MARYVILLE, Mo. — A sense of responsibility, as much as a desire to win, carried LaRon Council over the goal line on Saturday.

Down by three points in overtime, the senior running back plunged over the pile to give Northwest Missouri State a 22-19 overtime victory against Washburn on Saturday. The win assured the Bearcats of at least a share of the MIAA conference championship.

“The receivers, backs and O-line, we all just knew that somebody had to make a play,” Council said. “Once they called my name, I didn’t want to be the guy to let anybody down.”

Council didn’t disappoint. After Washburn took a 19-16 lead in the first overtime series on Steve Ivanisevic’s fourth field goal of the game, Council carried the ball seven of the eight plays for 20 yards on Northwest’s offensive opportunity. Quarterback Blake Bolles carried the other time.

But Bolles, who earned the Don Black Award as Northwest’s most valuable player in the homecoming contest, made his mark in the passing game, completing a school-record 37 passes on 50 attempts for 367 yards.

He connected with Tyler Shaw on a 28-yard scoring play in the second quarter to give Northwest a brief 7-6 lead. Bolles enjoyed his best drive of the game in the final 3½ minutes of regulation, completing eight straight passes to five different receivers, then took it on the ground the final two yards when he saw an opening during a play-action pass.

It was an important spark for the Bearcats (8-1, 7-0 MIAA), who had struggled offensively in the first half.

“In the first half, as a team, we weren’t mentally focused,” Bolles said. “I thought we were real timid in the first half. After we lost Aldwin (Foster-Rettig, to an ejection) and Myles (Burnsides) was out with a concussion, the offense knew we had to pick it up and move the ball.”

The secondary took its hits during the contest. With its free safety and strong safety out, and a third safety, Ryan Jones, lost late with an ankle injury, the Bearcats had to utilize a lot of younger players.

“We were decimated in the secondary,” Northwest coach Mel Tjeerdsma said. “Clark Snodgrass was playing, and Clark doesn’t even travel.”

Council finished with 81 yards on an uncharacteristically low 23 carries — seven of them coming in overtime. But he got plenty of touches, catching 10 passes for 58 yards and even throwing his first college completion — out of the wildcat formation.

Reigning MIAA Offensive Player of the Week Dane Simoneau threw for 251 yards on 20-for-38 accuracy but never found the end zone and was sacked three times by the Bearcats.

“It was a tremendous effort from our defense the whole ball game,” Tjeerdsma said. “Our defensive line set the tone right away with a couple of sacks, and they put pressure on the quarterback the whole game.”

Northwest defensive end Roberto Davis got two of those sacks of Simoneau, while nose tackle Shayne Shade got the other.

Washburn (6-3, 4-3) sacked Bolles twice, with tackle Ben Bianchino getting both of them.

Jones and Burnsides each intercepted Simoneau once before leaving the game with injuries.

Sports reporter Rick Dunaway can be reached

at rickd@npgco.com