The Moberly Spartans varsity boys football team had a disappointing 2021-22 regular season. Still, the school has experienced success on the field and has had multiple alumni play at higher levels of competition. Led by head coach Cody McDowell, the team finished the most recent season with a win-loss record of 2-8. It ranked No. 24 and No. 231 in Columbia-Jefferson City and Missouri, respectively, according to MaxPreps. The Spartans lost 32-12 to Smith-Cotton in its opening game and followed that up with a 25-13 loss to Osage. It then suffered back-to-back losses to Excelsior Springs and Kirksville before picking up its first victory of the year, 33-22 against Fulton. The team registered its second consecutive win against Marshall on October 1 but lost its final four games to end the season. The Spartans lost 44-33 to the Warrenton Warriors to conclude its season on October 29. Moberly finished fourth in the six-team North Central Missouri (NCM) conference ahead of Marshall and Fulton. Mexico and Hannibal were undefeated in conference play and had the two best records at 10-3 and 13-1, respectively.

1. Patt Stansberry

2. The Moberly Spartans varsity boys football team had a
disappointing 2021-22 regular season. Still, the school
has experienced success on the field and has had
multiple alumni play at higher levels of competition. Led
by head coach Cody McDowell, the team finished the
most recent season with a win-loss record of 2-8. It
ranked No. 24 and No. 231 in Columbia-Jefferson City
and Missouri, respectively, according to MaxPreps.

3. The Spartans lost 32-12 to Smith-Cotton in its opening
game and followed that up with a 25-13 loss to Osage.
It then suffered back-to-back losses to Excelsior
Springs and Kirksville before picking up its first victory
of the year, 33-22 against Fulton. The team registered
its second consecutive win against Marshall on October
1 but lost its final four games to end the season.

4. The Spartans lost 44-33 to the Warrenton Warriors to
conclude its season on October 29. Moberly finished
fourth in the six-team North Central Missouri (NCM)
conference ahead of Marshall and Fulton. Mexico and
Hannibal were undefeated in conference play and had
the two best records at 10-3 and 13-1, respectively.

5. The 2021-22 season marked the first losing campaign
for the Spartans since the 2015-16 season when head
coach Jason Ambroson guided the team to a 5-6
record. Between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons, the
Spartans recorded a combined record of 33-13. It won
eight of its 10 games in 2020-21 and scored a perfect 4-
0 against NCM conference opponents. Moreover, it
scored 346 points and allowed only 176.

6. The Spartans finished the 2020-21 season ranked 64th
among all high school football teams in Missouri. Its
previous high in statewide rankings was No. 43, which it
achieved in 2007-08 after winning 11 of its 12 games
that season. Moberly recorded shutout victories over
Fulton, Winfield, Kirksville, Mexico, and Van-Far that
season before losing to St. Francis Borgia 49-21 in the
playoffs.

7. Regarding player development, Moberly has produced
several players who have competed in the NCAA. Devin
West, who played for the team during the early 1990s,
became a star running back with the University of
Missouri Tigers from 1995 to 1998. He earned First
Team All-American distinction from The Sporting News
and Football News in 1998 and helped guide the team
to its first bowl victory in 17 years. West, who recorded
1,578 rushing yards that season, was the Tigers' first
running back to be named All-American in more than 45
years.

8. West holds the Tigers single-game record for rushing
yards (319) and ranks second in program history for all-
time rushing yards (2,954). He was inducted into the
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. Surprisingly,
West only joined the Moberly Spartans program as a
waterboy during his sophomore year to hang out with
his friends on the team. He rushed for 1,477 yards
during his senior year in high school.

9. David Tooley and A.J. David are among the more recent
Moberly graduates to play in the NCAA. Tooley spent
one season as a tight end with the University of
Wyoming in 2009 and caught seven passes for 115
yards and one touchdown. David, meanwhile, was a
Class 4 all-state lineman for Moberly, who later played
for Missouri State.