The Northwest Missourian by Northwest Missourian

NORTHWEST

MISSOURIAN

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

MARYVILLE, MISSOURI

NWMISSOURINEWS.COM

VOL. 110, NO. 13

@THEMISSOURIAN

MAKAYLA POLAK | NW MISSOURIAN

A clinic participant shows off his vaccination card to Jodi Griffin, quality improvement coordinator at Mosaic Life Care, after receiving his COVID-19 Pfizer booster shot in the Carl & Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse Nov. 8. The booster shots were available to people fully vaccinated with Pfizer before May 9.

COVID-19 cases surge, reach highest level in nearly a year

Increase to water, sewer rates passed at Council meeting QUENTIN MORRIS News Reporter | @TheMissourian

Maryville residents will see a increase in water rates by 13% and sewer rates by 28% over the next year after a vote from Maryville City Council at the Nov. 8 meeting. The goal of the rate change is to make sure the water system can maintain the city’s enterprise fund. An enterprise fund is a self-supporting government. According to NewGen Strategies & Solutions LLC, which was hired by the city in May to perform a comprehensive rate study, the amount of money raised by the current sewer and water rates was not enough to pay for the wa-

ter system. The Council passed the measure unanimously; mayor Benjamin Lipiec not present. In response to this study, the city will significantly increase both water and sewer rates. During the next two years, all customers will see a 13% increase in volumetric and minimum water use charge, and they will also see a 28% increase in volumetric and minimum sewer use charge. The average customer should expect between an 18.5% to 21.1% increase in their monthly bill. The plan also includes a 3% increase in the water and sewers rates for the following three years.

SEE WATER | A4

cluding people being lax on precautions and colder weather forcing more people to gather indoors. We just have to, individually where we are at, do the best we can,” Patterson said of following proper precautions. Last November was the peak of the pandemic for Nodaway County, with over 300 active cases of the virus for 10 consecutive days. It was the only point in the pandemic cases reached the 300 mark. Northwest trends have mirrored that of the county, with 30 active cases at the University as of Nov. 8., the most since November 2020. Northwest has not had fewer than 10 active cases since the beginning of November. At the time of publication, the University accounted for just over 37% of active COVID-19 cases in the county.

SEE COVID | A4

NEW WATER AND SEWER RATES FOR 2022 TOTAL DIFFERENCE (%)

INSIDE CITY LIMIT: 100

20.9%

$24.23

300

USAGE (C.F.)

he south end of the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse was host to a familiar site Nov. 9. Mosaic - Maryville staﬀ in neon safety vests, folding chairs, vials of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, and members of the community were all nestled at one end of the indoor track as they had many times throughout the winter and spring of 2021. The booster vaccine clinic, created and held through a partnership between Mosaic - Maryville, the Nodaway County Health Department and Northwest, distributed Pﬁzer booster vaccines to 462 individuals Tuesday. The clinic comes amid a county surge in COVID-19 cases to levels not seen since the early days of vaccine distribution. There were 103 active cases of COVID-19 in Nodaway County at the time of publication,

the most active cases in the county since Christmas Day 2020. Eligible populations at the clinic were those over the age of 65, those aged 18-65 with underlying conditions, and those at high risk of transmission — law enforcement, educators, among others. “I think it’s important to have every layer of protection that’s available to you,” NCHD Administrator Tom Patterson said of booster shots. Wednesday NCHD announced 23 individuals tested positive for COVID-19, the most since Dec. 3, 2020. Patterson, who was optimistic about the direction of cases in the county in weeks prior, said he doesn’t really feel that way now. Neither Nate Blackford, president of Mosaic - Maryville, or Patterson pointed to one thing that caused the surge. Both said it’s likely a combination of things, in-

19.6%

$44.73

400 700 1,000 1,500

$54.98

19.3%

$85.73

18.9% 18.7%

$116.48

18.5%

$167.73

21.1%

$563.34

5,000

$1,366.88

12,000

$300

$600

$900

$1,200

100 400

30.6% 36.2%

$65.44

38.4%

$142.60 $455.10

3,000

$1,500

$26.86

1,000

$100

19.6%

TOTAL DIFFERENCE (%)

OUTSIDE CITY LIMIT: USAGE (C.F.)

NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish

$200

$300

$400

47.8%

$500

GRAPHIC BY CHEYENNE HELLEBUST DESIGNER

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Nov. 11, 2021 @TheMissourian

HUMANS OF NORTHWEST

VINNIE VACCARO

NATHAN ENGLISH | NW MISSOURIAN

Left: In a submitted photo, Vinnie Vaccaro stands in the ﬁrst ever Bobby Bearcat suit. He described himself as not a very good mascot, as he frequently ruined the illusion by taking off the helmet. Top Right: Vinnie Vaccaro celebrates Trevor Hudgins’ stepback 3-pointer in the second half of Northwest’s win Nov. 6. He did the same gesture for each of the ’Cats 9 3-pointers in the contest. Bottom Right: Vinnie and Keddy Vaccaro sit in their seats after Northwest men’s basketball toppled Northern State Nov. 6 at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph. The couple met at a party at Northwest.

A NORTHWEST FAN

NATHAN ENGLISH Managing Editor | @nathan_3nglish

orthwest junior guard Trevor Hudgins drove straight at the Northern State player directly in front of him. With the defender off-balance, Hudgins planted his right foot, angling back and left to create separation. Hudgins exploded upward, releasing his shot several feet behind the 3-point arc at the Civic Arena in St. Joseph. Five rows from center court in a bright orange stadium seat, Vinnie Vaccaro shouted “threeball” as the shot left Hudgins’ hands. The Northwest guard’s aim was true, and as the ball sliced through the net, Vaccaro rose from his seat laughing and high-fiving the numerous Bearcat fans surrounding him, including his wife Keddy. He was home; he was with his family. Vinnie Vaccaro wasn’t always dealt an easy hand in life; his journey at Northwest almost ended soon after it began, he’s lost loved ones, and he’s been battling cancer for the last 11 years. His many years as a Bearcat have taught Vinnie Vaccaro many things, but perhaps most importantly, he learned to battle. Vinnie Vaccaro’s favorite line to deliver on a phone call when asked what he did that day is, “Why, I got up this morning, I put on my red cape and I’m flying all over the city of Kansas City this morning fighting cancer,” Keddy Vaccaro said. The cancer and subsequent surgeries have taken a few teeth out of Vinnie Vaccaro’s smile but none of the joy. For inspiration on his fight, Vinnie Vaccaro looks no further than the Northwest men’s basketball team. Just 234 days before their rematch against Northern State, the Bearcats were staring at the end of their season. Northwest was down 11 with just over three minutes left in the contest facing elimination. “All of them, all five, six, seven guys, they basically said, ‘No, no, we’re not gonna lose this game,’” Vinnie Vaccaro said. Then the ’Cats did the nearimpossible, tying the game in the closing seconds and eventually prevailing over Northern State to capture a Central Region title. Vinnie Vaccaro’s battle is a

little bit different; he knows he’s going to lose his game eventually, he said. But he’s going to keep fighting to the end. “I fell in love with the campus,” Vinnie Vaccaro said, leaning forward in his seat, an hour before Northwest’s clash with Northern State Nov. 6. The man who would be known to legions of current and former Northwest students as one of the biggest Bearcat fans to ever live decided to attend Northwest during a high school speech and debate tournament. Vinnie Vaccaro hadn’t thought much about college prior to that day, but when he began walking around the campus just a few blocks from Main Street, he envisioned himself continuing his education there. Vinnie Vaccaro officially set foot on campus in the summer of 1965. Through his own admission, he didn’t take college that seriously. After a poor scholastic performance and other circumstances, Vinnie Vaccaro received a phone call from his father in December of 1966. “It wasn’t a happy phone call,” Vinnie Vaccaro said with a smile. In less polite terms, his father told him he needed to come home. He officially left Northwest as a student — for the time being. During his time off from school, Vinnie Vaccaro got married. A few months later, though, tragedy struck. His first wife was killed in a car accident. After losing her, Vinnie Vaccaro lived a “nomadic life” for a bit. He spent time in Colorado, skiing and partying, throwing himself a pity party, he said. “I woke up one day and looked in the mirror and thought, ‘What are you doing?’” Vinnie Vaccaro said. “‘You’re wasting your life.’” Shortly after his hard look in the mirror, Vinnie Vaccaro made a trip to Maryville to see friends he had made at Northwest. He returned to his old stomping grounds and went on the radio

with one of his friends during his trip. After he was off the air, Catherine Cushman, the head of the broadcast department at the time, brought Vinnie Vaccaro into her office and told him the same thing he had told himself in the mirror a few days prior. “From what I see, you’re blowing it,” Cushman said. Vinnie Vaccaro told her to “mind her own business” and stormed out of her office. After a night of partying in Maryville, Vaccaro woke up the next morning and apologized and admitted she was right. Shortly after that conversation, he returned to Northwest as a student. Upon his return, a group of the faculty saw Vinnie Vaccaro’s need for help; they knew what he had gone through. With extra help or “a kick in the butt,” those faculty members became some of

fered to buy Vinnie Vaccaro a beer, and then another, and then another. “All of the sudden I’m thinking, ‘Man, I must be a cool guy,’” Vinnie Vaccaro said with a laugh. His wife Keddy Vaccaro, in the seat to his left, rolled her eyes with a grin. As it turns out, his coolness wasn’t the reason for his free drinks. They needed someone to be the first Bobby Bearcat, and Vinnie Vacarro was the number one choice. In his less-than sober state, Vaccaro agreed to don the costume. He wasn’t a very good Bobby Bearcat, he said. He didn’t do push-ups after touchdowns, he wasn’t as adept at getting the crowd into the game, and he frequently took the helmet off so he could get a better view of the action. “I guess at the time it was OK, but I was nothing compared to some of the Bearcat mascots I’ve seen at the University,” Vinnie Vaccaro said. For him, being the school mascot wasn’t about publicity or notoriety. It was about loyalty. Vinnie Vaccaro knew a lot of the athletes, and he felt being Bobby Bearcat on the sidelines was his way of supporting what they were doing. Not only did he want to support those on the field, but he thought others at Northwest should, too, and that desire led to him meeting his wife. Keddy Vaccaro played softball, basketball and was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma during her time at Northwest. She was at a softball party on a Saturday night during her undergraduate career when someone walked in and began asking people, including her, why they weren’t at the football game that day. “Because I’m particular about who I go to the ball game with,” Keddy Vaccaro said to the person in question. That person was, of course, Vinnie Vaccaro. The two would go out on a date the following Wednesday and then hundreds more. They’ve been married nearly 48 years.

“I like to say they formed a covered wagon train around me. Basically I felt like they were there to make sure nothing was going to hurt me ever again. It was a real family thing for me.” -VINNIE VACCARO the first Northwest family members Vinnie Vaccaro ever had. “I like to say they formed a covered wagon train around me,” Vinnie Vaccaro said. “Basically, I felt like they were there to make sure nothing was going to hurt me ever again. It was a real family thing for me.” While Vinnie Vaccaro was in his second stint at Northwest, a first was happening at the University. The first Bobby the Bearcat costume was being made by the art department, and a group of cheerleaders at the time knew just who should wear it. Vinnie Vaccaro was enjoying a beer at a bar in Maryville when a group of cheerleaders walked in. Vinnie Vaccaro was a man on campus who knew everyone. He credited the vast number of Bearcat connections to the size of the school and his outgoing nature. The group of cheerleaders of-

Upon the Vaccaros graduating, both entered into education careers. Keddy would get another degree and transition into counseling, and Vinnie would later return to Northwest as the alumni director. Both spoke about Northwest as more than just a college. For them, it’s not only a place to learn but to grow, to connect, to ﬁnd a family. Being a Bearcat to the Vaccaros isn’t just about athletics or alumni; it’s about caring for and being a part of everything that happens at the Division II college in Maryville. “We’re Northwest fans,” Vinnie Vaccaro said, gesturing to himself and his wife. The Vaccaros love to support the athletics programs, talking about Northwest basketball players as if they are adopted grandchildren, but they also love to support everything at Northwest. If allowed, the couple would cheer on students taking ﬁnals, just as they cheer on players in Bearcat Arena. The phrase “paying it forward” seems to be the motto for the Vaccaros. Both of them spoke about the importance of helping fellow Bearcats and getting new ones into the fold. “If I run across a kid and I found out they are interested in college and I don’t say something about Northwest, I’m not a fan,” Vinnie Vaccaro said. The Vaccaros are a fan of anyone who loves Northwest. The couple strolled around Civic Arena looking for Northwest forward Wes Dreamer’s parents so they could sit with them. Along the way, nearly everyone wearing green and white greeted or was greeted by the Vaccaros as if they were reuniting at a family gathering. Vinnie Vaccaro has had the opportunity to speak at numerous Northwest commencement ceremonies. When he speaks, he always asks all those in the room who attended Northwest to stand. By the end, there are more people standing in the room than sitting, he said. The letters OABAAB are some even the newest Bearcat have heard ad-nauseum. It stands for “once a Bearcat always a Bearcat.” Some use these words as a greeting, others use it as a motto. The Vaccaros are the latter.

NEWS

Nov. 11, 2021 @TheMissourian

Maryville market to oﬀer local business support SIDNEY LOWRY News Editor | @sidney_lowry

ROSCOE FLINT | NW MISSOURIAN

Senator Joseph Etheridge stands to give constructive criticism over the diversity and inclusion survey in hopes that the survey will provide optimal results when given to the incoming freshman.

Senate takes diversity survey, offers criticism QUENTIN MORRIS News Reporter | @TheMissourian

west students as part of its Inclusive Excellence plan. The data collected on the survey will be used for the DI Office initiative. Organizational Finance Chair Brady Fritts said his biggest issue with the survey was how it did not focus on specific experiences. “The survey is focused on hypothetical rather than experiences. The survey is very tunnel-visioned,” Fritts said. Senate President Bailey Hendrickson was also one of the more outspoken members against the survey. Hendrickson’s issue was also with the questions. “At this moment, a lot of things need to change about this survey before we can even think about sending this out to the student population,’’ Hendrickson said. While there was conversation about the need to change the questions on the survey, the DI Office has no power over what questions are asked on the survey. The DI Office will be able to see the results of the survey, but the survey is owned by a third par-

After two weeks of back and forth about the Intercultural Development Survey for the Diversity and Inclusion Office, the Student Senate took the survey during the Nov. 9 meeting. Student Senate members were vocal about the issues they had with the survey after taking it. One of the most common issues with the survey was that it had too many hypothetical questions rather than focusing on real experiences that people have. This survey was originally struck down in a 14-12-1 vote during the Oct. 26 meeting. A major reason for the vote was the price tag attached to the survey. Student Senate thought they would be financially responsible for the test run, utilizing the Senate’s Inclusion Committee budget. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion always intended on paying for the survey. The DI Office is working on building a curriculum for diversity education for North-

ty. Hammer Holdings, Inc owns the survey and according to their website they claim their surveys have three areas of improvement. “One individual feedback and development of intercultural competence, two for group/team feedback and training development of intercultural competence, and three for baseline assessments and organizational development,” the website reads. The survey took 18 out of the 36 senate members only 10 minutes to finish, and all other members finished under 20 minutes. The DI Office will be back at the Nov. 30 meeting to discuss the results of the survey and how they want to move forward. Other Student Senate Business: Organizational Finance Chair Brady Fritts reports that Student Senate has appropriated $11,375 of the $32,000 budget. This is 36% of its budget.

As people start buying gifts for the holidays, small businesses in Maryville are attempting to oﬀer local buying options as an alternative to shopping online or with large companies. Holly Cronk, who owns multiple businesses in Maryville, said supporting small businesses is her passion. Because of that, she partnered with The Hangar, another local business, for the Fall Maker’s Market. “I felt early on that the holidays were going to be prime this year to focus on homemade, local products,” Cronk said. “That not only means our small businesses here in town like mine, but that also means our at-home businesses.” The market is hosting 18 local businesses that will have booths providing everything from a simple stocking stuﬀer, such as hot cocoa bombs, to bigger presents such as handmade wooden signs and jewelry.

“I felt early on that the holidays were going to be prime this year to focus on homemade, local products.” -HOLLY CRONK FALL MAKER’S MARKET ORGANIZER

These markets were created to help local businesses and in response to a national shortage of supplies, Cronk said. Cronk said that due to the shortage, some of the big-brand companies may not be having sales or be able to handle the same amount of product demand as years prior to the pandemic.

“With the holidays coming up, and the fact that we are dealing with an issue nationwide that just has just grown in reference to what’s available and the pricing of what’s available,” Cronk said. “Because even though Amazon is still having some sales, they’re not such big sales this year.” Offering local alternatives to buying from big companies also allows for the money buyers are spending to go back into the local community. Rather than spending $10 on something online, Cronk said, people should spend a little more to get a similar product from a local business. “So you’re also going to beneﬁt from all of that in ways that you probably don’t understand or don’t really know at the moment,” she said. “You will beneﬁt, and it will come back to you in the form of new parks, roads and tax-based items that your money just went to when you supported local.”

Local vendors will be at the Fall Maker’s Market.

Though this market was created to provide alternatives for online gift shopping, it isn’t the first or the last of its kind. Nodaway County Economic Development holds pop-up markets for local businesses throughout the year to support small businesses in the county. As for the holidays, the Greater Maryville Chamber of Commerce is hosting A Very Maryville Christmas, in partnership with Nodaway County Economic Development, the City of Maryville, Maryville Downtown Improvement Organization and Nodaway County, to help people shop locally for gifts. Pop-up markets for local businesses will also be hosted during the weeks leading up to Christmas. “When you start off shopping, you have that preconceived list in your mind. But what we’re trying to do is throw that list out and come and shop local and find something else, find something unique,” Cronk said. “You can buy 10 of the same things at Walmart, and your best friend can have the same shirt you’re wearing,” Cronk said. “You go to a vendor, the chances your girlfriends are going to be wearing the same shirt you just bought are very, very slim. Would you rather be an individual or a cookie cutter?”

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Nov. 11, 2021 @TheMissourian

NEWS

CRIME LOG for the week of Nov. 11 Northwest Missouri State University Police Department Nov. 9 There is an open investigation for stealing in Perrin Hall. Nov. 5 There is an open investigation for stealing in Parking Lot 63. Nov. 3 There is a closed investigation on a warrant for Williams C. Quinn, 19, by the Ron Houston Performing Arts Center.

Maryville Department of Public Safety Nov. 7 There is an ongoing investigation for lost or stolen property on the 400 block of North Buchanan Street. Nov. 6 There was an accident between Auston M. Henggeler, 21, and Mara E. Veasy, 26, on West First Street and North Mulberry Street. Henggeler was issued a citation for failing to yield. Nov. 5 There is an ongoing investigation for assault on the 100 block of South Buchanan Street. There was an accident between Cameron W. Phillips and Marlin J. Kinman on the 1500 block of South Main Street. There was an accident between an unknown driver and Zachary L. Schmidt on the 1800 block of North Grand Street. There was an accident between Ryan M. Garnett, 18, and Madelyn S. Vore, 17, on the 100 block of East South Avenue. Garnett was issued a citation for careless and imprudent driving. Nov. 4 Yaswanth R. Seelam, 23, was involved in a single vehicle accident on the 1200 block of West Sixteenth Street. Nov. 1 There was an accident between Alexis R. Kump, 21, and Jerzey K. Braden, 21, on South Main Street and West Cooper Street. Kump was issued a citation for careless and imprudent driving. There is an ongoing investigation for larceny from a motor vehicle on the 1100 block of North Walnut Street. There is an ongoing investigation for larceny on the 300 block of East Second Street. A summons was issued to Ronald P. Caselman, 36, for failure to appear in court on the 400 block of North Market Street. There is an ongoing investigation for larceny from a motor vehicle on the 500 block of South Fillmore Street.

WATER

CONTINUED FROM A1 The per-month breakdown of the cost will impact customers differently depending on where they live. Customers who live inside city limits will still pay less on their bills compared with residents who live outside the city limits. The two-year plan was not the original proposal that NewGen Strategies and Solutions presented to the council. The original proposal would have had the city raise rates with a one-time spike in water rates by 25% and sewer rates by 50%, but the City Council decided that increase would be too much of a shock to residents. Instead, the Council created a plan to delay the rate over a two-year time frame in order to decrease the ﬁnancial burden on the customer base. While the plan is to have two years with the 13% increase in water and 28% in sewer, the City Council only voted on the rate increase for 2022 and to revisit the issue next year in case there needs to be a higher increase for 2023. This increase in sewer and water rates will start Jan. 1, 2022, but citizens will not see the increase until they get their

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

Starting Nov. 13, Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences is hosting an Agricultural Learning Center Open House for the new facility, which opened just weeks before the beginning of the semester. Nearly all of the week’s events are scheduled to be held at the Agricultural Learning Center, allowing students, alumni and community members to visit the facility and participate in the events.

New facility featured at agriculture celebration SIDNEY LOWRY News Editor | @sidney_lowry

Northwest offers seven undergraduate degrees, three graduate and eight minors relating to agricultural sciences, and to celebrate the department and the overall agriculture community, Northwest will host Celebrate Agriculture Week. School of Agricultural Sciences Director Rod Barr said the department generally has this week near the end of the harvest season to celebrate the work done by farmers and celebrate agriculture students. “It’s the largest industry for the county, and this recognizes the farmers and what they do with that,” Barr said. Starting Nov. 13, Northwest’s School of Agricultural Sciences is hosting an Agricultural Learning Center Open House for the new facility, which opened just weeks before the beginning of the semester. Nearly all of the week’s events are scheduled to be held at the Agricultural Learning Center, allowing students, alumni and community members to visit the facility and participate in the events. The ALC had been in the works since 2014 and oﬃcially opened July 30 with funding from the University’s Forever Green program, alumni, corporations and other donors. There will be an Alumni and Friends Barbecue luncheon later that day to help further celebrate alumni and show them the facility. “We’ve got some alumni, some people in the industry that want to come back, and they haven’t had the opportunity to be in that building yet,” Barr said. Mike Adams, Adams on Agriculture talk radio host, will be live broadcasting an episode of his show inside of the bill February 2022. City Councilman Dannen Merrill said it’s necessary to increase the charge in order to keep the enterprise fund able to invest back into the city’s water system. “I know this is a tough thing; nobody wants to raise the bills. But at the end of the day, these enterprise funds are designed to show how much we need to charge for services, and clearly there is a need to increase it,” Merrill said. City Councilman Tye Parsons said the increases in the water and sewer rates are part of a process to get a new water plant. “I think it’s important to reiterate that this is the first step into a multi-step process into our financial goals and to, hopefully, potentially getting to build a new water plant,” Parsons said. Other City Council Business: The City Council approved a city ordinance to purchase a new server. This new server will have four hard drives that will each house 3.8 terabytes of data. Out of the four new hard drives, two of them will be redundant files used only in emergencies. The server

ALC Nov. 16. His show makes commentary on agricultural issues and addresses important discussions on in-depth issues facing rural America. “We are so excited to have Mike here,” Barr said. “You know, being a national broadcast that’ll give us some good exposure not only in the region, but nationally as well.” After the hour-long broadcast, students will have the opportunity to have a Q&A with Adams. A national publication from John

“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to enhance what we do.” -ROD BARR SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES DIRECTOR

Deere will also be at the ALC to take photos and ask questions about the facility. “It’s cool to get some momentum,” Barr said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for us to enhance what we do. And being able to capitalize on that, especially this year with celebrate ag, kind of ties into that and get people in the building that have never been in the building, and have people get the op-

will cost $14,949, but police Chief Ron Christian said the new server will allow dispatchers to have access to the latest technology. “These upgrades will allow us to upgrade the data management system for emergency medical dispatch. This will allow the dispatch to us the latest version of the software. Like any software you buy, it will allow us to do some things that the previous software did not allow,” Christain said. The software update has been on hold for about six month but could not go through, as the server ran out of space to hold the newest software. The Council approved the MDIO Annual Christmas Parade. The parade starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. The route will start on Second Street in front of Eugene Field Elementary school. It will continue to Main Street and end at Seventh Street near Franklin Park. The Council approved a request for a liquor license for 39th St. Liquor LLC. This license is contingent on the building passing all of the necessary city codes before the building is open for business next year.

portunity to see what it’s all about.” There is also an Agriculture Employe Networking event from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 16 in the ALC. Barr said this event was made for students to build their own personal success network. Holding these events and allowing alumni and employers to visit with students helps students grow their networks, which may be helpful once they leave college. Barr said networking is one of the key factors that lead to success, one of those being their new facility. “Without the network and the relationships that were built in the past 10 to 15 years, the Ag Learning Center would not have become a reality,” Barr said. “Anytime we can do those real-life experiences, that helps to set students up for success.” The ﬁnal event to wrap up the week is “Get the Scoop on the ALC” 5-7 p.m. Nov. 17. This event is sponsored by Midwest Dairy and will oﬀer ice cream while attendees learn more information about the ALC. Agricultural student organizations will also have the chance to compete against each other for a $250 prize by attending the events throughout the week through a supremacy competition. Instructor Jackie Lacy is in charge of putting together the competition and said these events will allow students and the public the chance to see the facility and learn more about the Agriculture Learning Center. “We talk about from Farm to Fork, and it’s kind of neat for students to see that,” Lacy said. “The whole process is to celebrate ag, and, I mean, that’s the name of the week. It’s just good trying to educate and advocate for agriculture in the campus and community.”

COVID

tionship,” Blackford said. In August, unvaccinated inCONTINUED FROM A1 dividuals were just over six Lt. Amanda Cullin, a mem- times as likely to test positive ber of the Crisis Response for COVID-19 and over 11 times Team 2, said the team has been more likely to die from the viand will be looking closely rus compared to fully vacciat the numbers in relation to nated individuals, according to Homecoming at Northwest to the Centers for Disease Control determine any trends. Home- and Prevention. At the time of publication, coming week took place Oct. 25-31. It was a return to a more 43.4% of Nodaway County normal structure of events at residents had been fully vacNorthwest after last year’s af- cinated against COVID-19. In Missouri fair featured as a whole, no football nearly 50% game, limitof the poped on-camulation has pus events been vacciand a connated against densed pathe virus. rade. active COVID-19 cases in Recently, Hospitalthe Food and izations are Nodaway County as Drug Adminalso up. The of Nov. 10 istration anMosaic sysnounced its tem was hovapproval of a ering around 10 hospitalizations from COV- version of the Pfizer vaccine ID-19, that number is now hov- suitable for children ages 5-11, ering in the mid-20s. Mosaic - allowing an unreached demoMaryville is averaging around graphic to begin getting vacthree active hospitalizations, cinated in the coming weeks. compared with none in previous Blackford and Patterson said weeks. Blackford said the hospital those vaccines will begin distriexpects to see a continued corre- bution soon. lation between positive cases and Another booster clinic will the number of patients with the be held at the Hughes Fieldvirus at the hospital. house Nov. 18 for Moderna “Until we get to stronger vac- booster shots. Those wishing cination rates, I think we’ll con- to participate in the clinic can tinue to see that similar rela- sign-up at mymlc.com.

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OPINION

Nov. 11, 2021 @TheMissourian

Pronouns should be respected by others NICK SHUTTS Columnist @TheMissourian

Everybody has pronouns. Yet, the way some people wish to be addressed in today’s society is seen as controversial when they deviate from gender binary norms. If a boy goes by he/him pronouns, no one will bat an eye. However, if they no longer identify as cisgenered and prefer she/her pronouns, some people start to get uptight. The distaste toward pronouns that don’t align with someone’s gender assigned at birth is the result of transphobic thinking. Everyone should seek to use people’s preferred pronouns. Whenever transgender people begin to present themselves as their preferred gender, you may not be able to know their pronouns based off their appearance. The best way to avoid any unintentional conflict would be to ask what pronouns best suit them. This helps to prevent any accidental disrespect that might be caused by misgendering somebody. Using the wrong pronouns is extremely harmful to the individual you’re misgendering. For starters, it invalidates their identity. If you use the wrong pronouns, they are less likely to feel accepted by you because you are already signaling that you don’t know them very well. It’s also a sign of respect. If you have a friend who doesn’t like to be hugged, you don’t hug them out of respect for their personal boundaries. Similarly, if your friend prefers to be addressed as she/her, then you should value that preference. However, hate can drive people to turn a sign of respect into an opportunity for disrespect. Even when someone knows an individual’s pronouns, they don’t always respect them. Transphobic people might purposefully misgender them to voice their disapproval. If you ever see this happen to someone, you should speak out to defend the misgendered person. The world has enough hatred, so anything you can do to diminish that is worthwhile. Pronouns affect what people wear, how people speak, who people interact with and countless other aspects of life. Something people often negelct is that gender norms are unrelated to sex assigned at birth. Gender norms are society’s expectations for certain traits or actions to be exhibited by a specific gender. Unsurprisingly, not everyone feels comfortable embodying the gender norms that they are assigned at birth. Whenever the alignment passes their point of comfortability, anyone can choose to go by different pronouns. Many people don’t feel like they align with any gender at all. Because of this, there’s been widespread adoption of they/them as a genderneutral pronoun. The best thing you can do to make everyone comfortable is to ask people’s pronouns when you first meet them or early in conversation. This has become a more normalized practice over the last few years, and it’s a great way to decrease the risk of misgendering someone.

ALEXANDRIA MESZ | NW MISSOURIAN

OUR VIEW:

Maryville drivers shouldn’t complain about road work Construction is one of the worst inconveniences for drivers. It makes getting from one destination to the next difficult, it’s frustratingly confusing and the process is ugly. If there was a way to eliminate construction and have spontaneous updates, life would be much easier. Currently, South Main Street is undergoing a heavy dose of the aforementioned road construction and, if you couldn’t tell by the landmineesque arrangement of orange cones, it’s quite messy. However, the roads and traffic have been bad for a while, but complaining won’t fix them any faster. People shouldn’t be complaining about an improvement they asked for. City residents also knew these improvements were coming, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise. The South Main Improvement Project, which started construction Oct. 11, will make improvements from South Avenue to Highway 71. The $12.6 million project is scheduled to last 15-18 months and will include power line installation and road expansion to Maryville’s most congested road. It’s hard to avoid Main Street. Ev-

YOUR VIEW:

What do you think about the South Main construction?

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“I think it’ll be nice to have another lane, but like that’s the only road to Maryville. Hopefully, what they are doing will help the traﬃc, but I can’t tell right now.”

“I hate it so much. I think it has to be done, and once it is gone, it’ll be great. As of right now, it is the most ugly part of Maryville, hands down.”

“I think in the long run it’ll be good. It’ll be great after it’s done and ﬁnished because right now it’s my least favorite part of Maryville.”

Your Bearcat loves Christmas music I’m about to dust oﬀ a take so cold it would make my exgirlfriend’s heart look like the sun in comparison. Christmas should not be celebrated until after Thanksgiving. I know, I know, some of you are groaning because you already agree with this. Meanwhile, others are preparing to play their poorly constructed playlist of the same 11 Christmas songs sung by every mediocre pop artist who realized they weren’t

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good enough to sell records. Hear me out though. I have a few theories as to why these people celebrate Christmas too early. The ﬁrst theory is that these people’s families can’t cook. If you are looking forward to skipping the celebration of Thanksgiving — the most glorious eating day of the year — I’m just going to assume you have some burnt casserole, bland mashed potatoes and dry turkey at your gathering. I apologize your fam-

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ily has no skill in the kitchen, but that doesn’t excuse saying “merry Christmas” the second week of November. The other theory is that these people are plants for Mariah Carey. I quite literally don’t know a single thing about her other than that she sings “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and she was married to Nick Cannon — yikes. She needs Christmas to make money, and the longer Christmas lasts, the more money she makes.

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a retailer’s parking lot and not knowing which part of the road you’re allowed to be in is confusing. It doesn’t make it easier that the cones don’t make a clear pathway, so you don’t know if you’re in the correct lane until you’re in the middle of one and it’s cut off by, well, more cones. The 1 1/2-mile improvement project will feature new access points, landscaping and aesthetic features, pedestrian and bicycle paths and wayfinding signs. For those who don’t have a car and miss out on the amazing trials of traffic, your lives will be improved as well. South Main Street has never really been safe for the average pedestrian, not to mention a Northwest student without a car, who is unfamiliar with the area. The Missourian applauds the city’s efforts to make South Main Street more vehicle friendly and generally more accessible to all modes of transportation. It’s going to be a long process, but all good things are worth the struggle they demand. Although it will be hard to get around for the time being, understand that it’s for the best in the future.

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eryone who has been in Maryville has experienced the extensive line of cars stretching from McDonald’s to Walmart. We all know how irritating it is to sit in that traffic. With the commencement of construction, it seems like these issues have only escalated. As NBA player Joel Embiid famously says, “trust the process.” It may take 18 months. But soon enough traffic will be much easier to navigate, and we won’t have to complain about that or the forest of cones. Soon, South Main will be a fourlane street where drivers won’t have to wait for others to figure out which turn leads to the destination they want. There won’t be lines created by drivers wanting to turn left who are halted by an onslaught of cars coming from the opposite direction. The city understands that its drivers are fed up with the poor road conditions and less-than-desirable traffic. The construction isn’t there to spite drivers; it’s what people asked for. Drivers have to understand that improvements require some inconvenient work to be brought into existence. The cones littered everywhere do make for difficult navigation. Leaving

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She needs people to get the ball rolling, and the Christmas whovillians are deployed in force to help her grow the size of her check. They bombard us decent folk with decorations and festive clothes, trying to trigger a pavlovian response with Carey’s song. Capitalism, baby. The Stroller has been a tradition since 1918 and does not reflect the views of The Northwest Missourian.

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Nov. 11, 2021 @TheMissourian

SOCCER

CONTINUED FROM A8 The main contributor was sophomore forward Kaylie Rock, who propelled the Bearcats (135-1) into the second round with a career-high three goals for her ﬁrst collegiate hat trick. “She’s a fantastic player,” Gordon said. “For her to have a hat trick was amazing. The timing going into the postseason, for her to produce a lot of goals, is ﬁne by me.” “We really felt ourselves today,” Rock said. “This game showed we can move on, and we have the ability to play with anyone.” Rock’s first goal of the day

came with a little help from a fellow forward. Redshirt freshman Sophie Cissell, who is known for dishing out opportunities for her teammates, tallying seven assists on the season — tied for second in the MIAA — provided the opportunity for the first of three goals by Rock. Residing on the east side of the field like she usually does, Cissell had the ball and was looking for a window; then she moved down the field in hopes of finding it. She made it to the penalty box, and that’s when she saw her chance. The ball left Cissell’s foot, passed by the Ichabod defenders and made it to Rock’s feet. Rock did the rest and tapped it in for the goal.

“I know she likes to play those balls in, so I was screaming for it. And they were trying to hold me off, but I just changed direction and got it,” Rock said. “It was a great ball right in front of the goal; Sophie does those really well.” Cissell’s personal success was not finished there. Roughly 15 minutes after her assist to Rock, Cissell scored a goal of her own — her first of the season. “I haven’t scored very much this season, but, I don’t know, I just felt good and went for it,” Cissell said. “I was just trying to get as close to the goal as possible. I do like to dish it off to people, but I couldn’t find anyone, so I just shot it myself.” Northwest’s defense also

showed up, holding the Ichabods (9-7-2) scoreless for the second time in as many meetings this season. But Gordon said the team presses high sometimes, which makes him nervous. “I get a little heartburn sometimes,” Gordon said. “But the more I let them play, ﬁnd what makes them successful and not get too upset about it, I think you have to take risks to go on in this tournament.” Going on is exactly what the Bearcats are doing. Next, in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament, Northwest will face No. 25 and second-seeded Emporia State Nov. 12 in Warrensburg, Missouri. The Hornets (16-2-1) will en-

SPORTS

ter the second-round matchup on the heels of a 3-0 victory over Northeastern State, and they’ll be looking to get their second win of the season over Northwest, with the ﬁrst — and only to this point — being a 4-1 triumph Oct. 3. But for now, the Bearcats aren’t concerned about that. They’ll enjoy etching this year’s squad onto another line in the history books, and Cissell and company are hoping to add another next weekend. “I feel really good to be a part of this team,” Cissell said. “We’re making history, and we’re turning this program around. It’s exciting. Hopefully, we can go even further.”

Women use exhibition to prep for opener WESLEY MILLER Sports Reporter | @wesleymiller360

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

Freshman guard Molly Hartnett prepares to shoot the ball in the Northwest women’s basketball exhibition game against William Woods University Nov. 6 at Bearcat Arena, where the Bearcats defeated the Owls 70-35.

WRIGHT

CONTINUED FROM A8 Gleason, a redshirt sophomore in his first year at the helm of Emporia’s offense, has thrown for an MIAA-best 26 touchdowns and 2,999 yards throughout the first 10 weeks of the season. He’s done all of that while completing 68.3% of his passes and throwing a mere six interceptions. “Really, we have to disrupt routes and eliminate those quick passes so our defensive line can get involved in the game,” Northwest senior defensive back Drew Dostal said. “They’re a huge part

of our game, and getting them involved always helps out.” Dostal, who got his ﬁrst start of the season when the Bearcats trounced Northeastern State 59-7 in Week 8, will be tasked with slowing down one of the most productive receiving cores in Division II, a unit that includes nine diﬀerent receivers with multiple touchdowns this fall. It’s an opportunity for the senior to build on his best performance of the season. The safety had two interceptions during the 49-7 win over Missouri Southern in Week 10, including one that was returned 37 yards for a touchdown.

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Northwest women’s basketball hasn’t played an official basketball game in Bearcat Arena since March 6, but that will change when the Bearcats host their season opener against Southwest Minnesota State Nov. 12. “The players are definitely excited,” Northwest fourth-year coach Austin Meyer said. “They’re ready to go.” Similar to Northwest — slated to finish No. 9 in the conference by the MIAA preseason media and coaches’ poll — the Mustangs were voted to be a middle-ofthe-pack team in their conference, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Southwest was voted to finish seventh out of 16 teams by the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll. Last season, the Mustangs finished 9-5, but they were No. 4 in points scored per game and No. 3 in points allowed per game within their conference. Meyer said the Bearcats will have to be prepared for their transition on offense and defense. He said the Mustangs are fast with their transition offense and get back quickly on defense. “They’re going to test our transition defense, so we’ll work a lot on that,” Meyer said. When going against a team that features fast players, Meyer said, it’s important his squad uses practice to get in a habit of sprinting back and knowing the players who need to be crashing the boards. One of the Mustangs’ key players is senior center Abuk Akoi, who holds two NSIC All-Defensive Team selections and is the program’s all-time leader in blocks with 187. “She’s really good and runs the floor really well,” Meyer said. Northwest freshman guard Peyton Kelderman said the Mustangs have a lot of strengths, but she’s confident in the Bearcats’ ability to match up well with them. “They’re going to be a tough team,” Kelderman said. “We’re definitely going

But that was against a Southern team that threw the ball out of necessity, trying to mount a comeback against the then-No. 6 Bearcats. Emporia isn’t planning on throwing because it has to; the Hornets are planning on throwing because that’s their strength. “I think Garin (Higgins) does an amazing job, probably as good as anybody in our league, oﬀensively,” the defensive-oriented Wright said of Emporia’s 14th-year coach. “They have a controlled passing game, where they just look for openings, being able to distribute the ball quickly. ... Their rushing game is better than what you think, and we’re gonna have to play well on Saturday to walk out of there with a win.” But Wright, who served as Northwest’s defensive coordinator from 2011-16 and was named the 2014 and 2015 Progress Coordinator of the Year, is hoping to counter Emporia’s offense with one of the best defenses in the country. The Bearcats are second in scoring defense to this point, limiting opponents to a meager 9.3 points per contest, and they haven’t given up more than 19 points in a single game all season. They’ve forced oﬀenses to pass, holding other teams to a nation-best average of 38.4

to have to be ready to go. But I think our team has been working well all preseason, and we’re definitely prepared for this. Just kind of keep doing what we’re doing, and it’ll work out.” “We’ll focus a lot on ourselves and look forward to playing against a solid team,” freshman forward Jillian Fleming said. Before the first game of the new season, the Bearcats had an exhibition game against William Woods Nov. 6, which ended a 70-35 Bearcat win over the Owls. Their efforts were led by Kelderman and Fleming, who both went 3-for-4 on 3-point attempts. Fleming credits the coaching staff for her big night. She said the coaches preach to the players to play with confidence and trust in their abilities. “It just allowed me to go out there and not be stressed or worried and just have fun,” Fleming said. She said she focused on her warmups and, in the game, doing what she needed to for the team’s success. Kelderman’s explanation for her success against the Owls was simple. “I was just feeling it,” Kelderman said. While it won’t count toward Northwest’s final record, the success the Bearcats had against William Woods gives them confidence heading into the start of the new season. “It was super fun to finally get out with the team and just compete,” Kelderman said. “We’ve been battling all preseason, so it was nice to show everyone what we’ve been working on.” With the preseason over, the Bearcats are prepared to put all their work to the test and start the season on the right foot. “We’ve had a lot of positive vibes, a lot of good energy on the team so far,” Fleming said. “Everybody’s excited for each other. Everybody’s competing, playing hard and doing what they can. It’s been a really fun family feel for our team. I just can’t wait to see where we go and what kind of success we have.”

yards rushing a game, and that’s allowed the youthful secondary to garner countless reps with the ball in the air.

Northwest has clinched 11 MIAA titles since Rich Wright’s arrival in 2004 Emporia, on the other hand, will try to slow down Northwest’s offense with an unfamiliar defensive scheme — one the Bearcats haven’t had to face so far this season, one they’re likely to only see this weekend. “Defensively is an area I think that they’ve shown a marked improvement,” Wright said. “They’ve adopted that 3-3 — they morph themselves into a little bit of a 3-4 — but they’re playing that Iowa State defense. They’ve caused people problems this year, and they’re playing really well out of it and have a lot of confidence with it. It’s gonna be a test for our offense.” Through it all, Wright isn’t striving to win this week for a conference title. He doesn’t care

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if the Bearcats boost their in-region seeding. He wants the senior class to finish its last guaranteed game in Bearcat Stadium the right way. Prior to the matchup with Emporia, 18 seniors will be celebrated and honored as part of the program’s Senior Day, and he wants this senior class in particular to earn a win on the day dedicated to them. “It’s been a special group, and I mean that very sincerely, because they had a set of challenges that no other group of seniors has ever had in the history of Northwest Missouri State University,” Wright said. “That was a difficult conversation we had last fall when we decided to pull the plug on the Division II season. …. For this group of kids to, in essence, put their lives on hold for a year to try and come back and have an opportunity is special.” Should Northwest find itself winners of the program’s sixth MIAA regular-season title in the last seven seasons, Wright won’t marvel at the trophy. Instead, he’ll do what he usually does, and that’s to immediately get rid of it. “It’s more about these guys and the accomplishments they set out for. They just kind of pull me along for the ride, so to speak,” Wright said. “Greatest joy that I see is when you’re able to do that, is — they’ll hand the trophy to me first, but you’ll watch that I quickly hand it off to the people whose hands it really belongs in, and that’s our players, and particularly our senior class.” “That’s kind of huge,” Dostal said of the opportunity. “It’ll be fun, especially to win it outright. The past few years we haven’t been able to take it home for ourselves. It’s always good to be selfish sometimes.”

SPORTS

Nov. 11, 2021 @NWMSports

Maryville runs toward state title ’Hounds

eye ninth district crown since 2012

GAGE KAHLER Missourian Reporter | @NWMSports

After defeating top-seeded Summit Christian 2-1 in an overtime thriller Nov. 3 and capturing the program’s second consecutive district championship, the Maryville boys soccer team now has its eyes on a bigger goal — the one that every high school team across the country seeks — a state championship. With three potential games left this season, the No. 4-ranked ‘Hounds (14-5-1) will face their toughest competitor yet when they kick oﬀ the Class 1 State Tournament in a win-or-go-home matchup against undefeated No. 2 Smithton (23-0) Nov. 13. With both teams not having played a single matchup in 10 days, the intensity has been put into work during practice. “These (practices) are definitely counting,” Maryville sophomore defender Boyd Gallaher said. “We’re working on things we need to improve. They’re also going to help us into the games going forward.” The ‘Hounds will see a familiar face returning to the starting lineup when they head to Smithton, as senior defender Teagan Haer will make his starting debut from a nagging ankle injury suﬀered in the Excelsior Springs Tournament Sept. 7-11. “It’s really important to set the tempo at the beginning of the game, that way we control it,” Haer said. “So I think, me coming off an injury now and starting, I think it’s important to start strong to show my teammates they can still trust me

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JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

Maryville soccer senior Jacob Ferris shoots a goal toward the back of the net during the Spoofhounds’ 9-0 win over Cameron Aug. 30 at Bearcat Pitch. Maryville made history this season with the ﬁrst conference title in 20 years.

with the ball and continue to play as fast as we used to.” “Teagan’s an amazing defender,” Maryville assistant coach Chase Tolson said. “He’s fast, strong, smart, has great ball control. He definitely makes a big diﬀerence for us having him back there.” In the five games Haer has played, the Spoofhounds have given up just over a goal per game. With the starters giving up two goals in the past six matches, the defense has the opportunity to anchor down even further. Turning things around while defending their own goal has been a key factor as to why the Spoofhounds have found continuous and consistent success this season. Last year, in the shortened season due to COVID-19, Maryville ﬁnished with a record

of 6-5. This year, the squad has amassed 14 wins and ﬁve losses, with having played nine more games. “I think last year was a big adjustment year, getting used to a new coach,” junior midfielder Quinn Pettlon said. “This year, now that we’ve gotten into the groove with him, we’re playing a lot better.” “I think overall attitude and we’ve all gotten a lot more comfortable with each other, especially with the coach,” Gallaher said. “The first year was a little bit of a learning curve, but we’ve now gotten a lot more comfortable.” This improved Maryville team also only lost two seniors from the year prior, and it now has one goal in mind: winning state. After already mak-

UP NEXT MHS @ Smithton 3 p.m. Nov. 13 Smithton, Missouri

ing school history by winning the first conference title in 20 years, the Spoofhounds are now searching to make more. “(State playoffs) are so important. They are setting up the way for the next few years,” Gallaher said. “Ready to bring up the attitude for next year. It would just feel amazing to win for the seniors, too.” “(Winning State) would be huge,” Haer said eagerly. “That’s the goal right? Get to state and win state. Yeah, that’d be a dream, an absolute dream.”

Men’s basketball defeats No. 21 Seattle Paciﬁc en route to pair of top-25 wins JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — In the aftermath of Northwest men’s basketball squaring off against Seattle Pacific Sunday evening in the second night of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, Ben McCollum made his way through the Civic Arena to a makeshift press conference room on the south side of the venue. The 13th-year coach, clad in his routine white dress shirt and black slacks, knew what he wanted to say ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — In the aftermath of Northwest men’s basketball squaring oﬀ against Seattle Paciﬁc Sunday evening in the second night of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, Ben McCollum made his way through the Civic Arena to a makeshift press conference room on the south side of the venue. The 13th-year coach, clad in his routine white dress shirt and black slacks, knew what he wanted to say before anybody could ask him a question upon sitting down at the tablecloth-

covered wooden table. “Bad basketball there,” McCollum said. “Ugly basketball by the Bearcats.” It’s a phrase that would typically follow a demoralizing loss, one so bad there wouldn’t be any other words to describe a defeat of that nature. But that wasn’t the case for McCollum, because the No. 1 Bearcats were on the heels of a 64-59 win over the No. 21 Falcons — an ugly, gritty, grind-it-out triumph for the program’s second top-25 win in a 24-hour span. “We’re tough, and we’re different,” McCollum said. “I think this weekend will help me, as a coach, figure out exactly what we need to do offensively to improve. We’ve got a ways to go on offense.” Similar to the Bearcats’ opening-night matchup with No. 15 Northern State — an eventual 6855 taming of the Wolves — the early moments of the first half weren’t the tidiest sequences of basketball for the reigning backto-back Division II champions. The ’Cats (2-0) trailed the Falcons (1-1) 4-2 when McCol-

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Northwest junior guard Trevor Hudgins gets by a defender for a layup during the No. 1 Bearcats’ 64-59 win over No. 21 Seattle Paciﬁc Nov. 7 at Civic Arena in St. Joseph. Hudgins ﬁnished with a game-high 27 points.

lum called a timeout a mere four minutes into the game. It was a deficit that could’ve been erased with a single bucket, of course, but the break in the action served as a moment for Northwest to regroup, a moment to reflect on the start that included 1-of-4 shooting and four turnovers. “That’s God-awful offense,” McCollum said in the aftermath of the 5-point victory. “We did fight, and that’s what we’re gonna be for a while until we figure out our offense. That timeout flipped the script for the Bearcats, who eventually used a 14-2 run over 6 minutes and 27 seconds to take a 19-12 advantage with roughly seven minutes to go in the first half. It was a scoring spurt led by junior Trevor Hudgins, as the guard scored 10 first-half points en route to Northwest carrying a 3119 lead into halftime. Hudgins, the reigning NABC DIvision II Player of the Year, isn’t oblivious to his team’s early-game struggles throughout

UP NEXT NW vs. Sioux Falls 12:45 p.m. Nov. 13 Kansas City, Missouri NW vs. Ark. Monticello 12:45 p.m. Nov. 14 Kansas City, Missouri

the ﬁrst weekend of the season. “Honestly, I feel like we’re still trying to find ourselves,” said Hudgins, who finished with a game-high 27 points after going 15-of-15 from the free-throw line. “We know who we got, but we don’t honestly know what we’re gonna bring each and every night.” The Bearcats, Hudgins said, have playmakers — himself included. McCollum knows that, too, but he’s hoping for his players other than Hudgins and junior guard Diego Bernard to understand that as well.

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After the team started 0-2 for the first time since 2005, some may have never Maryville football to play for a championship, but that’s exactly where the Spoofhounds are — the Class 2 District 7 title game. This is familiar ground for the Spoofhounds, who have made it to the district championship for 10 consecutive seasons. “We’re accustomed to it,” Maryville coach Matt Webb said. “They’re used to playing in it, so we’re focused more on the next opponent more than that we’re in the district championship.” That next opponent is Macon (7-4). The third-seeded Tigers have a lot of momentum heading into the matchup, having won five of their last six games. They’ve won both games by an average margin of 31.5 points. Last week, Macon avenged a 4021 loss in Week 3 with a 34-7 beatdown of second-seeded Palmyra. The Spoofhounds have caught fire themselves recently, mirroring the Tigers, winning five of their last six games, including a 51-3 beatdown of Trenton in the district semifinals. After last week’s win, Maryville senior running back Tyler Siemer said there were still some mistakes that need to be fixed in preparation for their next game. “We just came out really sloppy in the first quarter. We need to clean that up,” Siemer said Nov. 5. “We’ll be good, though. Just keep executing, stay in rhythm, keep going on the field and play like we can, and we’ll be good.” In order to advance, the Spoofhounds’ defense will have to stop the Tigers’ offense, which is averaging 34.1 points per game. “They’re very athletic,” Webb said. “They run from a spread attack. Their receivers are really good, and I think their tailbacks are good. I think their strength lies in their skill positions.” Macon has a balanced offense, which was on display in its win over Palmyra. The Tigers gained 374 total yards — 213 through the air and 161 on the ground. The Tigers’ rushing defense is an area where Maryville could find success. Despite holding Palmyra to a mere 7 points, the Panthers gained over 100 yards rushing. In the Spoofhounds’ win over Trenton, they gained over 240 yards rushing. As high-flying as Macon’s offense is, the Spoofhounds have scored an average of 42.3 points. Macon has seen its own offensive improvements in that time, averaging 39 points. Macon’s defense has allowed 28.5 points per contest compared to Maryville’s average of 15.5 points allowed. “We’re going to have to really execute when we have the ball on offense, to be able to move the ball and stay consistent,” Webb said. In order for the Spoofhounds to continue their season, Siemer said they will need to play as a team. “We need to stay together, play for each other, listen to our coaches and stay focused,” Siemer said. Due to the Spoofhounds earning the top seed in the district, they will once again be the home team for this playoff game. Webb said playing in the ‘Hound Pound is a special feeling that will never go away. “The idea of playing home games is always a good thing, especially in the playoffs,” Webb said. “We’re pretty comfortable playing at home in the playoffs.” “We’re very excited,” Siemer said. “Every day, every day in practice we have great energy. Everyone is excited and glad to be here.”

UP NEXT MHS vs. Macon 7 p.m. Nov. 12 ’Hound Pound

SPORTS

Ready to roll NW women’s basketball opens regular season after exhibition. see A6

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Nov 11, 2021

STORY ON A7

FEATURE PHOTO

JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

Maryville soccer sophomore Kason Teale gets one of five goals during the Spoofhounds’ 9-0 win over Midland Empire Conference rival Cameron Aug. 30 at Bearcat Pitch. The Spoofhounds enter their sectional matchup with Smithton after winning the program’s second straight district title.

Maryville High School senior running back Tyler Siemer jumps over Cameron High School senior running back Dominick Hurst in the Spoofhounds’ game against the Dragons Sept. 24. Maryville’s football team will play in the Class 2 District 7 title game against Macon High School Nov. 12.

IN THE HUNT JON WALKER | NW MISSOURIAN

ADDALYNN BRADBURY | NW MISSOURIAN

Northwest football junior defensive tackle Elijah Green celebrates after recording a sack in the second half of the Bearcats’ 30-7 win against Missouri Western Oct. 2 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Northwest’s defense never allowed the Griffons’ offense to advance past its own 45-yard line.

Sophomore forward Kaylie Rock runs with the ball in the Bearcats’ 5-0 win over Washburn Nov. 7. Northwest, 13-5-1 overall, earned the program’s second MIAA Tournament win. Rock netted a hat trick as she scored her eighth, ninth and 10th goals on the season.

Outright MIAA title hangs in balance for No. 4 ’Cats JON WALKER Sports Editor | @ByJonWalker

WESLEY MILLER Sports Reporter | @wesleymiller360

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Rich Wright has held his fair share of trophies since arriving in Maryville to be the defensive line coach and special teams coordinator in 2004. In his 16 seasons prior to this fall, he’s been able to hoist 11 MIAA Championships and four NCAA titles. He has continuously and consistently surmounted one of the toughest conferences at the Division II level en route to Northwest becoming a perennial powerhouse. In his three seasons since being named the head coach in December 2016, Wright has led the Bearcats to two co-MIAA Championships — ties with Fort Hays in 2018 and Central Missouri in 2019. He’s never led the program to an outright conference crown, though, but that could change when the No. 4 ’Cats host MIAA foe Emporia State for the regular-season ﬁnale Nov. 13 in Bearcat Stadium.

NW vs. Emporia State 1:30 p.m. Nov. 13 Bearcat Stadium

“To have the chance this Saturday to finish the first major objective that we set out to accomplish is a lot of fun,” Wright said Tuesday afternoon at the Northwest Athletics Media Luncheon. If the Bearcats (8-1) find a way to fend off the Hornets (6-4), they’ll check off the first box on their proverbial to-do list, and Wright will become just the third coach since 1996 to lead Northwest to an outright MIAA regular-season title. What stands in the way of Northwest and a third straight conference title is the high-octane passing attack of Emporia, led by Braden Gleason.

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NW rewrites history books with blowout win in tourney

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Just west of the Carl and Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse sits the near-120foot-long patch of turf called Bearcat Pitch, and it serves as the site for Northwest soccer’s home games. But it wasn’t just that on Nov. 7. It was also the site of history. After a historical regular season in which the ’Cats earned the program’s highest win total in a single season, the team was ready to write another page in the Northwest record books. “They really showed up for one another,” Northwest coach Marc Gordon said about his players. When the players showed up for their first postseason action of the 2021 season, they didn’t have to go far. Northwest earned the No. 3 seed in the MIAA Tournament after posting a 7-2-1 conference record, a record good enough to earn a home playoﬀ game

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for the first time in its 22-year history. This allowed Gordon, the 2021 MIAA Co-Coach of the Year, to cross another milestone off his list of achievements for the ‘Cats. “It seems like that list is never going to go away,” Gordon said. “It’s a really long list, and this team has accomplished so much this year.” At the end of the Sunday afternoon, one more thing was crossed off Gordon’s list — first home playoff win. Paving the way for Northwest’s most recent accomplishment was a high-octane offense, which exploded for five goals against fifth-seeded Washburn.

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