ST. JOSEPH - Saturday, Griffon Football faces Central Missouri in the second home game of season No. 50 for the Missouri Western Football program. With that, comes honoring the 1980s and the All-Decade team for the second 10-year period of football at Missouri Western.
 
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 1980s
The 1980s began much the way the 1970s had ended for Griffon football. After a 5-3-2 season in 1980, Rob Hicklin picked up his third District 16 Coach of the Year honor in 1981, leading the  Griffons to an 8-2 record, a program record for regular season wins that would stand for 12 years.
 
Unfortunately, the 1981 season would be the last above .500 for the Griffons in the decade. Despite the team's records, some of the greatest to ever wear a Griffon uniform played in the decade. Ten members of the 1980s All-Decade team are in the Griffon Athletics Hall of Fame, second most of any decade. Six of those Hall of Fame inductees played on the defensive side of the ball, including Robert Newhart, whose 456 career tackles still stand as a program record.
 
Many of the players from the decade also went onto prominence as coaches. Hicklin now ranks second all-time in coaching wins at Missouri Western behind one of his former players, Jerry Partridge (1981-84). Partridge is currently defensive coordinator at Northern Arizona under another '80s Griffon, Chris Ball (1983-85). Current UCLA defensive backs coach and former Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads roamed the defensive backfield and spent some time as a tight end at Missouri Western between 1985 and 1988.
 
The 20th season of Griffon Football (1989) began a new era for the program and the college. Missouri Western left the Central States Intercollegiate Conference and entered the MIAA, a move that also came with the Griffons transitioning into an NCAA Division II member. On the field the team went 5-5 in conference play in its first season against MIAA competition. Washburn later forfeited its win over Missouri Western, but the NCAA still recognizes it as a 5-6 (5-5) season for the Griffons. Still, it was the most wins for the program in its first four seasons as an MIAA member.
 
THE 1980s ALL-DECADE TEAM
QB      Joe Reid (1988-1991)
            •   #7 career passing yards – 3,668
            •   #7 career completions - 268
            •   #6 career touchdown passes - 31
            •   #7 career total offense – 4,029
            •   1988 Honorable mention All-CSIC
            •   1989 3rd team All-MIAA
            •   1990 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
 
RB       Rodney Stephenson (1978-1981)
            •   #6 career rushing yards – 2,780
            •   #8 career points scored - 172
            •   1979 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1980 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1981 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1981 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2008
 
RB       Steve Sullivan (1988-1989)
            •   #10 career rushing yards – 1,866
            •   #8 career rushing yards per game 72.1
            •   Only rusher with 1,000-yd season in 80s (1,073; 88)
            •   1988 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1988 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   1989 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
 
WR     Tim Hoskins (1978-1981)
            •   #2 career receiving yards – 2,795
            •   #7 career pass receptions - 124
            •   T-#2 career touchdown receptions – 28
            •   #1 career average yards per catch – 22.54
            •   #1 career touchdowns scored – 46
            •   Led team 3 straight years in receptions – 1979-81
            •   1978 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1979 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   1980 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1980 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   1981 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1981 Honorable mention All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
 
WR     Eric Hoskins (1984-1987)
            •   #8 career receiving yards – 1,938           
            •   #10 career receptions – 109
            •   1984 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1985 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1987 2nd team All-CSIC
 
TE       Craig Hagel (1983-1985)
            •   1984 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   52 career receptions
            •   606 career receiving yards with 5 career TDs
 
OL       Bill Stevens (1977-1980)
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-District 16
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1980 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1980 1st team All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2007
 
OL       Jim Ball (1979-1982)
            •   1981 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1982 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
 
OL       Jim Brockoff (1984-1985)
            •   1984 2nd team All-District 16
            •   1984 2nd team All-CSIC
 
OL       Keith McVey (1987-1988)
            •   1988 Honorable mention All-CSIC
 
OL       Heath Gregg (1987-1990)
            •   1988 Honorable Mention-All CSIC
            •   1989 2nd team All-MIAA
            •   1990 2nd team All-MIAA
 
Kicker     Bill Wolfe (1986-1989)
            •   T-#10 career scoring – 162 points
            •   #4 career extra points – 78
            •   #3 career field goals made - 28
            •   1986 tied for team lead in scoring - 42 points
            •   1987 team leader scoring – 33 points
            •   1988 team leader scoring – 49 points
            •   1988 Honorable mention All-CSIC
 
KR/PR     Eric Bruder (1982-1985)
            •   #1 career punt return yards – 654 yards
            •   #1 career punt returns – 99
            •   T-#10 career scoring – 162
            •   #5 career field goals – 24
            •   1984 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1985 2nd team All-CSIC
 
All Purpose         Marc Lewis (1978-1981)
            •   4-time team leader in punt returns
            •   Played multiple positions throughout career, including quarterback
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-District 16
            •   1980 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1981 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2003
 
DL       Tim Boender (1980-1983)
            •   1981 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1982 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1983 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1983 2nd team All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2005
 
DL       Vince Thomson (1983-1984)
            •   1983 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1984 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1984 2nd team All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2009
 
DL       Steve Marlay (1980-1983)
            •   1981 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1982 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1982 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   1983 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2010
 
DL       Mark Jackman (1984-1985)
            •   1985 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1985 Honorable Mention All-American
 
LB       Robert Newhart (1979-1982)
            •   #1 career total tackles – 456
            •   3-time team leader in tackles
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-District 16
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1980 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1981 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1981 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   1982 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2000
 
LB       Tony Franklin (1979-1983)
            •   1982 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1982 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2008
 
LB       Bruce Hollowell (1988-1991)
            •   #9 career tackles – 214
            •   1988 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1989 Honorable Mention All-MIAA
 
DB      Darren Mankin (1978-1981)
            •   1979 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1980 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1981 2nd team All-CSIC
 
DB       Chris Ball (1983-1985)
            •   T-#6 career interceptions – 12
            •   1984 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1985 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1985 Honorable Mention All-American
            •   Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2017
 
DB       Jewell Stephenson (1984-1986)
            •   1985 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1986 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1986 Honorable Mention All-American
 
DB       Dee Brownlee (1987-1990)
            •   3-time team leader in interceptions
            •   1988 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
            •   1989 3rd team All-MIAA
 
P         Bryan Timmermeyer (1984-1987)
            •   #1 career total punts – 242
            •   #1 total punt yards – 9,790 yards
            •   #6 career average yards per punt – 39.7
            •   1986 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1986 2nd team All-American
            •   1987 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1987 Honorable Mention All-American
 
SPECIAL MENTION
RB       Mike Taggert (1977-1980)
            •   1980 1st team All-CSIC
 
QB      Joe Holder (1982-1983)
            •   #8 career passing yards – 3,313
            •   #8 career completions – 229
            •   1982 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1983 2nd team All-CSIC
            •   1983 Honorable Mention All-American
 
OL       Chris Wright (1986-1988)
            •   1986 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1988 2nd team All-CSIC
 
DB       Barry Waggoner (1987-1988)
            •   1988 1st team All-CSIC
            •   1988 Honorable Mention All-American
 
These in-depth looks back at Griffon Football history will continue Oct. 8 with focus shifting to the 1990s.