MOSO FOOTBALL Game 1: Missouri Southern State University GAMEDAY Lions (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) vs. University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers (0-0, 0-0 MIAA) Date: Thursday, September 5, 2019 Kickoff 6:00 pm Location: Joplin, Mo. • Fred G. Hughes Stadium/Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex (7,000) THE COACHES: Jeff Sims comes to the Lions with JUSTIN MASKUS, more than 24 years as a high school and collegiate Lions on the Air: Each Missouri Southern ATHLETIC MEDIA coach. For the previous four seasons, Sims was the head football game can be heard on Fox Sports RELATIONS DIRECTOR coach at Garden City where he has led the team to a Joplin 101.3 and 101.7 FM and also AM 32-12 record, including the 2016 Junior College National 1560. The games will be simulcast on KXMS Championship. 88.7 FM. Mike McClure provides the play- In 2018, Garden City finished 10-1 and was the NJCAA by-play with Scott Boudreaux alongside for EMAIL: MASKUS-J@ National Runner Up and finished the season ranked No. 2 color commentary. in junior college football. MSSU.EDU Southern broadcasts can also be heard on In his career, Sims has coached more than 50 players the internet. Click on www.mssulions.com to NFL careers, including two first-round NFL Draft picks, and go to the link for Lions game broad- 3950 E. NEWMAN (Jason Pierre-Paul and Mike Hughes), well as NFL All-Pro casts. To view each game live online go to Lavonte Davis. In total, seven players he has coached www.mssulions.com. RD. have been drafted. Two former players, Pierre-Paul and JOPLIN, MO Jacquian Williams, both played for the New York Giants in • This season, fans wishing to watch 64801-1595 a Super Bowl victory. Sims has also been the head coach at Fort Scott the Lions on TV can catch live broadcasts Community College where he had a 32-12 record and an of each home football game on KGCS-TV. OFFICE: appearance in the 2009 National Championship. He got The games will also be rebroadcast on 417/625.9359 his first head coaching experience at Mesabi Range where Sunday nights at 7 pm. KGCS program- he had a 13-7 record, including a 10-1 record in 2003. ming may be seen over the air on channel In his career as a junior college head coach, Sims 22 and on regional cable television sys- FAX: is 77-32, led four teams to undefeated regular seasons, tems including Cable One, Mediacom and 417/625.9570 and three National Championship appearances. He is Suddenlink. the winningest active coach in the Kansas Junior College Conference. His teams have held the No. 1 National • The weekly Missouri Southern football CELL: Ranking six times in ten years, and was named the 2016 press conference is held each Wednesday 417/499.7899 National Coach of the Year, while earning three KJCC at 12 noon in the New MSSU Endzone Coach of the Year honors (2009, 2016, 2018). Facility. It is not all about success on the field as Sims' teams at Garden City have routinely had an overall GPA of 3.00. • The weekly MSSU Coaches Radio Show can be heard on Thursday evenings Josh Lynn was named the 18th head football coach in at 6 pm. Join us live at Hackett Hot Wings Nebraska-Kearney history on Jan. 4th, 2017. in Joplin, where Coach Sims and Justin Lynn, who served as UNK's offensive coordinator in Maskus will recap each week's game and 2017, replaced Josh Lamberson. He also coaches the slot look ahead to the week to come. The show receivers, cruisters (tight ends) and running backs. On the year, the Lopers were among the MIAA leaders can be heard live on Fox Sports Joplin at in total defense (368 yards per game), rushing defense 101.3 FM and AM 1560, or online at http:// (125.4 ypg), fourth down conversion rate (57%) and few- radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/WMBH. est sacks allowed (19). Seven Lopers were named to the all-league team with 35 making the MIAA Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average). UNK also had one player, defensive end Jacob Bartling, named Academic All-District. A native of Eunice, N.M., and an Eastern New Mexico graduate, Lynn helped turn his alma mater around, lead- ing the Greyhounds to 27 wins between 2012-16. The 'Hounds also made two C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl appearances and earned a share of the 2013 Lone Star Conference (LSC) title. In eight years as a collegiate head coach, Lynn now has a 45-41 overall record. Continued on Page 2 2019 Lions Schedule Sept. 5 Sept. 12 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16 6 pm 6 pm 6 pm 7 pm 2 pm 4 pm 4 pm 2 pm 1 pm 3 pm 1 pm Visit Missouri Southern Athletics on the web at www.mssulions.com Missouri Southern Football Game Notes (9/5/19) 2 THE SERIES : Nebraska-Kearney holds a 10-7 record in the overall series, however All-Time Series Scores the two teams have only played each other Lions vs. Neb.-Kearney five times since the 1988 season (three Year Result Lions wins) the last year Southern partici- 1977 Kearney 27, @ Lions 23 pated as a member of the NAIA and the 1978 @ Kearney 33, Lions 7 Central States Intercollegiate Conference. 1979 @ Kearney 56, Lions 14 2019 MIAA Standings The series features one of the most 1980 Kearney 31, @ Lions 7 MIAA Overall unique situations as both teams historically 1981 Lions 25, @ Kearney 22 Central Missouri (RV) . .0-0 0-0 have been better at the other team's facil- 1982 @ Lions 23, Kearney 14 Central Oklahoma (RV) . 0-0 0-0 ity. The Lions are 2-6 at home, while 5-3 in 1983 Lions 21, @ Kearney 16 Emporia State (RV) . .0-0 0-0 Kearney. 1984 Kearney 24, @ Lions 14 Fort Hays State (11) . 0-0 0-0 UNK won the first four meetings, but 1985 Lions 24, @ Kearney 20 Lincoln . 0-0 0-0 Southern took the next three. The Lions 1986 Kearney 7, @ Lions 3 Lindenwood . 0-0 0-0 have won three out of the last four meet- Missouri Southern . 0-0 0-0 ings. 1987 Kearney 10, @ Lions 9 Missouri Western . 0-0 0-0 1988 @ Kearney 38, Lions 18 Nebraska Kearney . 0-0 0-0 LIONS IN THE MIAA PRESEASON POLL: The 2014 Lions 34, @ Kearney 17 Northeastern State . .0-0 0-0 Missouri Southern football team has been 2015 @ Lions 24, Kearney 14 Northwest Missouri (6) . 0-0 0-0 2016 Lions 24, @ Kearney 14 Pittsburg State (RV) . 0-0 0-0 picked tenth in both the coaches and media 2017 Kearney 16, @ Lions 6 Washburn . .0-0 0-0 preseason football polls as the league 2018 @ Kearney 45, Lions 0 () = Rank in AFCA Division II poll announced this morning during the 2019 MIAA Football Media Day at the Kaufman Bold indicates Lions win Foundation Center. 2019 MIAA Week 1 schedule When the 2019 season gets underway, there will be a new leader on the sidelines THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 for the Lions as head coach Jeff Sims starts year number one leading the Green and LU @ WU .................................................6 P.M. Gold at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. UNK @ MSSU . 6 PM PSU @ UCO ..............................................7 P.M. Last year's MIAA Co-Champs split the polls as Fort Hays State was picked to NSU @ ESU .......................................... 7:00 PM FHSU @ UCM .......................................7:05 P.M. win the league by the coaches and Northwest Missouri was picked by the media. NWMSU @ MWSU ................................7:00 P.M. In the coaches poll, Fort Hays picked up six first-place votes for 114 points, while Northwest Missouri had five first-place votes for 112 points. Pittsburg State was third 2012 MIAA Week 2 with one first-place vote, followed by Central Oklahoma, Central Missouri, Emporia Schedule State, Missouri Western, Washburn, Nebraska-Kearney, the Lions, Northeastern State and Lincoln. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 MSSU @ LU . 6:00 P .M . Northwest Missouri was the league favorite in both the coaches and media poll MWSU @ FHSU ...................................7:00 P.M. UCM @ NSU ............................................7 P.M. with Fort Hays State, Central Missouri and Pittsburg State two through four in UCO @ UNK ............................................7 P.M. both polls, as well. The coaches had Central Oklahoma and Emporia State tied for fifth, followed by Washburn, Lindenwood, Missouri Western, Nebraska-Kearney, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 WU @ NWMSU ...................................1:30 P.M. Northeastern State and the Lions. The media had Emporia State fifth, followed by ESU @ PSU ..........................................7:00 P.M. Central Oklahoma, Washburn, Missouri Western, Lindenwood, Nebraska-Kearney, Northeastern State and the Lions. 2019 MIAA Preseason Football Polls Coaches Poll Media Poll 1. Fort Hays State (6) - .................. 114 points 1. Northwest Missouri (32) - ........... 471 points 2. Northwest Missouri (5) - ............. 112 points 2. Fort Hays State (7) - .................. 433 points 3. Pittsburg State (1) - ..................... 97 points 3. Pittsburg State - ......................... 378 points 4. Central Oklahoma - ...................... 90 points 4. Central Missouri - ....................... 336 points 5. Central Missouri - ........................ 80 points 5. Central Oklahoma - .................... 313 points 6. Emporia State - ........................... 73 points 6. Emporia State - .......................... 264 points 7. Missouri Western - ....................... 57 points 7. Missouri Western - ..................... 245 points 8. Washburn - ................................. 54 points 8. Washburn - ................................ 234 points 9. Nebraska Kearney - ..................... 46 points 9. Nebraska Kearney - .................... 194 points 10 . Missouri Southern - . 34 points 10 . Missouri Southern (1) - . 120 points 11. Northeastern State - .................. 23 points 11.