Northwest Missouri State freshman quarterback Braden Wright (Elkhorn, NE) threw for 216 yards and three touchdowns, quite running for 63 yards and another score, as the Bearcats opened the 2018 MIAA season with a 28-6 win over Missouri Western on Thursday night in Maryville.
Wright had 16-of-24 accuracy in throwing the football, including a 52-yard jolt to junior Jaime Taylor with 1:55 left in the first quarter to give the ‘Cats a 7-0 lead. Griffon kicker Tyler Basch cut the lead to 7-3 early in the second quarter, only to see Wright connect with senior Shawn Bane Jr. on a 60 yard scoring strike to give Northwest a 14-3 lead. The advantage grew to 21-3 by the half, as Josh Caldwell caught a 3-yard pass from Wright and scored with 1:46 remaining in the second quarter.
A 20-yard field goal by Basch in the fourth quarter was followed by a 34-yard Wright scoring run six minutes later, completing the scoring at Bearcat Stadium.
Nearly 9,000 fans (8,750) attended the Thursday night contest on the Northwest campus in Maryville.
Northwest is next in action on Thursday, September 6th, playing the Washburn Ichabods in a 6 o’clock kickoff in Topeka, with Missouri Western hosting nationally ranked Fort Hays State at 7 o’clock on that same night in the Griffons home opener at Spratt Stadium in St. Joseph.
