Griffons aiming to repeat as champions in Live United Bowl against Henderson State

Reddies' running back Darius Austin is led in a relay race by a Redwater, Texas, student on Friday at Runnin' WJ Ranch in Texarkana, Texas. Henderson State University and Missouri Western football players performed local community service as part of the Agent Barry Live United Bowl, which will start at noon today at the Arkansas-side Razorback Gym.
Reddies' running back Darius Austin is led in a relay race by a Redwater, Texas, student on Friday at Runnin' WJ Ranch in Texarkana, Texas. Henderson State University and Missouri Western football players performed local community service as part of the Agent Barry Live United Bowl, which will start at noon today at the Arkansas-side Razorback Gym.

TEXARKANA, Ark. - Missouri Western State University is just the second team to make repeat appearances in the annual Agent Barry Live United Bowl, and the Griffons have it in their sights to become the first repeat winner today.

MWSU (8-3) faces host Henderson State University (9-2) at noon today at Arkansas High's Razorback Stadium.

Missouri Western won last year's bowl, 30-25, over Southern Arkansas University, which was the first school to make two appearances in the NCAA, Division II bowl game, making its seventh consecutive year.

"I coached at Central Arkansas as a defensive coordinator for nine years, and I was a defensive coordinator at Stephen F. Austin," Griffon head coach Matt Williamson said. "My boys grew up in Arkansas and Texas. So, we love getting back down to that area. This game opens up doors for the players who get to play another college football game.

"Our preparation has been really good this week. We are working hard on our fundamentals, and had a scrimmage with all of our third-string and redshirt kids. This whole bowl experience has been beneficial to everyone."

The Reddies, who finished third in the Great American Conference, are making their first appearance in the Live United Bowl. They will be attempting to snap a five-game losing skid by the host team - always the top finisher from the GAC not qualifying for the D-II playoffs - as well as trying to prevent Missouri Western from claiming its 300th victory in the program's history.

"We just want to go out and play well," Henderson State head coach Scott Maxfield said. "We want to play with a lot of enthusiasm and be a physical football team. That's something we've done all year. We've been pretty physical. We've always played excited. We just want our kids to come out, play hard and give their best effort."

This is the first bowl appearance for HSU since 1975. The Reddies are seeking their seventh 10-win season in the program's history and fourth since 2012, when MWSU beat Henderson State in the NCAA, Division II playoffs, 45-21, in the only previous meeting between the schools.

"Our offense is a mixture of a lot of different things," Williamson said. "We will run some zone, stretch, counter, power, play action just a bit of everything. Our staff does a good job of trying to take advantage of the opponent's offensive and defensive weaknesses. They look to take advantage of the way our opponent lines up. So far, it has worked out well for us. Running the ball is very important. We want to establish the run to open up our pass game."

With its proximity to Texarkana, several members of the active Reddie roster include players from area high schools, including Mercado Anderson of Ashdown, Ark., the team's leading tackler, and Trevor Pipkin of Prescott in the secondary. Robert Dunham of Nashville and De Queen's Quinton Thornton play on the offensive line.

"Recruiting wise, we always want to start at home first," Maxfield said. "Arkansas, Shreveport and East Texas is always where we start first and try to find guys we feel like are good enough to win. We also want guys that are academically strong enough to do well here in school. We always want to start in our backyard and we will branch out from there."

 

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