ST. JOSEPH – The first home week of the 2019 Griffon Football season has arrived and that means an inside look at the first decade for the program, the 1970s, and the recently selected All-Decade team for the '70s.
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 1970s
The decade that started it all. Griffon Football began with a loss at Morningside College on Sept. 12, 1970. The 72-10 defeat in the program's first-ever game still stands as the largest margin of defeat for a program that continued to rise throughout the '70s, culminating in three postseason victories (1975, 1977, 1979).
After one win in the inaugural season, the Griffons added one victory a year through 1973. After dropping back to three wins in 1974, the 1975 season ranked as the best in the program's first six seasons. That team went 8-3-1 overall, claiming the NAIA District 16 championship and a win in the Mineral Water Bowl. Two seasons later, the Griffons entered the CSIC with a bang, going 4-2-1 in conference and winning eight games, including a 35-30 triumph over Benedictine in the Boot Hill Bowl. The Griffons kept their every other-year-postseason trend alive in the final year of the decade, defeating William Jewell 72-44 in the Moila Shrine Bowl to finish the '70s with a 7-4 record. Overall, Missouri Western went 45-53-3 through the decade with a 10-10-1 record in its first three years as a member of the Central States Intercollegiate Conference.
Harold Cagle coached the upstart program through its first four seasons before Rob Hicklin took the reins in 1974. Hicklin went on to win 65 games over 12 seasons, leading the Griffons into the CSIC and into the 80s. After playing the first eight years at Noyes Field in midtown St. Joseph, Spratt Memorial Stadium opened on Sept. 8, 1979 with a 44-0 win over Dana College.
The decade featured 14 future Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame athletes along with Coach Cagle and Coach Hicklin. The 1975 team became the program's first to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and featured six future hall of famers. The 1977 team was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
The All-Decade teams were selected by a committee comprised of Missouri Western Football alumni and former Griffon Athletics support personnel. Griffon Athletics thanks the members of the committee for their diligence in selecting the team and for assisting in providing background information for each class.
THE 1970s ALL-DECADE TEAM
QB Bob Heimbaugh (1972-1975)
• #4 career passing yards – 4,603
• #5 career completions - 305
• #9 career touchdown passes - 25
• 1975 1st team All-District 16
• 1975 2nd team All-American
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
*RB Jay Randall (1975-1977)
• 1977 1,215 rushing yards, 12 TDs
• 1977 CSIC season scoring leader
• 1977 District 16 scoring leader
• 1977 Boot Hill Bowl Offensive Player of the Game
• 1976 Honorable Mention All CSIC
• 1977 1st team All-CSIC
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2001
*RB Marc Whitacre (1970-1973)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• #10 career rushing attempts
• Over 1,100 career rushing yards
• 1971 Honorable Mention All-District 16
• 1972 2nd team All-District 16
• 1973 Honorable Mention All-District 16
*RB Myrick "Bubba" Hopkins (1975-1976)
• #8 Career rushing TDs - 22
• 1975 1,054 rushing yards, 17 TDs
• 1975 Mineral Water Bowl Outstanding Back
• 1975 1st team All-District 16
• 1975 Honorable mention All-American
• 1976 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
WR Joe Henry (1975-1976)
• 1975 1,016 receiving yards, only 1,000-yd season in the first 23 years of Missouri Western football
• #9 career receiving yards – 1,676
• 1975 1st team All-District 16
• 1975 Honorable mention All-American
• 1976 1st team All-CSIC
WR Pat Casey (1976-1979)
• T-#9 Career TD receptions - 17
• 1978 1st team All-CSIC
• 1979 Honorable Mention All-CSIC
• 1979 2nd team All-District 16
TE Zack Workman (1970-1973)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• Led team in receptions and receiving yards in 1971, 1972 and 1973
• 1971 Special Mention All-District 16 as both Tight End and Punter
• 1972 2nd team All-District 16 Tight End
• 1973 Honorable Mention All-District 16 Tight End
• Over 1,370 career receiving yards
• Over 6,800 career punting yards averaging over 37 yards per punt
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
OL Scott Graham (1974-1977)
• 3-time Offensive player of the game in his career
• 1975 2nd team All District 16
• 1976 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1977 1st team All District 16
• 1977 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2005
OL Mark Storey (1975-1978)
• 1975 Honorable mention All-District 16
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1977 2nd team All-CSIC
• 1978 Honorable mention All-CSIC
OL Mark Lovelace (1972-1975)
• 1975 Mineral Water Bowl Starter
• 1975 Honorable mention All-District 16
OL Bill Tharp (1975-1978)
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1978 Honorable mention All-CSIC
OL Darrell Van Lengen (1976-1979)
• 1977 Honorable mention All-District 16
• 1978 2nd team All-CSIC
• 1979 1st team All-District 16
• 1979 1st team All-CSIC
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2004
K Ron Parker (1977)
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1977 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 11 field goals in 1977 – most for a single season in the first 24 years of Missouri Western football
• 1st male athlete in Missouri Western history to earn Varsity letters in 3 sports: Football, Basketball, Baseball
All-Purpose George Blakley (1973-1976)
• #1 career kick return yards – 1,843 yards
• #4 career punt return yards – 508 yards
• 1974 season rushing leader - 860 yards
• 1974 season scoring leader – 72 points
• 1975 1st team All District 16
• 1975 Honorable mention All-American
• 1976 1st team All-CSIC
• 1976 1st team All-American Defensive back
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
*DL Kinney Redding (1974-1977)
• Team sacks leader each of his 4 years – 30.5 total career sacks
• 1976 team leader tackles – 136
• 1975 1st team All-District 16, Honorable mention All-American
• 1976 1st team All-CSIC, Honorable mention All-American
• 1977 1st team All-District 16, 1st team All-CSIC, 1st team All-American
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2006
*DL Merrill Masters (1970-1973)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• 1972 1st team All-District 16
• 1973 2nd team All-District 16
• 1973 Honorable mention All-American, first-ever MW Football All-American
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2002
*DL Jamie Waldren (1974-1977)
• 1975 2nd team All-District 16
• 1976 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1977 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1977 1st Team All-District 16
*DL Alan Hensley (1974-1977)
• 1976 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1977 Honorable mention All CSIC
• 1977 1st Team All-District 16
*DL Pat Benage (1978-1979)
• 1978 1st team All-CSIC
• 1979 1st team All-CSIC
LB Keith Evans (1974-1977)
• 1975 Mineral Water Bowl Outstanding Lineman of the Game
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1977 1st team All-CSIC
• 1977 Honorable mention All-American
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2003
LB Doug Holland (1976-1978)
• 1977 team leader tackles – 142
• 1977 Boot Hill Bowl Defensive Player of the Game
• 1978 team leader tackles – 165, ranked #1 for single season all time
• 1978 led team with 4 interceptions
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1977 2nd team All-CSIC
• 1977 2nd Team All-American
• 1978 1st team All-CSIC
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2001
LB Mike Lillig (1974-1977)
• 1975 team leader tackles – 150, ranked #2 for single season all time
• 1975 2nd team All-District 16
• 1977 Honorable mention All-District 16
DB David Carter (1974-1976)
• 1974 team leader punt return average – 9.4 yards
• 1975 2nd team All-District 16
• 1976 Honorable mention All-CSIC
DB Neal Spencer (1976-1979)
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1977 Honorable mention All-CSIC
DB David Hedrick (1970-1973)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• #5 career interceptions – 13
• #5 Career interception return yards – 208
• Led team in both kick-off return and punt return average in 1971 and 1972
• 1971 Honorable mention All-District 16
• 1972 2nd team All-District 16
• 1973 2nd team All-District 16
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
DB Walter Wilson (1975)
• 1975 team leader interceptions – 5
• 1975 1st team All-District 16
• 1975 Honorable mention All-American
• 1976 signed a 3-year free agent contract with Kansas City Chiefs
P Randy Parker (1976-1979)
• #7 career yards per punt – 39.5 yards
• 1976 1st team All-CSIC
• 1976 Honorable mention All-American
• 1977 1st team All-District 16
• 1978 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1979 1st team All-District 16
• 1979 1st team All-CSIC
SPECIAL MENTION
DB Tim Skorija (1974-1977)
• 1975 Mineral Water Bowl game starter
• 1977 Boot Hill Bowl game starter
• 1977 team leader interceptions - 5
• 1977 Honorable mention All-District 16
TE Jeff Davey (1974-1977)
• 1977 Boot Hill Bowl game starter
• 1977 2nd Team All-CSIC
• 1977 1st Team All-District 16
LB Chris Faros (1970-1973)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• 1971 Honorable mention All-District 16
• 1972 2nd team All-District 16
• 1973 Honorable mention All-District 16
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 1990
QB Mike Solomon (1976-1979)
• #10 career passing yards – 2,670
• #7 career touchdown passes - 29
• 1979 Moila Bowl game starter
• 1979 Honorable mention All-CSIC
• 1979 2nd team All-District 16
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2009
DB Jack Burgess (1970-1972)
• Played on first-ever MW football team
• Led team in interceptions in 1971 and 1972
• #4 career interceptions - 16
• Inducted into Missouri Western Hall of Fame 2004
These in-depth looks back at Griffon Football history will continue Sept. 17 with focus shifting to the 1980s.
