---

By David Boyce

MARYVILLE, Mo. - Northwest Missouri State scored the first 17 points and with the type of defense the Bearcats play, it was inconceivable that Emporia State would make up that deficit.
 
The Hornets stung Northwest two times with long pass plays, but that wasn't nearly enough.
 
Although Northwest needed to play four quarters, it came away with a rather comfortable 38-17 victory in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals Saturday afternoon in front of 5,155 fans at Bearcat Stadium.
 
"To be where we are and playing as well as we are playing right now, it is huge for our program, said senior quarterback Brady Bolles, who threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns. "Like coach Adam Dorrel says, we have guys playing better than they are. To have that and playing in December, we are very blessed."
 
Holding a 14-point lead starting the third quarter, it was important for Northwest to strike first to make sure Emporia State didn't think it could beat the Bearcats for the first time since 1994.
 
After trading punts, Northwest increased its lead to 31-10 on a 1-yard touchdown run by junior Phil Jackson II with 7:09 left in the third quarter.
 
But like they did in the first half, senior quarterback Brent Wilson hit junior Morris Williams on a long pass play. On this occasion, the 69-yard pass play put Emporia State in the end zone.
 
The touchdown came immediately after Northwest's score, which meant the Bearcats still had some work to do, leading 31-17.
 
"My hats off to coach Garin Higgins and Emporia State," Northwest coach Adam Dorrel said. "What he has done with that football program is phenomenal."
 
The Hornets simply ran into a team that knows how to recapture the momentum.
 
Northwest wasted little time getting back on the scoreboard. A 40-yard touchdown pass play from Bolles to sophomore Jordan Grove capped a four-play, 75-yard drive that took 1 minute, 44 seconds.
 
"That was huge just because of how good their offense is," Bolles said. "They were going to keep fighting and keep putting up points. For us to score and change momentum back to our side was big late in the game."
 
With 5:09 remaining in the third quarter, Northwest defense did the rest. The Bearcats didn't allow another score. Offensively, Dorrel was thrilled the way his team took nearly 6 minutes off the clock running the ball midway through the fourth quarter.
 
"I thought we played complete in three phases," Dorrel said. "We played good on defense again. We harassed their quarterback consistently. We got after him.
 
"I thought we had some good drives. Call me crazy, but I thought one of the best drives we had all day was our last drive. We took 6 minutes off the clock. This time of the year when you can do something like that when you are up three possessions, it is nice."
 
Northwest has played in such a dominant fashion in its previous three games that a 24-10 halftime lead against Emporia State seemed like a bit of a letdown. Never mind that it was in the quarterfinals against a team that was coming off two impressive playoff road wins.
 
In reality, the Bearcats played well the first 30 minutes. They set the tone in the first drive of the game, stopping Emporia State on three plays and forcing a punt. Northwest took over, drove 37 yards and settled for 39-yard field goal by junior Simon Mathiesen, giving the Bearcats a 3-0 lead less than 4 minutes into the game.
 
"They are the best defensive line we see all year," Wilson said. "They had a great defensive game plan each time we played them. It was difficult getting into a rhythm at first. They are well coached, disciplined and they play hard."
 
The Bearcats then made sure that Emporia State was going to be in an uphill battle the rest of the game on the next series of plays. Once again Northwest forced a three and out.
 
After the punt, the Bearcats started at Emporia State's 37. On the seventh play, Grove scored on a 2-yard pass from Bolles. The extra point put Northwest up 10-0 with 6:29 left in the first quarter.
 
"It was really big because once we start out quick, we know we can have a big game," said junior defensive lineman Collin Bevins. "We like to get our offense the ball quickly at the start of the game. Our coaches preach that every week to start fast and set the tempo for the game."
 
Next on the Bearcats' agenda was to prove it could move the ball into a stiff south wind. Starting on its 14, Northwest marched 86 yards in 10 plays and scored on a 2-yard run by sophomore Cameron Wilcox with 9:23 left in the second quarter.
 
A blowout looked imminent, but give Emporia State credit for keeping the game interesting. On the first play in the Hornets' next drive, Wilson tossed a long pass that Williams hauled in for a 66-yard pass play. Three plays later, Wilson scored on an 11-yard run, making it 17-7
 
Northwest gave itself a halftime cushion by going 67 yards in five plays and scoring on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Bolles to sophomore Jordan Bishop with :45 left until halftime.
 
At that point, the Hornets let everybody know they weren't going down quietly. Emporia State moved 52 yards in five plays and scored on a career-long 42-yard field goal by Austin Morton on the last play of the second quarter.
 
 But that was as close as the Hornets would get the rest of the game.