Inductees

All these years later, it’s easy to look at the stats and the successes and assume that he was destined to play the part. The part being the state’s top small-college quarterback of the mid-1980s.

However, Scott Loveland will tell you his career wasn’t designed that way.

“Honestly it was after my senior football season — and I started getting college offers — that I started to think I could play at that level,” Loveland said. “I think our coaching staff was good at keeping us focused on Kickapoo (High School) football and not thinking much about college.”

What changed? Playing in the Missouri Lions Club All-Star Game led Loveland to a chance at the University of Central Missouri. And he seized on it, and the rest is history. In fact, it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Loveland with the Class of 2021.

A three-sport letterman at Kickapoo, he quarterbacked UCM from 1981 to 1984, taking over the starting job in the fourth game of his freshman season.

From there, Loveland became the first UCM quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 career yards (6,547 yards) and ended his senior year in style: As only the fifth MIAA Most Valuable Player in school history, having set 13 school records and seven conference records.

Incredibly, his career yards broke the school record by more than 1,500 yards and remained No. 1 until 1997 (and is still third all-time). He still holds the UCM record for all-time attempts (1,169), and held the completions record (557) for 26 years. His 32 touchdown passes are still top five almost 40 years after his final game.

In essence, Loveland flourished in coach Al Molde’s pro-I formation offense and coach Terry Noland’s run-and-shoot.

“I’m the teammate that truly doesn’t care about personal statistics as long as we win,” said Loveland, who helped lead the 1983 Mules to the MIAA title, their first in 13 seasons. “I’m a leader that encourages and attempts to build confidence with positive energy… until I felt someone wasn’t giving us the effort required.  At that point, I would motivate more harshly.”

As a youth, he played Boys Club basketball, Mighty Mites football, Kiwanis League baseball and Springfield-Greene County Park Board softball.

In 1979 and 1980, as Kickapoo’s starting quarterback, the teams were 8-2 and 9-1. Wide receiver Hal McClelland was his favorite target.

“I can tell you a little about every game at Kickapoo, but beating Glendale as a senior and Webb City twice were solid wins,” said Loveland, who earned All-Central Ozark Conference and All-District, was the starting point guard on Kickapoo’s 1980 and 1981 basketball teams, and played second base in baseball.

“I was fortunate to grow up with Doug Middleton, an extremely talented athlete who always set the bar for me to attain,” Loveland said. “I had to work hard and that made me much better as a player.”

Middleton and good friend Kelly Allison had joined UCM in 1980, but it wasn’t until that Lions Club All-Star Game when Loveland sensed he could compete at the next level. Eventually, Loveland helped the Mules to 21 wins and was the program’s first four-year starter since 1966.

Fastpitch softball soon became a focus.

In high school, his Empire Bank/Schlitz Bulls teams won four national tournaments (1977-1980) and represented the USA in the Youth World Tournament in Edmonton, Alberta in 1981 (second place). In 1986, he helped Harold’s Supermarkets in Lexington, which placed third in nationals and runner-up in the ISC World Tournament. He led a St. Joseph team to two national titles as a player/coach.

Throughout, Loveland has been thankful to so many for their support: his wife, Kerri, and their children, Bailey and Greyson, as well as his mom Nyla West, dad Gary Loveland, sister Tracy Loveland Woodall and stepfather Tim West.

These days, he is the Managing Partner of Scott Loveland Insurance, LLC and the Missouri Partner for Agent Support Network of America.

“I truly think about all the success we’ve had as teams I’ve been on and what wonderful teammates I’ve had,” Loveland said. “I’ve never been involved with a team that had such a single-minded goal to succeed like we had at Kickapoo. We were all in it for the group. When I think of my college team, I feel we came together as a group from completely different geographical areas and backgrounds to form a successful unit. I feel I grew up when I went to UCM with those guys.”