Kansas Wesleyan Flag Football opened its 2023 campaign on Saturday hosting the Ottawa University Braves in a KCAC game at JRI Stadium at the Graves Family Sports Complex.

Ottawa would come away with the 33-6 win in the game.

The Braves opened with the ball and drove down the field and scored on Madyson Carrera’s 1-yard pass to Mandolyn Scalisi with 8:13 to go in the first.

It was the only points of the first quarter for either team.

The Coyotes did provide a little excitement as Angel Roman (SO/Jacksonville, Fla.) later fielded an Ottawa punt, and lateraled to Ciaran DeCuir (SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) who raced 32 yards to the Ottawa 38. KWU drove to the Ottawa 5, but the drive stalled there.

Ottawa scored twice in the second quarter and led 20-0 at the half.

Wesleyan opened the second half with the ball and drove to the Ottawa 33, where they faced a fourth down play. Brianna Hernandez-Silva (SR/Las Vegas, Nev.) rushed trying to reach the first down line, but came up just short. The drive was aided by a personal foul call against Ottawa.

After a scoreless third, the Coyotes got on the board in the fourth. The Coyotes took over at their own nine after a Ottawa punt, and marched down the field. Hernandez-Silva completed several passes, including one to Nickayla Howard (SO/Las Vegas, Nev.) where Ottawa was called for a personal foul penalty moving the ball to the Ottawa 27.

Hernandez-Silva hit DeCuir for a 36-yard pass to the Ottawa 1, and on the next play Hernandez-Silva rushed into the end zone to get the Coyotes on the board. Ottawa was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the coaching staff after the play, and the Coyotes decided to go for 2, from the 5 after the penalty, but could not convert.

Ottawa scored on its final two drives for the 33-6 win.

The Coyotes had 193 yards of total offense. Hernandez-Silva was 14 of 33 passing for 111 yard and rushed 10 times for 85 yards. Angel Almaraz (FR/Las Vegas, Nev.) had four catches for 29 yards. DeCuir had two grabs for 40 yards.

Alexa Mansur (SO/Henderson, Nev.) led Wesleyan’s defense with seven flag pulls.

The Coyotes head to Elizabethton, Tennessee on Thursday for three games against Campbellsville, Milligan and Reinhardt.