Saturday, November 20, 2021

MARYVILLE, Mo. – Central Washington did not have an answer for one of Division II’s perennial powers.

No. 4 Northwest Missouri State rolled for 472 yards of total offense and held the Wildcats well under its season average to win its first-round NCAA Division II playoff game, 50-21, at Bearcat Stadium.

Freshman running back Tyler Flanagan accounted for all three of Central Washington’s scores. He scored on an eight-yard reception from freshman quarterback Quincy Glasper early in the second quarter, ran a kickoff back 94 yards for the second with 8:38 left in the fourth and then added a one-yard touchdown run with 3:56 left.

Flanagan finished 93 rushing yards on 12 carries and 346 all-purpose yards, which included 237 return yards. Glasper completed 12 of 23 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. On the day, Central Washington finished with 173 yards of total offense, well below their average of 419 yards per game.

Braden Wright completed 11 of 15 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Bearcats, who advance to face Harding next Saturday. Kaden Davis caught six passes for 76 yards while Al McKeller carried 23 times for 130 yards and two scores.

The Bearcats put their offensive ability on display early, scoring on their first two possessions and four of their five drives in the first half. Mike Hohensenn capped the opening eight-play, 47-yard drive with a one-year touchdown run. It became a 13-0 game when McKeller’s three-year run capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive.

Central Washington caught a break early in the second quarter thanks to the defense when a flea flicker was fumbled and then recovered by sophomore running back Jahleel Breland and returned to the Bearcats’ 13-yard line. That set up a two-play scoring drive, culminating on Glasper’s eight-yard touchdown pass to Flanagan with 12:52 left in the first half.

If the Wildcats had hoped the play would build some momentum, the Northwest Missouri State defense put an end to that thought. The Bearcats allowed the Wildcats just four first downs in the first half and just 66 yards of total offense.

The Bearcats made it a 20-7 game when Wright found Imoni Donadelle for a 17-yard touchdown reception with 5:41 left in the half and Wright closed the half with a 26-yard reception Cole Hembrough with 1:27 to go that allowed Northwest Missouri State a 26-7 halftime lead.

The Wildcats had the ball to begin the third quarter but the drive was stunted after just three plays when Glasper was intercepted in CWU territory. The Bearcats used the ground game to take the 34-7 lead on a one-yard run by Wright. Central went three-and-out on the drive and Northwest Missouri State responded with an eight-play, 62-yard drive that ended when Wright found Donatelle for a 30-yard scoring pass for the 41-7 lead.

It became a 47-7 Bearcats’ lead on the first play of the fourth quarter with McKeller running 14 yards to the endzone and tacked on three more on the next drive with a 35-yard Cole Lammel field goal.

Flanagan added his Wildcats’ special teams fireworks on the ensuing kickoff with his 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 9:38 to go. His final score, a one-yard run, capped a nine-play, 68-yard drive at the end of the game.

Breland led all defensive players with 11 tackles, which included nine solo tackles and the second-quarter fumble recovery. Junior linebacker Daeon Hudson finished with nine tackles.

The contest was the last for GNAC football for now as all three football-playing teams will become affiliate members of the Lone Star Conference in 2022. Central Washington finishes the season with an 8-3 record.