Kansas Wesleyan went toe-to-toe with the No. 14-ranked team in the NAIA for three quarters Saturday night.
A difficult third quarter proved to the Coyotes undoing, though, in a 35-24 Kansas Conference loss to Evangel in the season opener at JRI Stadium and the Graves Family Sports Complex.
The Valor, which went 11-0 during the regular season in 2023, erased KWU’s 17-14 halftime lead with three touchdowns in a span of just over 13 minutes and led 35-24 entering the final 15 minutes.
“That’s a really good football team, they’re really similar to last year,” KWU coach Matt Myers said.
Wesleyan took a 17-7 lead on Byron McNair’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Earl Gray with 2:22 left in the first half, the play capping an eight-play, 70-yard drive.
The Valor, though, made it 17-14 on Cameron Harris’ 8-yard run just 26 seconds before intermission. The 12-play covered 75 yards.
A 57-yard pass from Reid Potts to Broc Lyle on the third play of the third quarter gave Evangel its first lead, 21-17 lead. The Coyotes were forced to punt on their next possession but it was blocked by Kyle Cummings, the Valor recovering the ball at the KWU 30. Two plays later Potts found Lyle again for a 28-yard touchdown making it 28-17.
Lyle had seven catches for 157 yards on the night; he also caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Potts in the second quarter. Potts was 17 of 25 passing for 257 yards and three TDs.
“We’ve got to cap the defense,” Myers said. “We were chasing guys on digs and under routes with our middle of the field guy and that’s what’s going to happen. If you leave the field open, they’re going to throw it there and score touchdowns. We fix two of those touchdowns and it’s a different ballgame.
Wesleyan battled back marching 71 yards on nine plays on its next possession – D’Heaven Domena scoring from the 1 that cut the deficit to 28-24 with 6:50 left in the quarter.
Evangel answered right back with an 11-play, 70-yard drive, Potts scoring from the 1 with 16 seconds remaining in the quarter for the game’s final points.
Evangel had 427 total yards to the Coyotes’ 305 that included 180 rushing on 43 attempts (4.2 per carry). Zarek Fewell had 86 yards on 16 carries and Luke Armstrong 63 on nine attempts and a touchdown – an 11-yard run in the opening quarter for the game’s first points.
Fewell also caught two passes for 32 yards while Darrias Pearsall had four catches for 25 yards and Gray three for 22 yards.
McNair, who started the final six games of 2023 in his freshman year, was 15 of 23 passing for 125 yards, no interceptions and the touchdown toss to Gray.
“We need to make sure we stretch the defense vertically going forward,” Myers said. “Taking some calculated (deep) shots in the passing game and forcing them to cover us vertically.”
KWU placekicker Cole Segraves, a transfer from Hutchinson Community College, kicked a 49-yard field goal that easily cleared with the crossbar and gave the Coyotes a 10-0 lead midway through the second quarter. Talon Cope converted all three point-after attempts.
The Coyotes play arch-rival Bethany at 11 a.m. next Saturday in Lindsborg. The Swedes lost to Avila 24-21 Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri.
