By MATT PIKE
The Northwest Missouri State University football team had 23 all-MIAA honorees led by a trio of specialty award winners in Clayton Power, Zechariah Owens and head coach John McMenamin as the league announced its annual awards.
Power was named the MIAA Defensive Lineman of Year, Owens captured the MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year award and McMenamin landed the MIAA Coach of the Year accolade. It is the second straight year Northwest has had the MIAA Lineman of the Year.
McMenamin is the fourth different Bearcat head coach to be named the MIAA Coach of the Year.
The Bearcats landed six first-team all-MIAA performers in Kaleb McCullough (OL), Wes Merriman (OL), Dominic Myers (KR/PR), Clayton Power (DL), Carter Edwards (LB) and Shane Fredrickson (DB). Edwards was a unanimous selection at linebacker.
Northwest had five second-team all-MIAA recipients in Luke Mathews (WR), Dominic Myers (All-Purpose), Harrison Merriman (OL), Nile Schuett (DL) and Ben Einess (LB).
A quartet of Bearcats captured third-team all-MIAA status in Jordan Pigram (DL), Parker Bowen (LB), Mike Harrison (DB) and Antwon Jenkins Jr. (DB).
The Bearcats rounded out the awards with eight all-MIAA honorable mention selections in Chris Ruhnke (QB), Quincy Torry (RB), Gannon Gragert (TE), Andrew Waltke (TE), Pierce Wand (OL), Zyland Saddler-Robinson (DL), Holden Zigmant (DB) and Tommy Warner (P).
The Bearcats (9-2 overall) will travel to Searcy, Ark., to take on the region's top-seeded Harding Bisons Saturday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Div. II Playoffs.
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