ST. JOSEPH – Griffon Football continues the celebration of its 50^th season this week with Homecoming as focus turns to the third decade for the program, the 1990s.
 
Each week of the home season, we'll review a decade in Griffon Football history along with in-depth information on each concurrent All-Decade team as selected by Griffon Football alumni. All five home games this season will also bring blasts to the past as alumni from each decade enter Craig Field at Spratt Memorial Stadium with the 2019 Griffons along with other historical recognitions and exciting throwback elements.
 
HONORING THE 1990s
The 1990s provided the foundation for what would be one of the most successful NCAA Division II football programs over the next two decades. In his third season leading the Griffons, Stan McGarvey guided the team to an 8-2-1 record, its first eight-win season since 1981. McGarvey's teams did no worse than seven wins each of the next three seasons, providing the program with the winningest four-year period (30) to that point in its history. Jerry Partridge returned to his alma mater in 1997 as the program's fifth head coach, a position he would hold for the next 20 years.
 
McGarvey's first season saw the Griffons improve by two wins to 4-7. The next year, he led the team to a 5-6 record before the breakout 1993 season where Missouri Western tied a program record with an 8-2-1 record. The team's only two losses came to playoff bound Pittsburg State and Missouri Southern. Breaking school records for points scored (351) and points allowed (162), the Griffons outscored their final five opponents 207-60. Missouri Western finished the McGarvey era going 8-3, 7-3-1 and 7-4. After back-to-back 5-6 seasons to start his career leading the Griffons, Partridge led Missouri Western to a 7-4 record in 1999, setting the tone for what would become the most successful decade in the program's history.
 
All told, the Griffons went 58-49-2 in the 90s, 13 more wins than the previous two decades had produced. Six members of the 1990s All-Decade team have been enshrined in the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame. John Fisher became the program's first-ever finalist for the Harlon Hill trophy, awarded to the top NCAA Division II player in the nation. Kasey Waterman took over the reins as a starter in 1998 and went on to break the MIAA career passing yards record (10,025). Tony Williams ran past Rodney Stephenson's Missouri Western rushing record that had stood for 15 years in his junior season and ended with 3,396 yards. Williams' record stood for the next 15 years. Jerris Evans' 2,925 receiving yards between '98 and 2001 still stand as a Missouri Western record.
 
THE 1990s ALL-DECADE TEAM

QB      Kasey Waterman (1998-2001)

• #2 career passing yards – 10,025
• #2 career completions - 730
• #1 career touchdown passes – 98
• 1998 MIAA Co-Freshman of the Year
• 1999 2nd team All-MIAA
• 2000 2nd team All-MIAA
• 2001 2nd team All-MIAA
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2011

 
RB       Tony Williams (1994-1997)
            •   #3 career rushing yards – 3,396
            •   #4 career rushing attempts – 567
            •   #3 career rushing touchdowns – 34
            •   #5 career scoring – 204 points
            •   #3 career touchdowns scored – 36
            •   1995 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1996 2nd Team All-MIAA
            •   Chris Faros Scholarship award recipient
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2012
 
RB       Dess Douglas (1993-1994)
            •   #7 career rushing yards – 2,603
            •   #9 career rushing attempts – 472
            •   #6 career rushing touchdowns – 26
            •   #8 career touchdowns scored – 29
            •   1993 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1994 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1994 3rd team All-American
 
WR     Terren Adams (1991-1992)            
            •   #4 career receiving yards – 2,408
            •   #6 career pass receptions – 127
            •   #4 career touchdown receptions – 26
            •   #3 career average yards per catch – 18.96 yards
            •   1991 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1991 MIAA Newcomer of the Year
            •   1992 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1992 1st team All-American
            •   1992 Harlon Hill Candidate
 
WR     Jerris Evans (1998-2001)
            •   #1 career receiving yards – 2,925
            •   #1 career pass receptions – 200
            •   #3 career TD receptions – 28
            •   #6 career average yards per catch – 14.63
            •   1999 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   2000 2nd team All-MIAA
            •   2001 1st team All-MIAA
            •   2001 MIAA Most Valuable Offensive Player
            •   2001 2nd team All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2012
 
TE       Kris Stites (1990-1993)
            •   1993 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
 
OL       Brad Eise (1991-1994)
            •   1993 2nd team All-MIAA
            •   1994 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1994 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   Chris Faros Scholarship award recipient
 
OL       Kim Sword (1989-1992)
            •   1992 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1992 3rd team All-American
 
OL       Philip Nelson (1996-1999)
            •   Started 44 consecutive games in 4-year career
            •   1998 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1999 1st team All-MIAA
            •   Chris Faros Scholarship award recipient
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2018
 
OL       Mitch Moeckli (1996-2000)
            •   2000 1st team All-MIAA
 
OL       Mike Vold (1988-1991)
            •   1991 3rd team All-MIAA
 
Kicker      Mike Sierra (1995-1996)
            •   #7 career extra points – 73
            •   #8 career field goals made – 16
            •   #6 career punt yards – 3,780 yards
            •   1996 1st team All MIAA, Kicker; H.M., Punter
 
KR/PR     Brandon Burnside (1996-1999)
            •   #2 career punt return yards – 545
            •   #4 career kick return yards – 1,395
            •   #1 career punt return yard average – 20.0
            •   #8 career touchdown pass receptions – 18
            •   #6 career all purpose yards – 3,598
            •   1998 Honorable Mention All-MIAA, KR; 2nd team WR
            •   1999 2nd team All-MIAA WR
 
All-Purpose        John Fisher (1993-1995)
            •   #3 career interception return yards – 265
            •   1993 Honorable Mention All-MIAA, DB
            •   1994 1st team All-MIAA, DB
            •   1994 2nd team All-American, DB
            •   1995 1st team All-MIAA, RB
            •   1995 1st team CoSIDA All-Region, RB
            •   1995 2nd team CoSIDA All-American, RB
            •   1995 3rd team Football Gazette All-American, RB
            •   1995 Harlon Hill Award Regional Finalist
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2010
 
DL       Matt Williamson (1993-1996)
            •   #7 career total tackles – 218
            •   1994 Honorable mention All MIAA
            •   1995 1st team CoSIDA All-Region
            •   1995 Honorable mention CoSIDA All American
            •   1996 1st team All-MIAA
 
DL       Josh Oyler (1997-2000)
            •   #7 career tackles for loss – 34.0
            •   #9 career sacks – 16.0
            •   1998 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1999 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   2000 1st team All-MIAA
 
DL       Scott Howell (1993-1994)
            •   #6 career sacks – 18.0
            •   1993 2nd team All-MIAA
            •   1994 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1994 2nd team All-American
 
DL       Donta Simpson (1993-1994)
            •   #8 career sacks – 17.0
            •   1993 2nd team All-MIAA
            •   1994 Honorable mention All-MIAA
 
LB       Jered Curl (1996-1999)
            •   1998 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1999 2nd team All-MIAA
 
LB       Shawn Miller (1993)
            •   1993 2nd team All-MIAA
 
LB       Matt Gragg (1993-1996)
            •   1996 2nd team All-MIAA
 
DB       Mitch Mason (1993-1996)
            •   #2 career interceptions – 16
            •   #7 career interception return yards – 187
            •   1995 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1995 2nd team CoSIDA All-Region
            •   1995 3rd team CoSIDA All-American
            •   1995 H.M. Football Gazette All-American
            •   1996 1st team All MIAA
            •   1996 1st team CoSIDA All-Region
            •   1996 1st team All American
            •   Chris Faros Scholarship award recipient
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2014
 
DB      Brent Burnside (1996-1999)
            •   1999 1st team All MIAA
 
DB       Calvin Johnson (1993-1996)
            •   T-#10 career interceptions – 10
            •   1994 Honorable mention All MIAA
 
DB       Tyreece Whyte (1998-2001)
            •   T-#10 career interceptions – 10
            •   #8 career interception return yards – 182
            •   1998 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1999 Honorable Mentiona All-MIAA
            •   2000 2nd team All MIAA
            •   2001 1st team All MIAA-Unanimous
 
P         Mike Darnell (1997-1998)
            •   #4 career punt yards – 4,175 yards
            •   #3 career average yards per punt – 41.0
            •   1997 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
 
SPECIAL MENTION
QB      Mark Ramstack (1991-1992)
            •   #5 career passing yards – 4,210
            •   #6 career pass completions – 287
            •   #4 career touchdown passes – 38
            •   1992 1st team All-MIAA
            •   1992 3rd team All-American
 
DL       Hamilton Crowder (1994-1998)
            •   #10 career sacks – 16.0
            •   1996 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
            •   1998 1st team All-MIAA
 
These in-depth looks back at Griffon Football history will continue Oct. 22 with focus shifting to the 2000s.