorority sisters walk in the parade with our giant heads on brings me joy.
Aaron Hare: My favorite Homecoming tradition is the
football game. The stands are packed, the crowd is cheering, and it’s a great time to not only watch the game but to photograph it. The energy in the stadium and on the field is unlike any other event here at Northwest.
Julianna Lawrence:
Homecoming is a great time for Northwest students. I love everything from the football game, the flood of greens and even the giant heads walking down Main Street. For me, my favorite thing about Homecoming is the community. Seeing everyone come together to celebrate Northwest and seeing stands filled with so much excitement and joy is the best thing you could experience. With midterms and heavy workloads for students during this time, it is nice to get a break and celebrate traditions and football.
Alli Duarte:
My favorite part of Homecoming is the general energy it brings to campus. There’s just something about all of the spirit and togetherness among campus and the community of Maryville that is really inspiring and uplifting. All of the fraternities and sororities and campus organizations working within their groups to come up with elaborate works for donation creation, banners, papier-mâché and parade floats are really cool to see. Of course, as a photographer at heart, I’d be remiss not to mention how excited I get for the cool and unique photo opportunities that each different event and tradition brings — in that sense, the parade would definitely have to be my favorite, with all the marching bands and floats and what not. But I’ll spare you the details and let you experience it firsthand Oct. 19.
OUR VIEW:
ANNA CASE CARTOONIST
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NW cross country excels at invite
TREY HOUCHIN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Northwest men’s cross country secured its second 8K title of the fall season, while the women’s team delivered their best performance so far this fall in the Griffon Invite Oct. 5 in St. Joseph at the Missouri Western Cross Country Course.
The men’s team won the conference meet with a strong 25-point performance, the lowest team score of the season and marking what is believed to be the lowest score in program history. The women’s team claimed a third-place finish in the 5K event, producing its lowest team score of the season with 72 points.
Coach Wick Cunningham said although the performances have been great by both teams so far in the season, it is about staying ready and continuing to work hard to remain consistent.
“We got to just be sure that we don’t be satisfied with that result, you know, still a lot of season left, a lot of things that are still to come,” Cunningham said. “So, we just got to make sure we’re staying hungry and just, you know, do more of the same. Just keep showing up, doing the work, doing the right things outside of practice as well.”
vs. South Harrison
6:00 p.m. Oct. 14
Maryville High School
vs. St. Pius X 6:00 p.m. Oct. 15
St. Pius X High School
vs. Chillicothe High School
6 p.m. Oct. 17
Chillicothe High School
5
The Bearcat men’s team notched 14 new personal-best times at Missouri Western, with four runners finishing in the top six — seniors Grant Bradley and Brandon Mundorf, and juniors Nate Mueller and Drew Atkins.
HOMECOMING
CONTINUED FROM A12
After the Ichabods stalled on offense once again, Northwest had a chance to make it a three possession game. Guastella kicked another field goal on the 24-yard line to put the ‘Cats up 20-0. With under a minute left the Ichabods answered back with a 13-yard
Bradley continued his stellar season by winning the individual title, finishing just shy of the second-best time in program history — this spot is held by Mueller, who finished in third place at the Griffon Invite. Atkins finished in
touchdown pass to put them on the board before halftime. To close out the half, Washburn got to Ruhnke on a dropback. Causing Ruhnke to fumble the ball and Washburn picked it up and took it to the Northwest 2-yard line. With 34 seconds left in the half, the Ichabods scored a touchdown to put the score 20-14. Coming out of halftime,
nior Barnabe Gabillet concluded the race in 25th, marking nine runners in the top 25.
Mueller said the preparation leading into the race played a key role in his third-place performance and first-place team win in St. Joseph.
“Or team, we’ve been training really well together, and so coming into race time, we can kind of all just trust what we did leading up,” Mueller said. “And then, once the gun went off, the plan was kind of for me and Drew (Atkins) to push the pace early on because we believe we were able to run fast up front.”
The Bearcat women’s cross country team finished with six runners in the top 25 — senior Alyna Thibault (6th), junior Lydia McGlocklin (12th), sophomores Mayson Hartley (16th) and Bree Mauro (17th), redshirt freshman Olivia Bakker (24th) and freshman Reagan McGuire (25th) — delivering their best performance in the 5K at the Griffon Invite and securing their lowest team score of the season.
The MIAA Conference Championships — scheduled for Oct. 26 — are being held at the same place. Cunningham said the three weeks of practice before the next race at Missouri Western will be crucial for his team.
fourth and Mundorf rounded out the top six in sixth place. Junior Tyler Blay just missed the top ten, finishing in 11th. Sophomores Riley Witt, Grayson Tapp and Sam Shipp finished in 17th, 21st and 24th. Ju-
the Bearcats scored another touchdown putting the score to 27-14. With 8:42 left in the third quarter, junior running back Tank Young ran for a 23yard touchdown, putting the score up 34-14. Answering back, Washburn threw the ball for an 85-yard touchdown pass to set the score to 34-21 with 8:28 left. With possession of the ball, the Ichabods tailed another touchdown to trail behind with 34-28. Going into the fourth quarter, redshirt freshman running back Te’Shaun Porter secured his first touchdown of
VICTORY
CONTINUED FROM A12
“Stay hungry, staying humble, just knowing that, you know, still three weeks where a lot can go right, a lot can go wrong and just continue putting the work inside and outside of ourselves,” Cunningham said.
his college career. Ruhnke then passed the ball to junior wide receiver Luke Mathews for a 24-yard touchdown pass to put the score 41-28. With 5:14 left in the game, Guastella extended the lead to 44-28 with a 38-yard field goal. Clocking ticking down, the Ichabods scored a 32-yard touchdown putting them up 44-34. Using the failed on-side kick, Northwest scored a 45-yard touchdown from Young to end the game 51-34. The ‘Cats are set to kickoff at 1 p.m. Oct 12. In Edmond, Oklahoma against Central Oklahoma.
Senior running back Gavin McAtee was finding seams all night. He scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half, making the score 35-0 going into halftime. He ended the game with 135 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“I’m just grateful I got to rock tonight, you know, I just had to do my best,” McAtee said. “My O-line blocked me into the end zone every time. So, I’m just grateful for them.”
In the middle of quarter three, Sheil connected to senior tight end Major Scarbrough for an 18-yard touchdown. This made the score 42-0 with 6:45 remaining in the quarter.
Dredge recorded a touchdown himself during the fourth quarter, scoring the last touchdown for the Spoofhounds, making the game 49-0.
Senior kicker Noah Bellamy made all seven field goal attempts throughout the game, raising his field goal percentage to 92% for the season.
The Cardinals, losing by 49 points, found life with less than five minutes remaining in the game. A pass interference call started their first and only scoring drive of the game. Benton freshman running back Zander Tiller scored on a 5-yard touchdown. Benton is the first team to score points against the Spoofhounds in the newly renovated ‘Hound Pound Stadium.
Maryville (4-2; 3-1 MEC) will play at 1 p.m. against Lutheran North (4-1) in Chillicothe, Missouri Oct. 12. Webb is proud of the team’s perseverance and is ready for the challenge.
“Playing better teams only makes us better, so I am all for it,” Webb said.
The Northwest men’s cross country team jogs during practice Oct. 1. The Bearcats’ next matchup is the MIAA Championships 10 a.m. Oct. 26.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Tennis player talks being away from home, successes
From Melbourne, Australia to Maryville, Missouri, Northwest men’s tennis senior Luc Mascitti aims for success as a Bearcat before heading back to his hometown after graduation in May.
The 21-year-old is pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration at Northwest after an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Mascitti has been playing tennis since he was 5 years old, and has represented Melbourne University at a national competition in Australia. He was also a hitting partner for one of the tennis players in the Australian Open.
The Bearcat men’s tennis team features seven players — all international. For most international student-athletes, the fear of leaving their home countries to continue their collegiate careers means they will be a long way from family. Mascitti said it is challenging at times to remain consistent in his work as a tennis player while not having family around him to provide in-person support.
“It’s always difficult, more I guess, family, friends, and just having those people to rely on,” Mascitti said. “And I mean the team aspect is good, that you’re not by yourself, you know, you’re with people with similar interests, and there’s a whole system around you of people that want to help you succeed.”
Mascitti said the support system on campus and the success the Northwest men’s tennis program has had over the years played a key role in his commitment process.
“At Northwest in particular, it’s been a great program for a lot of years, you know, had some phenomenal players, and we have some phenomenal players on the team,” Mascitti said. “And a good system as well in all the sports, the training and the gym, the fitness, the facilities that are here, everything’s there for you to succeed if you’re willing to work hard enough.”
Bearcat coach Mark Rosewell has been at the helm of the men’s and women’s teams since 1984 and has accumulated 1,250 victories during his tenure — the
most of any coach in any sport at the collegiate level. Rosewell said Mascitti is one of the best people he has come across during his time as the tennis coach for the ‘Cats.
“He’s an excellent person,” Rosewell said. “He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s a breath of fresh air every day, everybody likes him. He knows everybody on campus that’s for sure. He’s got just a tremendous personality and is a tremendous worker too. So, we feel like he’s going to get better, and is getting better, you know, as far as being able to help the team in the spring in singles and doubles, hopefully.”
And I mean the team aspect is good, that you’re not by yourself, you know, you’re with people with similar interests, and there’s a whole system around you of people that want to help you succeed.”
LUC MASCITTI MEN’S TENNIS SENIOR
With the fall season having closed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Regional Sept. 27-29 in Topeka, Kansas, Mascitti turns to the offseason program to put in the work to succeed in his final spring season with Northwest.
“The physical aspect is probably the thing you work on the most, when you’re in the spring, it’s all about being healthy and feeling good,” Mascitti said. “And, you know, that means you can’t do too much work in the gym, or too many hours on the court, otherwise, (you’re) just going to be tired and sore. This is where you can be a bit more experimental and just trying to find those little differences in the game.
TREY HOUCHIN Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Northwest men’s tennis senior Luc Mascitti serves during practice Oct. 1. Mascitti is a senior from Melbourne, Australia pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration.
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Maryville boy’s soccer collects three road wins
LANDON CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Maryville boys soccer will return home from three straight road contests to face St. Pius X 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at Maryville High School.
St. Pius X is a team head coach Matt Stoecklein looks forward to facing. This will test his team’s ability further after scoring 16 goals in the last four games versus Midland Empire Conference foes.
Stoecklein said the basics need to be done effectively to keep up the winning streak headed into the Warriors matchup.
“We need to make sure we’re doing the right things as a team,” Stoecklein said. “To make sure that we’re ready for St. Pius, to make sure that we’re ready for districts as well. So let’s do things right now and do them well. And you know, we’re scoring a lot of goals as of late. Maybe against Pius we won’t get that many, but as long as we do everything right, let’s try to score some and win in a close game.”
The Spoofhounds visited Cameron, Missouri, to face off against a familiar opponent, the MEC Cameron Drag-
ons Sept. 26. Maryville had a strong performance and stayed in its scoring mode to win in shutout fashion 4-0.
The Dragons were work horses on the defensive side of the ball but could not compete with the Spoofhounds roster enough to penetrate the attacking third and put any meaningful shots to test the Spoofhound keeper.
Stoecklein said playing a team with the determination of Cameron helps the team’s headspace when the goals do come through.
“Cameron is a team that works hard on defense,”
Stoecklein said. “So, anytime you can get a score against a team that works hard and has some good soccer players, it just builds your confidence seeing that ball going to the back of the net. It just builds confidence to say I can do it against a tougher team, in a tougher game.”
Maryville stayed with its winning ways, securing another shutout victory 4-0, Oct. 3 at Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Maryville junior captain
Tuan Jacobson emphasized the importance of the team’s preparation for the games that mat-
ter more later on.
“Honestly, it’s just repetition,” Jacobson said. “We just gotta stay focused. We’ve been working on shooting and focusing on our weaknesses like communication. So, improving those and team spirit, just hyping each other up
will help us.”
Maryville finally finished off its away stint in St. Joseph, Missouri, Oct. 8 versus the St. Joseph-Benton High School Cardinals team.
After a scoreless draw in regular time, the game went to overtime where even af-
ter double overtime play, the sides couldn’t be separated. Eventually, the game came down to a penalty shootout. Senior goalkeeper Titus McKim came up with a crucial save on the Cardinal’s first penalty leading Maryville to a 4-3 shootout win.
Northwest soccer faces tough match, senior day
LANDON
CLOUSE Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports
Northwest women’s soccer finished off an away match Sept. 25 and Senior Day at home Sept. 29. The team headed to Edmond, Oklahoma for a 7 p.m. match Oct. 4 to play Central Oklahoma. Following a two-day turnaround, they hit the road again to face the Newman Jets 1 p.m., Oct. 6. in Wichita, Kansas.
Senior defensive midfielder Siri Ott said her team looks forward to these away tests, with a couple days to recover and prepare.
“We’re doing some good work in film this week,” Ott said. “We’ve got a lot to do; watching their tendencies is how we like to prepare, and just
being very visual. We are coming up with points that we can share with each other so that we’re prepared going in keeping that hard working, gritty attitude that we had on our senior night game. I think it will help carry us through the weekend.”
The Bearcats fell short against first place in the mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Missouri Western (71) Sept. 25 in St. Joseph. With time running out for Northwest, they scored two goals back courtesy of junior midfielder Darrian Gordon for her first goals of her career, but it wasn’t enough and Northwest fell 3-2.
Coach Marc Gordon gave kudos to Missouri Western’s performance, the confidence they played with and how they moved the ball.
“They are playing really well. We just got ourselves too far behind,” Gordon said. “They took advantage of the mistakes that we had, and that’s what good teams do to you. I was proud of our effort and willingness to stay in the game, you know, it just showed resilience and a desire that the game’s never over.”
Northwest then faced MIAA former No. 1 Northeastern State Sept. 29 at Bearcat Pitch for Senior Day.
The Riverhawks (6-2) and Northwest (3-2-3) played a close game, with Northeastern taking the lead in the first half thanks to a goal off a corner kick. Despite being outshot in the first half, Bearcat junior goalkeeper Lily Ellis made six saves to keep the game within reach.
In the second half, Northwest
became more aggressive. Sophomore forward Ekaterina Theoharidis scored the equalizer in the 74th minute, assisted by sophomore attacking midfielder Makenna West. With the match nearing its end, Theoharidis set up West for the game-winning goal, marking West’s first collegiate goal and securing a 2-1 comeback victory for the Bearcats.
Gordon said they figured out ways to get the win they needed on such a special occasion.
“So we had to take a little extra time in our preparation,” Gordon said. “They managed to get loose at different times in the game. We went into halftime, made some adjustments to what they were doing and then started to find some success in some pockets beyond their midfield line and that’s when we start-
ed completing our passes, and things opened up for us.”
Gordon also gave praises to his attackers for helping deliver, helping them back from a deficit.
“We have a couple of women that are super fast, Ekaterina Theoharidis and Makenna West,” Gordon said. “Just having the opportunity to stretch their legs in the game like that, it’s challenging for teams. They’re a lot to try and manage, and they just took full advantage of that space and pulled two goals back in the last 16 minutes to help us.” Northwest looked to keep the intensity and momentum going into the away stretch this past week and push for a good standing in MIAA play, starting with a 7 p.m. match Oct. 4 at Central Oklahoma (4-3-1).
Then Maryville boys soccer junior midfielder Anmol Prabhakar weaves the ball around a defender during a match Oct. 3, 2023. The Spoofhounds next game is at 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at Maryville High School.
Bearcat men’s tennis ends season
Northwest men’s tennis concluded its final competition of the fall season at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II Men’s Central Regional Championships Sept. 2729 in Topeka, Kansas.
The weekend-long tournament consisted of a series of singles and doubles matches between some of the top players across the country in Junior and Community Colleges, and Division II and III. The Bearcats brought all seven players to the regional tournament — seniors Rafal Bednarczuk, Luc Mascitti and Vini Rodrigues, juniors Niccolo Chiriatti and Antonin Leborne, and sophomores Thomas Desgris and Dominik Wijntjes.
Wijntjes claimed two wins in his first two singles matches Sept. 27 for a round 16 appearance in the main bracket moving into Sept. 28. Wijntes was knocked out by Luis Agullo from Harding University, which sent him to the consolation stage.
Northwest recorded four singles victories in the consolation bracket at the Krossover Tennis Center Sept. 28. Chiriatti collected two wins against Newman University men’s tennis senior Ali Mounir and Southeastern Oklahoma State men’s tennis senior Luke Tinnock. Rodrigues claimed
Over the weekend, the Northwest volleyball team was on the road for doubleheader games against the Fort Hays State Lions and the University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers.
The Bearcats were first matched with the Lions Oct 4, where they had a three-set sweep against the team. With the win, the ‘Cats improved to 2-1 in MIAA play.
Starting the first set, the team had their tails wrapped around the Lions with 13 kills and a .256 hitting percentage. Junior right side hitter Kasidy Mohwinkle had four first-set kills.
Coming off the nine-point win in the first set, the two teams went under six set ties and three lead changes before the Bearcats took over. Veterans middle hitter Abby Brunssen and outside hitter Payton Kirchhoefer led the team to 14 kills. The team secured the set win 25-20.
To secure the third set win, the Bearcats shut the Lions out with four kills from Kirchhoefer and Brunssen for their 16th straight win against Fort Hays.
Head coach Amy Woerth huddled the team back to take on No. 3 University of Nebraska-Kearney Oct. 5.
“We were just trying to take care of business with Fort Hays,” Woerth said. “So that we had a lot of energy when we went into Kearney.”
Starting off the first set, the Lopers took hold with a 10-4 and fell to the Lopers 25-18.
back-to-back wins against two Southeastern Oklahoma State players — seniors David Palomares and Djordje Kurcubic — in two sets each.
Wijntjes said the first two wins he collected were big confidence boosters in his first year as a Bearcat.
“The first thing that I realized was kind of how strong the level (of competition) was compared to what I’m used to and how different the players that I was versing, compete compared to that time in New Zealand,” Wijntjes said. “In college, I haven’t had much experience
having a full team behind me because I’m used to just playing for myself, playing on my own, but having that team support kind of helped get me through.”
Wijntjes and Mascitti recorded a pair of doubles wins in the consolation stage Sept. 28 against Washburn University men’s tennis junior Moritz Pieper and freshman Marco Romano, and Southeastern Oklahoma’s Kurcubic and Palomares, before ultimately losing in the semifinals Sept. 29.
Coach Mark Rosewell said the tournament was a great experience as they
Tying the set 16-16, UNK went on a 3-point run to get a 19-16 lead. Trailing 22-19, the Bearcats hit the Lopers with a 6-1 run to secure the set win with 25-23. This was the first set UNK lost at home for this season.
Going into the fourth set, UNK tied the set 4-4 before the team went on an 8-1 point run, putting the score up to 12-5. UNK won the set 25-15.
“They’re just competitive,” Woerth said. “They don’t want to lose and they hate losing in five sets.”
After the loss, the team came back to Maryville to host the Missouri Western Griffons Oct. 8.
Taking the first set 25-20, the ‘Cats started on a 9-7 point run that turned into a 17-11 run to take control against the Griffons. The Bearcats had a .224 hitting percentage during their first set 25-20 win.
Missouri Western didn’t give up, starting the second on a 2-1 run which led them to win the sec-
ond set 25-22. The Griffons similarly started the third set on a 2-1 run and also won that set 25-21.
The Bearcats came back in the fourth set, with 10 ties and eight lead changes. After the last tie 1313, the ‘Cats went on a 5-0 point run to put the lead 18-13. Missouri Western would try to come back with 20-17, but the Bearcats answered to push the game to five sets with the 25-20 set win.
Starting off the fifth set with back-to-back points from the Bearcats, with one challenge card being pulled out from the Griffins it didn’t stop the ‘Cats from taking the fifth set win 15-10.
“I just think you got to take it point by point,” Woerth said. “MO West is a good team. Our conference is good. You just got to play point by point and get in there and understand what you need to do and make your changes.”
The Bearcats are set to serve at 6 p.m. Oct. 11 in the Bearcat Arena against the No. 11 ranked, undefeated Central Oklahoma.
move into the spring season.
“They get to see what the competition is because not only the conference, but the regional teams, they’re all the same teams we play in the spring,” Rosewell said. “So, they see what they’re up against and really how high the level (of play) is.”
Ultimately, the Bearcats did not advance any players into the ITA National Championships. Rosewell said he was appreciative of the growth from his players in the fall season.
“Well, we’ve basically seen what the team is going to look like, and the ladder, as far as the singles and the doubles combinations,” Rosewell said. “So, now I kind of got an idea of what some of these new players can and can’t do, so it helps a lot.”
Although this marks the end of the fall tennis season for Northwest, the ‘Cats will look forward to the offseason to prepare before the spring season begins. Wijntjes said he is excited to see what he and the team have in store for the spring.
“We’ve had a couple of tournaments in the fall, but they’ve been more invitational events where they don’t necessarily count towards rankings or anything like that,” Wijntjes said. “It’s been a good eye-opener as to the level that I’m competing against, and after these wins I think I’m feeling really confident going into the spring.”
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Northwest men’s tennis junior Antonin Leborne slices the ball as he returns a rally to his partner during practice Oct. 1.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest men’s tennis senior Vini Rodrigues strikes back a forehand as he returns a rally to his partner during practice Oct. 1.
AARON HARE PHOTO EDITOR
Northwest volleyball players celebrate after scoring a point during the Bearcats’ matchup against Emporia State Sept. 28.
LILLY HALLMON MISSOURIAN PHOTOGRAPHER
TREY HOUCHIN Missourian Reporter
COMING HOME
Bearcats look for revenge, Homecoming
HOMECOMING
Northwest football is set to play Central Missouri for its Homecoming game after two weeks on the road. The Bearcats are hungry for revenge against the Mules.
Compared to last season, the Bearcats lost to Central Missouri early in the season with a 41-38 game. The Mules put up the first touchdown and led at halftime 243. With the 41-38 loss, the Bearcats will head back to the drawing boards for the upcoming matchup.
Using the freshmen to their full advantage, freshman defensive back Jordan Hurst is hungry for his first Homecoming game despite being on the road for two weekends.
“Being back on our home turf definitely lifts the team up a little,” Hurst said. “Knowing that the whole town will be behind us again, performing good on the road, gives us the extra motivation
to continue it at home and especially for Homecoming.”
The ‘Cats are coming back from away games against Central Oklahoma and Washburn. The team defeated Washburn 51-34 but is looking for another win. Northwest stands 4-2 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play.
“The focus hasn’t been on Homecoming,” Hurst said. “It’s been about the now. Preparing for the game ahead of us this week and getting better every day which should lead to a great Homecoming game.”
In the school’s history, the team has hosted 27 Homecomings with 25 wins coming out of them. The ‘Cats have won the last seven games.
Kickoff for the Homecoming game will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 in the Bearcat Stadium.
OCT. 5 GAME
The Northwest Football team will be on the road again after beating the Washburn Icabods on Oct. 5 with a score of 51-34.
Starting off the game, sopho-
more quarterback Henry Martin passed the ball to sophomore tight end Zach Atkins for a 3-yard touchdown pass capping off a 10-play, 69-yard drive. To end the first quarter, junior quarterback Chris Ruhnke passed the ball to junior wide receiver Andrew Bradley for an 8-yard touchdown pass. With the possession of the ball, the Bearcats had 6 plays and reached 50 yards. On a 43-yard field goal attempt, the Ichabods came up short. Giving Washburn the possession, redshirt freshman defensive back Holden Zigmant and sophomore linebacker Carter Edwards deflected the ball intended for an Icahbod. Edwards grabbed the first interception of the game.
Using the interception, senior kicker Noah Guastella drilled a 26yard field goal as the offense stalled in the red zone, putting the score 17-0 with 7:05 left in the first half.
Maryville football quarterback injured in game
The Spoofhounds celebrated their third straight victory in the new and improved ‘Hound Pound Stadium Oct. 4, but suffered the loss of a team captain early in the game.
The Benton Cardinals started the game with a batted pass resulting in an interception by Cardinal junior middle linebacker Cy Polley. However, the Spoofhounds, led by head coach Matt Webb, came right back on the next drive with a pick-six by Maryville senior linebacker Kole Zarbano.
“We talk a lot about Kole Zarbano being a big playmaker, and obviously his pick-six early kind of set the tone tonight,” Webb said.
On the next drive, senior quarterback Matthew Walter was injured. There are no official updates at this time, but his team and coaches expressed their support, including senior linebacker Gus McCollough.
“We’re gonna say our prayers for Matthew,” McCollough said. “Hopefully he has a quick recovery.” Up to this point in the season, Walter has thrown 365 yards and three touchdowns. Although the loss of a leader on
the field is difficult, the Spoofhounds are looking forward.
“He’s a first-class young man and has been a great leader for us, and will continue to be,” Webb said. “I was very proud of watching (junior quarterback Will Sheil) and (sophomore quarterback Jackson Dredge) step up and execute the way they did.”
Sheil and Jackson Dredge stepped up to the challenge and secured the Spoofhound win.
Junior running back Brody Shepherd had a 53-yard run in the second quarter, resulting in another scoring drive. Senior running back Canon Creason rammed in the six-yard touchdown to finish the drive and give the Spoofhounds a 21-point lead.
To get on the scoreboard before halftime, junior quarterback Chris Ruhnke threw to sophomore Henry Martin for a four-yard rush field goal. The extra point was good and the ‘Cats tied the game at 7-7. It didn’t take long for the Hornets to sting back. With 1:50 left in the first half, Emporia State sophomore linebacker Cade Stephenson tackled Northwest junior running back Tank Young for a safety, bringing the score to 9-7.
Northwest football junior running back Tank Young rushes up the field during the Bearcats’ matchup against Emporia State Sept. 28.
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Maryville sophomore running back Carson Hageman rushes toward the end zone during the Spoofhounds’ 49-7 win over St. Joseph-Benton Oct. 4.
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Northwest football senior wide receiver John Giagiari rushes the ball down the field Sept. 28.
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