By David Boyce  |  Football vs. Pittsburg State  |  Saturday, Oct. 18  |  2 p.m.  |  Bearcat Stadium  |  Ticket Information
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - For the first time since 2000, No. 1 Northwest Missouri State will play rival Pittsburg State, ranked No. 17 in NCAA Division II, at Bearcat Stadium.
 
Adding another layer drama is it is Homecoming for Northwest. One other thing: the Bearcats are currently riding a 21-game winning streak. The Gorillas would love to snap it in Maryville. And at 5-1, Pittsburg State is fighting for its playoff live.
 
Oh yes, this game is big, very big. It is enough to cause the Bearcats to feel a bit of tension this week because of what is at stake.
 
Northwest, though, has a player in senior safety Dylan Chadwick that has the natural ability to keep his teammates loose.
 
"He is a very perceptive kid," Northwest head coach Adam Dorrel said. "The bigger the game is, the looser he gets people. I'm serious. He has an uncanny ability to keep the mood light. He understands the situations."
 
 Chadwick loves being part of the Northwest football team and he loves to make people laugh.
 
"A lot of the jokes I do in front of the team are relevant to the team," Chadwick said. "I might make fun of somebody on the team, but nothing too harsh. The best feeling is when you can make a bunch of people laugh at stuff that is not always funny, but you make them look at it in a different way and view it as funny. I like to bring joy to people in that way.
 
"I feel laughter is the purest form of joy. How can you not enjoy making people laugh. It is a great feeling to have."
 
Chadwick definitely has the respect of his teammates. Sure, he would like to have more snaps on defense, said Dorrel, but Chadwick gives 100 percent on every special teams unit he is on.
 
"When that comes from a senior and he is doing it with as much enthusiasm as he is doing it, it really sends a clear picture to our younger players," Dorrel said.
 
All Chadwick is doing is following in the long line of players and coaches who came before him.
 
Chadwick, a fifth-year senior, is part of the last recruiting class of Mel Tjeerdsma, who is now the athletic director at Northwest.
 
It was a freshman class that felt the most emotional upheaval of any class at Northwest in the last two decades and possibly ever. Besides experiencing the retirement of a legendary coach in Tjeerdsma, they experienced a beloved coach, Scott Bostwick, tragically passing away of a heart attack only a few months after he ascended to his dream job as head coach at Northwest.
 
Being part of the Northwest football family means a lot to these seniors, especially those on the defensive side. It is a reason why the Northwest defense has been so strong the last two seasons.
 
"From our coaches to our players, our entire defense has tremendous pride in what we do," Chadwick said. "We stand for something and that something is rooted in Scott Bostwick. He was a big influence in the family atmosphere that we have.
 
"We like to keep that in our defense as well. On defense, you have to work as a family to be successful. We understand that from our position to our unit to the team as a whole. We take a lot of pride in being the best we can in all three phases."
 
For Chadwick, putting on the Northwest uniform to play football means plenty to him. He came to Northwest having already experiencing success. In his senior year at Penney High School in Hamilton, Mo., Chadwick earned defensive player of the year and helped Penney to a 14-0 record.
 
Chadwick came to Northwest because of the winning tradition and family atmosphere.
 
Now a mature, young man, Chadwick truly understands what it means to be a Bearcat.
 
"Different people come through the program, coaches and players, but they all wear the paw and what the paw represents," Chadwick said. "It represents Northwest football. It represents a family atmosphere. Although the people may change in the program, the alumni may watch different people in the program, they are still proud of the paw and the things it represents. They expect people who wear the paw to continue with the tradition."
 
One way that Chadwick keeps the family atmosphere invigorated is through laughter.
 
A football season is tough and painful even when a team is winning game after game. Players face injuries. They start practice in the heat of summer and end in the oncoming cold of winter.
 
Laughter helps players get through some of the pain that occurs.
 
"It is huge," said senior tight end Alex Visk. "It is a factor that goes overlooked all the time. It is vital for every team. We are lucky to have Dylan. His standup is really good. I feel he will go on and have a great career."
 
Chadwick, who is majoring in organizational communication, said wants to give being a standup comedian a shot.
 
"I would like to," he said. "I've been looking up some classes I can take after college is done. I would definitely not mind seeking a job that deals with my major and work a job while being able to take some of those classes as well. It is something I have always enjoyed doing.
 
"People have told me to give it a shot. Whether they are laughing with me or at me, something is working."
 
Chadwick also talks enthusiastically about pursuing a job in his major, which could range from human resources to public relations to event planning.
 
"I feel I am pretty good at making sure everybody is on the same page. I like for everybody to be able to see the whole picture," Chadwick said. "I think that helps me with football as well. I like for my teammates and myself to be on the same page.
 
"You got to be on the same page to be successful. I feel that carries over. I take that and use that in my schooling and in football."