Ten sign letters of intent with Football Mules

(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – Over the past three seasons, the Central Missouri State University Mules football has posted a 29-6 record. That mark over that span is the best in the state of Missouri and tops in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Small wonder head coach Willie Fritz and his staff have been able to land some of the top recruits in the area. Ten recruits will be joining the Cardinal & Black next season, as they have all signed letters of intent to play football for the Mules beginning next fall.

“The MIAA has as much talent as many Division I and I-AA conferences,” Fritz says. “To continue to rank among the elite in this league, we have to keep getting bigger, faster, and stronger. Over the last several years, we have done that.

“I’m excited about this class. We built the foundation a few of years ago, and we are continuing to build on that foundation. These talented young men are going to help us continue to build and reach our ultimate goal, which is a national championship.”

Following is a brief biographical sketch on each of the Mules’ signees:

Neil Barnes - 6-2, 225 pound linebacker from Raymore-Peculiar High School

Head Coach: Tom Kruse - an honorable mention all-metro pick as a linebacker, he was first-team all-state, all-district, and all-conference ... brother Ryan will be a senior on the Mules football team next fall.

A.J. Baugh - 6-3, 285 pound offensive lineman from Oak Park (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Keith Ross - earned honorable mention all-metro honors, and was named first-team all-state, all-district, and all-conference as an offensive lineman.

Zach Buschmann - 6-4, 270 pound offensive lineman from Platte County High School

Head Coach: Chip Sherman - named honorable mention all-metro on the offensive line, and added first-team all-conference and all-district kudos.

Imani Butler - 5-9, 155 pound wide receiver/defensive back from Parkway North High School in St. Louis, Mo.

Head Coach: Bob Bunton - a three-year starter, he was named first-team All-Suburban North as a wide receiver (26 receptions, 660 yards) and return specialist, and second-team All-Suburban North at defensive back ... also received second-team St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro honors as a wide receiver and first-team Missouri Class 5A All-State accolades as a return specialist ... as a junior, he was second-team all-conference as a defensive back and won the Class 4A state championship in the 200-meter dash ... for his career, Butler had six kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Brett Cavanah - 6-3, 255 pound tight end from Princeton (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Dave Cavanah - a first-team all-state, all-district, and All-Grand River Conference pick as a linebacker ... also was all-conference and all-district as a running back and kicker ... rushed for 1523 yards as a senior ... also named a KAAN Radio first-team All-Star, to the KMZU Dream Team, and a first-team St. Joseph News Press first-team All-Area linebacker.

Steven Ehase - 6-2, 185 pound punter/defensive back from Aurora (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Brian Moler - a team captain as a senior last fall, he was a second-team all-state linebacker, second-team all-area as a utility player, and first-team all-district as a running back and linebacker ... also was named second-team all-district as a punter, and on the all-conference team was first-team as a running back and second-team at both linebacker and punter.

Spencer Foster - 5-11, 205 pound defensive back from Pleasant Ridge (Kan.) High School

Head Coach: Chris Powers - a first-team all-state pick at running back as a senior, he rushed for a school record 1738 yards and 26 touchdowns ... named first-team all-state as a return specialist as a junior ... rushed for 1464 yards (a then school record he broke his senior year) and 25 TDs ... served two seasons as a team captain and was a two-time first-team All-Delaware Valley Conference pick ... son of Skip Foster, who is now head coach of the Arena Football League’s Austin Wranglers. Foster was head coach at Coffeyville Community College when Mules head coach Willie Fritz was defensive coordinator.

Eric Heyde (pronounced HI-dee) - 6-1, 195 pound free safety from Eureka (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Ferrell Shelton - a team captain last year, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury midway through the year ... in five games he rushed for 251 yards and a touchdown and threw for 257 yards and a pair of TDs ... also started at free safety, where he had 14 tackles.

Derek Lampkin - 6-3, 220 pound linebacker from Lawson (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Todd Dunn - earned first-team all-state honors as a linebacker last fall ... also was first-team all-district and named to the KKWK All-Star team ... added second-team all-metro honors, and was a unanimous KCI All-Conference selection and KMZU Dream Team honoree as both a linebacker and offensive lineman ... also a stellar wrestler, he was state champion at 215 last season after finishing second as a sophomore.

Adrian Singletary - 5-9, 200 pound linebacker from Winnetonka (Mo.) High School

Head Coach: Roger Bell - earned first-team all-state, all-district, and All-Suburban Big Eight Conference honors ... his head coach played at Central Missouri State in 1981 and 1982.

The 2003 Mules finished 9-2 overall, and won a share of the MIAA title after finishing 7-2 in conference play. Over the past three years, Central is 29-6, the best record in the conference and in the state of Missouri over that span.

CONTACT: JOE MOORE, (660) 543-4312