Football 11/12/2025 8:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

Bronchos Wrap Up Season In Missouri

Central Oklahoma Visits Missouri Western Saturday In Week 11 MIAA Matchup

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Central Oklahoma wraps up the 2025 football season Saturday afternoon with a 2 p.m. matchup against Missouri Western.

The Bronchos are 5-5 this season with a 5-3 record in the MIAA. Central with a win can secure back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2017-18.

Missouri Western is 3-7 on the season with a 2-6 record in the MIAA. The Griffons were 1-1 entering league play before a five-game losing streak. After consecutive wins in Week 8 and Week 9, MoWest lost at Northwest Missouri last week.

Central Oklahoma is looking for consecutive wins over Missouri Western for the first time in the short series history. MWSU owns a 9-5 advantage, including a 5-2 record in games in St. Joseph. The Bronchos did win there last season, earning a 37-34 win in overtime. The last two meetings were decided by three points, with MoWest winning 34-31 in Edmond in 2023.

UCO is averaging 29.1 points per game through 10 games played this season. Central averages 453.4 yards of total offense per game and splits that mark with 263.3 passing yards and 190.1 rushing yards per game.

Jett Huff has 1,996 yards passing and 15 touchdowns through eight games played. The junior is third in the MIAA in passing yards per game (249.5), second in passing touchdowns (15), and he leads the league in completion percentage (63.0).

Ashton Schumann leads the passing attack with 74 receptions this season. The sophomore wide receiver has 994 yards, which ranks second in Division II, and his 7.4 receptions per game rank sixth in the country. Schumann has five touchdowns this season.

Central Oklahoma has 17 players with a reception this season. Dominique Dunn is second on the team with 24 catches (293 yards), Hagen Hacker has 19 receptions (290 yards), and Kristian Valeriano has 18 hauls (316 yards). Dunn's five TDs are tied with Schumann for most on the team this season. Hacker has three touchdowns and Valeriano has two, and William Mason, Gage Keaton, and Braden Turner each have one touchdown.

The run game is led by three different backs that have all put up big numbers in 2025. Mason, a junior, leads the way with 739 yards on 124 carries this season with five rushing touchdowns. Senior Jaylen Cottrell has 551 yards rushing and six touchdowns. And sophomore Dev Mathews has 74 carries for 442 yards and leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns.

Central Oklahoma's defense is led by linebackers Connor Johnson, Jack Puckett, and Reese Roller. Johnson has a team-high 59 tackles this season, including 8.5 behind the line of scrimmage with one sack. Puckett has 54 tackles and leads the team with 13.0 tackles for a loss. He has four sacks this season. Roller has 37 tackles, nine behind the line, and 2.5 sacks.

Johnny Wilson leads on the defensive line with 33 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, and two sacks. Defensive linemen Darius Hampton has three sacks and Cameron Done joins Puckett for the team lead with four sacks this season.

Central Oklahoma ranks fourth in the MIAA with 24 sacks this season. Missouri Western ranks seventh with 17 sacks in 10 games.

UCO has nine interceptions from eight different players, led by Antwan Gilbreath's two picks this season. Puckett, Bryant Coley, Willie Rice, Daniel Ekwese, Marcus Works, Kaunor Ashley, and Roller have all picked off one pass. Rice leads the team with eight pass breakups and Works has five this season.

Joseph Kim is 9-for-15 on field goal attempts including a long of 51 yards. He is 2-for-2 inside of 30 yards this season, 4-for-6 from 30-39 yards, 2-for-5 from 40-49, and 1-for-2 from 50+ on the year. Kim also handles kickoff responsibility and is averaging 62.0 yards per kick this season with 21 touchbacks on 56 kickoffs.

Davis Barr is averaging 38.3 yards per punt this season with 12 inside the 20-yard line and four of 50-plus on 47 total punts in 10 games.

Missouri Western averages 19.6 points per game through 10 games played this season. The Griffons give up an even 30.0 per contest. On offense MWSU puts up 335.1 yards, 203.4 passing and 131.7 rushing per game. On defense, MoWest gives up 364.1 total yards, 251.7 passing and 112.4 rushing yards per game.

MWSU Running back Brandon Hall's 152 rushing attempts are the most in the MIAA this season. His 696 yards are fourth in the league right behind third-place Mason and right in front of fifth-place Cottrell. Hall has three rushing touchdowns this year.

MWSU quarterback Kane Donovan has 1,857 passing yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games played.

While the Bronchos have 671 all-time victories, which ranks fourth in Division II history, Central Oklahoma has longed for back-to-back winning seasons. UCO has only done it three times since 2000, with the 2003-04 teams, 2014-15 teams, and the 2017-18 teams accomplishing the feat. Central had eight consecutive winning seasons in the 1990s (92-99) and eight in a row from 1978-85. The most in school history in 10 consecutive winning seasons from 1953-1962.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Kaunor Ashley: DB; 5' 10"; Senior

#0 Jaylen Cottrell: RB; 6' 2"; Senior

#5 Dominique Dunn: TE; 6' 3"; Senior

#2 Daniel Ekwese: DB; 6' 1"; Senior

#14 Antwan Gilbreath: DB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman

#2 Hagen Hacker: WR; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#3 Jett Huff: QB; 5' 8"; Junior

#21 Connor Johnson: LB; 6' 3"; Senior

#23 Gage Keaton: WR; 5' 11"; Senior

#22 William Mason: RB; 6' 2"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#8 Kaunor Ashley
: 5' 10"; Senior
: DB

#0 Jaylen Cottrell
: 6' 2"; Senior
: RB

#5 Dominique Dunn
: 6' 3"; Senior
: TE

#2 Daniel Ekwese
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DB

#14 Antwan Gilbreath
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Freshman
: DB

#2 Hagen Hacker
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: WR

#3 Jett Huff
: 5' 8"; Junior
: QB

#21 Connor Johnson
: 6' 3"; Senior
: LB

#23 Gage Keaton
: 5' 11"; Senior
: WR

#22 William Mason
: 6' 2"; Junior
: RB